BUSINESSMAN STAGED AN ACCIDENT TO TEST HIS FIANCÉE… AND DISCOVERED WHO WAS PROTECTING THE TWINS…
If life gave you five minutes to find out who is by your side out of love, would you have the courage? Caio Valença, owner of a pharmacy chain in Santa Aurora, did. On the morning he returned from a trip, he tied bandages around his chest, put gauze on his head, and lay down on the bed in the master bedroom, faking a serious accident. The plan was simple: to listen, without being seen, to how Marina, his fiancée, would treat their newborn twins and the most invisible employee in the house.
Before lying down, Caio had left his cell phone recording inside the bedside lamp and told his doctor friend not to appear. If Marina was loyal, he would get up laughing. But if she showed venom, he would have proof. Outside, the rain beat on the balcony, and each thunderclap seemed to say: be careful, Caio, the real fall is not of the body. What falls is the heart.
In the hallway, hurried footsteps. Eliane, the cleaning lady in her gray uniform, entered with the babies Davi and Daniel in her arms. They were asleep, smelling of talcum powder. Marina came behind her, expensive perfume and a sharp voice. “Get them out of here,” she whispered, as if the crying could stain the walls. “I wasn’t born to be a nanny. And this house will turn into a noisy nursery if he doesn’t wake up.”
Eliane swallowed hard. “Mrs. Marina, the doctor said the father needs to feel the boys close. It helps with recovery.” Marina laughed humorlessly. “Recovery? If he becomes dependent, am I going to be the nurse? And they’re not even mine. Sort this out. Orphanage, adoption, anything.”
Under his eyelids, Caio felt his blood boil. The twins were children from a past relationship. Their mother, a teacher named Teresa, had died in childbirth, and Caio carried the guilt like a stone in his pocket. He thought Marina had accepted the story. There, lying down, he saw the truth.
Marina approached Eliane and pointed her finger. “You’re just a cleaning lady. If you open your mouth, I’ll cut you off and you’ll go back to the Pedras neighborhood without medicine for your mother.” Eliane clutched the babies to her chest. “I might lose my job, but I won’t hand over innocent children.”
That’s when the bedroom door seemed to breathe. Caio opened his eyes, pulled back the bandages, and sat up. “Enough.” Marina froze, then tried to smile. “Honey, thank God…” Caio raised his hand. “I heard everything. You don’t love my children, nor do you respect those who work here. The marriage is over.”
The silence turned to a scream when Marina realized the mask had fallen. She threw the ring on the dresser and left, threatening to spread lies throughout the city. Caio didn’t even flinch. He called his lawyer, filed a report of the offenses, and, before anything else, looked at Eliane. “You protected my boys when you thought I couldn’t. From today on, you’re not invisible. I want you as their caregiver, with a decent salary and assistance for your family.”
Eliane cried softly. The twins moved their little hands, as if confirming their choice. And that night, in Santa Aurora, Caio understood that character cannot be bought: it appears when no one is looking.
“If you believe that no pain is greater than God’s promise, comment: I BELIEVE! And also say: which city are you watching us from?”