Distilled

Chapter 6

Michael.

I entered the room heading towards the bathroom and entered the hydro, while waiting for Susana, I kept thinking about Alice, what she must have been through all this time, and I remembered her in the room, when I saw her for the first time. The beautiful makeup and the perfect face, but behind that, the scared and hopeless face, the dull eyes. I had never felt so angry and helpless. So when I finally managed to free her from that animal, with a little divine help, I felt like one of the most powerful and happiest men in the world. I remembered her in the renovated guest room, when she held my hand and thanked me, I felt something I had never felt before. My heart got hot. I felt like a hero. After years away from Alice, fate brought us together, because she needed me.

Susana got into the bathtub and sat on top of me.

-You're already excited, Michael. That's how I like it.

We had s*x in the hydro and she went to bed. Ultimately, that's what our relationship was based on. s*x and sleeping together. We didn't talk much and she didn't seem very interested in what was going on in my life. We were just two people having s*x and sleeping together. After a while I left the hydro too and when I got to the room, Susana was already sleeping. I walked out the door and went to the kitchen to get some juice. As I walked past Alice's door, I heard her crying softly, I thought about knocking on the door, but I wouldn't be of much help at this hour of the morning, I was tired and irritated. I drank my juice and went to the office. I was reading the papers about sponsorship and ended up falling asleep in the chair. I woke up the other day to my dad pulling my hair.

-I thought I was going to take Alice to school.

-I'm going, what time...?

-seven fifteen. They come in at eight.

-Okay, okay. I am going.

I went to my room to get ready and found a note from Susana on the nightstand.

"Yesterday was wonderful. You were an animal. I'll have to travel to Hong Kong on business, but I'll be back as soon as possible. Bjo Susana."

I crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash. Susana had no shame in writing and leaving it in plain sight. Her travels are becoming more frequent than mine. And always to the same place. Hong Kong. I shook off the thought that was starting to run through my head and finished getting ready. I passed Alice's room and she was still sleeping. Her calm face took the last of my strength to wake her up, but I needed to. It was the first day of school.

- Alice. Ali. Wake up.

- Hmm, no. - She said moving in bed like a baby.

-Wake up, otherwise I'll treat you like a baby.

-I don't want to get up, I'm tired. And I'm not a baby at all, it's just the trip that destroyed me.

I agreed and helped her up, she went to the bathroom and showered, leaving already in her uniform and hair brushed. I never got into the matter of hearing her crying last night. She is definitely going through difficult times.

-Well, I'll take you today because it's the first day of school. On other days, you go with Sophie, all right?

-All right.

-And please never forget your cell phone.

-Right.

I dropped her off at school and headed towards the company. The company belonged to my father. I was only one of the partners, but I worked as hard as anyone there. When I arrived, my lawyer, Jax, stopped me at the door to the room.

-Good morning Jax, what happened this time?

-I don't think I have good news, boss.

-Then wait for me to at least sit in my chair.

We walked in and he started talking.

“I was reviewing the documents and discovered a clause from the judge claiming he would pass custody to your father, but only on the circumstance that you and the girl, Alice, were considered husband and wife.

-Which? I yelled at Jax.

-I'm sorry sir, the documents were reviewed very quickly, I think that detail escaped me.

-Oh, you missed the detail, Jax. Crap! How am I going to tell an underage girl who has already been abused, that I have to marry her to save her? How Jax? Talk to me! No, you know what, don't tell me anything. What the f**k, get out of my room!

Jax flew off and I was irate. That was it. Ended. I would lose Alice's trust. I called my father and explained the situation to him. He confirmed that the only option was to make the wedding.

He didn't know how he was going to tell Alice that without hating me for making her do it. A small part of my brain thought about how Susana would react. The rest of the workday was completely wasted. It was like I wasn't even there. My head was spinning and I couldn't concentrate.