My Daughter's Best Friend

It was almost lunchtime. Heitor left his company after a chaotic work meeting, but that didn't bother him. He loved his job and the company his father had given him, and he took care of it with deep love and responsibility. Heitor's father was a very hardworking man of great character, the greatest inspiration for Heitor. “Marcos, I'm going home. I'll finish what I have to do today from home,” Heitor said to the driver, who nodded and got into the car. Heitor did the same, but in the back seat, while looking at something random on his phone, but his expression still showed fatigue. “A complicated morning, sir?” “A little, the construction field is somewhat complicated at times, mainly because we deal with various opinions, which sometimes complicates the process.” He leaned his head back against the seat. The client wants one thing, the architect with his study wants another, and the engineer too, and in the end, we all have to reach a consensus to deliver the project that meets the client's request,” he said. Marcos nodded in understanding and continued driving. That morning for Julia was one of much reflection. While working, she occasionally looked at the purple mark on her wrist, made by her boyfriend Davi, an aggressive and emotionally unstable man. It was clear there was no love there. How could she love someone who had mistreated her so much? It was fear—nothing more. And it had been that way for a long time. With that in mind, she decided it was better to end that abusive relationship. It was time for lunch, and Julia had been released by her boss to have her meal. She worked as a sales associate at a bookstore. She liked her job; it was pleasant and calm, also because she was an avid reader, and whenever she could, she would browse through the displayed books. Julia grabbed her phone, slipped it into her bag, and headed for the store’s exit. She thought she would have a calm lunch where she could figure out how to break up with Davi without more fights or aggression. That plan quickly fell apart because when she stepped outside the store, he was already there, waiting for her. “Davi, what are you doing here?” She asked, somewhat surprised and also scared. “I came to take you to lunch,” he said, as if the previous night he hadn't been extremely aggressive. “No need, I'll go alone.” She said, taking a few steps back. “Come on, Julia, if it's because of what I did yesterday, it's over.” “Over, Davi...for whom? You assaulted me once again, leaving marks on me.” “You don't cooperate either.” “You're the one who has no control, it was just a book, can't I even r******w?” she questioned, somewhat irritated. “A book full of obscene things.” “I'm an adult woman, what's the problem?” she said, raising her voice, then he grabbed her arm with even more force than he usually did. “Davi...let me go, you're hurting me,” she pleaded through clenched teeth. “The kind of book only someone indecent would read, do you think it's normal how the guy's d**k was described in that book?” he shouted, leaving her even more frightened. “Enough, Davi, I can't take this anymore, it's over, I want to break up,” she said, feeling the pain spreading through her arm. She felt he could break it at any moment with just a little more force. “You're not breaking up with me; I won't allow it.” “This isn't just your choice, now let me go.” She pleaded with tears in her eyes, then felt her body being forcefully pushed against the wall of the store, causing her to lose her breath and her vision to darken. At that moment, she began to think it hadn't been a good idea to end the relationship right then, on a quiet street where he could seriously harm her, but luckily, her savior was on the way. Heitor was on his way home. The driver always took that route because it was a quiet street. Heitor knew that Júlia, his daughter Jade's best friend, worked nearby, but he didn't expect to see her in such a sad situation. “Oh God, Marcos, stop the car, that's Julia, and that guy is attacking her,” Heitor said hurriedly upon seeing the scene through the car window. Marcos did as he was told, not even hesitating to stop the car in the middle of the street; helping Julia at that moment was the most important thing. Heitor got out of the car and rushed to Julia. Davi was shaking her by the arms. There was some blood in her mouth, and she was clearly weak, no longer reacting to anything, just groaning in pain. “You bastard, let her go,” Heitor demanded loudly and authoritatively. “Stay out of it.” Heitor, extremely irritated, grabbed Davi by the shirt, pulling him off Júlia, and punched him, causing him to fall to the ground. Seeing her on the ground, Heitor went to Júlia, looking at her red arms and bleeding mouth, the bruises on her body, then hugged her in an attempt to calm her down. “Ju...it's all right now,” he said in a comforting way, but then Davi grabbed him by the shirt, making him stand up, but before he could punch Heitor, Marcos, the driver, punched Davi in the nose, causing him to fall to the ground again, this time with a bleeding nose. “What's wrong? Can you only handle a woman, not a man?” Marcos said, then kicked him in the stomach, making him spit blood. Meanwhile, Heitor helped Júlia up, then hugged her. “Don't worry, Júlia, I'm here,” Heitor said. Davi, seeing the scene, became furious. “Who is this man, Júlia?” he questioned. Davi was a jealous man and obviously imagined the wrong things, but Júlia and Heitor were too concerned with the situation to try to clarify it. “Great, go screw yourself with your lover, that's why you wanted to break up,” Davi said, getting up from the ground. “Let's go, Marcos, we need to get Júlia out of here,” Heitor said, then the three headed towards the car that was still parked in the middle of the street and got in. “Júlia...was that your boyfriend?” Heitor asked sympathetically. While trying to fix her disheveled hair, she, in tears, managed to respond. “He was. I broke up with him...he mistreated me, abused me, I couldn't take it anymore, I just couldn't,” she said in tears. “Júlia, when did this start?” “Over a year ago…” “Why didn't you tell Jade or me? We would have helped you.” Heitor said, distressed, imagining everything she had gone through at the hands of that madman. “I didn't want to be a bother,” she said, looking him in the eyes. Seeing the blood trickling from the corner of Júlia's mouth, he took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the blood from her mouth, then held her in a comforting hug, where she continued to pour out her fears and frustrations through her tears. Heitor, deeply moved by the situation, stroked her hair, trying to calm her, but it seemed impossible. The car continued on its way to Heitor's mansion. Júlia hadn't even realized it; she was savoring the comfort those arms provided, feeling so protected. Protection was one of the many feelings Heitor evoked in her, one of the many amidst the attraction Júlia felt for him, an attraction that had begun when she was only fifteen. Initially, it seemed like mere admiration, a desire to have a present father, a wonderful father, just like Heitor was to Jade, her best friend. But gradually, she began to realize it went much further than that; she desired him, losing herself in admiration for that masculine and attractive man, imagining having him one day. But Júlia judged herself for this; he was older, the father of her best friend, and at the time, married. This was one of the reasons Júlia stopped visiting Jade and Heitor's house so frequently, the uncontrollable attraction she had for him, which she hid at all costs because she found it impossible, unattainable. The imposing gate of Heitor's house opened. Júlia stayed close to him; he never let go of her, knowing that after that terrible incident, all she needed was support, and he was willing to take care of his daughter's best friend. “Júlia, we're here,” he whispered. She opened her eyes, then looked out the window, seeing his house. “Mr. Heitor, why did you bring me to your house?” “To help you, you need to calm down. Jade should be home; it will be good for you to be with her,” he said in a reassuring tone. She just nodded, then he opened the door and got out, and she followed suit. “Your face is swollen; come, let's put some ice on it.” Heitor guided her into the house, left her sitting on the living room sofa, and went to the kitchen in search of ice. There, he was informed that Jade had gone out with her boyfriend, so he returned to the living room. If his daughter weren't there, he would be responsible for giving Júlia all the support until she arrived, and this was no great effort; he had a lot of affection for Júlia. “Jade isn't home; she went out with Benicio.” “It's okay, I'll go home then,” she said, already getting up, but Heitor gently and understandingly held her hand. “Don't be silly, Ju, have a seat, let me put ice on those bruises. “Mr. Heitor, there's no need; you must have very important things to do. I'm already so grateful for what you've done for me.” “I was just doing my duty, and no, at the moment I have nothing more important than taking care of my daughter's best friend, Ju, you are family,” he said with a welcoming smile on his lips, then brought his hand to her face and touched her lip, which had turned a reddish-purple and was swollen. “Does it hurt?” “A little,” she said, somewhat disconcerted; his mere presence by her side, touching her with such care and affection, rekindled that flame. Heitor took an ice cube and slowly glided it over her lip until it melted completely. “Has he always been like this, always mistreated you?” he asked. “No, he was always very jealous, but in the beginning, he didn't hurt me. Over the past year, he has become very aggressive, and the final straw for me was last night when he twisted my wrist because of a book I was reading, so I decided it was best to end it.” “Because of a book? What was in that book?” he asked, somewhat perplexed, unable to understand how a book could provoke such a reaction. “Vivid descriptions of a man,” she said, somewhat embarrassed. Heitor shook his head in disbelief and said. “He did it out of pure malice; these people are like that, they look for excuses to hurt. If you had told us, we would have helped you.” “I didn't want to bother you; you're busy, and Jade has her own issues, and she's so happy with her boyfriend, I didn't think it was fair for my problems to interfere with that.” “Four years ago, you had your own problems, yet you stood by Jade when she was suffering from the divorce. I'm eternally grateful. You're an incredible person, Júlia, and Jade and I would have done everything possible to help you,” he said sweetly and understandingly, which made Júlia break down in tears once again, then he hugged her. Holding her in his arms with her face buried against his chest. Júlia was always very emotional in her displays of affection; her sister, despite having dedicated her life to caring for Júlia, worked as a nurse and, to cover household expenses, worked long shifts, so she was quite absent. “Ju, don't cry, everything is okay now.” “Dad... Júlia, are you okay?” Jade asked as she walked through the entrance door, seeing her father hugging her best friend, who was in tears. Júlia pulled away from Heitor and directed her gaze to Jade, who could see the bruises on her friend's face. “Oh my God, Ju... what happened to your face?” Jade asked anxiously, while Júlia just sobbed. “It was her bastard ex; I caught him mistreating her in front of the store where Júlia works,” Heitor explained, seeing that Júlia couldn't tell, then Jade sat on the sofa with them and hugged her. “Friend, I'm so sorry. How are you? Look at this, your face…” Jade said with tears in her eyes. Júlia was like a sister to her, and seeing her suffer pained her too. “Everything's going to be alright now,” Jade whispered as she hugged her.