Devoted Love, Mr. Hayes’ Darling Wife

The next morning Adán Rouco wakes up and pulls Estrella Berrocal, who is still sleeping, to tie his tie.

Estrella Berrocal stood barefoot on the carpet, without her heels, at the height of Adán Rouco’s collarbone, the height at which she knotted his tie, birdie as it was.

Adán Rouco looked at her, and Estrella Berrocal felt the burning gaze on her head, and her face flushed slightly, and when she had knotted it, she was about to withdraw her hand when the man took it in his, “Don’t be late tonight, eh?”

Estrella Berrocal curved her lips: “I know, I’ll be there, see you soon”.

Estrella Berrocal watched Adán Rouco’s car drive away and then stood in front of the villa, watching the tail of the car dwindle to a black dot.

-Adam, I’m sorry I’m going to miss my appointment.

He had bought a ticket to leave La Ciudad Santa for today and had finally worked up the courage to tell her about Analena Lozada’s presence.

Estrella Berrocal sent a text message.

…

Analena Lozada received the text message and clicked on it.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Tonight, on the top floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel, Adán Rouco will be waiting for you.”

Analena Lozada frowned slightly in disbelief and called out, “Miss Estrella, what exactly are you referring to?”

“Literally, tonight, Adán Rouco will be waiting for her on the top floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel, I’m just telling her, whether she goes or not, that’s up to her.”

And with that, he simply hung up the phone.

Estrella Berrocal was not a pretentious person, and she had never thought that one day she would be sending the man she loved, to another woman, with her own hands.

If Adán Rouco had known that Analena Lozada was still alive, the knots and depression he had been feeling all these years would have been lifted, right?

It would have been the best outcome for everyone if she had done it.

…

After breakfast, Estrella Berrocal went to see Paulita at the nursery.

The little girl was playing on the slide with a group of children, having a great time, and as soon as she saw her coming, she happily ran towards her.

“Star, what are you doing here?”

“Estrella suddenly missed Paulita, so she came.”

Paulita played with the sweat all over her forehead, wetting her hair, and Estrella Berrocal took out a tissue and wiped the sweat from the little girl’s face.

“Paulita, how are you getting along with the children now?”.

He recalls that when he first met Paulita, she was not playing well with the children at the day care center and was very out of place.

The little boy patted his chest and said proudly, “The children love Paulita, and Paulita has made some very good friends!” “Estrella, can I ask the children to play with us over the weekend?”

“Yes, whatever you want, as long as you’re happy.”

But the little ball wrinkled her little eyebrow and said bitterly, “But … daddy doesn’t like to make too much noise, what if daddy is mean to me? There are so many children around, if daddy is mean to me, won’t I lose face?”.

“Don’t worry, daddy won’t be mean to Paulita, I will intercede for you.”

“Really Star?”

Estrella Berrocal nodded solemnly, “Of course it’s true.”

Over there, a child called out to Paulita from a little further away: “Paula Rouco! Come and play with us.

Estrella Berrocal stroked his little head and smiled: “Come on, the children are waiting for you”.

“Estrella, I’m going to play now!”. The little girl hugged Estrella Berrocal’s neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Estrella Berrocal looked at the cheerful figurine and her eyes moistened slightly.

…

At six o’clock in the evening, Adán Rouco had just left work and called Estrella Berrocal.

“I get off work, take the car to go to the Banyan Tree Hotel, I’ll be there in about half an hour.”

Estrella Berrocal listened to the deep, magnetic voice of the man on the other end of the line, with a bit of affection, and said nothing for a good while.

She was so quiet that Adán Rouco called out to her with a frown, “Estrella?”.

“Yes, I know, I’m on my way, I just suddenly wanted to hear your voice.”

Adán Rouco did not give it any importance, he just casually teased: “Do you miss me?

“Well, a little bit.”

The man’s thin lips curved slightly at this response.

…

At three o’clock in the afternoon, Estrella Berrocal was already on the bus.

He gazed out at the receding landscape of The Holy City, his eyes watering.

Tears eventually fall when looking at the empty ring finger.

The diamond ring that Adán Rouco had given her and left in the villa had never belonged to her.

Her hand, gently caressing her small, flat belly, reddens her eyes. “Honey, we’re leaving Daddy, from now on…. mommy will take good care of you.”

…

Adán Rouco went to the Banyan Tree Hotel and was led by the bellboy to the top floor of the hotel.

Just as he reached the top floor, he noticed a woman sitting at the terrace table with her back to him, but the woman, Adán Rouco was sure, was not Estrella Berrocal.

The moment Analena Lozada turned her head at the sound of footsteps, Adán Rouco froze.

In the warm orange glow, Analena Lozada saw him and smiled slightly, softly and lightly.

“Adam, it’s been a long time.”

Analena Lozada stood up and took a step towards Adán Rouco, who did not even look back until she was standing firmly in front of him.

“Did I scare you? O … Adam don’t you remember me anymore?”.

Even for someone as calm and collected as Adán Rouco, he was still a bit surprised, even shocked, to be confronted with someone who had been dead for ten years and had “come back to life”.

Adán Rouco did not believe that Analena Lozada was still alive, the storm was so great that she could not have survived.

Adán Rouco’s brow furrowed: “What the hell is going on here?

“Are we going to stand here talking? Is it okay if we talk while we eat?”

Analena Lozada was friendly, and so was the woman in front of her, but Adán Rouco couldn’t tell what was going on.

However, Adán Rouco is not the person who knows Analena Lozada best, the person who knows Analena Lozada best is Jonathan Tasis.

Adán Rouco and Analena Lozada were sitting together, facing each other, at the table, lit with romantic candles and expensive wine, which Adán Rouco had ordered to be prepared earlier.

Only he had not expected that the protagonist of the evening would be Analena Lozada.

“How did you know I was coming here tonight?”

Analena Lozada was stunned and smiled faintly, “I thought you would be impatient to ask me how I had returned from the dead, but your main concern is why I am here, it was Miss Estrella who told me to come, she told me you were waiting for me here.”

“How do you know Estrella Berrocal?”

Adam Rouco’s dark eyes sank and a bad feeling arose in his heart.

Analena Lozada looked at the decorations, then at the exquisite candlelit dinner on the table, and raised her eyes to look at Adán Rouco. “None of this… is actually for me tonight, is it? Are you preparing it for Miss Estrella?”.

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