Ricardo and Mariana’s mansion was impeccable, reflecting the luxury and stability of a marriage that, in the eyes of others, seemed perfect. But behind the marble walls and Italian-designed furniture, there were hidden desires and an invisible tension that grew each day.
Mariana spent long periods traveling for work, and Ricardo, despite maintaining the posture of a faithful husband, felt the weight of loneliness. It was then that he began to notice Laura, the newly hired young maid. With her dark hair tied up in a careless bun and curves that the apron couldn’t hide, she awakened a dangerous curiosity in Ricardo.
The game of glances began innocently. Small casual touches while handing him a glass of wine, lingering smiles, and late-night conversations when the house was silent. One night, after a lonely dinner, Ricardo found her in the kitchen, washing dishes. She wore short shorts and a thin T-shirt that revealed her damp skin from the steam rising from the sink.
— It’s late. You should rest — he said, his voice huskier than he intended.
Laura smiled, not looking away.
— I don’t mind. I like the house this way, quiet.
Ricardo stepped closer. He could smell her, a mix of lavender and repressed desire. It was a light touch, a finger sliding down her arm, but the electric tension was undeniable. In the next instant, they were pressed against each other, their lips meeting in a hungry kiss.
That first contact was only the beginning. The affair intensified in the following days, consuming them in secret encounters within the very house. The danger heightened the excitement. They made love in a rush in the bathroom, the office, even in Mariana’s bedroom, where the sheets still carried the scent of the absent wife.
What Ricardo didn’t know was that betrayal never remains hidden for long. One day, Mariana decided to return early without warning. The clock struck ten at night when she opened the bedroom door and found the scene that would burn into her memory forever: Ricardo and Laura entwined in bed, their naked bodies locked in a forbidden embrace.
Mariana’s scream echoed through the house. Ricardo jumped out of bed, desperately searching for words to lessen the damage. But there was no excuse capable of fixing that.
— How could you?! — Mariana cried, her eyes filled with fury and heartbreak.
Laura, pale and trembling, gathered her clothes and fled down the hallway, disappearing into the darkness. Ricardo tried to approach, but Mariana stepped back.
— Get out of my house. Now.
And so, in a single night, everything fell apart. Mariana filed for divorce, and in less than a month, Ricardo found himself living alone in a cold apartment, where the nights were filled with silence and the weight of his choices.
Laura never appeared again. Her name became just a whisper among the corridors of the old mansion. And Ricardo, once engulfed in lust, was now surrounded only by regret and the emptiness of exposed betrayal.
