What can a smile show? Joy, contentment, love, peace... What can a smile hide? Anguish, loneliness, disillusionment and suffering. A smile can be a sign of life. Or a mask for unhappiness. As much as she spent years of her life telling herself that "everything was fine", she knew that behind her smile there was much more than the happiness that was stamped on her lips. Maísa knew this. There was a battle to be fought, first of all against herself. A battle so that masks and false smiles would finally be put aside, so that true happiness could enter.
How often do we look in the mirror and remember the dreamy child we once were? And how much courage do we have to look deep into our own eyes and forgive ourselves for the wrong choices that have hurt us so much, or for everything we have allowed to be done to us for so many years?
Nothing last forever... neither the joys, nor the sorrows, anguish and pain.
The reflection before my eyes makes tears well up and slide down my face, while I feel my chest tighten as if I could suffocate at any moment.
A woman who is no more than a shadow of the dreamy, impeccable girl she once was, who feels capable of flying higher and higher, but who at the same time feels trapped, tied to her husband, because she is too attached to principles that no longer make any sense after everything she has been through.
Deep in my soul, I hear that little girl screaming, "What did you do to me? Why?"
Realizing that everything I believed to be true was nothing but a meticulous trap I allowed myself to fall into, hurts... sucking all my strength every day I spend in this situation, unable to take any action and move on.
I have discovered that my wonderful "Disney princess" castle is nothing more than a gilded cage, and that I am nothing more than a trophy that the "prince" boasts of being the only one to possess.
He fills his mouth to talk about me to others, praising and extolling my qualities to anyone who will listen to the wonders he makes a point of telling, extolling the "woman of his life," to whom, within the privacy of the walls of our home, he does not direct affection and recognition. I have given into his hands every dream, every day of my life for years, but I have never had any of those dreams cherished. I am no more than the wife whom he judges, ridicules and belittles.
It is hard to look back and forgive myself for so much pain, for having allowed someone to tear and fragment my soul into so many pieces, and to forgive myself after remaining for so long steeped in a deep illusion that he would one day be the man I dreamed of so much.
"He will change! Of course he will! After all, he loves me! He promised!"
How many times have I repeated each of these phrases to myself, trying to justify the masochism of submitting myself to an endless wait for something that never happened and never will happen.
But when I close my eyes, I hear the voice of every person who tried to warn me about all this, echoing inside me, throbbing, cutting, bleeding wounds that never heal...
I turn on the shower, once again my confidant, and before the hot steam dulls the mirror, I see my reflection. The swollen eyes from crying so much, the black mascara stains that I tried unsuccessfully to clean. But what hurts me the most, to see my eyes erased, the lack of brightness, of dreams, of the color of life... marks of what he swears is love, and of what he always promises will be different, that it will be worth trying again.
***
Murilo has always been the kind of guy who doesn't go unnoticed, always gentle, smiling, helpful to each of his friends. It was not only his beauty that drew attention, but his attitudes, his voice, his caring little gestures.
I came from a series of very short, superficial and frustrated relationships, expecting more from people than they really had to offer because they were shallow, while what I most wanted was to dive deep into a relationship that would make me feel complete.
My family was well structured, where love was never lacking and respect was always the basis of everything. Of course it was not a perfect family, but even with its flaws, the warmth and protection were always part of my life, and this made me unable to even imagine that there could be relationships so different from the ones I knew until then.
My world was rocked to the sound of old songs, totally different from my classmates, while I waited anxiously for someone who would understand me and fill the void that bothered me so much. I always felt out of place, too different to fit in with the most popular groups in school, not interesting enough, not pretty enough to walk the halls with the most harassed and disputed "patricians" of the time. I was a typical teenager who isolated herself from the world because she didn't feel she was part of it. And that's how Murilo came into my life, bringing with him the weight of an already suffering existence, the scars and marks of a totally destroyed home, not knowing about complicity and security, but acting as if everything he had been through was normal, since he was always compensated for it, getting presents and getting what he wanted by playing his little games and blackmailing.
Being with Murilo was easy, simple. Everything happened so naturally, and what started as an inseparable friendship soon became a relationship. We fell in love with each other and the harmony was perfect. He was everything I had hoped for, everything I had never found in anyone.
Despite the differences, we respected and understood each other well, and the trust I had in him was wonderful, it brought peace.
We both knew everything about each other, and since we had no serious relationships before, there were no scars or wounds that could affect our relationship. We had before us the future, which we planned together with dedication and care.
The first of our plans was marriage, and what was to be our honeymoon trip, became the next step: moving to Canada, and there starting to build our family, and our future together now.
"Billionaire Love Contract" is a captivating contemporary saga that delves into the lives of Sophia Rodriguez, an entrepreneur struggling to save her marketing agency, and Ethan Blackwood, a billionaire CEO pressured by his family to marry for business reasons. When an unexpected proposal puts them into a sham marriage contract, they plunge into a world of appearances and luxury, facing personal challenges, past traumas, and emotional conflicts. As the façade of marriage transforms into genuine feelings, Sophia and Ethan must decide if the love they share is a result of the agreement or something deeper. Amidst revealed secrets, individual triumphs, and mutual discovery, the story culminates in a thrilling crossroads: will they follow the original plan or choose a future where love prevails?
Dimitri, a billionaire playboy who sees his life spiraling out of control when he is forced into a contractual marriage with Juliana, a woman who has nothing to do with him...but who at the same time stirs his heart and his mind in ways Dimitri could never imagine. Juliana finds herself trapped and unable to escape an unwanted marriage to Dimitri. It is all a farce. All for the sake of social status, to avoid a scandal. Will both of them be able to resist the attraction that exists between them?
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
He told her to call him Daddy. Not because he earned it, but because he fucking owned her. The moment she signed that contract, she stopped being a woman with dignity and became his filthy little plaything. His holes to use. His mess to ruin. He didn't just fuck her, he rewired her. Stripped her clean of boundaries and filled her with sin. Every punishment made her scream. Every game dragged her deeper into his twisted world. And the way he praised her... Good girl. She should've run the first time he said it. But Daddy doesn't let his toys leave. He breaks them until they beg to stay. ** Mia's life changed the night she let a stranger ruin her. One night. She never expected to see him again. Until she walked into her new job... and her boss turned around. Ace.Her one-night sin in a thousand-dollar suit. Only this time, he wasn't asking her to be his assistant. She was to be his wife.
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"