Chapter 10

The sweet and dreamy Paloma Eloise carried in her heart the hope that one day her life would transform into a fairy tale, full of light and happiness. However, the reality she faced in her childhood was quite different. She grew up amidst the constant fights of her parents, witnessing the collapse of what she once called home.
Nights were permeated by the anguished cries of her mother, invading her mind like a constant echo of despair. Physical abuse became a sad routine, leaving invisible scars that only Paloma could comprehend.
As adolescence advanced, darkness settled in relentlessly. Her refuge in the streets offered only a palette of dark shades for her experiences, especially when her father, consumed by the addiction to alcohol, became a constant threat to her mother. The house became a battlefield where emotional scars blended with the physical.
It was in this bleak scenario that Paloma found solace in the streets and, inadvertently, in Isabella Romanov, a kindred soul lost in the intricacies of an equally dysfunctional family. The encounter between these two young women, both wishing to escape the clutches of the dark fate imposed upon them, marked the beginning of an intense friendship.
On a gloomy day, when Paloma was on the verge of leaving everything behind, the fortuitous presence of Isabella brought an unexpected light. Together, they shared secrets and pains, forming an alliance that transcended adversities. The fairy tale Paloma envisioned for her life might not have been a traditional one, but with Isabella by her side, she discovered that true magic resided in the strength of friendship, capable of illuminating even the darkest journeys.
Isabella became Paloma's confidante, an intimate friend who shared not only the pain but also the resilience necessary to face the unknown.
The melancholy of nostalgic feelings between Isabella and Paloma was so intense that it prevented the girls from opening up. Not out of embarrassment, but out of the anguish of remembering a painful past that tightened the knot forming in their throats.
After finishing their drinks, Paloma wanted more time with her teenage friend. She signaled for the waiter to come to their table.
— Please, bring a serving of cheese bread and mini pastries, an orange juice, and... — she looked at Isabella, waiting for a response — maybe another chocolate?
— An orange juice too.
The waiter took note of the orders and left to prepare. The girls exchanged glances, now more at ease than before.
— What do you do to afford a car like this? A dream. — Isabella finished the question, daydreaming.
— I'll tell you. Remember I always used to say that one day I would marry a rich man and live in a mansion?
— Yes. I remember how much you dreamed of that, and we used to laugh because it seemed like madness. But here you are. You married that dream man and have your dream fulfilled.
— I wish... — Paloma lowered her gaze sadly — I'm a luxury companion, like a sugar baby.
— What do you mean? Does that really exist?
— Yes. It's not a dream, but older gentlemen look for young people who are willing to accompany them to dinners, parties on ships and boats, or even just for a chat. They bankroll everything, pay a salary, and give expensive gifts. I got this car from a widowed and childless businessman.
Isabella paid attention to every detail of her friend's story and couldn't take her surprised eyes off her. She became so engrossed in Paloma's story that she forgot about her own.
— Friend, introduce me to a widower like that. — she said, lowering her eyes, surrendering to melancholy.
Paloma smiled but noticed the pain in her friend's eyes.
— Oh, friend. What happened to make you so distressed? — Paloma asked, wiping away a discreet tear that ran down Isa's face.
— My story is almost the same. Disaster after disaster. — Isa began what seemed to be a painful dialogue. — At sixteen, I ran away from home and looked for a job, but with no experience, a user, and no education, the only thing I could get was to become a sex worker in a dive that takes more than half of what I earn.
— That's not much different from what I do. The only difference is that I don't have sex often and I'm in control of my earnings. Old men don't have much libido. — Paloma affirmed, laughing.
— Let me finish... — Isa reprimanded, not finding humor in her friend's joke — one of my clients is a mafia boss, he's a millionaire, and we connect deeply.
Paloma widened her eyes, surprised by the conversation that would follow. She knew that a sex worker falling in love was something dangerous and irresponsible. The waiter brought their order, and Paloma attacked it as if she hadn't eaten in ages. She gestured for Isabella to continue with the story.
— I fell in love with him...
At the end of this statement, Paloma almost choked on a piece of cheese bread, took a sip of her juice to clear her throat.
— But that's not the worst part...
Paloma seemed to be watching the finale of a soap opera, attentive and without blinking.
— Since our connection was so strong, we made love without protection a few times.
— Oh no... Stop the world, I want to get off. Friend, are you crazy or foolish? Sorry for the expression, but I am shocked.
— What we have is deep and enchanting. When we're together, it feels like time stops. But... — Isa hesitated.
— There's more? Oh... my... God. What did you learn on the streets, friend? Nothing? — Paloma sounded like a mother talking, but since Isabella knew her friend's temperament, she knew she had been like that since childhood.
— I'm pregnant... and I don't know what to do. My father doesn't want to listen to me or acknowledge my existence. I'm afraid to tell Aléssio, and he will doubt, rightly so, the paternity, and I'll be humiliated twice.
— Don't even think about such madness. Let's go home, reflect. Since you're pregnant, you can't stay in these wet clothes. What madness, a pregnant prostitute.
Paloma paid the bill with a platinum card, took Isa to her car, and on the way home, she thought about what to do to help her friend.
— Where do you live? I don't even know where I'm going. — Paloma asked anxiously.
Isabella, still looking down, gave the address of her house. Paloma activated the GPS with her voice and asked to be taken to the address. Everything in her car was automated, and the smell of the new car surprised Isabella.
Upon arriving at the address, Paloma wanted to go in, but Isa hesitated. She was ashamed for her "successful" friend to see the decay of the place where she lived.
— Another day, I'll invite you in. My house is a mess.
— Stop being silly, I know you, remember sleeping in the mud with me? Come on... — Paloma admitted, entering the house.
Her friend noticed every detail of the house, and her eyes teared up at what Isabella had become. The sofa was full of cups and dirty utensils, the coffee table had a messy and ice cream-stained towel. The floor resembled one of the muddy grounds where the girls had slept during adolescence.
While Isabella changed clothes in the bathroom, Paloma opened all the cabinet doors to check what was there, and there was nothing.
— Your clients are what? Poor married men in need of something new?
— No... there are rich clients, but the madam takes the amount they pay, and I never know how much they pay in the end.
Paloma shook her head in disapproval. She didn't want to see her friend in those conditions. They had shared life's hardships, and she couldn't accept that her friend was in such a critical situation.
— Reflect a lot today. Tomorrow, I'll find a way to help you. Don't do anything reckless, okay? And don't give me that face, everything will work out. It will be okay. I'm here now; we'll overcome together. — Paloma hugged Isabella tightly, who nodded in response.
In the twilight, Isabella's house was immersed in a quietness that seemed to echo the accelerated heartbeats of both friends. Paloma, her trusted friend, was about to leave.
The timid rays of the sun filtered through the old and dirty curtains, creating an ethereal atmosphere as Paloma prepared to leave. The silence was interrupted only by the occasional heavy sigh escaping from both, laden with the uncertainty of the future that awaited them.
Isabella, carrying the burden of an unwanted pregnancy and uncertainty about the future, looked at Paloma with eyes reflecting a complex mix of gratitude and anguish.
With Paloma's departure, she took with her the hope of finding a solution to this dilemma involving her friend. The future, shrouded in clouds of uncertainty, loomed over her like an enigma to be deciphered.
While Paloma said goodbye with a tight hug, Isabella stood by the door, watching her disappear into the approaching night. The loneliness of the house took on a deeper dimension, leaving Isabella to her own thoughts.
The environment resonated with the restlessness of contemplation. Lost in her own reveries, Isabella deeply reflected on the path unfolding before her. The unwanted pregnancy was a mirror of the future that might await her, and the shadows of the unknown hovered like dark clouds over her mind.
Amidst the solitude of the now-empty house, Isabella felt confronted by imminent choices. The responsibilities of motherhood, the weight of decisions to be made, all materialized before her. The silence of the farewell left a resilient mark, prompting Isabella to face her own destiny with a seriousness that echoed in the recesses of her soul. The once-clouded future now demanded a courageous and decisive response.