Chapter 3 An Idiot

Noah

I looked out the window of my office in the Lagoa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, and the feeling I had was that I had been a complete idiot, and the only one to blame for that was myself, which made me quite irritated. I hadn't been completely deceived by a woman, as saying that would be great hypocrisy on my part when everyone, absolutely everyone, not only my family but also friends, tried to warn me about who she was."

In addition to those closest to me, even some employees and business partners insisted that I should reconsider the idea of marriage and that we could just continue as we were, in a convenient relationship where we could exit at any time without further problems or difficulties. However, completely focused on conducting business and enjoying the always willing and ready companionship, I paid no heed to those who were only trying to be loyal to me, unlike what happened with my ex-wife.

Now, I found myself in an uncomfortable situation with a significant problem at hand, as I had no intention of accepting that Tiffany would get a penny more than strictly necessary from my money. It wasn't about the money itself but because she didn't deserve even my sympathy, let alone walking away from the marriage with a few million from me. But she was making the divorce difficult precisely for that reason, of course, as she was cynical enough to, even after all the absurdities she committed with everyone around me, still demand money as compensation for her time with me. A complete absurdity!

She was making ridiculous demands to sign the divorce agreement, and it was becoming very draining and truly stressful. Tiffany had become someone I wanted far away from me, but I had to tolerate her constant presence, not physically anymore as when we hadn't filed for divorce yet, but in family discussions and mainly with my lawyer. I had no intention of giving an inch of my position on the matter, and she seemed as willing to fight as I felt.

"I understand your anger, Noah," Afonso Dornelles, my lawyer, who was also a close friend in my personal life, spoke in his always conciliatory tone. "But I believe that if you concede on some points, the entire process will be done more quickly."

Afonso had just informed me that Tiffany had officially filed for divorce and requested urgency, along with a protective order, claiming that she felt threatened and feared for her life.

"I won't agree to any of the points in that ridiculous divorce agreement Tiffany crafted with her pompous and utterly crazy lawyer," I replied.

My friend smiled at the mention of the lawyer, and by the way, he did it, I understood that he didn't agree with my remarks about the lawyer, and that irritated me a lot. I threw the pen in my hands, aiming for the wise guy I believed was my friend, but he had good reflexes, undeniable, and moved away in time to avoid being hit by the object, making me sigh with displeasure.

"You can't refer to Tiffany's lawyer that way, Noah."

"And what's the problem? I'm stating the facts. She's crazy if she thinks I'll comply with her client's demand."

"You don't know the professional that Cassandra Alencar is. I can affirm, with absolute certainty, that she is far from being foolish or 'crazy,' as you just labeled her."

"You're mistaken to think that way. I've heard about the achievements of the esteemed Cassandra Alencar in the courts, always demanding financial compensation for the torments of her clients during marriage, and I won't be another success case for her." I spoke with disdain.

"I can see that you're well-informed, Noah. But if Cassandra has been winning every case she takes on, it's because she's truly excellent at what she does, and you shouldn't count your victory before the final judgment."

It was quite noticeable, from the way he spoke about the lawyer, that Afonso was truly enchanted with the woman, and I didn't like hearing his tone of admiration at all, considering she was now on the opposite side and, therefore, our enemy.

I didn't care that the lawyer was completely beautiful and vibrant, resembling a dazzling hurricane as she passed, leaving everyone falling for her-a fact I confirmed when I attended a business event over a year ago, hosted by a business partner who, coincidentally, was also a partner in the firm where Cassandra worked.

I found out about it while engaging in lively conversation with some friends who were also present at the event, along with my cousin Patricia and her wife Samara. Despite the conversation revolving around Cassandra Alencar's accomplishments, I wasn't swayed by her charisma and certainly wouldn't be.

I was accustomed to being surrounded by beautiful women, and it wouldn't be her eyes the color of melted honey, or her luscious and tempting mouth, with shiny red lips, that would be able to change that. It was quite evident that she hadn't taken a liking to me either, as she looked at me with visible irritation throughout the event. When my cousin asked me for a ride to her house, and I left accompanied by the two women, Patricia and Samara, I thought I would be shot just by the look Cassandra gave me.

"She thinks she's the defender of helpless women. But what she doesn't know, at least not yet, is that Tiffany is no poor victim. She's a snake and schemed against me, and anyone who has lived with us can confirm that."

Thinking about Tiffany wasn't a good idea either. I still hadn't been able to swallow the fact that I had fallen for the charm of an opportunist like a complete idiot. It was very difficult to accept, and I refused to come out losing even more in that story.

"I believe you can't criticize her either. You fell for the character that Tiffany shows to the world. How can you criticize Cassandra?"

"Don't remind me of that fact."

"As if you could forget, right?" My lawyer until then emphasized.

Afonso was right, and I didn't counter his perfectly placed comment. I ran my hand through my hair, tousling it, feeling desolate once again. The truth was that I was inconsolable, that was the best word to describe how I was feeling at the moment, and that could only change when the verdict of the divorce proceedings came out, freeing me from Tiffany once and for all.

Of course, I also needed to come out victorious because otherwise, I would have the freedom but not the satisfaction of knowing she hadn't taken anything from me, despite all her attempts to harm me.

I remember when I met Tiffany almost two years ago. She was working on an advertising campaign for Abrantes, being developed by the marketing department of my department store chain. The beautiful model Tiffany Andrade immediately caught my attention with her stunning beauty. What I didn't know yet was that all of that was just surface level, and inside she was rotten.

We started going out together, and just a few days later, she was practically living in my apartment, without me even inviting her to do so. The thing was, Tiffany always claimed she was still sleepy, and as I needed to leave for work, she reassured me that she would take a taxi later and go to her apartment. When I returned from work at night, Tiffany was still there, always enticingly welcoming me, with sex, and I simply took advantage of having her at my complete disposal.

Until there came a moment when she claimed her apartment was undergoing renovations and asked to stay with me in my penthouse in Barra for a few days. As it was very convenient for me, I agreed without paying much attention to the fact.

Without realizing what was happening, since I was in a busy period within the company due to my father's retirement and my subsequent promotion to CEO of Abrantes, Tiffany was living with me and organizing details for our wedding, even though I hadn't proposed to her. Still, that didn't sound like a warning sign