Beatrice

The silence, aside from the sound of the fireplace, was broken by a single phone notification. Beatrice, sitting in a silver one-piece slit dress and watching the fire, tensed on her couch, put down her wine glass, and reached for her phone. She wasn't surprised. It was something she'd seen frequently in recent weeks. She had lost investor funds again. With a deep sigh, she closed the notification. The phone remained in her hand, but her attention drifted. She fell back into watching the fire. Her life was falling apart. It felt like a bad joke. For the first time in years, she felt real fear. Real fear. She turned back to her phone and opened the banking app. Her fingers hovered over the screen, and she bit her lip, the weight of what she had to do heavy in her chest. The hesitation lingered for a moment before she finally tapped the button. She canceled Jordan's and Tú's credit cards. She emptied their accounts. It was a move she had to make. Though she didn't like it, she didn't have much of a choice. She hadn't told either of them yet, but the time was coming. It was time to choose one of them and say goodbye to the other. She bit her lip again, her heart breaking. How would she do it? She loved both of them so much. They'd been together for a long time. Did she have the strength to make such a decision? No. She definitely didn't have the strength or the ability. She hated the thought of seeing both of them in pain and sadness, but it was something that had to be done. After all, having one person was better than being alone. But which one? She felt like her heart was being torn in two. How hard it was to give up on someone you loved. She sighed deeply and picked up her red wine again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." She mumbled to herself. She felt like she was burning in the fire. Her first helplessness in life wasn't just having to choose between people but also no longer having power in the business world and being much poorer, which was incredibly humiliating. She no longer felt like the strong woman she once was. Maybe these were her last days of "fun." In less than a week, she would leave this house and either Jordan or Tú. She couldn't look back. It was painful but true. At that moment, the door opened. Jordan rushed in and quickly approached Beatrice. "Mommy, my card got canceled. What's going on?" Beatrice took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she motioned for him to sit on the couch. After he had sat, she began to stroke his head, her fingers brushing through his hair with a soft, tender touch. But her voice, when it came, was hoarse, flat, and tired, unlike the usual softness she'd always shown him. "I'm sorry. We can't spend money anymore. We won't be able to. A big change is coming in our life." Her voice cracked slightly, betraying the exhaustion she felt deep inside. Jordan quickly lifted his head and looked at Beatrice's face with confusion. "What does that mean? What's happening?" He paused, his voice rising. "You're joking, right?" His words were angry now, and he wrapped his arms around Beatrice's neck, as if trying to pull her closer. "Please, tell me it's a joke. I don't want anything to change." He whimpered against Beatrice's chest, his voice full of desperation—showing his feminine side without realizing it. He hadn't anticipated such a turn of events in his plans and goals. But as he clung to her, someone else entered the room. "Tú! Don't you see, we're spending time alone! Go, come back later. In fact, don't come at all!" Jordan shouted in an irritated tone as he clung to Beatrice even tighter. It was as if he were declaring his ownership of her. He looked into Tú's eyes with the usual "Beatrice is mine" look and stuck out his tongue like a bratty child. "Ignore Jordan. Come, sit beside me. We need to talk about some things." Beatrice smiled bitterly and pointed to the other side, her tired eyes meeting Tú's, but she didn't have the strength to hide the sadness in them anymore.