THE VELVET KILLERS II

(2) THE BOSS' DAUGHTER IS SELLING BOOKS

FRIDA

"You got shot yesterday night and you wanna go back out there after spending the night at the office?" Andres exclaims, raising his hands in the air in frustration. While our two boys were staring from the living room, he doesn't slow down and continues on the same tone: "You are risking your life and for what, uh? For this Ingrid?"

Rolling my eyes, I calmly and coldly says:

"Yes, I am risking it for her, because she would've done the same thing for me. In case you forgot, she is missing, and if I didn't do anything I can to find her, I'd be mad at myself for the rest of my days..."

"What is your deal with her either way, uh?" Andres continues, setting his jaw, "are you guys in love or something ? Is that it? Are you just a desperate lesbian?"

Of course this enrages me - he has no right of talking about Ingrid as if she was a wife's stealer or something, because as far as I know, she never expressed any feeling toward me. I start gathering my stuff from around the kitchen, as he follows me in rage. 

After a while, I just turn around and spit to his face:

"You are just being a selfish piece of shit, Andres, and I am getting sick of it - I've stayed with your all these years so that our kids would grow up with two loving parents, but I can't do this anymore if you keep on trying to control me!"

As I try to open the door, he closes it brutally before I get out, getting in the way. Although I know that Andres isn't a violent man and would never actually hit me, I was quite scared: our two boys were staring at us from afar.

Setting his jaw as I could see the vein on his neck palpitating, he hisses:

"If you don't wanna be with me anymore, that's fine, I can understand, but at least be honest with me and with yourself: are you in love with that woman, Frido?"

There is a long pause.

While I was trying to convince myself that what I've created with Ingrid was just a strong bound, I could not deny it for much longer - the long-lasting attraction, the way I could cross the Earth to help her if she needed me to, and how, if she would've tempted anything, I would've responded... Those are signs that do not lie.

I abruptly stop thinking for a second, as three small words slip out of my lips:

"... Yes I am." 

I could see the pain in Andres' eyes, but he gets out of my way, before only saying in a calm tone:

"Then you should find an apartment, and I'll get the divorce papers... I want our boys to be happy, so I won't fight for custody... Just... Don't come back here, please."

Nodding my head, I just say in a low voice:

"I'll tell you where to ship my stuff as soon as I get an apartment."

With that said, I go and kiss my two boys' foreheads, as they were both deeply confused and sad, before getting out of the house. As soon as I get to my car, I burst into tears, crying over the wheel : all the mixed feelings from the past year, as well as my perpetual fight over my feelings for Ingrid, just get out right now. I thought I'd never stop crying. 

But eventually I do, and I grab my phone and text Kosse: Hi. I need you to find me a fancy apartment downtown available immediately. It only takes a few minutes for her to answer that she was on it, as I would dry my tears. 

When I get to my appointment with Alexia Putellas and Section 17 this morning thirty minutes late, I can see the Spanish is quite angry. But when I arrive, I immediately raise my hand and declare: