The story I’m about to tell isn’t just the most absurd thing that’s ever happened to me. In fact, it’s the only unusual thing that’s ever happened to me. Seriously, in 40 years of life, my existence has been nothing but monotonous. I’m the kind of guy who goes unnoticed. At work or in my personal life, it’s all the same — I go unnoticed, and honestly, I’ve always preferred it that way. My life is a predictable routine, free of surprises, and nothing bad ever seems to happen to me either.

I went bald before I hit 30, but even with a full head of enviable hair, it wouldn’t have made a difference when it came to attracting women. The fact that there’s one woman in the world crazy enough to love me — my wife, Camila — feels like nothing short of a miracle. She’s no beauty queen, but I’ve never fooled myself into thinking I could do better. Honestly, I’ve got no complaints. My family and my job, while far from perfect, have always been more than enough for me.

I work at a small company with just a handful of employees. When I started, it was only me, the owner Nelson, and his nephew Ricardo. Nelson is an older guy who had spent his whole career at big banks. But, after he grew tired of the routine and the artificiality of the finance world, he decided to start his own business to, as he liked to say, "take control of his own destiny."

The problem was that destiny didn’t like being controlled. The company was struggling, and Nelson was always complaining about it. Since he never married or had kids, he saw the company as his sole legacy, which only made the challenges of running it more painful for him. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the guy — despite all his hard work, the company was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Ricardo didn’t inherit any of his uncle’s dedication or work ethic. His real job was being an "heir," and he was working at his uncle's company just because his parents insisted he needed to have a steady job to keep receiving the allowance that funded his lavish lifestyle. Nelson hoped that one day his nephew would take an interest in the business and eventually step up as his successor, continuing the legacy he’d built. But Ricardo couldn’t even pretend to care. His only priorities were hitting the gym and burning through his parents’ money on pointless luxuries.

Given the circumstances, I was constantly afraid of getting laid off, so I kept my résumé polished, always bracing for the moment Nelson might decide to pull the plug on the company. Yet, as the old saying goes, one man’s loss is another man’s gain. While the pandemic was a nightmare — a living hell for those who lost loved ones — for us, it turned out to be a stroke of good fortune. Remote work skyrocketed overnight, and the solution our company provided quickly became essential everywhere. Our client base quintupled, and suddenly, the company that had been on the verge of collapse turned into a money-making machine.

This period of prosperity sparked a series of significant changes. The team expanded significantly to keep up with demand, and even after all the new hires, there was still plenty of money left over. In an attempt to inspire his nephew, Nelson loosened the budget and gave him some funds to invest, in the hopes it would awaken some passion for the business. But the first thing the kid did with the money was hire a secretary, just to offload the minimal tasks he had — scheduling meetings and greeting clients.

That's when I met Amanda. Though she was only 24, she carried an air of sophistication that, despite her youth, intimidated me. I couldn’t quite figure out why she made me feel this way. Perhaps it was her black, shoulder-length hair, styled like the classic housewives from old TV shows. It might have been her clothes — far too expensive and pristine for someone her age and rank — suggesting she either came from money or was receiving them as gifts. Or maybe it was her perpetually serious expression and direct manner of speaking that made me hesitate before asking her anything.

As the sole woman in the office, Amanda’s arrival stirred things up. She quickly became the main topic of gossip during lunch and coffee breaks. I’ll admit, irrational as it was, her presence in the office bothered me more than I’d like to acknowledge. I was one of the biggest contributors to the gossip surrounding her hiring.

I’m not sure why I acted that way. Maybe it was the fact that I was old enough to be her father, yet still felt insignificant around her. That was definitely part of the problem, but there was something else. Someone like her disrupted my comfort zone, making me long to be someone that, deep down, I knew I could never be.

Although much of the gossip about her was exaggerated or untrue, there was something real that tarnished the serious and efficient persona Amanda tried to uphold. Within just a few months, everyone had figured out she was involved with Ricardo. They tried to keep it quiet at first, but in an office that small, secrets never last long.

Within just a few months, everyone had figured out she was involved with Ricardo. They set out to keep it quiet at first, but in an office that small, secrets never last long. They probably would’ve had a better shot at keeping their relationship hidden if Ricardo wasn’t such a compulsive braggart. He needed everyone to know how much of a stud he was, and that he was with this gorgeous woman.

I discovered their relationship one day while heading to the break room for my tenth coffee of the day. Ricardo was already there, chatting with one of the newly hired directors, a guy around his age, which only made Ricardo feel an even stronger need to show off.

‘Dude, that serious image Amanda puts on is just an act,’ Ricardo said with a laugh. You could see the director was tense, clearly searching for a way out of this conversation, while I tried to fill my cup quickly, pretending I wasn’t listening. “In truth, she is a first-rate slut.”

His words caught me off guard. The comment was far too extreme to be thrown out so casually, even from someone like Ricardo. I lost track of what I was doing, and the coffee pot slipped from my hand, sending coffee spilling across the kitchen floor. Their conversation came to a halt as Ricardo and the director noticed me. They watched for a moment, curious about how I’d manage the mess, but it wasn’t long before Ricardo continued.

"You know those girls with ‘daddy issues’? That’s her, bro! Total nympho.” He said it with a nauseating confidence, like he was spilling a dirty secret while also showing off. “Our secretary is hooked on cum. No joke, she’s got problems. She even wakes me up in the middle of the night just to get her fix!"

Ricardo’s laugh echoed through the break room, but neither I nor the director joined in. The new guy forced an awkward smile, clearly uncomfortable and unsure how to react to what he’d just heard. I focused on cleaning up the spilled coffee, avoiding eye contact, and hoping to leave as quickly as possible.

Here’s the first chapter of a short story I’m translating from Portuguese to English. I apologize in advance for any grammar mistakes, as English is not my first language. If you enjoy it, I’ll be happy to share the rest of the story here. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Thanks!