Box of Secrets

By Hailane Braga

They say the truth is always better than the lie. But sometimes, certain truths are better when left unsaid. Have you ever thought about telling everyone that the person is ugly? Annoying? Stinky? Ahh! 

However, my truth is not as simple as that. My truth is something scary. That changes the whole life of a person, or not, depending on what attitude will be taken. Are you curious? So read my story, but don't judge me, it could be you, after all. I never thought it would happen to me, in fact, I never believed it would be possible. If I was asked what I would do if that happened, I would say to run, run away, but it is quite different when it happens to us. It is a formed life, which changes with just one fact, news. That is why I say: certain truths must be taken to the grave. If I could choose? I would choose not to know, ever! If it was you, if you were me, what would you do? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Oct 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781071581681

Book preview

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER

AUTHOR’S NOTE

ACKNOWLEGMENTS

They say Saying the truth is always better than lying. But sometimes, certain truths are better left unsaid. Have you ever thought about telling everyone that the person is ugly? Annoying? Stinky? Ahh!

However, my truth is not as simple as that. My truth is something scary. That changes the whole life of a person, or not, depending on what attitude will be taken. Got curious? So, read my story, but don't judge me, it could be you, after all. I never thought it would happen to me. In fact, I have never believed it to be possible. If I was asked what I would do if that happened, I would yell run, run away. But it is quite different when it happens to us. It is a formed life, which changes with just one fact, news. That is why I say: certain truths must be taken to the grave. If I could choose? I would choose not to know, ever! If it were you, if you were me, what would you do?

I lived my whole life in this small town, with a beautiful appearance, fresh air and breathtaking landscapes. There are wonderful beaches (there is an island where we can go every day), friendly people and everything a small town can have. Most people know each other, you can go out anytime you want so that you are not at risk of robberies. I usually walk or cycle everywhere. There aren’t many people living here.

The place is super cosy, I don't see many people leaving here, with rare exceptions of people who want to visit the big city and live in the Metropolis or visit other countries, most of the people here grow up, graduate from the local college and continue their lives here. Sometimes we get lucky and find newbies moving to this paradise. It is the ideal time to meet new faces and make new friends.

Whoever comes here to visit wants to establish themselves here. It is not because it is my city, but the place is incredible. The beaches have white sand, clear green waters, the sky is so blue that it hurts your eyes, the air smells clean. There are times of the year that we can see whales and dolphins from anywhere on the beach, they are migrating to other places with deeper waters. We travel between the city and the island that we love so much. There are houses on the island, but few people live there.

When I was in college, I often wanted to leave to see the world. But whenever I looked at the beach, let it be said in passing, it was seen from my bedroom window, I imagined that I was not ready to lose that vision. Both the city and island beaches are wonderful.

It is not true that I never left here. I have been to the Metropolis several times to spend winters and relax. There we find many shopping malls and cool city things, like movies, famous bands and bookstores, but my home has always won over all the charms of the big city.

Well, my Mother took care of me all alone. She is a fighter. My father was a bastard who left her to live in the slums. You know the typical story of the big city guy who comes to see the island, falls in love with a local, but doesn't love her to be with her? That was my father. My Mum said he was the cutest guy she's ever seen. But she has no pictures of him, nothing written, no memories, other than the ones in her head. When I was about eight years old, I was crazy to meet him, but when I grew up, I gave up. If he didn't want to know about me, I wouldn't be the needy daughter who goes after her father. He is the one that loses as he didn't have the privilege of meeting me.

I wasn't the type of troubled teenager, I never got high in college, I never got stuffed with alcohol because I missed my dad. My life was and is good for me with the people I have in it. I'm an only child, Mum is 59 years old. When she met my father, he was 20, but had a face of 16. The family genetics is good.

My grandparents died on a trip, they suffered a car accident shortly after my mother had me, that is, I did not know them, and I have no uncles. That's right, it's just mum and me. What a dramatic thing, isn't it?!

I studied Advertising and Propaganda, I graduated with honours. I had a full life, I enjoyed my friends — I still like them — I got married at the age of 22 to the hottest guy who has ever appeared on the island (the island and the city are practically the same thing, don't make a fuss!). Besides being beautiful, he is perfect for me. We fit together with each other. Tay is two years older than me, we met as soon as he came to study Marketing at the local college. It was love at first sight He was transferred from the Metropolis college.

We bumped into each other in the corridor, those eyes flooded me. Taylor is tall, athletic — he was a swimmer at school — lightly tanned skin, brown hair and incredibly blue eyes. I do not lie or exaggerate when I say that his eyes are indecipherable blue. Sometimes they are blue the colour of the sky, other times they are blue green. I found out over time that the colour changes according to his mood. I was mesmerized.

Sorry he said when we ran into each other, that's when I looked at him for the first time.

No problem he had knocked my books; he was collecting them when we looked at each other. You're not from here, are you?

No. In fact, I am now. I just moved into the house on the hill he handed me the books and I sank into his gaze.

Well welcome I took my books from his hands without taking my eyes off him. He also did not stop looking at me, it was reciprocal.

Ah, what a lack of education, I drop your things and don't even introduce myself he held out his hand. Taylor Salvatore.

Italian? I took his hand.

Yes, in part I was born in Italy, but I moved here as a child.

And the name Taylor? I asked curiously.

My mother's old love for American names he said a little embarrassed.

Nice to meet you Taylor, see you around. Welcome to the island I walked away.

Wait, mysterious! What is your name?

Small town, you will find out I looked at him with a mischievous smile and left. He stood there laughing as I walked away.

Yeah, I married the beautiful blue-eyed newbie. We've been together for fifteen years. We dated for a year, lived together for another two and then got married. We don't have children, we already thought about it, but we’ve decided to wait. Now that I believe we’ve really enjoyed ourselves; we’ve been trying for six months. The doctors said it could take a while, since I have been taking contraception for a long time.

Tay wants a girl, it doesn't matter to me, as long as the baby is healthy. We will be a happy, adjusted and contemporary family. I opened a surf shop on the beach, on the island, the most popular place for tourism, which brings us a good profit. Here tourism is always on the rise. After three years of opening the store, I decided that I could expand the business. In addition to surfing, I sell tickets for the city's festivals, cinema (we only have three rooms on the island), I partnered with transport drivers and tourism agencies. Tay opened an inn on the hill house, it is open all year round and generates most of the rent from our home. We have a good life. My in-laws visit us sometimes, but they live in the Metropolis - although they travel more than they stay at home.

Tay decided to study here because he likes the island's climate, as well as wanting a change of air. Thanks to the angels he is in love with the beach, otherwise we would never have met. He said that he had already come for a visit as a teenager (I don't remember seeing him) and ended up falling in love with the place.,

The island is an extension of the city in which we live. Few live on the island, but on the weekend, it is the meeting point for everyone. I am completely in love with this place. It is a paradise that men have not yet managed to spoil. Also, if it depends on me, it will never happen.

When I met Tay, my life changed for the better. I dated a lot in my teens. I took advantage of all the kids who came here on vacation. Hey! It is very difficult to date seriously in such a small town. The salvation are the boys from outside of town.

Okay, I had some serious dating on the island. I had Carlos, who was cute. We studied at the same school in elementary school. We were thirteen and had the same group of friends. The city is small, but there are divisions among friends.

Carlos was cute and made me laugh, he was a player on the school football team. He wasn't the hottest, but his calm and understanding won me over. Always very helpful, he helped everyone with whatever was needed.

Unfortunately, it did not last very long. His father worked for a multinational away from here and the company decided that they needed him in China. Nothing else could happen. In less than six months of dating, my lovely little boyfriend left me for a Chinese dream. Okay, it wasn't exactly his fault, but anyway, he went.

When I was about to turn fifteen, I met a boy with dark skin, black and curly hair. His name was Junior, Paulo Junior. Junior was, among the boys I met, the most different. He was always in his own way, very calm and serene, he preferred to be alone with me than be with friends.

I met him when he came here on holiday. He spent the entire month on the island. He stayed at the Mrs Lena's Inn, the oldest on the island. Amazingly, I was at the inn when he arrived, and I fell in love right away. Teenager's crush. I was giving Mrs Lena a batch of bread that she had ordered from my mother. Mum is the owner of the best bakery in town. Everything that is made in it is incredibly tasty, we deliver it on the island too. I don't even know how I didn't become an obese teenager. Mum has approximately one hundred employees to handle shifts and the entire region.

Well, Junior looked me in the eye as soon as he got out of the taxi. We look at each other and we were embarrassed by the meeting of looks. The same day we met on the beach and I went to talk to him:

Hello. Junior, isn't it?

You alright? we shake hands.

My name is Iolanda. I am an inhabitant of the city.

So, what is there to do here on the island?

And that's how we spent the month together. I took him to visit the most isolated parts of the island, showed him where the whales and dolphins used to pass, we went by boat. We watched two films in the cinema, a romance and a horror (he loved to be scared). It was a perfect summer.

The month ended and I was devastated when he left. My days were all about being with him from the time he woke up until bedtime. Mum never controlled me very much, since I was very responsible, the island was quiet, and everyone knew us.

Junior's parents were marine biologists, so they were on the island on business and my cat had fun while he could. We agreed to send letters, but it didn't work. In less than a month we stopped communicating. He never came back, but I have a picture of us saved.

Tay is not jealous about it, nor am I with him. We both had a life before we met. So, what happened made us what we are today. We owe our present to our past. We have our boxes of secrets that we lived, I don't touch his memories and he doesn't touch mine. It is a serious agreement and we usually