Messages

Messages
Mirela
Missed voice call at 7:40 pm
Daughter, I don't know what happened between you and Simon to make you fight, but he's worried about your safety. Call me or send a message telling me where you are, and I'll come get you.
Paulina
Don't worry. I'll be staying with friends for a while.
Paola
Hey sis, what happened between you and Prince Charming?
Even Mirela couldn't get the information out, and she's practically a CIA spy.
If you want, I can kick Salvatore's balls.
Paulina
Go ahead. I don't care.
Paola
Oh my... O.O
What did Simon do to make you so angry?
Guilherme
Missed voice call at 7:42 pm
I knew that idiot would hurt you. Stay with me and Tábata, we'll take care of you.
And I swear Salvatore will pay dearly for making you suffer.
Paulina
I appreciate the invitation, but I'll be staying with friends. I just need a few days to think and calm down.
~~
"Damn it!" Thiago exclaimed as Paulina walked into the room. "What did you do?"
With her eyes still red and swollen, Paulina reached for her newly-cut black-blue hair, which now barely reached her shoulders in an uneven cut.
"I needed a change..." she shrugged, trying to force a yellow smile.
"That's going a bit far beyond a change," Padilha looked at her, completely shaken.
"Thiago!" Henrique warned, noticing that Paulina was about to break down. His partner had no "tact" at all!
And that's exactly what happened. Exhausted, she let her body fall heavily on the couch, covering the new wave of tears with her hands. Oops! Henrique furrowed his brow, and Thiago felt his accusing eyes behind his sunglasses.
— Hey, hey! It's okay, it's not so bad. I mean, you were never meant to be a hairstylist... — Thiago said with a forced smile as unconvincing as his words. — But don't worry! We'll fix it. — He pulled out his phone from his pocket, and Paulina looked up as he walked away talking on the phone. — Tamiris, I need you to come here. It's urgent.
— No... please, I don't want to cause any more trouble... than I already am...
Thiago ignored her and gave orders to the person on the other end of the line. Henrique sat down next to her and placed an arm over her shoulders. Majin lay down at Paulina's feet, seeming to want to help her.
— We're your friends, it's not any trouble at all — Saldanha assured her, lightly squeezing her shoulder.
— There! Tamiris will be here soon! — Thiago announced, pleased.
— How will that help? — Henrique asked suspiciously.
— She's skilled with haircuts.
Henrique frowned.
— She clips dogs, that's quite different — he retorted.
The mere idea of being clipped awakened Paulina, making her aware that she had made an impulsive mistake that was taking on the proportions of a domino effect, to harm someone who didn't even care about her emotional well-being.
— I-I don't want... to be clipped!
— Tamiris will fix your hair without making you look like a poodle — Thiago assured her, sitting on her other side with a broad smile. — That's so '90s. I was relieved when the shoulder pads phase passed!
Henrique shook his head in denial.
In her nervous state, Paulina didn't catch Padilha's unusual sense of humor, as she continued to smooth her short locks as if she could make them grow back with her fingers.
Minutes later, the doorbell rang, and a young woman with brown hair down to her waist, wearing a sleeveless red blouse, light-colored pants, and sandals, came in and placed a paper bag on the coffee table, her brown eyes fixed on Paulina.
— Is this my new client? — The smiling woman asked.
— Yes — Thiago replied, making the necessary introductions before rummaging through the bag and handing Tamiris a pair of scissors before turning to Paulina. — Contrary to what Henrique thinks, Tamiris is skilled with scissors and will fix your hair.
The brunette gave a quick glance at Henrique, who chose to exercise his right to remain silent. Not wanting to be rude, Paulina let Tamiris fix her deformed haircut, keeping to herself that after everything she had been through in the past few hours, how she felt, her hair was the least of her worries.
~~
The day had barely dawned and Simon was already driving through the city streets. He hadn't slept a wink that night, waiting for Paulina to finally show up at the apartment so they could talk. Which obviously didn't happen.
As the hours passed, his body and mind became increasingly anxious and distressed, creating a thousand possibilities of what might have happened to Perez. Although he had called everyone he knew and the response about Paulina's whereabouts was unanimous, his subconscious urged him to think the opposite.
He would go directly to each one of them! And the first place would be her parents' house.
He parked the car haphazardly in the open garage and walked briskly to the back house where the Perez family lived. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his mother watering her rose garden, but his focus was on seeing Paulina first.
Arriving at the entrance of the small white house, he began to knock insistently until he saw Paola's pouting face.
"Are you trying to knock down the door, Salvatore?" Sharp-tongued, Paola never missed a moment of irony. "You're on the right track because you're huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf."
"Your sister." Simon took a deep breath to keep his composure and limited himself to collecting the information he wanted. "Where is she?"
"Your mother came to ask me the same question yesterday, thinking Paulina was here." The younger Perez replied, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "Paulina messaged me saying she's okay, but she didn't say where she is."
Tsk! Running his hands through his hair, Simon thought it best to go to the mansion to try calling Paulina again. But before he could take another step, another strong voice stopped him.
"What did you do to my daughter?"