When you tell the world you're mine

Chapter 29: Are you accusing me again?

She was back in Brazil and went to her office as soon as she landed in São Paulo. She had a very important meeting and she couldn't have taken time off for the last five days, but she did and she wasn't going to regret it even though her work was packed, she had lots of e-mails to answer and lots of meetings to attend. She was prepared, of course, but her boss had wanted her there. He understood her need to have time off because she was working on a scary schedule of no less than 13-16 hours per day. He had never seen a newly graduate being so skilled and engaged before. Anything he thought about asking her to do, she had already done perfectly. He knew she didn't only do her job and tasks, but she also helped others (especially the trainees). She traveled a lot around Brazil, she organized meetings, she booked interviews with very difficult people to get a word from and her work was being published not only internally but her name was making its space in Brazilian media.

She only took a few seconds to let her mom and Harry know she had arrived safe and sound before changing clothes in the small bathroom of her office and turning into work mode to knock on her boss' door to accompany him to the meeting room. It was a long and tiring meeting but Carol got what she wanted. Her project was making the employees talk about their difficulties, they were being heard by the RH and lots of improvements to the workplace was being done. She was about to launch a magazine totally made by BBC's employers every three months. It was a magazine made by employees and to the employees. They had to talk about the schedule and the articles they wanted in it. But she had fought for their well being and she was increasing the level of employee satisfaction to the company.

She left the office around 9:00 pm in the evening. She was tired, jet-lagged and hungry. She got a taxi and went home. Her mom had cooked them dinner and although she just wanted to eat something really fast to go to sleep, she accepted to have a family dinner with Maria and Flavio. They asked how Harry was coping with Prince Philip's passing if she had talked to anyone else in his family and when she told them she had met William, they were gobsmacked. She simply shrugged. Carol wasn't dazzled by being somehow connected to the Royal Family. She wasn't dazzled by their power, wealth and places. She understood their importance and the symbol they really were, but she wanted to look past all the protocol and propriety. They were human beings. They had real feelings and wishes that sometimes conflicted with their duty. And she watched Harry fighting with his two self when she was there with him, and it scared her a little bit how easily he could shift from one Harry to the other. She was so connected with her dreams, wishes, and emotions that she wondered if she'd ever be able to do the same.

(...)

It was a tradition that every year companies would throw a party for their employees. It was a gathering to network but mostly to thank them for their hard work during the year. At BBC it wasn't different. They had rented a venue and invited all employees to a night of good food and a few drinks. Carol went with her colleagues and spent most of the party talking to other journalists. Some of them talked about her job and project and how the company was getting bigger and better in Brazil. She was shyly accepting comments on her work, she didn't really think she deserved them, but she accepted it anyway.

She even danced with a few co-workers when the band started playing. She took lots of pictures and selected a few of them to post on her social media. One of them was a group photo with all journalists responsible for doing work inside the company and the others were her with a couple of colleagues. One of them had Luiz, one of the trainees she had as an assistant side hugging her. She was so happy she was able to work with such a hardworking man and that she was teaching and learning at the same time. She went home a bit tipsy and happy.

She woke up the next morning with lots of missed calls from Harry and lots of angry texts from him. She didn't read them, she simply called him to see what was going on.