C.W. This chapter has sensitive content for some readers related to: Medical problems. Discretion Advised.

The school play in which the Dautt brothers participated was a resounding success. Victor realized that acting was not only a good hobby, but he promised Lester that he would never make dangerous and even deadly challenges to his integrity again, adjusting to this new world.

Was there any chance of him becoming an actor? Of course. He found that playing characters completely opposite to his personality was an interesting challenge and less risky than jumping off a bridge.

However, in his head he had another dream that, according to his tutor August, was a waste of time: dedicating himself to music. Victor wasn't one to sit idly by, he ingeniously invented his own musical instruments out of pots, pans, and whatever kitchen utensils made noise. He would go to the train stations or to any corner of the city to play covers. Other times, people from the community and even James invited him to participate in small recitals, in the neighborhood church or in coffee shops. Mr. Haydar tried to motivate him a lot with his goals and he did the same with Benxamin.

There was something in particular that became his greatest attraction: his singing, which he perfected without the help of anyone but himself. Once again, he became the center of attention at school, some students going crazy with the way he pronounced certain words when singing: "Sure", "Rest" or "Doubt".

Benxamin, for his part, also gave a good performance, but unlike his brother, he only did it as a mere experiment and after finishing the school festival, he felt bored and gave up doing it in the future. This became common with him; long before he practiced karate, learned to dance and even entered the carpentry club and the results were always the same: he was grateful for the opportunity but very kindly gave excuses not to try again.

However, there was one thing that he liked and it was photography, his escape from reality.  For hours he took and took photos with a camera he bought with his savings and it never seemed to be enough.  He liked to photograph landscapes, but he was also attracted to human faces regardless of age, appearance or complexion and always asked permission to do so.

As for Lester, he had no choice but to stay away from the twins during that time, not even attending the school play.  Victor and Benxamin knew exactly why. He was busy with something much more important: his mother.

***

A few years later -exactly in 1991- Mira was struggling to defeat an enemy called cancer with which she had to learn to live. She tried to carry on with her normal life, going to her office, taking care of her family, doing her routine without major changes. But there came a point where she had to give up what she enjoyed most after Lester and James and it was her job.

Even so, thanks to the law firm where she worked - through her colleagues and her boss - she was able to obtain her disability pension. But considering how expensive cancer treatment was, as well as the medications she and her husband bought every month, it was difficult for the Haydar family to stabilize financially much more than before.

Obviously, Mira's health was the only thing that mattered. She never complained beyond the effects she might feel from the chemotherapy. She fought like the commander that she was, as long as her body would take it.

James demonstrated a great sense of responsibility, working overtime to the point of staying in his office for days and continuing until exhaustion. He tried to imply that everything was fine, or at least he pretended to be the cheerful and positive man his co-workers knew. But when he was alone, he cried for his wife, he was afraid of losing her.

One of the hobbies he had since he was young was collecting ship models - a total of 30 of these marvels located in the living room of the apartment. Without hesitating twice, he sold them all. The money he received wasn't what he expected, but he kept it as savings in case the family needed it.

Lester, who was 15 years old, also wanted to help in any way he could. He asked his father to give him permission to work, but James refused. He ordered him to stay with his mother because she needed her son more than ever and he would take care of everything else. Nevertheless….

One day, his boss, August, welcomed his new co-worker Camille, 25, a senior in finance who would be a secretary in the accounting department, just a few feet from James's office. At first it was just a working relationship, they talked about this and that, nothing special.

But over time, those conversations turned into something else. The situation was obvious; James, a married man, was attracted to Camille, and so was she. But this had to stop, he was aware of it. Although there was never a physical approach, much less a kiss, he had to control those impulses and take precautions about it. 

He asked August to move him to marketing, the further away from her the better. This desire for Camille had become an excuse to escape the pressure he felt to take charge of the family, but the mere idea of ​​cheating on his wife was something that killed him inside.

He bought a rubber ball similar to the one he had given Victor years before. He looked for ways to get away from those feelings, working at home, playing baseball with his son and the Dautt brothers, or accompanying Mira through her chemotherapy treatments.

Camille noticed this and unfortunately for James, she didn't want to take him away from her.  She tried to invite him to have a coffee, or help him with his reports; her flirtatious looks made him feel that much more uncomfortable.

James made another decision, he spoke honestly with her to make it clear that there could be nothing between them beyond a simple co-worker relationship.  He told Camille that he had a family, that he loved Mira and that it was better for them to stay out of the situation.  He went through a moment of unwarranted weakness and would never make the mistake of being unfaithful to his wife.

Camille played innocent, pretending not to know anything about Mira, but had overheard James' conversations with his boss about his wife's health. Forced to accept his words, she said that there was no problem. The worst thing is that she was actually willing to risk it if James had taken the next step. She didn't quit her job but she got as far away from him as she could and, luckily or unfortunately, August became her comfort.

She made him hers without realizing at first that this man wanted to conquer her through his charms and his expensive jewelry. She wasn't the only victim to fall at her feet.

***

Stella, on the other hand, didn't care what August did, they were in the process of divorcing. The loss of her sister Anaís after several years was something she still had not been able to get over. She took refuge in her paintings of chaotic universes in which, honestly, it wasn't what most attracted her art lovers. She, known under the stage name of Cearo, was famous for painting half-naked couples in celestial worlds, but after her crisis, she became famous for her melancholic art without any exaltation of pleasure.

She completely ignored the few admirers who insisted she switch her conceptual art to the collections for which she became famous and looked for ways to present these new paintings to various galleries, with fine art experts, or was even forced to try to sell them on the street. But her pride in charging large sums of money for her creations prevented anyone who appreciated her talent from buying her paintings.