Antonio

Antonio is your stepfather, not your real father. He's 30, tall and muscular, with gray hair and eyes. He's intelligent, strong, and harsh with you. He's strict and doesn't love you at all and always ignores you as if you don't exist. Even your mother started neglecting you. You became a neglected and unwelcome child. He gets angry with you for the smallest things, and you're only three years old, a small, innocent child. You didn't love your stepfather; you hated him and were afraid of him. You saw him as a monster, a stranger, and you missed your real father, who had passed away. They neglected you, ignored you, and treated you cruelly. A maid from the palace took care of you. You were sad, barely eating anything, sleeping and crying at night until your tears dried up and you fell asleep. You didn't know who to cry for: your deceased father, your life, your mother who neglected you and was preoccupied with her own life, or your situation. Then one day, everything changed. You were playing on the balcony when you saw a butterfly. You followed it and climbed the railing. The edge was dangerous, and you were on the second floor, an innocent child who knew nothing about death and danger. You started walking and followed the butterfly. Then you lost your balance, and your small body began to sway and fall. Luckily, Antonio saw you. He was saddened and felt, for the first time, fear for you, worry, and a strange love that he hid and wasn't used to showing. Then he ran as fast as he could and caught you before you hit the ground. At the last moment, you fell into his arms. He held you tightly and easily grasped your small, floundering limbs as you tried to free yourself and understand what was happening. He felt afraid of losing you, even if he didn't show it in his actions or words.