Marital Crisis and Forbidden Attraction in Seville

Marital Crisis and Unexpected Attraction

John is a businessman who appears to have everything many people want: he is attractive, has a beautiful wife, and enough money to live comfortably. He works for a company that manufactures industrial machinery and closes large business deals both in Spain and abroad.

Arrival in Seville

But this seems not to be enough to bring him happiness. His marriage is in trouble and he seemingly can do nothing to save it. His wife suggested a trip to Seville to relax and perhaps reconnect. The only complaint he has about the plan is that they will be staying with her cousin, Adela.

The problem is not Adela herself, whom he cares for, but that he has not seen her in ten years. His wife, Patricia, believes that to save their marriage they should have no sex and no privacy while staying with relatives, so that their real feelings become clear. This argument makes the trip to John's family home feel like a torture, coupled with six months without sex. A year earlier, amorous encounters between the two had not been very frequent.

However, fate will make that trip mark another turn in the destiny of our main character. You would never imagine how a simple decision can change your life.

Adela and Alice

Adela is married and has a daughter, Alice, aged 18. Alice is described as a pretty young woman: tall and shapely—not thin nor overweight—with long black hair, dark eyes, full lips, and a very sweet manner. All these characteristics, together with many others, cause John Haran, 27, to feel an immediate attraction to her when she opens the door.

Alice is also immediately attracted to John. But there are many problems to solve: perhaps the age difference is not important to some, but others will see difficulties. John fears the social implications and possible accusations such feelings could provoke. His marriage, meanwhile, presents its own complex obstacle.

A Binding Clause

John had signed a clause promising not to divorce his wife while his wife's parents were alive. If he separated from Patricia while they were still living, he would have to pay her 10 million. The idea of that penalty was unthinkable to him. His only consolation was that the clause would not be permanent, but he likely would never have signed it otherwise. He agreed because he believed he would never divorce and took the clause as a demonstration of love for his wife.

Unresolved Decisions

Torn between his feelings and his commitments, will our protagonist separate? The situation remains not decided.

Note: some original phrasing and names were corrected for clarity and grammar. The daughter Alice is presented as an adult (age 18) in this revised text.