A World Without String Is Chaos 22 Chapter 22: Homewrecker

"I love you!"

"Fizzy Pop~~~!"

The ad campaign was a huge hit. It was a series of life events, of ordinary people. Couples dating, friends at a party, stuff like that. People were making memes out of them on the video sharing sites. Other companies tried out the formula as well. Fast food, clothing lines. It wasn't anything new, common man, and woman, pandering, but it came at the right time.

The country was facing a crisis of confidence. Public opinion about the national government was at an all time low. But the fresh new faces in politics were gaining in popularity, and clout. One of them was Maria Cortez. She spearheaded a movement for shorter term limits for representatives in the legislature. It was a bipartisan effort. It wasn't the system that was flawed, she argued, but the people that run it.

"For too long have the politicians gamed the election cycles to stay in office, long after their time!" Maria spoke pa.s.sionately. "Our democracy is strong, but we can't have the same people in office over and over again!"

"I pledge to not run again, as my proposed term limit lays out. Even after I'm out of office, I am confident our cause will win!"

"Don't run! Maria!" Became the new slogan.

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Emily and Carlos fought. Fred had been sending money to Emily every month. After he got his new job, he sent more and more. Carlos and Emily and Mark, and Sarah, Carlos and Emily's daughter, were living happily in Carlos's home. As the years went on, Emily had saved up a lot. She wanted to move to a nice villa on a hill, overlooking a beach. It was a beautiful villa.

Carlos was furious. He would never live somewhere paid for by another man. He was a chef, a good one at that, and he was adamant to be the one to provide for his family. Emily argued that it was just money, and that it would pay for the children's education, too. Carlos told her he had no problem with her using the money to pay for private school, for both Mark and Sarah. He wasn't that closeminded. But they had been living in their house for years. Memories and moments of happiness filled the rooms. Why should they move in to some villa?

Emily moved into the villa, along with Sarah. She was still a toddler. Mark, on the other hand, was a big kid now, and he wanted to stay with his dad, Carlos. Carlos was glad Mark chose him during this family crisis. He had held him when he was a baby, and held him out as his own. So, that became that.

Emily and Carlos would still see each other, even though they lived separately. They had pa.s.sion between them, and they couldn't keep their hands off each other. But Carlos never took a step into the villa. He had his pride.

More money, more problems. In island paradise.