Chapter 1
Rio Vidal – Los Angeles
Rio closed the door of her house, leaving Alice in her pajamas in the garden, being silently judged by the gardener, who continued working calmly. The man looked her up and down, making a gesture with his hand to tell her to stay quiet, to keep Alice from confessing anything.
But Rio was furious. All the anger she had accumulated over the months due to the dissatisfaction in their relationship was exploding all at once. Without anyone being able to stop it.
As if that wasn’t enough for Alice, Rio quickly stormed up to the second floor of the house. She took the opportunity to grab several of Alice’s things, a backpack, a jacket, a few shirts, and violently threw them off the second floor balcony, landing right in front of her. Still, even that didn’t seem to calm Rio down. Although it certainly upset Alice. It was her stuff, after all.
“Go sleep with your coworker and don’t you dare come back!” Rio yelled, unable to contain herself, letting out all the anger that still lingered in her body. She shouldn’t have been this upset or angry. She had no right to be. She knew that. After all, things hadn’t been going well between them for months. Without even realizing it, each in their own way, they had let the relationship slowly die. And if she thought about it coldly, she knew it.
“Rio! I didn’t sleep with Jennifer!” Alice insisted from the garden, still in her pajamas. But she knew this was a losing battle. She had never seen Rio like this before.
“Admit it.” It was an order, a sentence. A kind of ultimatum. The desperation in her voice was clear, her lower lip trembling slightly. Rio just needed to hear it to put an end to everything. They hadn’t been intimate in months, they barely saw each other at home, they didn’t talk to one another or even know what the other was doing in their free time. Rio just wanted to hear it so she could blame Alice for the breakdown of their relationship –and not have to take responsibility for her own part in it–.
Alice stayed silent for what felt like an eternity, holding Rio’s gaze. But eventually, she looked away, her eyes dropping to the ground.
“... Fine. But you know this relationship wasn’t working.” Alice finally said, but all it did was make Rio walk away from the terrace, disappearing from view. Alice kept calling out and knocking on the door for a while, but she got no response. Eventually, she decided to leave. She figured she’d have someone pick up her things once Rio had calmed down. Once everything returned to normal. Although even she wasn’t sure if she wanted that anymore.
Once the house was silent again, after Alice gave up trying to come back in, Rio tried to cry, she tried really hard, but it was useless. No matter how much she tried, the tears refused to fall. It was as if something inside her was completely blocked. It didn’t matter how much she thought about the fight, about breaking up with her partner, or anything else. She can’t do it. How long had it been since she last cried? She couldn’t remember. Well, she could, but… this wasn’t the moment. She wasn’t ready to think about it again.
She wandered around the house, still angry, opening drawers and starting to pack some of Alice’s belongings. She even broke a couple of things to vent her frustration. She knew she’d have to give everything back, but not now. Not yet. Things between them may not have been going well, but at least she hadn’t cheated on anyone. She deserves to be a little bit mean.
After a hot shower to calm herself down, she decided to throw herself into her work, her true passion. She was really good at it, and it helped her disconnect, to forget everything. She knew the emptiness inside her was still there, that the anger hadn’t disappeared, and she needed some way to escape it.
But for the first time in her life, work didn’t help. Sure, she gave the green light to the final trailer for the movie, knowing it was going to be a huge success, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the fact that, at 38, she was single again. She had never worried about that before –at least, not until now– but the idea of growing old alone crossed her mind, and it wasn’t a pleasant thought. It was a fear she had never felt before, but now it seemed like it wasn’t going to go away.
The only conclusion she came to was a simple one: she needed a change, urgently. Something more than just approving a trailer or working. Or throwing Alice’s things out the window. She definitely needed a vacation somewhere far away. Somewhere remote, where no one could bother her. Somewhere without beautiful women to remind her that she was going to end up alone.
Besides, this would be her first vacation in… years? She had been so focused on her work that she had neglected her rest, her relationship, and simply enjoying life. But it was time to change that.
She began searching without a clear idea of what she wanted. She compared places, hotels, flights… Until, somehow, she ended up on a house exchange website. It seemed silly at first, but she had always been a curious person and couldn’t help scrolling through the listings. The site allowed her to filter by country, so she ended up looking at London, because of the language, and… there it was. A small, cozy house, perfect for staying away from everything and everyone. It was surrounded by nature and would let her disappear from the world for a while. Exactly what she needed.
She thought about it carefully. Well, not really. It was an impulse that decided for her, as she clicked on the chat and hesitated over what to write. She didn’t know if this would solve her problems, if it would bring her any kind of peace, but she needed something different. And this was exactly that.
R: “Hi! Would the house be available?” The following minutes of waiting felt long and difficult. It seemed as if the message hadn’t gone anywhere. Rio decided to distract herself by making a coffee. It always helps. While she was preparing it, she heard the notification arrive.
With the mug in her hands, she quickly returned to her desk to read the message. She felt like this was her only escape from how she was feeling.
W: “Hi! Yes, it’s available, but only for an exchange.”. Someone answers at the other side of the computer.
R: “Perfect, that works for me.” At that moment, she truly didn’t want to be in her house. She wanted to leave, and she didn’t care if someone stayed there in the meantime.
W: “Really? That’s perfect then. My name is Wanda, by the way, Wanda Maximoff. In case you want to look me up on social media or something to feel more at ease.”
R: “Rio Vidal, nice to meet you.” Naturally, she quickly searched for the other woman’s name to make sure she actually existed. She wasn’t about to go to a complete stranger’s house. She wasn’t that crazy.
W: “Nice to meet you, Rio. Where is your house located?”.
R: “In Los Angeles. Does that work for you?”.
W: “I’ve never been. Sounds perfect. A new breath of air.”
R: “Yes, that’s exactly what I need too.”
W: “When would you like to do the house exchange, Rio?”.
R: “Tomorrow?”.
The chat went silent for a few minutes. Rio decided to take another sip of her coffee, trying to calm herself. She hoped she hadn’t scared the other woman, but the truth was that the sooner she could get out of there, the better it would be for her mental health. She didn't care about urgency or appearances. And she knew the woman existed, which gave her a certain calmness.
Finally, a new message arrived.
W: “Tomorrow works perfectly. I’ll look for flights now. I’ll share my phone number if you’d rather talk about everything there.”
R: “Great! I can’t wait.”
Over the next hour, the two of them finished discussing and finalizing the details over the phone. Despite the emotional rollercoaster the day had been, talking for a while with a complete stranger from the other side of the world was strangely comforting. Her voice, with a slight accent, was kind. But the most surprising part of the whole conversation was realizing that both of them were seeking to spend a few days on the other side of the world and disconnect. Neither wanted to share too many details –their wounds were too fresh– but the important thing was that they were getting along quite well. A new friend was exactly what both of them needed.
When Rio hung up the phone, now with her tickets booked, she went straight to pack her suitcase and get ready for the trip. She packed her winter clothes and everything she thought she might need into a large suitcase. She also prepared a travel bag for the essentials she’d need on the plane.
Getting her things ready gave her a small spark of excitement. A vacation. A new destination. She was leaving behind a routine marked by the monotony of the days to embark on a new adventure.
After that, she went out to the garden to give instructions to the gardener and cleaning staff. She wanted to explain the situation and let them know a woman would be staying in her house, just in case there was any problem so they could notify her immediately. After all, she loved her house and had never seen the woman who was coming. As much as she trusted her after their phone conversation, she preferred to play it safe.
Afterward, she went directly back to her office and finalized the details of the project she still had in her hands. As much as she wanted to go on vacation, she would finish the final delivery of her trailer. Her new baby, a guaranteed success. Once she was done, she didn’t take long to inform her team that she would be absent for fifteen days. At first, the man on the other end of the phone laughed, but he quickly realized that Rio was dead serious. But it was normal, she never, ever took vacations.
“Is everything okay?”. Her assistant asked, genuinely concerned. She responded with a simple “Yes”, not wanting to overthink it, although deep down, she knew it wasn’t true, that she had lied. She didn’t need to rest; she needed to forget that she was alone, that her relationship was broken, and that, in general, her life wasn’t satisfying enough to even make her cry over it. No, that wasn’t something she could easily admit to anyone.
And, with everything as wrapped up as possible, except for her personal life –which had never been so chaotic–, she grabbed the suitcases she had prepared and left for the airport that very night. She had a flight to catch if she wanted to arrive in London the next day. A flight, in first class, with all the luxuries that entailed, and she hoped, at the very least, to sleep comfortably and not think about anything. Just to start disconnecting the moment she boarded.
She wasn’t nervous, she was only impatient to get to her destination. To the house where she would live for the next fifteen days. The house that would bring back her desire to be herself again. Maybe she was placing too much hope in a house, but she needed it. She needed it to work, because if it didn’t, there was no plan B.
In that way, she boarded the plane, got comfortable, and tried to disappear for the next ten hours without thinking about anything.
Wanda Maximoff – London
She had tried. She really had. She had poured her soul into trying to make it work: conversations, patience, understanding, sleepless nights… But things with Vision had grown cold ever since they had tried to have children. They had grown cold enough to the point where they divorced. But she was still deeply in love with him. She struggled every day at the office, seeing him with his new partner, someone she was certain could give him what he wanted: a family.
She had been having a hard time for a while, torturing herself. But seeing him every day, locking eyes with him, remembering the past… None of that helped her feel any better. He had chosen another woman over her, and there was nothing she could do to change it. But no matter how much she tried to accept it, she was simply incapable of doing so.
The office Christmas party was the final straw. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, she had prepared herself mentally for it, but her façade didn’t last long. The boss not only congratulated Vision on his latest report –it was objectively good– but also announced his engagement to his new partner. Everything was moving too fast.
Wanda tried to hold back the tears, in vain. She felt them sliding down her cheeks and had to leave. Something inside her had broken. She had to get out of there before anyone saw her; she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t take it anymore.
She quickly left and returned to her house. Her home. A small cottage far from the noise of London, located in a village forty minutes from the capital. A home she had once shared with that man and that now was hers alone. Too many memories and ghosts inhabited it, a constant reminder of what had happened. A reminder of his sadness.
Once she arrived, she felt sadness overwhelm her, like the world was crashing down on her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. But in the silence of her home, she could afford the luxury of breaking down, of crying, of letting all the sadness inside her flow out, knowing no one would judge her, that no one was watching.
Hoping to feel better after what had happened, she decided to take a hot bath, trying to make the situation improve. She had to forget him, forget what could have been, stop torturing herself. She hoped the water would wash away the bad memories, console her, embrace her. Then, searching for another moment of peace, of solace, she made herself a cup of hot chocolate, which she held in her hands, letting its warmth comfort her. The sweet taste always helped.
She got into bed, hoping to fall asleep quickly, knowing she didn’t want to overthink and that she didn’t have to wake up early the next day. But just then, she received a notification on her email, which alerted her with a small vibration and the screen lighting up.
When she opened it, without much hope of it being anything interesting, she was met with a pleasant surprise. It was nothing less than someone responding to her ad on a house-swapping website. She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t even remember when she had posted it. It must have been during her relationship with Vision, back when they were still deciding whether to live in the suburbs or in the city center.
But that notification had arrived in her inbox like a Christmas miracle. Because after spending five minutes reading the message, she knew. This was her way out, her escape route from the sadness she was feeling. It was a sign, an opportunity she had to take. A chance to flee from her pain, even if it was just temporary.
Without thinking much more, once she accepted that this was really happening, she replied. She began talking to the person on the other side of the computer. She quickly learned her name was Rio Vidal and that her vacation destination for that Christmas would be Los Angeles.
She had never been there, she spoke English, and it was far enough away from Vision that she could finally forget him. It was perfect.
The only thing that surprised her was the urgency of the request to swap houses. She took a few minutes to respond, mulling it over. But, in truth, there wasn’t much to think about. She needed this, she knew it. She was certain that it was going to help her. Just the idea of going on vacation had brought back a joy she hadn’t felt in weeks.
Besides, as if her own reasons weren’t enough, the woman seemed determined and direct about making this happen, which reassured Wanda that Rio wouldn’t back out easily. They were in this together.
So, she confirmed the house exchange for the next day. She wasn’t going to waste any more time with silly doubts or insecurities. Everything was clear. Next destination: Los Angeles.
When she hung up the phone, Wanda felt a sense of peace she hadn’t experienced in weeks. The house seemed like it was going to be in good hands. Rio, for sure, seemed like a good person, someone she could trust. Plus, she felt the woman understood her urgency, that she shared it. They were both in the same situation: running away.
After hanging up, not wanting to waste any more time, she got to work. With her ticket already purchased, she began packing her suitcase, surprisingly excited for her new adventure. Los Angeles. Good weather, far from London’s winter. And, most importantly, far from her life and her problems. It seems perfect. It was perfect.
When she finished packing, she went on to tidy up the house for when the woman arrived. She wanted everything to be perfect. After all, she wanted to make a good impression, even though they weren’t going to meet in person or directly. And she hoped for the same from the other side, unaware of the mansion she would be living in for the next fifteen days.
That night, she barely slept. She stayed in bed with her eyes open, occasionally closing them to imagine the trip and everything that would happen. She was impatiently waiting for morning to catch her flight. She needed to leave already, to go.
Finally, the night passed. Finally, she was able to get in a taxi and head straight to the airport, leaving behind her small house. Finally, she was distancing herself from Vision and choosing to put herself and her own happiness first. Finally.
She boarded the plane and made herself as comfortable as possible in the cramped cabin. The next few hours would be long, but she was certain they would be worth it. She could feel it deep within her.