Who is Mirella

Mirellas pov

The first headline I see that morning makes me nauseous.

‘MARCELI HEIR CONFIRMED — LIORA HALE SPOTTED LEAVING CEO’S PENTHOUSE’

I stare at my phone, wishing this was all just a horrible nightmare and I’d wake up any second now, sadly my wish did not come true.

“Turn it off.” Tessa says from the kitchen counter. “You’re doom scrolling again, and from what I can tell on your face, you just saw something you really don’t like.”

“I just woke up, and I have raging morning sickness, so that might be the discovery on my face.”

“You just woke up and already torturing yourself. Impressive.”

I drop the phone face down, “they’re really milking it.”

“Fuck them, they can rot in hell for all I care and you should be saying the same.”she slides a mug towards me. “Drink.”

“I don’t want tea.” I whine.

“Girl, you’re pregnant, you don’t get opinions, drink.”

I snort at her comment. “You’re awful.”

“Aww, I love you too girl,.” She then jumps on the couch, now next me. “Now back to what you were telling me yesterday.” She squealed.

“How I embarrassed myself and soaked through his shirt with my tears?”

“She hums. “Enemies to lovers vibes. Classic.”

“I don’t love him, and he definitely, doesn’t love me, I’m pretty sure he loathes me if I’m being honest.” I say as I tapped my fingers against the mug, not sure how to feel about that.

“You don’t know that, then why’s he being all sweet and protective then? Hmm??” She Hums trying to prove her point.

“I don’t know, probably because it was an awkward situation and his best friends younger sister was crying and he was probably disgusted, oh my God I’m never gonna live this down.” I groan as I facepalmed.

Tessa giggles as she pulled at my hand. “It’s not that bad Ella, I don’t know why you’re all groany and embarrassed tho. That man is sex on legs.”

I roll my eyes. “Please don’t start.”

But she wasn’t wrong, I thought as I subconsciously clamped my thighs together, the way he held me so close to his toned body, his muscled abs, his scent was intoxicating, my nipples became hard as small pebbles. what the hell was going on with me these past couple of days, he’s off limits girl and you are fresh out of a divorce with a whole baby on the way. Snap out of it. It was probably the hormones. Yeah blame it in the hormones you little slut. I internally groaned.

Andreas was probably at work, he had left before I woke up, frankly I didn’t even know when he returned. Tessa was here, when I woke up.

My guess is, he’s avoiding me, but also I figured, I’m too irrelevant for him to keep that little incident from yesterday in mind, he’s probably forgotten. Why do I have to be such a burden.

I had cried my heart out and he’d taken me to my room where I’d fallen asleep, when I woke up he was gone, probably for a drink. I wanted to text but it was none of my business, I mean he was a grown man. I didn’t want to annoy him with my constant messages. I called Tessa to pass the time and told her everything that had happened trying to push down the building worry on his whereabouts, I hoped he was okay, before I knew it sleep had taken over.

“I’m just saying.”

“Don’t.”

She raises her hands. “Fine. Topic change. I brought your sketchbook.” She says as she pulled out a slightly worn sketchbook out of her bag. “Tadaa.”

My heart stutters as surprise etched my features. “Why?”

“Because you’ve been pacing like a ghost for days and you used to draw when you were overwhelmed, Remember, you used to love it. It was like you were in your own little world.”

“I used to do a lot of things, how’d you even get this”

She slides the sketchbook across the table. “Just open it.”

I don’t touch it.

“You don’t have to draw,” she says more gently. “Just look.”

I hesitate. Then flip it open.

Pages and pages of different homey designs, each signed off on by me on each of their corners. Until I come across one, a half finished sketch I barely remember starting. A living room, warm tones, light pouring in through tall windows.

My throat tightens.

“I forgot I could do this,” I say quietly.

I close the sketchbook “I don’t know who I am anymore, Tess.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I was Mirella Marceli for so long, wife to Nikolai Marceli.”

“And now you’re mirella.”

I held my tears at bay, I was done crying, I was done feeling sorry for myself.

“Who is mirella.” I ask more to myself than her.

“I guess we’re going to find out.” Tessa giggles “now go get ready, because we’re going shopping.” She squeals.

“Shopping? With what money?”

“Andreas might’ve given me his Amex card and asked that I drag you out of this house to try some clothes on, he suggested maybe a girls day will do you a lot of good and he knew you wouldn’t take his money sooo.” She drones out.

Wait what? When did he have the time to plan all this, when did he call her? Is that why she was here so early in the morning.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, what?”

I try to assimilate everything she said.

“Don’t think about it too much, if you do we’re never gonna leave this house, now up up up.” She chants as she pulls me off the couch, time for a bath, we’re going shopping!” She giggles as she pulls my confused self up the stairs, while I tried to decipher, why he would do this, did he actually care? Or does he just feel sorry for me. The larger part of me truly didn’t want it to be the other.