Chapter 2: If Only It could be him.

The sound of a car engine rolled into the driveway. Mira peeked through the curtain in her room and her stomach tightened.

John.

Even from upstairs she could see the shining of his black car, spotless like it had just left the showroom.

The door opened, and there he was tall, broad shoulders, his hair combed neatly.

He wore a clean white shirt, tucked in, the sleeves rolled at his elbows. He carried himself like someone who belonged to money.

Mira stepped back quickly, her heart racing. She didn’t want to see him. She didn’t want him to see her.

But downstairs, she already heard Tina’s voice, high and sweet.

“John Johnny! What a surprise!”

Her stepsister’s laughter floated through the house, followed by the click of her heels as she ran to the door.

Mira pressed her lips together. Tina never missed a chance when John came around.

She forced herself to walk downstairs slowly, hoping to escape notice.

But Rosey’s sharp eyes caught her immediately.

“There you are,” Rosey said, her smile stretching wide as she turned to John. “Look at my daughter, Mira. Isn’t she growing more beautiful every day?”

Mira froze halfway down the stairs, her cheeks hot. She hated when Rosey called her “daughter” in front of outsiders. It sounded sweet, but Mira knew it was all for show.

John’s eyes lifted to her. For a moment, Mira wished the ground would open and swallow her whole.

His gaze wasn’t harsh, though. It was soft, curious, almost… admiring.

“Good evening,” he said politely.

His voice was calm and steady at the same time.

“Good evening,”

Mira murmured, keeping her eyes low as she moved quickly toward the kitchen.

But Tina wasn’t about to let things stay that way. She slipped her arm through John’s, her smile bright enough to blind.

“Come, sit with me.

You must be tired from driving. I’ll bring you juice.”

Rosey clapped her hands together like everything was perfect. “Yes, yes! Mira, bring some juice for our guest.”

Mira stopped in the doorway. She wanted to say no, but Rosey’s eyes warned her not to argue. She lowered her head and went to the kitchen.

Her hands shook slightly as she poured the juice into a glass.

She could hear Tina’s voice drifting in from the living room, loud and sweet, talking to John about her new dress, her new shoes, how her friends adored her.

When Mira returned with the tray, she set the glass carefully on the table in front of John.

“Thank you,” he said softly, his eyes catching hers for a brief second.

Her throat went dry. “You’re welcome,” she whispered, stepping back quickly.

But Tina leaned closer to him, laughing again.

“Oh John, you didn’t have to come today.

You should have told me, I would have prepared something special For you.

But John said is okay Aunty Rosey, I just came to see Mirabelle.

Mira’s chest tightened. She turned, ready to leave, but Rosey’s voice pinned her in place.

“Mira, sit down. Spend some time with John.”

Mira hesitated.

She didn’t want to sit. She didn’t want to be paraded like an item for sale. But John looked at her again, his expression unreadable, and she obeyed, sitting quietly at the edge of the sofa.

The silence was heavy until Tina broke it with her usual charm. “So, John, tell me about your company. Didn’t your father just open a new office in New City?”

John smiled faintly. “Yes. But I didn’t come to talk business today.” His eyes shifted briefly to Mira again.

Rosey noticed. Mira could feel it in the way her stepmother’s smile stiffened for half a second before returning, wider than before.

“Oh, John,” Rosey said sweetly, “you are always welcome here.

Truly. Both my girls are blessed to know someone like you. Of course, Tina is younger, lively, always social. But Mira—”

She gave a small laugh, her hand brushing Mira’s shoulder as if she was being playful.

“She’s shy. Quiet. Always hiding away. You need a girl with more sparkle just like Tina."

Tina’s smile stretched even wider. “Exactly,” she said quickly.

“Mira doesn’t even like parties. She’s so boring sometimes. But me? I love fun, I love music, I love people.

You’ll never be bored with me, John.”

Mira’s nails dug into her palm. Her ears buzzed, her chest aching with humiliation.

She wanted to scream that Tina was lying, that Rosey’s words weren’t true. But her voice stayed trapped in her throat.

John’s smile faded a little. His eyes rested on Mira again, softer this time. “I don’t think quiet is a bad thing,” he said simply.

Rosey blinked. Tina’s face stiffened, but she quickly recovered with another laugh. “Oh, you’re too kind.”

Mira stood quickly. “Excuse me,” she whispered, her voice trembling. She hurried upstairs before anyone could stop her.

Inside her room, she locked the door and pressed her back against it, her chest rising and falling fast.

“Why does he keep coming here?” she muttered under her breath. “I don’t want him. I don’t want his attention.

Her eyes lifted to the posters on her wall the face she longed for, the voice that lifted her from the ground when life pulled her down. De.King. Derick Lingard.

She sat on the bed and reached for her earphones again. As his song filled her ears, her shoulders loosened, the sting in her chest slowly fading.

If only it could be him instead…of John

Her lips curled into a small, sad smile. “But that’s impossible,” she whispered. “He belongs to another world.”