The Gala I

Elara

“I’m in town, Miss Dubois and I thought of reaching out to you. I hope you’ve been well? Three years ago, when you chose to walk out such a promising career, I didn't think I could advise you against it. Honestly, I believed it was your choice to make and hoped you were happy with it. But these last few years, my conscience has continued to bugger me which is why I’m reaching out again with another opportunity for you to shine. There’s a show coming out soon where you can showcase your culinary skills. I hope you can give it a try – best, Mr. Simpson.”

I stared at the email, reading and rereading its content before finally trying out a reply. “Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Simpson. I’ll have to get back to you on that. And since you are in town, I hope we can meet sometime? Yours, Elara Dubois.”

Once I’d sent out the reply, I heaved a sigh of relief and picked up my phone, only to be shocked by the trending headlines and hashtags.

#CeliaInternationalSensation

#CeliaAndLouis

#PregnancyRumors

I frowned. Was Celia really pregnant? Was that why Louis brought her back to the country? Was the child his? My anger soared as the memory of him covering me in the bathroom surged to the forefront of my mind. 

He’d taken what he wanted from me without thinking about courtesy or inciting any passion, but I bet that he’d been different with her. Did he look into her eyes as he fucked her? Did she scream his name and moan about her passion like the way I dreamt to do everyday for the past three years?

I pushed the thought aside before my anger would take the better of me and glanced back to my phone. The most trending post was a video featuring a reporter summarizing the news about Celia. 

“Sources have confirmed that the sensational designer, Celia Thorne, is back in town and flaunting a pregnancy from none other than our handsome billionaire bachelor, Louis Valmont. Note that the Valmont CEO has been rumored to have a fiance who he keeps out of the public eye. Instead of backing out, Celia is ready to fight tooth and nails for a spot in his heart – and she’s ready to share the journey as she fights for the man she loves and a family she deserves.”

The video cut to Celia. She looked at the camera with a small smile. “I won’t deny my pregnancy,” she said. “But I won’t acknowledge it either. I’ve promised to keep some of my relationship with Louis private and I have no intention of going back on that promise. I’m also not doing this for attention, I just want to inspire everyone out there who give up too easily and let them know it’s okay to fight for what they want.”

The reporter re-entered the screen. “If that wasn’t inspiring, I don’t know what it is. There have been whispers about Louis and Celia for long but this is the first time they’ve brought their relationship to the limelight. Also, there’s the fiance in the shadows, it remains to see who Louis will choose eventually –”

I turned my phone off just as the comments began to roll in. Still, I caught a few of them.

“Tbh, I think Celia is quite bold. She’s clear about her feelings and not afraid to fight for her love.”

“A lot of people like Louis Valmont and I understand why. The man is enigmatic and quite handsome. As long as they’re both single, I don’t think they’re hurting anyone. They should just go ahead and be together after all, they have a child on the way.”

“Who is Louis Valmont's fiance though? Has anyone ever seen or heard anything about her? She should just let the two love birds be together. It’s clear to everyone that they are in love and now Celia is carrying his baby. Why stand in the way of love?”

I gritted my teeth, squeezing just fingers around my phone as if I could smash it to pieces by mere strength alone. It didn’t happen. 

With a sigh, I went back to my bedroom. It was as pristine as Denise said it was. It was clear she’d cleaned out the place regularly and maintained everything in the position of how I left them. Another wave of nostalgia hit me as I slid into the soft bed and closed my eyes recounting all the memories I had in this place. 

Slowly, the memories pulled me into a dreamless sleep. 

I woke up the next morning to the sound of a notification on my phone. Groggily, I dragged myself out of bed, staggering to the bathroom to start my morning rituals. Once I was done, I returned to my phone and scrolled through until I arrived at the last message. It was from Louis. 

Louis: Don’t forget about the gala this evening. I’ve got a dress for you, pick it up later at the usual boutique. My driver will pick you up at the appointed time. 

That was it. There was no emotion, no apologies, no forced courtesy. 

Shitting my eyes, I took a deep breath in and returned to the bathroom. Looking at myself in the mirror, I winced. I looked like a ghost. My face was pale, my lips were chappy and my hair was like a bird nest on top of my head. 

I took a shower and got dressed quickly in simple clothes. I was going to be home until Louis' driver came to pick me. I had no intention of visiting the boutique or picking the dress he got for me. 

I had no intention of taking anything from him anymore. After today, he and I will be over. I’ll let him know to inform his grandfather about our separation. I was just glad we never made our relationship official or got married. 

Leaving him would have been harder. 

Denise arrived late in the morning looking exhausted. She coerced me into joining her for a nap and I did mostly because my body felt like it needed it. When we finally woke up, it was late in the evening and only a few minutes to the time Louis’ driver was to pick me up. 

I scrambled out of bed, startling Denise who gave me a questioning look. But just as I stood up, I became dizzy and almost collapsed to the floor. Thanks to Denise's quick reflex, she was able to catch me before I hit the ground. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, worrying about knotting her brows as she steadied me. “El, are you okay?”

I brushed her worries aside, willing my body to cooperate with me. “I’m fine. Now will you help me pick out a dress?”

She frowned at me but didn’t push. “Why do you need a dress?” she rubbed her eyes, sinking back into bed with the intent of going back to sleep. 

I dragged her before her head could hit the pillows. “Please, I have to attend his fiction and it’s almost time. Louis’ driver will soon be here.”

Denise’s head snapped up, her eyes shooting daggers at me. “What do you mean Louis driver would soon be here?”

I pulled on my bottom lip, explaining my arrangement with Louis to her. She listened without interrupting until I was done then she gave me a disapproving look. “I don’t like this, El. He’s made his choice, sinking after him after that will only make you appear desperate.”

I gave a long sigh. “I’m not desperate. I just… I want closure and this event will help me get that. I need to let Louis know that we can’t continue this charade since he’s chosen to be with Celia and this event provides the perfect cover.” 

I took her hand and looked into her eyes. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing. I want a fresh start too and I’m going to get it. I will put all of this behind me and move on.”