Mirabelle’s POV:
Later that evening, Noah arrived home. I was in the kitchen, preparing dinner, my back turned to him, but I could hear his approaching footsteps.
“Hey, babe.” He called out, dropping his bag on the floor.
I turned, a smile lighting up my face. “Hey! How was your day?”
“Productive.” He replied, moving closer. “I spoke with a friend about the project, and we might have a lead on a new property.”
“Really? That’s great!” I exclaimed. “I knew you’d figure it out.”
He smiled widely. “Yeah, she might have a connection that could help.”
“Who?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I stirred the pot on the stove.
“Natasha!” He replied.
That slimy bitch!
Taking a deep breath. “Ah, I see. Well, as long as it helps the project, right?” I said, turning back to the cooker.
“Exactly.” He replied. “How was your day?”
“Slept all day, but I should be strong enough to go to work tomorrow now that my period is over,” I explained.
“Why are you making breakfast, though? Where’s Jamie?” He asked. “And why are you making it this late?”
“Well, the kids and I had dinner a long time ago. So I decided to make Macaroni and cheese for you since you would be coming back much later.” I replied. “So, any plans for the weekend?” I asked, changing the topic.
“I was thinking we could have a family night in, maybe watch a movie with the kids.” He suggested.
“That sounds perfect,” I said, smiling widely.
After dinner, we curled up on the couch. He held me close, forcing my mind to calm down. “Just focus on this.” He whispered into my ears.
The next day at work, Lisa, my secretary, was going over my schedule. She flipped through the pages. “Okay Ma’am, you have a meeting with the board of directors at ten. They’re eager to discuss the new product line.” She began.
“Right.” I nodded, glancing at the clock. “What else?”
“You’ve got a lunch meeting with potential clients at noon, and then a follow-up call with the marketing team at two.” She continued, checking her notes. “After that, you’re free until three-thirty.”
“Okay, great. I’ll prepare for the board meeting.” I said, trying to focus. But suddenly, I felt the urge to change the mood. “Lisa, sit down for a second.”
She looked surprised but complied, taking a seat across from me. “Sure, what’s up?”
“Are you married?” I asked, catching her off guard.
“No.” She replied, shaking her head. “But I’m dating someone.”
“Really? That’s nice. Do you think it’s serious?” I leaned forward.
“Yeah, I think so. We’ve been together for a while.” She said, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“Have you seen any ladies you suspect might be his ex?” I inquired. “But he insists that they never dated, and you can’t help feeling insecure sometimes.”
“Actually, ma’am.” She said, hesitating. “I am a lesbian. And yes, my girlfriend has told me several times that she never had anything with the girls I feel insecure about. But I can’t help it; the way they act around her makes me think otherwise.”
“Do you think it’s because they have a crush on her?” I chimed in, trying to relate. “I mean, maybe they’ve always liked her but never had her.”
“I guess so,” she said, scratching the back of her neck, looking a little uncomfortable. “Um, ma’am, did you maybe bump into someone you suspect might be your husband’s ex?”
I felt my heart race at the question. “No, not at all. Actually, my sister did, and she called me earlier to ask about this. I didn’t have anything to tell her, so I decided to ask you first.”
“Got it,” Lisa said, her expression softening. “Well, if it helps, I think it’s normal to feel that way sometimes, especially when you care about someone.”
“Thanks, Lisa,” I replied, we exchanged a few more words before she returned to her tasks.
As I sat at my desk, the earlier conversation about Natasha resurfaced, and I tried to convince myself that she was just a business partner who had a crush on Noah-nothing more.
The board meeting approached, and we went over the new product line, weighing the potential profitability against our current market position. Pitches flew around the table from different departments, each one outlining their ideas.
After reviewing all the suggestions, we narrowed it down to two solid options. “I think we need to take a vote on which direction to go,” I suggested, my voice calm. “But let’s wait until our next meeting. Everyone needs enough time to think about what to choose and why.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, so I quickly wrapped up the meeting.
Once the meeting ended, I had the lunch meeting with the clients and then the call with the marketing team followed. When I was done, I decided to call Jamie. “Hey, don’t bother coming over. I’ll be picking up the kids myself,” I instructed.
“Sure thing, Ma’am. I will carry on with lunch then.” She offered.
“That’s good,” I said, then I hung up the phone.
When I arrived, I stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath. As I walked towards the school entrance, I heard sounds of children screaming from my left. It was obvious that it was a fight.
Turning towards the direction, I approached, ready to break up whatever was going on and to scold the teachers for not looking after the kids.
To my surprise, I found Skyler, Tyler, and Mika, all covered unrecognizably in sand.
Mika and Skyler were on the floor wrestling with other kids, while Tyler and another child were still at it, pulling each other’s hair.
“Tyler!” I called out, my voice rising in anger. “What on earth is going on here?”
He looked up at me, wide-eyed. “We were just playing, Mommy!”
“Playing? It looks more like a wrestling match!” I scolded, marching over to intervene. “And where are the teachers? This is unacceptable!”