"Sofia, were you always after Marcelli's money?"
Flashes. Flashes. Blinding, suffocating flashes.
I shielded my eyes behind thick black Chopard De Rigo Vision sunglasses—six figures' worth of diamonds and 24-carat gold, the kind my husband had bought me last summer in Greece.
A sweet vacation… now bitter in my mouth.
"Were you planning to leave him before you were caught, or were you going to keep both men?"
I dipped my head lower, letting the brim of my cream hat hide the flush of shame—or was it fury? My bodyguard shoved these bloody reporters through the wall of microphones and cheap perfume.
I stepped into the courthouse. The same place where I married Nico Marcelli.
The same place where reporters once wouldn't dare touch even my shadow.
Now, they circled like wolves, and I was the bleeding goat.
My life keeps reinventing itself in the worst ways.
At five years old, I was the country's Cinderella—every newspaper plastered my face with pity after my parents' fatal crash. They'd been the golden couple who brought affordable cars, fridges, TVs into every middle-class home, through their innovative business ideas. The nation wept for me.
Now? The same people point their manicured fingers, their jeweled mouths spitting words like gold-digger. Cheater. Whore.
Overnight, I've gone from fairytale princess… to the villain on every front page.
The gates behind me closed tight. Every sound. Every sight of reporters were gone from my sight. They were all behind me now- behind the closed doors. Of the court. Where justice serves rightly.
"Mrs. Marcelli, please come this way." All the rage I have stuffed in me, just decided to say hello by dropping through the corner of my eye, luckily it was well hidden behind the black sunglasses. Hearing Nico's assistant call me "Mrs. Marcelli" for the last time hurts my soul. More than I'd like to admit.
Suddenly, I observed no-one was in here, except us. This whole court, is bought by him for today. Because even after everything, he didn't wanted his wife to be ruined publicly – why so generous Nico. Why so generous.
I sighed.
I will miss Leo. He is a great assistant of Nico. His right hand. And almost like his brother.
And now within a second I will be the Ex-wife.
I chewed my lower lip, as teeth dug deep a shivering pain bought me back to reality. I hate Nico Marcelli. How could he even!
Leo pressed the cold metal handle whose echo clinked in the hallway- justice was waiting infront of me. A storm in a dark royal blue tuxedo was waiting patiently for me. And the thought of his rage.... Probably I'll be the one soon dead inside the courtroom and Judge would be too stunned to act- but this is still better, if Nico did this, if he killed me with his own strong masculine hands I'd be at peace, I guess.
But then am I lying to myself? I looked at my shivering legs, and pale skin. My body was betraying me."Leo." My trembling voice finally came out of my throat.
And he stopped it right there, right away. He didn't opened the door wide. The door didn't even opened on the first place. Leo had just pressed the cold metalic handle, but haven't opened it.
I gulped the pain- the tears, before managing to speak another first word in this 48 hours. "Can you excuse me. I'd like to use the restroom, please."
He sighed. He was as tensed as I was. The only thing is- he was better hiding it, and I wasn't.
"Ofcourse you can." He sounded calm and pleasing, it was the second time in my life I have heard this tone of his.
The first time was when I was standing in the white bridal gown, long hairs tied up into classic bun. And face covered in net veil. I was trembling exactly like this back then, with this same wooden door staring my face- that could open any second if Leo pressed it back then, and I had a new fate lying around me. I hated how I was getting married forcefully- nothing was of my choice, from groom to cake. Nothing. And Leo's word was, "Ofcourse you can." Just like he said now, with his Hazel eyes twinkling with mercy. Reminds me he has a beautiful daughter, and probably he could read through me back then and now, something that soothed me and assured me the Marcelli gang isn't that ruthless was Leo eyes, that showed hint of mercy.
I had only take three steps away from becoming Ex-Mrs. Marcelli. From that wooden door. From the storm waiting inside. "You don't hate Nico do you?" Leo voice, stopped me there itself. I was grounded.
I don't hate him. I could never hate him.
"He does tho, don't he?"
I didn't turn to look in Leo's eyes. I was afraid. Terrified to see the truth. Because who won't hate a woman who is called a cheater?" The word burns like acid. Not because it's true, but because the man I once thought could tear down the world for me… didn't even tear down one lie.
"I will be waiting for you Mrs. Marcelli."
And it was easy to confirm- Nicolo Marcelli hates me. He believes I'm the cheater. The gold-digger. The whore.
....
The blue eyes that stared me from the mirror was as confused as the girl who was looking into it. When and how did I became a cheater?
My skin has gone pale white. As if all the shine, the lively tint were snatched away from me. The bloodred lipstick made me hate myself more. "Doesn't whore wear this?" Red. The colour of boldness.
But now it has probaly became the colour a whore wears. Price of this hat, this sunglasses, the black polo neck top and this jeans- everything I'm wearing from head to toe, is going to go down in seconds. Everything that is on me. Is going to be ruined. Every single thing will become worthless within next 48 hours.
"Aggggghhhhhh!" I punched in my own reflection. Glass fractured into a spiderweb of cracks, splintered lines cutting my face into pieces. Red bloomed across it again—not lipstick this time. Blood.
"Fuckkkkk" No pain. Just the warm trickle down my knuckles, staining the sink. In the harsh light, my blood looked almost blue. I rinsed it away, pressed my lips into a calm, confident smile. Slid the black shades over my eyes.
Time for another performance. Let's see what role life has scripted for me next.