Mira always had this mentality that you shouldn't expect everything to go your way especially when it's something you've been looking forward to. Mira always dreamed of having the perfect family, and for a long time, that was exactly what she had. She received all the love in the world from both of her parents. She couldn't have asked for more.
Mira didn't even feel the loneliness of being an only child, because Elsa was basically like her twin sister. She never saw any need to wish for another sibling when she already had Elsa.
But everything started to change.
The once perfect family she had always dreamed of slowly began to crack. The home that used to be filled with laughter began to echo with arguments. Her parents started fighting more often, and although Mira didn't dare ask what was going on, she noticed everything. She just stayed quiet, bottling it all up inside.
Her dad became distant. He started coming home late. Sure, he was the CEO of his company and had enough power to come and go as he pleased, but he always blamed work. Mira knew he was lying. She could feel it in her bones, he didn't want to come home.
Despite all of that, Mr. Ray Nelson, Mira's father was still a good dad. The kind every child would dream of having. No matter how busy he got, he always carved out time for her. When the scandal of Mira's sexual harassment broke out, her father became furious. He was determined to make Mathew pay. Mira begged him not to press charges, but he wasn't having it. The only thing that saved Mathew was the fact that he was underaged. He didn't go to jail, just juvie but even that was a result of her dad's persistence.
Mira was closer to her dad than to anyone else. She used to tell him almost everything—at least the things she was comfortable enough to share. But as things at home spiraled, that bond began to fade. Mira pulled away from him, believing he was the reason her family was falling apart. He avoided coming home. Mira could hear her mom crying in her room some nights. Still, she stayed silent, enduring it all on her own.
She told Elsa everything during the first timeline. Elsa had advised her to talk to one of her parents, to ask what was really going on. But Mira couldn't bring herself to do it. She was too afraid of what the answer might be. So she kept pretending like everything was fine—hoping that, somehow, things would go back to the way they were. Where did it all go wrong?
Mira was more emotional than she looked, but she was excellent at hiding it. The only person who saw her vulnerable side was Elsa. Mira had a soft heart, even though she didn't show it. It took someone truly close to understand her. That's why Elsa could always read her like an open book—she knew when Mira was hurting, even if Mira didn't say a word.
As the only daughter of a wealthy and influential family, Mira lived like a princess. She never lacked anything. From the outside, people assumed she'd be a stuck-up, spoiled brat. But Mira was nothing like that. In fact, she was more humble than anyone expected. She didn't flaunt her wealth. She didn't carry herself like someone born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
Elsa once suggested she become a teen content creator or a model because Mira's beauty was the kind that didn't even seem real. But Mira always declined. She preferred to live a quiet, private life. She didn't want to be out there, flashing money or posing for clout. That wasn't her.
She had everything a girl could ever want… until her perfect world started crumbling.
♠︎♠︎♠︎
Mira sat at the dining table, stirring her breakfast absentmindedly. She took a few sips of her tea and sighed deeply. Her uniform was crisply ironed, her long, silky hair neatly brushed back. She looked perfect but inside, she was drowning.
Her mom came downstairs moments later and walked toward her. Mira looked up and gave her a soft smile.
"Morning, Mom."
Lauryl smiled gently and sat beside her, planting a kiss on Mira's forehead. "Morning, baby."
Mira silently continued picking the tomatoes out of her scrambled eggs. Lauryl watched her for a moment, then sighed and called out, "Juliana?"
The cook appeared immediately, wiping her hands.
"How many times have I said not to add tomatoes to any of her food?" Lauryl said, her voice calm but firm.
The cook looked at Mira's plate and then back at Lauryl, clearly nervous. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I—"
"It's fine, Mama," Mira cut in, shaking her head. "I told her to add it."
Lauryl turned to her with a puzzled look. "Why? You don't even like tomatoes."
Mira gave a faint smile. "The other day, I saw her preparing my egg separately from yours. It looked like such a hassle, making the same dish twice. I know you like tomatoes in your food, so I just told her to make everything together. I can pick the tomatoes out myself. It's really not a big deal."
Lauryl sighed, a little guilt in her eyes. "It's not a hassle, Mira. Picking them out seems like more of a hassle to you."
"I'm fine, Mom. Really. It's not her fault," Mira replied softly.
Lauryl nodded and looked at the cook. "I snapped at you. I didn't know it was Mira's idea."
The cook bowed her head respectfully. "No, ma'am. It's fine. You had every right to be upset."
Lauryl gave her a small smile, and the cook quietly left the room.
Lauryl turned back to Mira. "Honey, you know I can cook for you every day if you want. All your meals, even. You don't have to eat what the cook makes."
Mira immediately shook her head. "No, Mom. You don't have to. I'm not a little kid anymore. Let the cook handle it. You have your own things to do. You can still cook for me once in a while, I'd like that."
Her mom sighed again. "I understand, baby. But I insist. I'll take care of your meals every now and then."
Mira smiled faintly and nodded. "Okay."
When she finished her breakfast, she picked up her school bag and stood up. Just as she turned to leave, the front door opened. Her dad walked in.
Mira looked up. Lauryl stood, stiffening slightly as she faced him.
"Hey," Lauryl said, her voice hesitant but soft.
Nelson gave a strained smile as he walked toward the dining table. The air in the room grew thick with tension.
He looked at Mira, almost pleading with his eyes, silently hoping she'd say something, anything. But Mira didn't speak. She just glanced at both of them and sighed. She was about to step out when her father's voice stopped her.
"Mira…" he called, his tone low and cautious.
She froze for a moment, then slowly turned to face him.
"Uhm… can you come home early from school today? Your mom and I have something important to discuss with you."
There was a brief silence. Mira's expression changed slightly as she looked from her father to her mother. Then, with a soft nod and nothing more, she turned and walked out, her steps quick and tense. The driver was already waiting, and without another word, she got in. The car zoomed off.
Back inside, Lauryl stood still, sighing heavily.
"You don't have to tell her the reason "Nelson said as he folded his arms.
Lauryl walked toward him slowly. "We've talked about this before, Nel. I'm going to tell her the truth."
He sighed in frustration. "Do you have any idea what you're about to do? How do you think Mira will feel? We're still trying to figure out how to even tell her about the divorce, and now you want to throw in the reason too?"
"I'm tired, Nelson. Tired of lying to her face. Tired of pretending everything is okay," Lauryl said, her voice breaking slightly. "I didn't want this… this divorce. I begged you. But you've clearly made up your mind. I just think it's better if she hears the truth from me."
Nelson scoffed bitterly. "Oh, so now this is my fault? I loved you, Lauryl. I gave everything for this family. And in the end, what did I get? Betrayal!" His voice rose with emotion.
"I said I was sorry," Lauryl replied, stepping closer. Tears welled in her eyes. "I never meant to hurt you. I loved you too… I still do. Can we just stop this.....for Mira's sake?"
Nelson looked away and muttered, "You're just using her as an excuse. That's what this is. You're scared of how she'll react when she finally finds out the real reason. Right?"
"If I was scared, would I still want to tell her the truth?" Lauryl shot back.
He stared at her for a long second. "You just want to ease your guilt. That's all this is. You're scared she'll find out before you tell her, and you're trying to get ahead of it."
Lauryl didn't respond. Tears silently streamed down her cheeks.
"We're getting a divorce," he said firmly. "That's final. We don't need to explain why. Just tell her we fell out of love." With that, he turned and walked upstairs.
Lauryl stood in the dining room, trembling as she sank into a chair and rubbed her temples. Her chest felt heavy with pain.
♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎
At school, Elsa walked down the hallway. Something felt… off.
People were whispering. Watching her. Their eyes full of judgment, some laced with disgust. Elsa frowned, confused, but didn't stop. She walked straight into her class only to be met with more stares.
Before she could even settle in, Mira grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.
"Whoa—what's going on, Mira? Why did you drag me out like that? And why is everyone looking at me like that?" Elsa asked, clearly rattled.
Mira sighed, looking around before pulling Elsa to a more secluded corner. "Look, Els… I came in this morning and started hearing really weird, nasty rumors."
Elsa's brows furrowed. "What kind of rumors?"
Mira hesitated. "People are saying… they're saying we killed Mathew and made it look like suicide."
Elsa's jaw dropped. "What?!"
Mira nodded grimly. "Everyone knows Mathew's death was mysterious. Some people already believed he didn't kill himself. But now someone's pushing this new rumor that we were the ones who did it."
Elsa's expression turned from shock to rage. "Are they insane?! Why would anyone believe that?! Do they think this is some kind of joke?!"
"Calm down, Elsa. It's just a rumor. It's not true, and it'll die down," Mira tried to reassure her, though even her own voice trembled.
"Don't tell me to calm down, Mira. Rumors don't just start out of thin air. Someone is behind this and I know exactly who it is. Seraphine."
Mira retorted immediately, "Just leave it, Els. It'll die down. Sera is crazy ...we all know that. Just leave her alone."
"No, Mira," Elsa snapped, her voice sharp with fury. "She won't stop we need to put her in her place. She must think she's so high and mighty because everyone's scared of her. But not me. I'm not scared of her. She can't mess with me, or you , and think I'll just sit still and keep quiet. I'm already burning with rage from what happened to you the other day, and now she's making all my suspicions feel valid. I won't let her walk all over us."
Mira sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging. "No, Els. Seraphine is crazy. Look what happened to me. Even though we're not sure she did it... everything points to her. But we can't just conclude that. I know for sure she's the one spreading this rumor, but let's not give her what she wants. She wants war between us. Don't give in," she pleaded softly.
"No, Mira. I won't let her do that," Elsa replied, her tone steely. "If she really was the one who hurt you, then I can't afford to let my guard down. She'll do worse next time."
And with that, Elsa turned and began walking away, her steps heavy with purpose.
"Elsa!" Mira called out and hurried after her.
Elsa stormed toward Seraphine's class, her eyes burning with anger. She didn't hesitate as she pushed the classroom door open. Heads turned instantly as the two girls entered. Seraphine was lounging with a group of girls, laughing and chatting like royalty among her court.
Elsa marched in, her rage like fire in her chest. Seraphine smirked and stood, folding her arms as if expecting entertainment.
"Well, well," she said with a smirk. "Looks like someone's about to explode."
The girls around her giggled mockingly.
Elsa scoffed. "You started the rumor, didn't you?"
Seraphine let out a short laugh. "Oh sweetheart, I wouldn't call it a rumor, would I?"
The classroom fell into a hushed silence as the students watched the tense exchange. Mira stood beside her, trying to calm Elsa with her eyes, but Elsa wasn't backing down.
She walked up to Seraphine and leaned in, whispering coldly, "You left that note, didn't you?"
Seraphine tilted her head with a smirk. "What note?"
Elsa stepped back, her voice louder now. "My bad. I forgot you have a knack for acting clueless. I didn't even expect you to admit it."
Seraphine chuckled. "Oh good, you do know me, Elsa." Her eyes flicked to Mira, then back to Elsa. "You both look pathetic. Coming here to face me isn't going to change what happened. Come on, girls we all know Matthew didn't commit suicide." Her voice dripped with venom. "I'm his sister. I knew him better than anyone. Suicide? Please. Matthew was scared to even prick himself with a needle."
Elsa's eyes narrowed. She stepped closer again, her tone cutting. "You're the pathetic one, Sera. You can't handle the fact that he's gone, so now you're looking for someone to blame? Mira wasn't the only one who pressed charges. Why are you on our necks like a rabid dog? Go feed your rotten mind elsewhere. Anyone could've done what happened to Matthew, a lot of people hated him, and you know it."
Seraphine scoffed. "Please. Those other girls dropped their charges. It was Mira's parents that got him thrown into juvie." She turned to Mira. "Is she your mouthpiece now? Why is she always speaking for you? You're so pathetic, Mira ... following Elsa around like a dog."
Mira opened her mouth to protest, but Elsa held up a hand to stop her.
Then Elsa smiled — a slow, chilling smile. "I didn't come here to trade words with you, Sera. I came to warn you. I wasn't going to say this before, but you're even more bitchy than I thought. Don't mess with Mira." She leaned close and whispered into Seraphine's ear, her voice like ice. "I can be scarier than you, Seraphine. Stay away from us. I'm not bluffing."
Seraphine's lips curled into a twisted smile. She leaned in and whispered back, "Watch your back, bitch. Let's see who's scarier."
Elsa smirked. "We shall see."
She grabbed Mira's hand and stormed out of the classroom, leaving behind a buzz of whispers. Seraphine stood there, arms folded, a cruel smile on her face.
"This is going to be interesting," she murmured to herself.
Once outside, Mira pulled her hand away. "Why did you do that?"
Elsa looked at her, face set with resolve. "I did what I had to. We can't let her mess with us. I won't allow it, not after what she did to you. We have to keep an eye on her too."
Mira exhaled deeply. "We need to stay away from her. I know Sera won't stop — but now you've made it worse."
"No, Mira," Elsa said, her voice firm. "Just watch me. I won't let her hurt you. Or Susan. Or me."
Mira looked at her with concern, then sighed again.
Just then, Susan came running toward them. She stopped in front of them, panting. "What's going on, guys? I just heard the news!"
Elsa nodded. "As expected Seraphine started it."
Susan groaned in frustration. "That bitch is insane. She's really starting to piss me off. I swear I want to rip out her hair!"
"Calm down, Susan," Mira said quickly. "Elsa already gave her an earful. Let's just chill for now."
Elsa crossed her arms. "We need to stay sharp. Watch her. We don't know what else she's planning. But one thing's certain ... I won't let her win."
Susan nodded in agreement, her jaw clenched.
Elsa's anger deepened. There wasn't enough proof to say for sure that Seraphine was behind Mira's incident, but the suspicion was too strong to ignore. Elsa was done dragging her feet. If Seraphine wanted to play games, Elsa was ready. It was time to level up. She wouldn't let Seraphine have her way ,not this time.
****
After school, the girls headed home.
Mira didn't even know what to believe anymore. But deep down, she was scared. If Seraphine had really tried to hurt her once... there was no telling what she might do next. Mira didn't show it, but her heart trembled at the thought.
She got home and quietly entered the house. Her shoulders sagged as she saw her parents sitting in the living room, waiting.
She sighed, dropped her bag on the couch, and sank into the couch across from them.
"How was school, Mimi?" her dad asked gently.
Mira avoided his gaze and gave a small nod.
He sighed. A thick silence followed, then he spoke. "We have something to tell you, Mirabel."
Mira kept her eyes on the floor. She said nothing.
Her mother's sigh was heavy, hesitant, trembling.
"We're getting a divorce," her father said.
Mira didn't flinch. She stared at the floor, her hands tightening around the hem of her skirt.
Her parents exchanged confused looks at her lack of reaction.
"Why aren't you saying anything, Mira?" her mom asked softly. "Did you already know?"
Mira lifted her head slowly, her voice hollow. "Yes. I overheard you one night."
She had known all along. She just chose to stay silent hoping, praying, they'd somehow fix things. But now that hope had shattered.
Her mother gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Mira..."
Mira forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "So... you've made up your minds, right? Can I at least know why you're getting divorced?"
Her mother looked away, wringing her hands. Her father answered quietly, "We fell out of love. We decided to respect that."
Mira let out a bitter laugh. "That's funny, Dad. 'Fell out of love'? That's the best you could come up with? At least lie properly."
Her mother sat there trembling.
Mira stood and grabbed her bag. "I guess you're not going to talk anyway—"
"I cheated," her mom blurted out, voice shaking.
Mira froze in place. Her heart skipped a beat. She turned slowly.
"What?" she whispered.
Tears spilled from her mother's eyes as she stood. "Yes. I cheated. I'm the reason for the divorce."
Mira's breath caught. The tears she had been holding back fell freely now.
Her father groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I told you not to tell her."
"No, Nel. She deserves to know."
Mira's voice cracked. "This is a joke, right?"
The silence that followed told her everything.
Mira scoffed, tears trailing down her cheeks. "Mom... how? Why?"
"I'm sorry, Mira," her mother sobbed. "I swear, it's not what it looks like. I... I can explain. You know me, right?"
Mira flinched as her mom moved closer. "Don't come any closer. No, I don't know you. Are you really my mom? How could you do this? I was here thinking Dad was the problem... and all this time, you were the one pretending!"
"I'm sorry, baby, allow me explain" her mom cried. "Please..."
"Explain what, exactly?" Mira shouted. "What came over you? Aren't we enough for you? Wasn't Dad enough?!"
"Of course, baby, you're enough —"
"Then why?!"
Mira ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated. "Do either of you even care what's going on in my head? Do you stop to think how I feel?"
Her dad walked toward her. "Of course, we care. Don't say that—"
"No, Dad. You don't understand! A week ago, I was rushed to the hospital, and the doctor said I tried to take my life. Even if I didn't... did any of you even talk to me about it?"
Her mom stammered, "I-I wanted to, I just didn't know how. You don't open up easily, Mira. I didn't know where to start."
"Stop it, Mom!" Mira screamed. "You're beginning to annoy me! You had to think before asking your daughter why she almost died?!"
Her parents wept silently as Mira continued, her voice breaking.
"I don't want to hear it! I don't even know who you are anymore. What happened to us? What changed? After everything, after that hospital trip, you sit me down and casually announce a divorce? Jesus! And Mom ,you cheated?!" she paused and sniffled
"There's been so much going on in my head lately … and yet, every single day, I have to pretend like I'm okay. If Elsa wasn't in my life, I swear, I would've lost my mind by now. Just when I thought I was finally starting to feel a little sane again, you both sit me down and drop this on me , telling me you're getting divorced... and that Mom cheated? Did either of you even stop for one second to think about how that would make me feel?"
"Baby, please calm down—" Her mom said as tired to explain
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Mira shouted. "You've failed me. I can't believe I was looking up to a cheating mother. You both disgust me."
Her parents gasped, stunned by her words.
Mira turned and ran out of the house, tears blurring her vision.
As she stepped outside, it felt like her entire world collapsed. School was already hell, and now this. She didn't expect this. She never imagined her mom would be that person.
Everything was crashing down. And for the first time in her life, Mira genuinely wondered if life was even worth it anymore.