LM0028 A Fresh Start

After her mother left, Mizuki lay back on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as though searching for answers in its stillness.

"A fresh start, huh?" she murmured to herself. The words felt foreign, almost surreal, as she rose and stepped into the shower.

Warm water cascaded down her back, soothing her tense muscles and washing away the remnants of sleepless nights. But her mind remained restless, churning with thoughts she couldn't quite shake.

She found it hard to believe that the problem that had kept her awake so many nights had been resolved—just like that. Her mother had taken over, stepping in with her characteristic grace and decisiveness. Mizuki felt a wave of gratitude, silently thanking Kai for easing her burden.

She had wanted the truth to come out, to expose Nancy and force her to confront the consequences of her actions. But the guilt Mizuki carried for Emma's potential suffering had weighed heavily on her. Emma wasn't at fault; she had simply been caught in the crossfire of circumstances she couldn't control.

Mizuki sighed, leaning against the shower wall. There was no room for Nancy in Europe now—there was no denying it. What had happened at the mall would spread like wildfire. Andrea and Sophia, the mean girls from their old boarding school, would make sure of that.

The upper echelons of European society—their classmates, their schoolmates, and even the families who mingled in their social circles—would hear the story. Nancy, who had once been the queen of their academic and social worlds, would find herself the center of scandal.

Mizuki shivered, though the water remained warm. If her mother hadn't acted, Nancy's life in Europe would have become unbearable. The Wolfe family's withdrawal of financial support would have forced her to find a job, but with no company untouched by their influential alumni network, any employment would have been humiliating for her. Another breakdown would have been inevitable.

Mizuki wasn't that cruel. Despite everything, she didn't want Nancy to suffer to that extent. Knowing now that Emma and Nancy had a chance to start anew, far from the judgment and whispers of their old world, Mizuki felt an unexpected sense of peace.

For the first time in what felt like years, her chest felt lighter, the crushing weight of guilt beginning to ease. Maybe now, her nightmares would finally fade.

As she stepped out of the shower, the resolution solidified in her mind as a fond memory. With the young Nancy appearing, a soft, sad smile curved her lips. "Goodbye," she whispered. With this, the chapter of her life that included Nancy had finally ended.

After Mizuki took a bath, she decided she didn't want to mope in her room any longer. The weight of sadness had been overwhelming, and though it still lingered, she felt it was time to listen to her mother and join them for breakfast. She needed a change of pace, something to pull her out of the quiet storm in her heart.

As she approached the dining hall, she saw her parents speaking to each other. They were smiling, a sight that, for a moment, seemed so natural it was almost too easy to believe. Her mother spoke animatedly, her voice light and youthful, while her father, though already in his fifties, looked as young as ever, his attention wholly on her. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen from her mother's bun behind her ear with a tenderness that made Mizuki's chest tighten.

Mizuki's eyes narrowed, and a sharp ache tore through her heart. If she didn't know any better, she would truly think that her parents loved each other. They looked like a couple who had married for love, a couple whose bond could not be shaken. In that moment, it was easy to believe her father's supposed mistress wasn't real, that the betrayal she had witnessed with her own eyes was nothing but a figment of her imagination. But she could not forget.

It was a rainy night in Colorado when everything had changed. She and Pablo had accompanied her father there to visit a branch of his business, a small row of shops that hardly counted as a proper branch. It seemed unnecessary for her father to go and inspect it himself, but he had insisted. Mizuki hadn't questioned it, though a part of her felt unsettled by the trip. Then that night, when she stepped out of the hotel, she saw him—her father. But he wasn't alone.

He stood with a gorgeous woman, one who seemed to be close to his age. At first, Mizuki thought nothing of it. They were simply talking, nothing out of the ordinary. But then, the woman kissed her father, and Mizuki's heart stopped. She saw him return the kiss, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Her world tilted.

Shocked, frightened, Mizuki turned and ran back to her hotel room. Pablo was sitting on the couch, watching the news, and he noticed immediately that something was wrong. But Mizuki couldn't bring herself to tell him. She didn't have the strength to speak of it. Instead, she went to her room and tried to block it from her mind, even as her heart ached for her mother, who had stayed behind in the Netherlands, oblivious to what her husband had done.

Just like what happened now with her fight with Nancy, Mizuki couldn't find rest in the days that followed that incident. Sleepless nights stretched on as the image of her father and the woman haunted her. It wasn't just the betrayal that rattled her—it was the sudden, jarring revelation of her mother's indifference. Mizuki had never imagined that a person could be so detached, that love could be so easily discarded.

It wasn't long before she visited her mother in Amsterdam, the weight of the secret pressing heavily on her chest. She had to tell someone. So, with a heavy heart, she confessed what she had seen.

To her shock, her mother didn't react the way Mizuki had expected. There was no anger, no outrage, no concern. Instead, Kai laughed softly, as though it were a joke too old to matter.

"I knew about her, darling," her mother said, her tone light and carefree. "I don't care that your father met with her. It's not important."

Mizuki's confusion deepened, her hands trembling as she demanded, "Why don't you care?"

Her mother's eyes softened, her smile never fading. "Your father is fulfilling his role well as a father, a husband, and as a son. That's all that matters, Mizuki. Don't ask questions about unnecessary things. Let it go."

It was then that Mizuki realized the painful truth—her mother had known about the affair long before. And she didn't care. As long as her father played the part, did his duties, she had accepted his infidelities without a second thought. The image of her parents' loving, perfect relationship shattered in that moment. It had all been a lie. A facade.

But even so, there was something that still held Mizuki's heart captive, something that gnawed at her mind now in this very moment as she stood watching her parents. If they didn't love each other, why pretend? Why go through the motions of sweetness and affection, when there was no audience to impress but the staff in the house? It didn't make sense. It felt… wrong.

Feeling ridiculous, Mizuki finally decided to make her presence known.

"Oh, darling, are you finally joining us?" Her mother's voice floated toward her as she entered the dining room, her words laced with a touch of lightness.

Mizuki gave a bland smile as she sat down at the table, her eyes sweeping over her parents, who were still holding hands under the table. She had seen that gesture when she first approached, and once again, if she didn't know any better, she would have found it sweet—perhaps even endearing. But she did know better.

"Are you alright?" her father asked, his voice warm with concern. Mizuki nodded, though her confusion lingered, twisting inside her. But then, her father's words hit her like a splash of cold water.

"That's good. We will be having guests tomorrow, so it would be bad if you're still unwell."

Guests? Mizuki nearly bolted from her seat. In her preoccupation with the fight with Nancy, she had forgotten about the looming day. Tomorrow was the day—the day that would change her world forever. It was tomorrow! Mizuki's heart raced. She was not prepared.

Unbeknownst to her parents, who continued their lighthearted conversation, Mizuki was spiraling internally. Why did I forget? Why didn't I prepare myself?

"Do you remember Aunt Romina? My best friend?" Kai gushed, her voice full of excitement. "She'll be visiting us tomorrow."

However, Mizuki's mother's enthusiasm failed to reach her. Her mind was clouded, her stomach in knots. Of course she remembered Aunt Romina—she had known her in a past life. Romina wasn't just an aunt to her; she was her mother-in-law from that life. And now, tomorrow, she would finally meet Pablo—the man she was supposed to marry in this life.

A weight settled on Mizuki's chest, her thoughts tangled in uncertainty. Was she ready to face him? Was she ready for the life that was about to unfold?