The CEO’ s second choice novel Chapter 9

　　Elena

　　A flutter at my bedroom door gets my attention, and I see Mirabelle saunter in with a beaming smile on her face. This makes me want to break down, and I feel light at the same time; everyone is expecting me to be okay with this, but I am not. I know this needs to be done, but yet again I am everyone’s second choice.

　　“Elena, darling!” she exclaims, taking in my wedding attire with her eyes filling up with unshed tears. “You look beautiful, my dear. This dress altogether compliments your body well.”

　　I genuinely smile at her compliment. Ever since I found out she preferred me to my sister, I have been seeing a different side to her. She certainly wanted me to be with Sebastian, but cared about my happiness as well and felt it lay with her son.

　　In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Mirabelle and I spent a great deal of time together. She explained what they would demand of me as a Dumont wife and how the public would look upon me as Mrs Sebastian Dumont. The advice she gave me was invaluable and I would always be beholden to her.

　　Mirabelle felt more like a mother to me than my own.

　　“Thank you, Mirabelle,” I answered with a crack to my voice and understood that I was close to tears. There was discomfort in my chest from holding in my emotions throughout the morning. Then finding out that my beloved grandmother’s necklace was never going to be given to me. At all.

　　Mirabelle shakes her head as a wistful smile forms on her face. “You don’t even need to thank me, dear. You were exquisite without the dress and jewels.” She says then reaches into her handbag, “I understand you already have something old and blue, so I come with something borrowed. Sort of.”

　　My eyes grew at this; I never expected something from the Dumonts for this wedding since they were already organizing the entire thing. She then pulls out a cherry wood box and glances towards me; “Spencer’s mother gave this to me; every mother-in-law in the Dumont line has given this to her daughter-in-law, and now it belongs to you.”

　　When she opens the box, my hand immediately flies to my mouth in astonishment. Embedded in layers of silk and velvet was the most beautiful bracelet I have ever seen; white gold with diamonds set in oval, marquise and teardrop shapes surrounded by smaller stones. It is sheer elegance in its simplicity.

　　I peered up at Mirabelle and felt a tear run down my cheek when I saw her smiling affectionately at me. I couldn’t help myself and enclosed her in a warm embrace. “Thank you, mother,” I whisper softly, and she pulls away with a stunned look on her face. I had just called her mother, and it rolled off my tongue as easily as if she were my own mother.

　　Tears were spilling down her cheeks as well, “Oh, Elena! You have made me the happiest mother-in-law!” She exclaims, “We are ruining our makeup before the service has even begun!”

　　This causes me to giggle uncontrollably, yet as I turn to grab a tissue from my dressing table, I notice my mother slinking out of the room with a bitter look on her face. She twists to look at me and smiles wistfully, “I will wait downstairs,” she mouths and then she leaves. Did this display really make her that sad? A few months ago, I didn’t even exist to her as a daughter, so she did not have the right to feel sad when another woman treated me as such.

　　“Come, Elena. We need to attach your veil and get moving or we will undoubtedly be late!” Mirabelle says after correcting her makeup. She then fixes the bracelet on my wrist and attaches my veil. I stare at myself in the mirror and take a deep breath; my energy renewing.

　　This small show of affection from her truly meant a lot to me. For someone to actually treat me as a daughter and not a burden had me feeling light on my feet for a change.

　　Mirabelle walked towards the door then held out her hand for me to take, a gesture I heartily reciprocated. As we sauntered down the stairs, I finally declared, “Thank you, Mirabelle. You do not realize how much you have done means to me.” I glanced at her and she gave me a knowing smile, “I know more than you realize, Elena. But let us not speak of anything that will spoil this momentous day and take it one day at a time. If anything troubles you, anything at all, please do not hesitate to come to me about it. I know how my son can be.” She answers with honesty and I nod, willing my eyes not to fill up with tears again.

　　Mirabelle holds my hand and leads me out of our mansion. Then it suddenly hit me that this would not be my home anymore. The thought itself did not cause me to feel sad. In fact, it felt as if a weight lifted from my shoulders.