Cleo
I used to think being a super woman required me to change who I was and the way I looked . I thought I was supposed to be thin , have long hair , and if I don't have long hair getting a weave just to fit in...
I thought I needed to have the perfect wardrobe, latest phone , and hang out with the "cool kids".
Life has a way of humbling you. I grew up with what I needed and whatever I wanted I had to work hard for.
As time went on; I was sometimes confused as to why the other kids were on trend and I wasn't . Why do they got special treatment and I didn't. Why I got treated differently for staying true to myself and they got praised for being the same.
It took ending up in the hospital with an eating disorder; three failed suicide attempts and therapy to get that , being different means that you're authentic and true to yourself, and nobody can take that away from you. You have your own identity . You are not your status, skin color , hair , clothes and fancy gadgets , you are you and you are needed and wanted .
I woke up one day and I didn't want to feel like I wasn't enough , accepted for who I was and being teased for going against the current.
I shaved off my fake wavy extensions , and grew my hair from scratch , started eating properly and not using food as a drug to make myself feel better and I started becoming more body positive and aware that what I own does not define me or who I am, everything materialistic is subject to decay ,no one can write you off and your soul is eternal.
This morning I had a call from one of the clients that left with me when I left Massa; he was in the states and called to let me know if I went back to Massa ,he will still want to work with me independently. When I asked him why he said what he said he told me that; Massa and Stone might be merging and if I work for the PR department he will sign with them. He even told me that Angelo is losing money and that if he doesn't make changes the company will go down. We ended the call on good terms as always and I was craving ice-cream. It was warming up and I think I forgot my phone in the freezer ... Not my proudest moment but we found it in the freezer when I was panicking cause I couldn't find it.
Angelo dropped me off at work this morning and told me; he was going to come through and take me out for lunch. As excited as I was , I was left disappointed and he didn't call to cancel. I called him and there was no answer . I had lunch with Paul and he even took me out for dinner and tried to cheer me up . It only worked for a while because he tried to track Angelo down and he found him. Angelo was headed to the office when Paul and I walked out. We both spotted him talking to a tall lady who again looked like she came out of a high fashion magazine . I saw red when she kissed him not once but twice . When Angelo saw me he looked at me and his face registered regret and guilt.
I turned around and I started running towards the office . Paul ran after me but he couldn't catch up . The road was quiet and as I was about to run across the to the main door of the office ,I heard a screech and smelt burning rubber . The head lights where too bright and I froze. The driver walked out of the car looking angry and worried at the same time .
" What the hell do you think you're doing , Are you okay ?"
I was breathing rapidly trying to catch my breath because my whole life just flashed before my eyes . It felt as if the ground beneath me had fallen. I started sobbing uncontrollably damn these hormones .
" I'm sorry , I didn't mean to. I ... I."
My heart was in my throat and I could hear it in my ears . The guy gave me a hug .
" Please don't cry , you just came out of nowhere , just please don't cry ."
The guy was wearing a hoody so I couldn't see his face I needed to get away from Angelo and Paul. I was so feeling irate at Angelo that I wanted to make him worry and lose sleep because he deserved it .
"Bella! "
" Cleo no don't!"
I saw Angelo running towards me with Paul running away with someone who almost ran me over ,seems plausible to me at the moment. He almost killed me he owes me one.
I looked at the man and cried .
"Please take me away . Drive me far away from here . Save me. "
With no hesitation I to the door and the guy followed opened the car door and we sped off. The last thing I remembered before I hit lights out was Angelo screaming .
-
" Cleo Bella wake up we are here."
Okay what happened wasn't a dream. I sped off with a total stranger leaving Paul and Angelo worried. My eyes fluttered open and just my luck another cuttie with an accent. He had dark brown floppy hair and brown eyes . There was something about him and something in me that told me I could trust him. He had the same vibe as Angelo did.
" I guess we are even ..."
I darted my eyes side to side.
"Carlo. Carlo Perelli. I'm sorry I scared you. Are you okay."
" Yes I am. I ran without looking and you helped me no questions ask. "
Carlo opened the car door and led me into his house. Like Angelo he had a chef's kitchen and funny enough it looked like Anglo's main house kitchen.I sat down on one of the comfy bar stools and he put a cup of tea in front of me.
"I'd offer you coffee but you're pregnant."
Wow another Nicolai combined with Angelo. I got the innate feeling that this guy had experience with pregnant women he didn't argue and he's been nothing but kind . I took a sip of my tea and took a deep breath.
" What happened to your son and wife?"
The guy chuckled and talked very calmly.
" You remind me of my ex fiancé. My son is with her and they are alive. "
" What happened?"
Carlo sat next to me and started talking.
" I cut her out when we thought our son was dead. Instead of telling her what was going on and how I was feeling, I blamed her and made her pay by sleeping with her then best friend."
"Did she forgive you?"
" Yes she forgave me. She still has feelings for me and my brother. She didn't deserve what I put her through I'm just trying to be a better man. "
I looked at Carlo and he looked like he was hurting.
"I'm sorry."
" why are you running away?"
I knew that was coming and he's been open from the get go and kind.
" I'm pregnant with my boyfriend's baby and besides standing me up for lunch; he kissed another woman right in front of me . It's bad enough that I'm fat ..."
" You're beautiful and curvy. He's a lucky man. "
"Hah?"
"He ran after you. I also bet he's worried sick about you,and he's searching for you. "
"I'm livid . He knows my story. Why would he trigger my flight mode."
" I'd be too but you're hurting each other ..."
" He's a Massa. He can handle and do cold."
Carlo took my phone and placed it on the wireless charger on his kitchen counter and it started charging. He refilled my cup and continued to talk.
"My bosses surname is Massa . He's son was an addict . I'm not sure if we are talking about the same family. "
"Maybe?"
" I'm still friends with his son who almost died. "
"What happened?"
" A lot but he doesn't know he's dad is the main guy. I found him face down in his penthouse after a heavy night . He had just lost his son and his wife cheated on him. The new girl he's with is good for him."
" Tell me more..."
Carlo was about to talk when he's phone rang.
"Excuse me for a sec."
I nodded.
"Massa? Calm down Michelangelo "
It can't be . No no no . I need to be sure...
© #KCMmuoe