There was a rug that covered the imported wood floors in the two story library that Demi often found herself in. Nick had taken her on a trip to Persia a few years ago while they were still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage. While they were there, a friend of Nick's dad had given them the fifth most expensive rug in the entire world valued at somewhere around $80,000 and Demi had been so amused by the idea of it that they took it back to their hotel and made love on it all night long. And when they returned from the trip, they discovered that she was pregnant. Now here she was, years later, pacing barefoot on a rug that was worth more than what the average American made in a year, wine spilling over the rim of her glass as she tried to erase tonight's fiasco from her mind. She seemed to have a general understanding with Wilmer about what he had seen tonight going into the documentary but it still bothered her that he had witnessed that, that his daughter and his crew had witnessed her shame and humiliation as her husband dragged another woman into their house as if it wasn't a big deal, as if she was stupid and didn't know what was going on.
"Demi...are you coming to bed?" Speaking of her beloved husband, he stood in the doorway of the library in a pair of silk pajama pants and a matching top. Nick refused to dress down for anything - even if he was just going to sleep.
"I'm not tired," she replied with a furrow of her eyebrow because she was tired and she really should go to sleep because of all the meetings that she had to go to tomorrow but her mind wouldn't rest and the thought of climbing into bed with Nick made her skin crawl.
"Listen, I'm really sorry about tonight." He began to shuffle towards her as she took another impolite sip of her wine. She had been to enough tasting parties that she knew that you weren't just supposed to gulp it down but savor it and swish it around your mouth and even spit it back into the cup, which was totally disgusting, but at the moment she didn't care. She wanted to feel woozy and she wanted her limbs to go weak and her tongue to feel heavy and her mind to feel cloudy because that was the only way she would be able to even remotely relax.
"Demi, I said I was sorry."
"Because that makes everything better right?" When Nick said sorry, he never meant it. He always apologized to her because he knew that he needed her; not in the, I'll-die-without-you type of way but in the, you-look-good-on-my-arm-and-my-entire-empire-would-fall-apart-without-you type of way.
"I don't know what else you want me to do or say. You're always holding some type of grudge about something and I honestly don't even know why," he hissed, stuffing his hands into his pockets as Demi released something between a snort and a scoff before moving around him as she finished the last of her wine.
"The twins don't have to go to daycare tomorrow. You should spend the day with them. They really missed you," and with that, she exited her library, leaving her husband to stand on that rug all alone.
The next morning, Wilmer was up and making breakfast for him and Isabella before she had to go off to school. It was tradition that no matter how busy or tired they were, they had to have breakfast with each other every morning. It was a promise he made to her after he broke up with one of his girlfriends who had taken up all of his time.
"Morning princesa," Wilmer greeted as Isabella trudged into the kitchen and sat at the wood island. She rested her head on the counter and Wilmer set her plate down in front of her as he kissed the top of her head. She was definitely his child in the sense that she wasn't a morning person, but with his job and her going to school, they both just had to deal with it.
"Can I take a sick day?" She whined, poking her eggs with the green peppers in it - her absolute favorite - with her fork as Wilmer chuckled but shook his head. For as much as he was paying, Isabella wasn't allowed to miss school unless she was dying.
"But dad," she dragged out the word "dad" but Wilmer still shook his head no. He trusted her to stay home alone but there was no reason for her not to go to school.
"You're going to school. Now eat your breakfast so that you can finish getting ready," Wilmer demanded causing Isabella to roll her eyes before sitting up so that she could eat. Her phone buzzed on the counter and before Wilmer could snatch it away from her because of his rule of phones at mealtime, she picked it up and set it on her lap.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you...I got some footage for you last night."
"What?"
"Well I forgot where I put my coat but I know I put it upstairs so I went up there and Demi was singing her son to sleep. It was so cute." Isabella opened the video on her phone and let Wilmer watch it, and he found himself unconsciously smiling at it because it was sweet. She was so soft and affectionate with her kids. Nothing about her being with them was fake.
"So, since I got that can I skip school?"
"No, you're still going. But thanks kid." He ruffled her hair before finishing off his own breakfast as Isabella groaned but continued to eat as well.
"Demetria, you really must eat something," Dorinda sighed as she finished fixing the twins' breakfast. Demi shook her head as she finished scrolling through the schedule that Marissa had sent to her for the day. Food was the last thing on her mind because of all that she had to do. Not to mention that she barely got any sleep right now. She was basically running on fumes but she was used to it.
"Dorinda, you're practically family around here. Call me Demi," she reminded her for about the fifth time that week. Demi looked at Dorinda as her grandmother or great aunt considering she didn't see that part of her family that much. In fact, she hardly saw them at all. But she had learned that if she didn't think about it then it wouldn't bother her.
The pitter patter of tiny footsteps was heard and a smile graced Demi's features as her children ran into the kitchen and tackled her legs, nearly knocking the air out of her. She had dressed them and fixed their hair and everything but they had been upstairs watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while Dorinda fixed breakfast. It was their favorite show and since their birthday happened to fall on the same weekend before the big show, that would be the theme of their party.
"Hey babies," Demi cooed, kneeling down in front of them and peppering them both with kisses. Nolie's laughter filled the entire kitchen as Nicholas tried to squirm out of her arms.
"Go sit down so you can eat and then-" she was cut off by Nick entering the kitchen, dressed to the nines in a custom tailored suit and Italian loafers.
"Go sit down," Demi repeated, ushering them towards the breakfast bar before turning to her husband who had snagged a few pieces of bacon off of one of the platters.
"I thought you were spending the day with the twins? I already called their daycare and told them that they wouldn't be attending today," Demi questioned as Nick pulled one of his phones out of his pocket and began to respond to a text.
"Well call them back and tell them that they will. I have to go into the office today but we can do something this weekend," Nick responded without even looking at her so he didn't see the way her facial expression fell and her usual squared back shoulders fell down.
"It's okay Demi, I can watch them for today," Dorinda offered as she began to clean up from breakfast.
"No, you're supposed to take the day off after you finish breakfast. I'll figure something out." When she turned around to talk to Dorinda, Nick took that opportunity to kiss the twins goodbye before leaving and before Demi could say anything, she heard the ding of the elevator and he was gone.
"Mommy, where'd daddy go?" Nolie asked, tilting her head to the side as Demi went to join her kids at the table.
"He had to go to work and I know you guys were supposed to spend the day together but he's really busy so..." Demi trailed off because she really didn't know what she was gonna do. Joe worked for her so he would be too busy to watch them. They didn't really like going with Nick's parents and she didn't like to take them over there. Dorinda had the day off. And she didn't trust her kids with anyone else.
"So...you're gonna spend the whole day with mommy at her office but you have to be super good, okay?" It's not like she had bad kids or anything, but they still required her constant attention and she just wasn't sure she would be able to give that to them today.
"Okay mommy, we'll be good, I promise. Right Nicholas?" Nolie looked at her brother who nodded and they both smiled at their mom who smiled back at them. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.
When she entered her office and shouted a few orders at Marissa, just to keep her busy, Wilmer was setting up a camera that was aimed at her desk. It was less than a pleasant surprise and a part of her was beginning to regret signing up for this thing. Why should she have to show people who she really was? Why couldn't people just buy her clothes and move on?
"Wilmer...what a pleasant surprise," Demi spoke through her teeth as she shrugged out of her trench coat and hung it up on the silver coat rack in the corner of her office. He was pretty sure she had a different coat for every day because he hadn't seen her wear the same one yet. "And you're early."
"Actually, you're late, so I guess we're even now," Wilmer replied, shooting her a playful grin as he finished fixing the camera. Demi chewed down on her bottom lip so that she wouldn't smile.
"As you can see I have two extra helpers today," Demi said as she knelt down to help the twins take off their winter jackets and hats and gloves and scarves. She had this severe fear of them getting sick at any possible moment because if there was anything that she absolutely hated, it was when kids got sick.
"Oh hey Nolie and Nicholas," Wilmer greeted. Nolie responded with an energetic "hello" but Nicholas just hugged Demi's leg and didn't say anything. Marissa entered her office with an iPad and smiled at the twins.
"The car should be here in forty minutes to take you to your first meeting of the day and then you have lunch with Nigel and then we have the first run through of the show at two o'clock, so I'm not sure what you're gonna-"
"It'll be taken care of. Just let me know when the car gets here." Marissa took that as her cue to leave and she closed the office doors behind her as she did. Demi was just trying to figure out how she was gonna go to all these meetings with the twins. She could take them to the first run through of the show and by the time she went to lunch they should be asleep but...
"Hey...I can watch them if you need me to. I won't be ripping and running as much, I'll probably just go to the run through with you so while you're at your meetings they can stay here. I can keep them occupied," Wilmer volunteered, which took Demi by surprise because who willingly volunteers to watch two kids that they don't even know.
"That's sweet of you but-"
"Really it's no problem. And I can even get Isa, my daughter, up here to help. I promised I would pick her up early today anyways," Wilmer reassured her as Demi chewed down on her bottom lip and looked at her kids. They were her entire life and if anything were to happen to them she would never forgive herself, even if someone else was watching them, because that all fell back on her.
"Look, I have a daughter. I know what you're dealing with but you and I both know that you won't be able to get anything done if you have to take them with you everywhere. You can trust me," Wilmer promised, and Demi felt her head slowly began to nod even if she didn't fully agree with it. But he was right. She wouldn't be able to get anything done with them hanging onto her all day and having someone to watch them would be a huge help.
"Okay...but I'll be back before the run through and you have to pick up your phone whenever I call you and they're both allergic to peanuts and their favorite show is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and-"
"I got this Demi. You should start preparing for your first meeting," Wilmer suggested, slightly pushing her towards her desk which caused the twins to follow. She unlocked her iPad and was about to hand it off to them so they could play with it but she had an email from her publicist so she opened it, and Wilmer saw her visibly stiffen.
"Uh, I need to discuss some things with Marissa," she stammered out before rushing out of the office. Wilmer didn't want to invade her privacy, but he stepped closer to the desk just to get a glimpse of what had her so upset, and when he saw it he totally understood why.
It was a picture of her husband practically devouring the mouth of the woman that he had brought to their home yesterday.
I know this is short but it's mainly just a filler bc I have a lot of ideas for this but I don't wanna like jump in too quick if that makes sense. Leave me feedback 😊