One sided benefits

The five stages of grieve

Neither Adrien nor Marinette had spoken about the things, that had happened in the Dupain-Cheng bakery to Gabriel or Nathalie. They had just told them, that Tom had said some very mean and unforgivable things and that he had gotten, what he deserved.

They hadn't mentioned the herbal medicine, he had mixed into the girl's food and they hadn't told them, that they had called the police and they had taken him into custody.

He had begged his wife, to bail him out, told her to use all their savings to do so, but Sabine had refused and had told him, he could rot in prison if it was for her to decide.

Now the chinese woman felt simply devastated. Never would she have imagined her husband, that once so kind and loving man, to do something like that. What had happened to Tom Dupain? For the first two days, she couldn't even believe, that he had really done something like this. Then she had begun to get furious, something she usually wouldn't let happen to herself, as she was resting very well in herself. But this the feeling of being completely helpless and on top of that, absolutely useless for her only child, made her want to punch her husband's face as the boy had done, just without stopping. 

Instead, she had burnt all his clothes, had broken his favourite mug and had ripped each and every picture of him and her or Marinette into thousand pieces. No need for her daughter, to ever be reminded of him, the way he once was. 

She had after that considered, to give him another chance, to see, if he could be redeemed, had even considered, to talk to the teenagers, for their sake, to make peace with him, but had then quickly figured out, that neither she nor Marinette would ever be able to forgive him for doing that.

The final clarity of the man, her husband had become, had let her fall into a deep and dark hole and if her best friend Nadja Chamack hadn't come to visit her out of a sudden mood, she would have probably done something very stupid.

It was after having a couple of drinks with the news reporter and hours of talking and swearing, that she had eventually begun to accept, what had happened and decided, to continue with her life, without the man, who she had once considered her soulmate.

Now all she wanted, was to win her daughters trust again, to be able to be there for her and comfort her. It hurt her a lot, that she couldn't just hold her in her arms, stroke her hair, like she had done, when the girl was small and tell her, that everything was going to be alright.

But she knew it would never be alright, not after losing her child. And worse by her own father's doing.

Marinette, who had gone through the first three stages in the hospital already, was stuck in her depression. She couldn't find the smallest thing, that would cheer her up, not even Adrien, staying at her side all the time, trying all he could, to help her out of her mental state. Not even his therapist, who had tried to talk to her, could do anything to help.

After three weeks, Nathalie couldn't bear to see the young woman like that and while Adrien was in school and Gabriel was on a meeting with some other designers, the now more than thirty weeks pregnant woman, decided, out of a sudden thought, to try a very different rather offensive approach.

So she went to the young couple's room and knocked gently on the door, waiting for an answer, but didn't expect one anyway.

So she waited for a little longer and knocked again but didn't linger any more and stepped slowly inside.

"Good morning, Marinette!", she exclaimed with a clear and friendly voice.

"Let me sleep please!", the younger woman groaned and pulled the blanket over her head.

Nathalie sighed and sat down on the mattress right beside her, leaning her back against the head board and began to talk:

"I know, that you're feeling incredibly sad and angry, but those feelings won't go away, if you cling on to them, sweetheart. At least try to get out of this room and outside into the sun. Breathe some fresh winter air and enjoy the ice rink or get some hot chocolate. This room won't do you any good, Marinette!"