OLD MONEY I DRAMA LIFE LOVE

second chance

Luisa's POV:

Highlights of the last week? I sent my best friend away. Alex broke up with me. My late brother has a son who looks like the spitting image of him and who was kept from us by our parents. That's great. It feels like the worst week ever. I am so happy to have found out about Leo's son. I still burst into tears when we got home. I will probably never get to see Leo's son again. That's great.

"New car?" Alex asks me casually when he sees me in the courtyard. I'm on my way to Kati's, who is staying with Alex until her apartment is renovated. I had also offered her a room at our place, but she wanted to be near her work. "Leasing contracts," I say curtly and nod. Alex looks good... better than I expected... as if the separation was just right for him. How bitter that he's doing so well with getting rid of me. Oh man, I sound like a bitter teenager. Lawyer, PhD, businesswoman and yet I'm crying after Alex.

"Hey, ehm... How are you?" he asks me cautiously. "Fine," I claim too quickly so I correct myself, "Turns out Leo has a son that only our parents knew about. The mother hates us." "Understandable," Alex says, shrugging his shoulders. Ouch. He doesn't have to be so vindictive. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to sound so mean." "That's all right. I understand. I know what we're like." Why am I even saying that? I don't have to agree with him. "No, seriously. The thing with Jana... that went wrong too. I didn't want to"

"It's okay, Alex, honestly. I understand that. You're the university couple that people look up to and I was just a diehard. We're good at hiding things." "No, that's what I meant-" "Are you ready to go?" Kati asks me as she joins us, "Cool that you're talking to each other. Surprising, but good." Of course she's so direct. I usually like that about her, but now I'm ashamed.

I still have this hope that Alex will just throw Jana to the wind and tell me that he no longer has a problem with Alex and I not giving him any information. I really need to spend my time wisely. "Of course. Maybe that's how it was all supposed to be," I say, shrugging my shoulders. Kati gives me a knowing look, but Alex just nods. "We have to go. See you then," Kati says goodbye to Alex and we just nod at each other.

The day with Kati was much needed. We just went into town and sat down in a café. How pleasant such quiet moments can be. On the way home, an unknown number suddenly calls me. But as this is one of my business numbers, I decide to answer it. "Hello?" "Luisa? It's Selina." "Selina?" I repeat in surprise, "Is everything all right? Are you all right?" "Yes, yes. We're fine." "How did you get my number?" I ask her, confused.

She had absolutely no interest in us. She would probably have liked to set the whole neighborhood on us with a pitchfork. "Fabi gave it to me. You must mean a lot to him." Damn Fabi, why does he always do everything for everyone? He takes more time for everyone else than he does for himself. Kati grins, impressed. "Do you want to come by again? But in a different car, please. Yours is attracting far too much attention in this neighborhood."

"Ehm, sure," I stammer in confusion, but I'm glad she called and want to take the opportunity, "Even though I'm very happy, but... where did the change of heart come from?" Kati looks just as interested as I am. "I don't know whether you're with one brother or the other, but Fabi seems to care a lot about you." "Fabi was with you?" I say in surprise and if I had drunk my coffee now, I would probably have spit it against the windshield and the heated steering wheel. Hence the plans in the city... Man, why is Fabi so blatantly sweet? I can never make it up to him.

"Whatever. We're here. Where are we supposed to go?" grumbles Selina, annoyed. I can't imagine how she could mean that. Does she really have nowhere to go? Really or for economic reasons? We never asked ourselves that question. We could have had everything we wanted, apart from a carefree childhood. I would rather have grown up under normal circumstances and happily gone to a shooting gallery with my father than meet business partners in October.

Not too much alcohol, not too little. Not too much food, not too little. Not too much cleavage, not too little. Every dirndl, every dress, every trouser suit had to be adjusted again by a seamstress to make sure it looked perfect. That's one of the reasons why I liked doing sports in our gym. No one here cared what I wore.

"I'll be there soon," I assure Selina confidently. Where can I get a more inconspicuous car now? "Ask Alex," Kati immediately helps me on my way, but I shake my head vehemently. I'd rather borrow a car quickly. Although Selina could then say we solve our problems with money. Well, who doesn't? Many worries can be solved with money, or at least made more pleasant. "Come on. Don't have any false pride."

"Kati, really don't. He left me a week ago because I couldn't bring myself to be honest. Now he's already on to Jana anyway on it." "I told you, no false pride. This is about your nephew, after all." Yes, it is. Man, if only I knew more people... or was still friends with Hannah. Fabi and Kati don't have a car. Mike would probably rather isolate himself for a week than buy a cheaper car than his Mercedes SUV. Sports package, of course. "That's not false pride. I just don't want to disturb them doing anything again," I counter with little success.

Seeing Alex like that shortly after the break-up... shirtless and Jana's voice in the background... it really got me down. On the one hand, I think to myself that he doesn't deserve me if he can get over us so quickly. On the other hand, I understand him too. He's angry and he's blowing off steam and he doesn't answer to me. "They're definitely not getting together. She didn't manage that at university and she won't now either. Maybe you'll even get closer if you ask him about his car?" Kati grins sweetly. "Oh man, all right. He can't leave me sitting there anymore, so what's going to happen?"