LOVELL, STELLA JULIET

”Hello.” The soft voice comes from the door. Dutifully, she walks to the seat provided and gracefully smooth’s out her pencil skirt as she sits, her long legs crossing in a lady-like fashion. ”Oh. Um my name is Stella Lovell.. formerly Stella Grant.” She said softly, she wasn’t sure why she even included her former name, it seemed pointless now, though her maiden name had weight in this city. Normally with strangers she didn’t speak out of turn, but she had no idea what she was doing here. "I'm twenty-six. My birthday is November 18th. I went to school for business, however. I'm just a housewife right now.." She said all of it matter-of-factly.

Stella gave a slightly nervous smile. "I'm actually from New York City.. born and raised on the Upper East Side.." her slim shoulders gave a shrug, unsure what else to say.

"I have my husband, Phillip Lovell, here.. and our three dogs.. but... my family is still in New York my brother lives with his wife and son.." She commented. "My only other family live on Staten Island, my grandparents... my father died shortly after the wedding... and my mother.. well.. she left shortly after the funeral with the gardener..." she said the last bit with a smirk, hoping to play it off as a joke.

”I’m not sure what you want me to say.. I had a great nanny help raise me when I was born until I was six.. My brother and I, we went to one of the best school in Manhattan...” She said vaguely. That was her life. She had been born in NYC, it was a hot and relentless night in July. Her father was off at some business trip and her mother (who had never been good with stress) went into labor alone. The way her father had told the story, he got a call in New York, where he was it was about three in the morning, and it was Helen screaming at him to get home before the baby came. He even used to tease that she crossed her legs to keep her in. She was born that next morning, after a red eye from LA and a very long and tiring night for Helen and the nursing staff (and her older brother). After that, they were a happy little family for a while. Her father stayed home to help and they hired an extra nanny to help with baby Stella and little Nicholas, who was three years older than the newest addition. As the years went by she saw less of her parents and sometimes mistook the nanny or staff as “mommy” and “daddy”. She was on a fast track, with only the best pre school, then later attended the best elementary school in Manhattan just like her older brother, then onto middle school and high school. Holidays and summer were always the worst for her, being home with nothing to do, just her and Nicholas to entertain each other. Some many things happened at that school. She was never one for trouble, so she stuck to her good reputation. Things got interesting as she got older, boys started to notice her and she came into her own, but with the watchful eye of big brother it was difficult at times. She found that with a few dance lessons that she absolutely loved it and people always told her how pretty she was “pretty enough to be a model” they would say. When she was just seventeen, trying to get into colleges and universities. Her parents were flabbergasted when she told them she wanted to dance. “that was not proper” was one thing she always heard the other was “we did not spend thousands to put you through one of the best schools in the country so you could throw it away.” In the end, it was decided business would be the best way for her. "I went to NYU.. I did all the things you would expect, sorority.. clubs.. I graduated with a degree in business and right out of college I went to work in the family business. I sold stocks to different companies." She added as she thought about her past, editing all the horrid stuff out. She thought it was because she had her degree in business, that she would have to take over the business someday, since Nicholas went into law. She wanted to make her family proud, so she pushed herself and excelled. She did everything a pretty young lady should in college. She joined a sorority. Fell in love, a lot, and was in the top ten of her graduating year, in business at least. She thought life was perfect, she had a so-so boyfriend, a great (expensive) apartment thanks to daddy, and was away from her mother's wrath. That is until she graduated college, she started working in the business with her father, helping in the marketing department. She apparently had a knack for selling things, especially when the buyers were older men who liked to do business dinners, and were easily impressed with a witty and beautiful Stella. She always thought it was funny, let them wine and dine her, then she would go in for the kill. When she was twenty-two, her parents had her dress a little.. fancier.. than usual at a family dinner, they wanted to impress their guests she supposed. There was a nice young man around her age there. She thought he seemed okay, only thinking of him as just a person that she would be forced to converse with politely over the dinner. Then she was hit with a bomb shell, they were getting married. Stella had a stupid notion that she would get to pick the man she would marry. That he would sweep her off her feet with romantic gestures, and time.. more time to actually get to know him and to fall in love properly.. but that didn't happen. She was only twenty-two and the next thing she knew her father was walking her down the aisle in a beautiful white wedding gown. They didn’t care that she and Phillip barely knew each other or that she had (before the engagement) a young man she was dating. That was over though. A few months later they were married and a few weeks after that her father was dead and a basic stranger, whom she was sharing a bed with, was holding her hand. It’s been three years and things are far from perfect. She never excepted herself to be in basically a relatively loveless marriage. But, she is. …. With a faraway look in her eyes a quick flash of hand in front of her eyes knocked her from her thoughts. She gave a sheepish smile. ”I forgot to add that I got married as well…silly me.” She said softly, flashing her left hand, ring finger. "Phillip and I have been married for three years, going on four.." she said, feeling like she was just repeating herself. "I moved from New York, to LA after the wedding... Because I had to move out here, away from everything.. I had to put my foot down to have the wedding in New York.." she added with a shrug.

"What would people say about me?" she repeated. She had no idea. People normally didn't ask her what she was like. The people she was around, would say nasty things about her behind her back and then act like she was a goddess to her face. They just wanted to see the cookie cutter version of herself. She wasn’t perfect. She would always be the first to admit that she wasn’t perfect. She had flaws, endearing qualities, but she always had an upside. She was a sweet young woman. She liked to put people in front of herself and she attempted to be a wife. She didn’t know how that all worked because she really didn’t love the man she was married to, but she was slowly coming around. He was changing, maybe he was making an effort, and so was she. They had a few moments in the last year where they actually didn't pretend. Good and bad times, sexy times. She attempted the doting wife. She had dinner ready when he had a long day of work, a drink ready if she knew it had been a horrible day. She tried. Sometimes she would wake up in the middle of the night and see him still with a book in his hand, she would never admit to it and no she didn’t think that was creepy. She liked to think that she was a good daughter. She always took flowers to her father’s grave, something she liked to do in private and it was usually days that she knew Phillip would be gone all day or on his business trips; Not that she could do that now. "I'm not sure entirely.. I might be a bit biased." She said with a small laugh. "I like to think I'm a nice person. I like animals... I try to take care of my husband.. I like to help people.. and animals... I can get sassy though... But, with all of those years of 'lady lessons' as I like to call them.. I can act like a lady and be proper in society.. and I hope people think the same..." She said pulling off a sheepish smile; she didn't really care what people thought of her. Feelings weren’t exactly welcomed in her family, emotions were looked down upon. That’s why she had a difficult time crying, even over silly things that most women cried over like a sad story. Or why she held back the tears at her father's funeral, why she never talked about him or her mother. Sure, it was a down fall and probably not healthy in the least. But, that’s who she was. She also had a huge heart, despite her lack of emotion showing. She didn’t show them but she did have them and there are times when her façade will fall and her face is an open book. She likes to have a glass or two of wine for dinner or before she goes to bed. She loves to read and get lost in another world. She still dances, but again, this is something most people never get to see. Her little nephew, is her favorite person in the world, her brother comes in a very close second. She likes to write her own stories, but she has her leather bound journals hidden in a book shelf where she hopes they’re never found. She is afraid that if her father were alive he would be disappointed in her, how he had given her an opportunity to have a great life with a husband that could support her and maybe he would think she wasn’t grateful. She is disappointed in herself for not doing anything with her degree, except for that first year out of college. Sometimes she gets a suspicious feeling that Phillip is trying to make up for something when he brings her flowers or other random gifts. She feels guilty for those feelings because perhaps he is really just trying to make it work. She is a dedicated person, she hates giving up on something. Sometimes she desperately wants to curl up with the man that is her husband and try to make things better, to give in and stop trying to make everything work. She has a sassy side to her, a playful side that peaks out and when it does she loves to joke around and act silly. One day, she wants her own family, babies of her own, but she is afraid because she doesn’t want to bring a child into the world if it’s father is just the man she was forced to marry. There are times she thinks that maybe it would help them grow together more, to know that the child growing inside her was something they made together. But then she realizes how insane of idea that is. She has a playful side to her, but the business side is more dominate. She was raised to be a lady, prim and proper. She tries very hard not to complain, is always looking her best even if it’s just shopping, and it was drilled into her head to always stand behind her husband, be there when he needs her and be away and silent if he doesn’t.. even if she has a hard time with the last part. She likes helping people, even if it means listening to them complain about their work, day, or even family. God knows she complains when her mother sends those cards or the few and far between phone call. Stella looked up with a smile. ”My parents were very strong people and I appreciate everything they’ve done for me to get to where I am today... Even if I might not be thankful for things that I've done, maybe one day I will.” She commented after debating on how to word it

Stella gave a small sweet grin, her eyes sparked like she had something to say, something on her mind. "I believe that people can think whatever they like about me..." She said trying to be political. "Rumors are just rumors after all... I suppose I would have to consider the source it's coming from."

”Oh goodness. Don’t let my husband hear you talk to me like that.” She showed her rings with a smile. There she got it, into that flow. Phillip was the only real love life she had, had in three years, going on four years. It was a pathetic excuse for one. But, she was faithful to him. She took the marriage seriously, even if they didn’t love each other like most married people do. She would stand by him because that’s what was excepted of her. She wouldn’t sneak off with the pool boy or the gardener.. or anyone else. Back before they were married, just engaged. She had a serious boyfriend. He took it horrible when she told him she was getting married. He had thought she was cheating on him, when she explained what was happening he tried to convince her to run away with him, to get married to him and they would leave the country and no one could stop them. It was a fleeting thought since she knew what it meant to the business and her father. Everyone was counting on her. ”The wedding was beautiful.. and expensive, but my father wanted the best. My dress was gorgeous, it took me months to find it… Almost four years we've been married.. He really is wonderful, I couldn’t ask for anyone better.” She said with a darling smile. No one would expect that she was a liar. They were not happily married, she could imagine better.. not being married was the first thing that came to her mind. There was a time back a few months, when she ran into her ex, he had attempted to make his move, but she refused him. Men like that don't give up.

"Thank you for your time." She said properly. She stood up, smoothing her skirt and grabbing her purse. Once she walked out the door the façade was over and she was thankful to get out of there.