Behind The Lens

Chapter 1.

Bella woke up early that morning, the sunlight peeking through her bedroom curtains and casting shadows over the room. She groaned as her alarm clock rang, the harsh sound pulling her out of the clutches of sleep. She reached over and hit the snooze button with a tired hand, sighing before she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

She stumbled towards her bathroom, her feet feeling heavy with each step she took. Inside, she looked at herself in the mirror, her messy hair and tired eyes staring back at her.

"Time for another day of this," she muttered to herself, running her fingers through her tangled strands of hair. Although she had a beautiful face, she was never fully content with how she looked, feeling the constant pressure of maintaining her appearance as a world-renowned model.

With a resigned sigh, she stepped into the shower and let the warm water wash over her body. As she stood there, she reflected on her career and the life she had chosen. Although she had been successful and popular, she sometimes felt as if she was living a lie, trapped in a world of superficiality and unrealistic standards.

After drying herself off, she wrapped a fluffy towel around her body and walked back into her bedroom. Her phone buzzed on her nightstand, and she picked it up to see a text from her assistant, Mariana.

"Good morning, Bella! I hope you slept well. Don't forget, you have a photoshoot at 9 AM today at Central Park with Elio Warnervelt." The message read.

Bella groaned, feeling the familiar dread build up in her stomach. Elio was a talented photographer, but he was also well known in the modeling world for his short temper and difficult personality.

"Thanks for the reminder, I almost forgot," she replied, even though she hadn't really forgotten. She had just hoped she could spend the day lazing around in bed instead of having to get dolled up and pose for hours on end.

She put her phone down and walked over to her closet, opening the doors to reveal rows of designer dresses and outfits. She sighed, feeling guilty for her ungrateful thoughts. She knew she shouldn't complain, she was lucky to have modeling as her career and she was successful and wealthy.

As she scanned the clothes, looking for something that would look good on her, a knock sounded on her bedroom door.

"Come in," she called out, as she picked out a flowy summer dress that she knew would look good in the park. The door opened and Mariana walked in, carrying a steaming mug of coffee.

"Morning, sunshine," Mariana said, her perky voice filling the room. "I brought you a cup of coffee. I figured you might need the caffeine boost for today's photoshoot."

"Thanks," Bella replied, taking the mug from her assistant and taking a grateful sip. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to poison me with your cheerfulness every morning."

"Oh, come on," Mariana said with a laugh. "You know you'd miss me if I wasn't here to brighten up your mornings."

Bella couldn't help but smile at that. Despite her occasional annoyance with Mariana's boundless energy, she had to admit she was grateful for her. Mariana had been with her for years and had become a trusted friend and confidant.

"So, are you excited for today?" Mariana asked, as she began to rummage through Bella's closet.

"Thrilled," Bella replied dryly, flopping down onto her bed. "I can't wait to spend hours posing in the heat and being yelled at by Elio. It's going to be a blast."

"Aw, come on, it's not going to be that bad," Mariana said, pulling out a couple of outfits for Bella to choose from. "Elio is a good photographer, you know that. And the park will be beautiful today. You get to enjoy the sunshine while you work."