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“We’re glad you came to be with us, and this next question might be difficult,” the interviewer warned Chloe about the inevitable subject. She’d had enough therapy sessions to keep her expression patiently positive while the lady across from her continued. Luckily, bright lights washed out the audience and made it easy to forget they were even there. The woman tilted her head and smiled. “Did your past influence on your decision to found a women’s rights organization here in the Big Apple?”
“I’ve been very upfront about the abuse from my mother. That influenced a lot of my cruel, selfish behavior as a teenager.” Chloe took a moment to be proud of herself. There was a time she’d been unable to say that to herself out loud in an empty room, and now, she could say it for a televised interview. She had a lot of work still left to do, yes. There was always time to step back and appreciate how far she’d come even so. Chloe tucked blonde hair behind her ear and finished her answer. “But I recognize that I had a choice, and that’s why I’m making different ones now in a city known for opportunities.”
“That’s very noble. Do you ever wish you could change your time as Queen Bee?”
“Struggling like I was, I wasn’t ready for the responsibility of a Miraculous. There’s sincerity to that. Changing it would change what inspired me to found this organization, so maybe I wouldn’t have founded it at all.” Taking a breath, Chloe checked in with herself. Shoulders back. Smile relaxed. She felt alright, at least for the moment. The topic could linger a little while longer. “It’s important for everyone—especially little girls—to have role models that aren’t perfect.”
“Why little girls especially?”
“Our society paints ideal women as paragons of virtue, and that’s ridiculous! We are human like anyone else and deserve the chance to be just that: flaws and all.” For a second, Chloe almost felt pity for Marinette. Someone who never had to confront their flaws rarely got a chance to learn and grow. Envy used to consume Chloe at the very thought of Ladybug, but those days, there was mostly a mix of acceptance and that flicker of pity. She wouldn’t want to be in a room with her, not even to see her dear Adrien again. Their friendship was mostly repaired. It wouldn’t do to strain it with Marinette there as well. It simply wouldn’t! No amount of therapy could fix what happened between them. Chloe felt her jaw lock and let the thought slip away. Focusing on the brunette across from her, she nodded. “It’s never too late to learn from our mistakes. That’s why I’ve chosen to make a difference just as I am.”