Annalise sipped her champagne, eyes glued to the Italian language app on her iPad. Each bubble that danced on her tongue seemed to mock the chaos she had abandoned, a chaos she pretended didn't exist.
The phone buzzed next to her, the screen lighting up. Still engrossed in the app, she reached out, fingers brushing the cool surface. Expecting another wedding reminder or a work email, she glanced at the screen. Aunt Ruth. Bella's mother.
Her breath hitched. Fingers quivered as she picked up the phone, the champagne glass trembling in her other hand. She didn't need to hear Ruth's voice to know—Michael had run straight to her, unable to handle things alone.
"Annalise Parker! What on earth do you think you're doing?" Ruth's voice erupted through the speaker, each word crackling with a mix of anger and incredulity. "I just got off the phone with Michael. Abandoning your own wedding to gallivant off to Italy like some spoilt heiress. Have you lost your mind?"
Annalise set the iPad down, her jaw tightening. She leaned back in her chair and took a sip of champagne, savoring the cool bubbles against her tongue. "I'm not abandoning anything, Aunt Ruth. I have a critical business trip, and I need to go."
"Your wedding is in three days, Annalise! Three days!" Ruth's voice, rising in pitch, seemed to vibrate with a furious energy. Annalise could almost see her aunt's furious pacing, her free hand slicing the air with sharp, frantic gestures. "Have you completely lost your mind?"
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my career," Annalise said, her voice cracking before she steadied it. "You, of all people, should understand how much this means to me."
Ruth's voice hit a high note, nearly a shriek. "What I understand is that you're throwing away your future with Michael for the sake of your precious career. You're acting like a selfish, cold-hearted—"
"Stop." Annalise's voice cut through the tirade like a knife. She set her jaw, eyes narrowing. "I made a decision, and it's final. My career is important to me. It always has been."
Ruth's hands clenched into fists, her face flushed with rage. "Your career won't keep you warm at night, Annalise. Your career won't be there for you when you're old and lonely. Michael loves you, and you're treating him like he's nothing."
Annalise's grip on the champagne flute tightened, her knuckles turning white. The crystal stem felt fragile in her hands, almost as if it might shatter under the pressure. "Michael knew what he was getting into when he proposed. He knew my priorities. He should understand."
Ruth let out a bitter, incredulous laugh. "Michael is your fiancé, not some accessory you can discard whenever it's convenient!" She snapped, her voice trembling with intensity. "You're treating him worse than a dog. And all of this, after everything I've done for you!"
Annalise's jaw tightened as she paced the room, her footsteps echoing off the walls. "I'm not discarding anyone," she said, her voice taut with restrained emotion. "My career has always been a priority. This meeting is crucial for the future of the company."
Ruth's eyes narrowed, her voice a sharp retort. "And what about we your family?"
Annalise halted mid-step, a flash of hurt crossing her face before she masked it with a cold calm. "Family?" she repeated, her tone turning icy. "This coming from the woman whose daughter shared a bed with my fiancé?"
Silence fell over the line, heavy and charged. When Ruth spoke again, her voice was quieter, but no less intense. "Your mother would be rolling in her grave if she could see the mess you've made of your life. Bella told me everything, you know."
Annalise tightened her grip on the phone, her knuckles turning white.
"How you caught Michael with her," Ruth continued, her words cutting through the air like a knife. "And instead of putting your foot down like any self-respecting lady would, you forgave him. And now this?" Her tone went higher, each word a piercing accusation. "Skipping your own wedding? You are a disgrace, Annalise. A complete and utter disgrace."
Annalise closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling the familiar weight of her aunt's judgment settle on her shoulders. Her aunt, Ruth, supporting her daughter wasn't a new thing. "I forgave him because it was practical, not because I forgot. But my life isn't defined by his mistakes."
The line crackled with Ruth's heavy sigh. When she spoke again, her voice was softer, laden with disappointment that cut deeper than anger. "I raised you, Annalise. After your mother died and your father's disappearance, I took you in, gave you a home, loved you like my own. And this is how you repay me? By throwing away your chance at happiness?"
Annalise's throat tightened. She swallowed hard, fighting back the sting of tears. "I haven't forgotten what you did for me, Aunt Ruth. But my happiness is tied to my success. I need this."
"You need therapy," Ruth's voice crackled through the receiver, sharp and unyielding. "What you're doing is selfish and cruel. Do you think your mother would be proud of you right now?"
"I'm doing what I think is right. I'm sorry you don't agree."
"Sorry?" Ruth's voice pierced the air, each word a dagger. "You're not sorry. You're heartless, Annalise. Just like your mother. All ambition, no compassion. You're going to end up alone, just like she did before she met your father."
Annalise's grip tightened, her knuckles blanching as she fought to keep her composure. Her vision blurred with unshed tears. "That's enough, Auntie. This conversation is over."
Annalise ended the call and flung the phone onto the couch, her fingers lingering in the air as if trying to grasp something invisible. She sank into the cushions, the tension in her body coiling like a spring, ready to snap. The faint hum of the city seeped through the closed windows, a distant reminder of the world continuing outside her turmoil.
Annalise's gaze flickered to the table where the Italian language app lay abandoned. Her thoughts swirled like a storm, each emotion jostling for dominance. She drew in a deep breath, attempting to find a semblance of calm as her eyes shifted to the phone beside her. Aunt Ruth's name still glowed on the screen, a stark reminder of their recent confrontation.
The champagne in her glass had gone flat, its once effervescent bubbles now heavy and lifeless. She nudged the glass away, her fingers lightly tracing the rim. The cool metal sent a shiver through her, anchoring her in the moment as she struggled to piece together her scattered thoughts.
It wasn't just about the wedding anymore. It was about everything—the expectations, the sacrifices, the relentless pursuit of success. Annalise had always prided herself on her ambition, on her drive to succeed at any cost. But now, as she stared out the window at the glittering skyline of the city below, she couldn't help but wonder if it had all been worth it.
***
Bella perched on the edge of her mother's bed, her fingers twisting the hem of her floral-print dress into knots. She stole a glance at her mother, her doe-like eyes widening as her mother's voice sliced through the air, sharp and angry, from her end of the phone call.
When Ruth finally slammed the phone into the drawer, Bella swallowed hard. "Mom," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, trembling. "Is Anna really leaving for Italy and abandoning her wedding to Michael?"
Ruth's shoulders sagged as she met Bella's eyes, the tension between them palpable. She took a deep breath, her expression softening at the sight of her daughter's distress.
"Yes, Bella," she murmured, disappointment etched in every word.
She paced the room, her fingers tracing the edge of the dresser. "Annalise's behavior..." She shook her head, unable to continue for a moment. "Michael's mother and I were just beginning to understand each other. And your father's company—" She paused, pressing her hand to her chest as if to steady herself. "His company was finally getting noticed because of Michael and Annalise."
Ruth sank onto the bed, clutching her shirt as though it were the only thing keeping her together. She stared at the floor, her voice barely a whisper. "And now..."
Bella's face twitched at her mother's last statement but quickly smoothed over. Her eyes dropped to the floor, tears gathering at the corners.
Her lips quivered as she whispered, "I just thought... I thought she had forgiven me." The words came out shaky, almost a plea. "I never meant to hurt her, Mom. I swear."
Ruth's hand rested gently on Bella's shoulder, her sigh a mix of frustration and sympathy. "I know, sweetheart. I know you didn't mean to. But Annalise, she's always been so focused on herself, on her career. She doesn't care about anyone else."
Bella's fingers brushed the tears from her cheeks, each swipe a testament to her struggle to hold herself together. She glanced at her mother, who was staring off into the distance, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Bella's expression shifted, her eyes narrowing and her jaw tightening."Annalise this, Annalise that," she muttered, the bitterness seeping into her voice as she clenched her fists by her sides.
The sudden chime of her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. She grabbed it, eyes scanning the screen. The message made her heart sink.
[The results are out and I'm afraid they are positive]