Anabella sat at her small dining table, the morning sunlight filtering weakly through the drawn curtains. Her phone sat on the surface, screen dark, a symbol of the chaos she was determined to avoid.
She had turned it off the night before, cutting herself off from the endless barrage of messages, calls, and notifications that followed the public announcement of her divorce. Today, she decided, would be hers. No phones, no family, no drama—just quiet.
With a deep breath, she picked up her coffee mug and cradled it in her hands. The warmth soothed her, though it did little to untangle the knot of anxiety lodged in her chest. She was trying her best to maintain a sense of peace, even if it felt fleeting.
But peace wasn't something her mother, Helena, allowed for long.
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