«And now the bride will gift her business to the groom!» — the emcee announced at the mother-in-law’s request, but instead of the deed, I played the video and the mother-in-law had to flee through the back door…….
And the decision — voluntary liquidation. That is, even if she wanted to get everything back, the business no longer existed. Formally. A ringing sounded in her head.
Real. Someone knocked on the window. Anna jumped.
No one outside. She slowly approached the door and checked the lock. Locked.
She turned off the light inside. And only then allowed herself to sit and exhale. This was war.
And it started earlier than she realized. Now the stakes were different. Now it wasn’t just about the business.
Her life, every decision, every success became a field for others’ plans. Anna knew everything was just beginning. And behind her, in the darkness of the hall, something fell from the shelf.
Anna turned sharply. A quiet thud sounded again, somewhere in the back of the cafe, by the storage room. Her heart pounded in her chest, as if someone hit from inside.
She gripped her phone in her hand and slowly walked toward the sound, stepping barefoot on the cool tile floor. Blood rang in her ears. Each step was an effort, not from fear, but from exhaustion.
Everything inside was on the edge, between screaming and just falling and stopping thinking. At the storage room door stood a half-empty box of coffee; obviously, what fell was inside. Maybe a jar of syrup or a bag of beans.
Nothing dangerous. No threat. And yet her hands trembled as she crouched to put everything back in place.
The fear wasn’t from the sounds, but from how everything in life suddenly crumbled. She sat right on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. The cold seeped through the dress, but it didn’t matter.
The fake documents still lay on her lap. The folder opened, one sheet fell out. Anna looked at it and tried to remember at what moment she lost control.
Maybe that day when Ethan insisted on temporary access to her corporate email. Or when the mother-in-law offered to handle taxes through her people. Everything seemed from the best intentions.
She just wanted to be understood, not argue, not cause scandals. She didn’t know how to say «no» without feeling guilty. And now here she was, a woman in a wedding dress, sitting at night in her own cafe, which no longer belonged to her.
The phone rang. Name on the screen – Ashley. Anna hesitated.
A childhood friend, with whom they recently quarreled, all because of Ethan. Ashley didn’t trust him from the start. She sensed something that Anna didn’t want to see.
She pressed «Answer.» «Ann.» The voice was quiet but tense.
«I saw the news. There’s already video online of you leaving the wedding. What happened?» Anna pressed her lips.
She didn’t want to speak. Didn’t want to explain. «They took my business,» she whispered.
«Just took it. Forged signatures, issued a power of attorney. Today – liquidation.
All.» On the other end – silence. Then, I’m coming to you.
Where are you? In the cafe. Hold on. Please.»
The call dropped. Anna placed the phone next to her and closed her eyes. Inside, a heaviness rose, viscous like honey, only bitter.
She suddenly realized how tired she was. Not from the day, from all this time. They used her, broke her piece by piece, covering it with care and love.
And she allowed it. Her father’s image flashed before her eyes. His voice: the main thing, don’t give away what’s yours.
Not under pressure, not for love. She didn’t understand then that sometimes love and pressure can be the same. Twenty minutes later, the door creaked.
Ashley entered without knocking, in jeans, a jacket, with wet hair. On her face was the same anxious determination with which she once pulled Anna from suicide in high school. «You look like life hit you,» she said, kneeling next to her.
But didn’t brake. Anna smiled weakly. «Maybe so.»
«Tell me everything.» From the beginning. Without filters.
Anna told. About the micro-trust that became a trap. About the gifted investments, about Ethan’s silence, about the documents, liquidation, about everything.
Ashley listened silently. Only her eyes grew harder. «You know this is criminal?» Finally said Anna…
