Marriage Named Hatred Chapter 05
Bastian moved fast.
In less than three days, Annelise received a notice from the orchestra stating that she had been removed due to “force majeure.”
John hesitated on the phone, as if wanting to say more, but in the end, he only sighed. “Anna, don’t blame me. I had no choice.”
After that, she scheduled meetings with three lawyers who specialized in divorce cases. The moment they heard her name, each of them refused outright.
Sitting in her car, physically and emotionally drained, she received a call from Robert. “Are you not going to stop until you’ve dragged this whole family into the grave?”
Annelise gripped her phone tightly but said nothing.
“The Ryland family has pulled their investment. The project was halfway done, and now the funding is gone. Even several of our previous projects are starting to fall apart.
“Stop being stubborn. Apologize to Bas and smooth things over. This will all pass.”
Had she not done enough “smoothing things over” already?
The meals she personally cooked for him, the ties she matched for him every day, the suits she carefully pressed…
Every detail of Bastian’s life, she handled herself, never entrusting it to anyone else.
Yet Bastian had still treated her coldly when he was in a good mood, and humiliated her in every possible way when he was not.
Anyone would have grown tired of it.
“I don’t have the time. If someone needs to placate him, you can do it yourself,” Annelise said softly.
Without giving him a chance to respond, she hung up.
Fortunately, Annelise still had a skill to rely on. She quickly found a temporary job teaching violin classes.
She left early and returned late every day, often arriving back at Miriam’s house well past 11 at night.
Miriam always waited for her. No matter how late it was, the living room light would be on.
Sometimes there was warm food waiting. Other times, it was the sight of Miriam dozing off on the couch.
That night, like always, Annelise took the last subway home. “Grandma, I’m home.”
Miriam was leaning against the couch, the old blanket covering her half-slipped to the floor. There was no response.
Annelise walked over. As she bent down to pick up the blanket, her hand suddenly froze.
Miriam’s face was ashen, her lips completely drained of color.
“Grandma?”
Annelise crouched down and gently shook her shoulder, but there was still no response.
Her hands trembled as she dialed 911, her voice shaking as she spoke.
Fortunately, the ambulance arrived quickly.
Annelise got in with them, holding Miriam’s thin, icy hand the entire way, as if letting go for even a second would make her disappear.
She sat in the emergency room hallway for a long time, staring motionlessly at the overhead light.
Finally, the doctor walked out, removing his mask. “It’s a cardiovascular issue. Surgery would be best. Go take care of the admission deposit first.”
Annelise nodded repeatedly, but when she stood at the payment window, every one of her bank cards showed insufficient funds.
Clutching the bill in her hand, she realized she couldn’t come up with the 20,000 dollars listed on it.
When she got married, the Vasquez family hadn’t given her a single cent.
Despite the Ryland family’s wealth, the wedding gifts had amounted to only 20,000 dollars, and even that had all been taken by her parents, who said they were “keeping it safe” for her, saying it would be “useful later.”
After the marriage, every bit of her income had been transferred into Bastian’s account, and every expense she made required his approval.
Never in her life had Annelise felt such despair.
Now she was crouching in a hospital corridor, unable even to pay for Miriam’s hospitalization.
“Anna, what are you doing crouching here? Get up.”
Annelise looked up and saw Sarah standing in front of her.
She didn’t move, and Sarah didn’t urge her. Instead, she began speaking on her own. “Your father couldn’t come. The family is on the verge of collapse.”
Annelise lowered her eyes and remained silent.
“I don’t care what you think. Your grandmother is lying in there. If the money isn’t paid, they won’t perform the surgery.”
Sarah paused, her tone growing more urgent. “As for Bastian, is it really going to kill you to go see him? Or do you want to watch your grandmother…”
“Stop,” Annelise interrupted abruptly, her eyes hollow as tears streamed down her face. “I’ll go. Isn’t that enough?”
The harsh white lights of the corridor fell over her curled figure.
She took out her phone. Her finger hovered over a number she hadn’t dialed in a long time before finally pressing the call button.
The phone rang three times before it was answered.
“Bastian,” Annelise said, her voice as still as stagnant water. “Where are you? I’ll come find you.”