Annalise returned home with a sulky expression, her lips pursed and a frown etched on her face as the driver escorted her to the mansion. The driver carried her luggage inside while Annalise marched past without a word. Upon entering the grand parlor, she spotted her father and Keira engaged in a serious discussion, her father's deep frown betraying the worry in his eyes. The memory of his earlier reprimand flashed in her mind.
"Anna," her mother called as she entered.
"Hmmph," Annalise huffed, turning away and striding straight to her room.
"I hate them," she declared, throwing her phone onto the bed with frustration. They had promised her three days with her friends in the mansion, but instead, she'd been kicked out after barely one night, forced to stay in a cheap hotel filled with mosquitoes, and her father had the nerve to yell at her.
"He's so mean," she muttered, tears streaming down her cheeks as she collapsed onto the bed and let the anger and embarrassment wash over her. Refusing to see anyone for the remainder of the day, she opted not to eat or drink, choosing isolation in her room instead. Her mind raced with thoughts of what her friends must be thinking. Glancing at the group chat, she found it boring and lifeless—no new messages.
Could they have started another chat just to talk about her? she thought bitterly, biting her lip. She resolved never to forgive her parents for this humiliation. They had crossed a line.
For the next three days, she maintained her silence, ignoring her parents completely. Even when she did eat, she took her meals to her room to avoid interacting with them. Her mother worried endlessly, but her father was consumed by his worries, focused on more pressing issues that would soon affect the entire family. Meanwhile, Annalise acted like a child, refusing to acknowledge the turmoil surrounding her.
On the third day, bored and still on her bed, her phone chimed with a message from her best friend, Astrid. "You wanna go shopping with me, queen?" she asked, complete with a wink emoji.
"Alright," Annalise replied, a smile breaking through for the first time in days. She quickly changed into a stylish dress, brushed her hair, and grabbed her handbag.
Determined to not engage with her father, she walked downstairs. Keira was in the kitchen, preparing the meal. When she approached her mother, she stated plainly, "I need some cash for shopping."
Keira looked at her, concern evident. "What happened to the money your father gave you for your friends?" she asked.
Annalise rolled her eyes. "That money? It's gone. I need cash for shopping, Mom."
Keira pursed her lips but nodded. "Alright, honey, I'll get my purse." Annalise took the cash without further comment and started to leave, still feeling irritated. Instead of using the car her father had purchased for her, she opted to take a taxi to the mall where Astrid was waiting.
Astrid greeted her, dressed in a jean skirt and green top, her white hair in braids. "Hold on, what's going on? You don't look good," she observed, sizing up Annalise's casual outfit.
"I'm just not feeling great, you know, those mosquito bites," Annalise replied, letting her irritation show.
"Listen, I wasn't okay for two days after that experience. Honestly, I almost puked just thinking about that place," Astrid said, firmly gripping Annalise's hand as they entered the shopping mall. Astrid was focused on picking out items for herself, while Annalise lingered, clearly annoyed. She didn't want to spend the money her mom had given her, especially since her mom hadn't answered her call earlier, which only added to her frustration.
"About the island," Astrid began, glancing at her. "Did you have a conversation with your father? You are the owner, right?" She pressed, steering her trolley forward.
Annalise shot her a pointed look. "Who else would own the island? Do you think I brought you all there to humiliate myself?" she replied sharply, her tone firm.
Astrid blinked, caught off guard by Annalise's intensity. "I was just asking a question," she said, trying to regain her composure.
"Stop asking questions that are none of your business. You frustrate me," Annalise snapped before turning on her heel and walking away, eager to retreat to her room and shut the door behind her.
"Why did you even come here if all you do is get annoyed and treat me poorly?" Astrid thought to herself, a frown etched on her face.
Annalise got back home and paid the taxi driver before striding toward the mansion. Something felt off, and an uneasy sensation began to build within her. Her heart raced as she approached the house; she noticed her Mercedes was missing. As she got closer, the sight of armed men in her front yard made her stomach drop. She pushed through the door and was met with a shocking scene—her home was utterly empty. Boxes were strewn about as men packed away their belongings.
"Where are my parents?" she demanded to know as she hastily searched for them.
"Dad what's happening? Are we moving to a new house?" Annalise inquired, eyes wide.
Her father looked up, his eyes red, and lines of stress etched deep into his face. He attempted to maintain a calm exterior for the sake of his wife. "We're aren't moving," he clarified, "We no longer live here."
Annalise was baffled. If they weren't moving and no longer lived there, what was going to happen next?
Keira stepped in, her voice steady yet soft. "Listen, Annalise, your dad is dealing with some serious issues," she said, taking her daughter's hand in hers.
"Your father initiated a major project that was expected to generate substantial funds, but the investor backed out at the last moment. He has significant loans and used our home, cars, and every valuable thing as collateral, but it's still not enough to cover what we owe. We're bankrupt," Keira explained, searching Annalise's eyes for understanding.
Annalise's complexion turned pale as the words sank in. She struggled to comprehend the unfamiliar terms—loans, bankruptcy, the idea of having nothing. How could they be left with nothing?
"Everything in this house is being taken, and we will soon be forced out. I don't know if we'll find a place to stay, but listen to me, we will be okay," Keira said, her voice trembling as she hugged Annalise tightly.
Tears began to stream down Annalise's face, but she quickly wiped them away.
Suddenly, a realization hit her like a jolt; she gasped, startling her mother. Without hesitation, she turned and ran upstairs to her room, desperate to salvage whatever she could. Her expensive bags, designer clothes, jewelry—could she still save them? Panic raced through her mind as she flung open the door to her room, but was met with a painful reality: everything was gone.
Her designer clothes, Louboutin shoes, Cartier wristwatch, and Bulgari jewelry—everything had been cleared out as if it had never existed.
Annalise's head spun, and in an instant, she collapsed to the ground.
•
•
•
When Annalise woke up, her head throbbed painfully. She rubbed her temples before sitting up, and as her brows furrowed in confusion, she quickly realized this wasn't her bed. Panic surged within her, and she screamed.
She jumped to her feet.
Her mother rushed in, concern etched across her face. "What happened, Anna? You're finally awake!" she exclaimed.
"Where are we? What is this place? Take me back home!" Annalise shouted, her head spinning with a haze of panic. The cramped room made her skin crawl—the hard bed, cracks marred the walls, and the curtains looked like they hadn't seen a wash in ages. Cockroaches were lurking in the corner, and a wall gecko.
She hated every bit of it.
Keira enveloped Annalise in a tight embrace, her eyes brimming with tears. "My dear, we can't go home. We don't have a home anymore. This is all we have," she said gently, voice shaky.
Annalise let out a wail. "This is unbelievable! Get me out of here right now! I want to go back!" She shoved her mother aside and stormed out of the room, marching into the parlor where her father sat, wearing a deep frown. Desperate for answers, she rushed to him.
"Dad, please explain—how did we end up here? Where's my room? What's going on?" She could hardly catch her breath, tears streaming down her face.
"This is our new home, Anna," Marcus replied, his voice steady but laced with frustration. He was furious with himself for letting this happen, for watching his family's life crumble.
He had known the situation was spiraling out of control, but there was little he could do.
Creditors were closing in, and the borrowed money only complicated things further.
The island trip had been a disaster. He had put someone he thought he could trust in charge of everything as he was occupied with work. The person borrowed the large sum with his card details, and told Marcus everything was all set and he had rented the villa on the island. But he had only made a fake transfer and ran with the money, the real owners found out and sent the girls out, while Marcus was in another great debt.
"This cannot be happening!" Annalise's voice shattered the silence as she shot up. "I can't live here, Dad! We need to go back to our real house!"
Marcus snapped, his annoyance flaring. "Are you deaf? I told you this is our new home whether you like it or not. You're staying here," he barked.
Annalise's heart sank as she stepped back, tears flooding her eyes. She couldn't fathom living like this. "If you think you can't handle this, why don't you go out to the streets and start making money for once instead of bothering me?" he added, frustration boiling over.
Keira quickly stepped in, her voice soothing. "Honey, that's our Annalise. You're scaring her," she said, rubbing his arms gently while her heart broke for their daughter.
Marcus gritted his teeth in irritation but gradually calmed down as Keira's calming presence became apparent. He knew he had to keep his temper in check; they needed to focus on finding a way out of this nightmare together.
Turning to Annalise, he demanded, "I heard your mom gave you some money for shopping this morning with a friend. Where's the rest of it?"
"Honey—" Keira began, but Marcus cut her off.
Marcus turned to her confidently. "Don't worry, I've got this handled," he assured her firmly before addressing Annalise directly. "Anna, we don't have enough money among us, so we need to pool our resources to survive until I'll figure out a solution to get us out of this situation. Do you have any money with you?"
He was this broke? This was unbelievable!
Annalise hesitated, searching her mind. She recalled leaving the supermarket without buying anything because of an argument with Astrid. She had a little change left, but it was her last option. "I don't have any money, Dad," she replied.
Marcus studied her intently. "Are you sure, Annalise? No savings at all?" he pressed.
"Nothing," she responded flatly. She had spent every bit of money transferred into her account on expensive items, leaving her with no savings whatsoever.
Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Why did you spend all your money like that? Didn't you realize the importance of saving?" he challenged her.
Annalise crossed her arms, an edge of irritation in her voice. "Save up? Dad, we had everything—what was the point of saving? I'll end up needing to buy another anyway," she asserted, firmly challenging his reasoning.
Marcus felt a wave of frustration. He realized that when life was good and he had enough, he overlooked her attitude, but now, facing their loss, the reality of his daughter's mindset was glaring.
"What about now that we've lost everything? Isn't the money you saved going to help us now?" he countered, trying to get through to her.
Annalise shot back, "What about you, Dad? Don't you have any savings? Why are you expecting me to contribute as a little girl? You're the provider of this family—it's your job. I shouldn't have to give up my money!"
Marcus's eyes widened at her boldness, his anger rising, but Keira intervened, holding his arm. "She has a point. We are the parents and should be providing for her. Annalise, just go back to your room for now," she said softly, urging her daughter away.
Marcus turned to Keira, bewildered by her unwavering support for Annalise. "You're enabling her too much. She's becoming a difficult child," he remarked, struggling to understand why she was so protective.
What he failed to see was that Annalise had always been trouble. Now, in their time of need, she was unwilling to let go of what little she had to help the family survive. Once back in her room, she quickly searched for her handbag. Spotting it hanging on the wall, she snatched it up and opened it, feeling a surge of relief when she confirmed that her cash was intact.
She planned to escape to the beach or somewhere to clear her head. This situation was a nightmare, and she wanted out—ASAP.