ANGEL'S POV
"Where are you? I'm at your house with your fiancé now, and your line isn't going through." That's the message on my phone, and it was sent by my mom.
"Nonsense," I muttered, switching the phone off and dropping it onto the table nearby my bed.
I had spent two peaceful months in Helsinki, Finland, before finally heading back to New York. Throughout my stay in Finland, life had been wonderfully peaceful and calm. I was determined to return and take over my business, because Anna had only a little knowledge about running my supermarket, and I knew it would be exceptionally hard for her to manage it alone. Moreover, today was her birthday, a celebration I absolutely didn't want to miss.
I had called her earlier to inform her of my return that very day. Upon landing at the airport, I waited for her to arrive, just as she had requested.
Suddenly, a sleek car pulled up close to me, and its driver pressed the horn.
"My baby girl is back!" Anna exclaimed excitedly. I was utterly shocked to see that she was the one inside the car. Anna, to my knowledge, didn't own a car, and her salary at work barely settled her monthly bills.
"Birthday girl!" I cheered, winding my waist and letting my hips sway playfully.
"Are you actually the owner of this car?" I asked, my voice laced with genuine curiosity.
"It was gifted to me as my birthday present by Ken this very morning," Anna beamed.
Overwhelmed with excitement, I quickly jumped into the passenger seat. Anna, ever the thoughtful friend, then came around and carefully placed my luggage into the boot.
First, we headed to the long-term parking lot where I had left my own car before my departure from the country. From there, we both drove in our respective vehicles towards her house.
"Make yourself comfortable, my baby girl," Anna said warmly, ushering me further into her cozy living room. She then disappeared into her bedroom, only to emerge moments later with a bottle of wine and two elegant glasses. She poured a generous amount into both glasses, then handed one to me.
"Cheers to our reunion, and to your new age!" I declared, raising my glass.
She brought her own glass clinking gently against mine. "Cheers!" she responded, a wide smile lighting up her face.
As we sipped our wine, I suddenly remembered that her brother hadn't appeared since our arrival. "Oh, that reminds me," I began, setting down my glass. "Where's your brother Frank?" I asked.
"He's actually gone back to Nigeria for work," Anna explained. "The company he's with demanded his immediate attention, so he traveled last month."
"Oh, I see. That's good to hear," I replied, though a small part of me missed his presence.
We continued to talk and chat animatedly about what the night's party would look like and where we would be celebrating. "Ken has chosen the Evergreen Hotel," Anna informed me with a bright smile.
My mood, however, shifted immediately. The Evergreen Hotel was a newly opened establishment, famously owned by my ex-fiancé, Alex. And knowing Alex, he would undoubtedly be there, especially since it was the weekend. Anna, ever perceptive, immediately noticed the sudden alteration in my expression and asked, "What's wrong, babe?"
"Babe," I began, my voice a little hesitant, "are you aware that the Evergreen Hotel is owned by Alex?" I asked.
Anna's eyes widened in genuine shock; she clearly hadn't known. Alex had only revealed this information to me a mere two months prior, right before I caught him with Annabelle.
He had built the entire hotel in secret; not even I had been aware of its existence until its completion. That's when he finally told me, but I never got the chance to relay this information to Anna. At the time, I had been far too deeply occupied with our elaborate wedding plans.
Anna and I were both lost in a deep confusion. Only two options remained. It was either we cancel the birthday party entirely, or we resign ourselves to holding it at the Evergreen Hotel.
This was because it was already far too late to cancel and secure a new venue. Here in New York City, it was customary to book a party venue at least three days in advance, and today, of all days, was the actual deadline.
"Well, it's not completely spoiled, though," I said, trying to sound lighthearted. "Alex is always such a busy guy; he might just be preoccupied with his new lover tonight."
Anna and I exchanged a wry glance and a short, humorless laugh. I finished the last sip of the drink in my glass and stood up abruptly.
"I'm coming," I announced, grabbing Anna's car keys from the table. "Just need to get something down the street."
Anna assumed I was simply eager to test-drive her new car. But my mind held a far more urgent and vengeful agenda.
Stepping outside, I pressed the remote, and with a confident beep, both the car horn and the doors unlocked simultaneously. I quickly got inside, started the engine, and zoomed off, leaving Anna behind.
My destination was Annabelle's apartment; it was time to confront that 'prostitute' who had just returned, seemingly with the sole purpose of snatching my fiancé from me. She can't continue to live in the apartment I paid for, much less be happy with the man she ruined my wedding with.
The sheer audacity of her returning, ostensibly for our wedding, only to systematically ruin my relationship with Alex, was utterly unbearable.
I arrived at the apartment just as Annabelle was about to leave. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she paused mid-step as she notice am the one inside the car. I could clearly see the confusion etched onto her face; they had likely told her I was out of town, yet here I was, standing right before her.
"Angel, where have you been this whole time?" she purred, a feigned concern in her voice. "I came looking for you, but couldn't find you anywhere."
I could practically taste the blatant lie in her saccharine tone and saw it glinting in her eyes.
"Well," I retorted, my voice dripping with ice, "I just went somewhere I could clear my head before coming back to deal with a manipulative prostitute and a perpetually hungry pussy like you."
She just stood there, stunned into silence, her gaze fixed on me without a word. I then informed her, my voice unwavering, that I was giving her precisely twenty-four hours to vacate the apartment. Otherwise, I warned, she would only have herself to blame for whatever unpleasant consequences befell her.
Annabelle, however, merely let out a mocking laugh, her eyes full of defiance, and told me, dismissively, that I couldn't do a single thing to her.
"Your man," she taunted, a cruel smirk playing on her lips, "chose a real hot and sexy lady like me over you, so why bother being jealous?" She threw her head back, laughing at my obvious pain.
"We'll see about that," I finally managed to grit out, my jaw tight with fury. Without another word, I spun on my heel, got back into the car, and zoomed off, leaving her triumphant laughter echoing in my ears.