DOES YOUR OFFER STILL STAND?

ANIKA’S POV

The doorbell rang.

It was that kind of continuous ringing that always got on my nerves and made me wonder if the person on the other side had no manners.

“Who is it” I said walking to the door but the ringing just continued.

I pulled the door open and my eyes widened when I saw my parents.

“Mum… Dad? When did you get back—?”

Before I could finish, my father’s hand was across my face. The slap was so hard that it sent my head to the side. I tasted the metallic taste of my blood from my teeth biting into my cheek.

“You wicked girl! How dare you push Bree down the stairs?” His voice thundered, echoing around the living room.

I stumbled back, my cheek burning, shock paralyzing me for a second.

It wasn’t me.

It was Bree.

She was the one who had shoved me, the one who had made me fall down the stairs. But no one believed me.

Not my father. Not my mother.

The reality of that sent an awful feeling through me.

“I did not—she was the one that—” I tried to explain, my voice shaking.

But before I could finish, his hand lifted again, heavy and threatening. I flinched instinctively.

“Still lying, huh?” he spat.

I swallowed hard, forcing the tears that threatened to fall to stay put… I would not give them more against me.

Then my mother’s voice cut through the room, it was softer, but it still carried the same malice.

“Anika… what will it take for you to just be kind to your sister, huh?”

I glanced at her, trying to meet her eyes, but all I saw was disappointment.

“I won’t apologize because I did nothing wrong,” I said, arms folding tight across my chest, as if the gesture could shield me from their cruelty.

Their looks didn’t soften.

My chest tightened.

I wanted to scream but I knew that was futile.

“I did not—” I started again, voice trembling.

But Simon walked in before I could finish, his presence filling the entire room.

“What is going on here?” he asked, his tone even, but his eyes moving between me to my parents.

I know it was stupid but a small part of me felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this time he would defend me, maybe he couldn’t take my sisters side.

Maybe for once he’d realize I wasn’t the villain here.

I was wrong, because none of that happened.

A small, stupid part of me had imagined him turning to my parents and saying, she’s telling the truth.

Instead, he glanced at me briefly, then sighed.

“Just apologize, Anika… don’t be stubborn,” he said.

The words hit me like a punch.

I froze for a moment, the blood draining from my face.

No one was listening to me.

I had already lost my baby, but no one seemed to care. Apparently, Bree’s scratch was a lot more important than the life that was insider of me.

I could feel tears forcing their way through my eyelids faster.

“Forget it,” I whispered, voice breaking, and without another word, I turned walked away ignoring those calling my name.

I slammed the door behind me.

My breathing was quick and uneven, it felt like the whole world was closing in on me.

I was done.

I sank onto my bed, hands trembling as I dialed his number, the digits etched into my memory like a lifeline.

The phone rang, each tone stretching into an eternity, and just when I thought I was going to lose my mind, he finally picked up.

“Hello” his voice deep and rumbling was like a voice of fresh air.

I sniffed “Liam does your offer still stand?”

Liam was my childhood best friend, he was also the man that I rejected just so I could be with Simon, and looking back at it now, maybe I had made a mistake.

I remembered how angry I was when Liam told me that I would regret it, choosing Simon over him and I actually cut him off.

Now he was the one I was running back to, he was still here.

“I told you I would wait for you, no matter how long it took” his voice was

I blinked back tears, letting my fingers tremble over the phone.

“Good,” I whispered, trying to steady my voice. My chest heaved as I wiped the tears off my cheeks. “Give me seven days. Then come pick me up.”

The line went silent for a moment, then a soft chuckle on the other end made my chest tighten.

“I’ll be there,” he said. “Seven days. No more, no less.”

I hung up slowly, staring at the phone like it was the only thing that was keeping me grounded. This was it.

I was finally breaking free from this toxic cycle.

Seven days.

That was all I needed.

Seven days to make sure that I had properly divorced Simon and finished everything that was still holding me back here. Seven days until o was gone and none of them would ever see me again.

I thought about everything that I had been through, my marriage that seemed worthless to Simon. He could come home still smelling like alcohol after he had spent a night with my own sister.

I thought about Bree, everyone thought she was so perfect, but I knew the truth, she was not good at all and she hated me for knowing, she hated me for seeing through her bullshit.

I leaned back on my bed, hands clutching the sheets, heart pounding in my chest.

I wiped my eyes again, this time more firmly, there was no use crying over spilt milk.

Seven days.

I could survive seven days.

Outside, I could hear faint murmurs. They were still talking about me, I just knew it.

I clenched my jaw.

Let them talk. Let them believe what they wanted.

In seven days, none of that would matter.

I would be gone.

Free.

My phone buzzed and I looked down at the message;

Liam: I can’t wait to see you

I didn’t believe that I was actually doing this, but here I was…

There was no going back.