5|Ripped In Two

Devastated, Holly turned to her parents, silently pleading with them to pull her out of her never-ending nightmare. But, like her, they had no idea how to fix her. So she grabbed her mini crossbody bag, dazedly left the room, and wandered down the sterile corridors and out of the building, leaving her parents to discuss her upcoming surgery, physiotherapy, and all the other treatment plans Dr Evans thought were necessary but would never help her return to the stage.

The crisp winter breeze was a shock to her system as she hobbled to one of the benches facing the hospital's entrance. She pulled her long cashmere cardigan closer and wound the heavy woollen scarf around her neck. She was so grateful that despite the short notice, her mom still had the foresight to stop at her townhouse in Morningside Mews and get her some warm clothing. 

Holly dug out her phone from her bag and fiddled with her knee brace as she scrolled through the less than thirty contacts. Half were family, including her cousins Matthew and Julian; the rest were colleagues and the management team at the Royal Dance Institute. No friends. Just acquaintances and one guy she occasionally fucked.

With her world falling apart and her dreams shattering all around her, Holly had an epiphany. She'd done everything wrong. She should have focused more on making connections and building relationships. Looking back now, she was ashamed to admit it, but her whole life was a constant cycle of competition. Sometimes with others. But more often than not, with herself. When she wasn't competing, she'd flown to almost every continent and partied hard with people who didn't like nor care about her.

Terrified of her suddenly shaky future, she dialled her big brother's number, determined to keep at least one thing within her control. 

Aiden, her nephew, picked up. "Hallo?"

Just for that moment, hearing his baby voice, everything was perfect, and Holly almost forgot the nightmarish hell her life had become.

"Hallo?" Aiden said again. "Hallo! Hallo! Hallo!"

"Hi Aid, it's Aunty Holly," she smiled, forcing herself to breathe through her nose and swallow the flood of tears clogging up her throat. "Is your daddy around?"

"Daddy?"

"Yes, your daddy? Is he home?"

"Mommy?"

"No, Aiden, your daddy," Holly sighed, wondering how her brother and Eden managed to have decent conversations with their toddler son. She wasn't cut out for this. "Where is he? Is he home?"

"Riley?"

"Aiden!" Holly breathed in sharply, her frustration creeping up at their game of broken telephone. "I want to speak to Liam. Your Daddy. Is he home?"

Chuckling his head off, Aiden replied, "Daddy not home."

"Kool-Aid, stop messing around. I'm right here," Liam said in the background, and a moment later, he came on the phone.

"Holly, sorry about that. He's just messing with you. What's going on? You caught me at a bad time. I'm about to head to the airport. You know that UAE deal, the furniture company we signed two years ago? They're threatening to pull out."

Holly had no clue what he was talking about. She never took an interest in the family business because she was too busy with her eight, sometimes nine-hour daily practice sessions, whipping her body into shape, and all for what? Just so Dr Evans could tell her she couldn't dance anymore?

"If it's not urgent, can we chat when I'm back? I have to take the kids to Fugue. Eden's preparing for an exhibition—"

It was urgent, so Holly got straight to the point, "Remember my penthouse? The one you threatened to sell when Dad was sick?"

"What's wrong?" Liam asked, his voice now heavy with concern. "Wait, is this about last Sunday?"

"Yeah," she nodded as if her big brother could see her. She would have given anything to have him beside her, propping her up because she was so close to unravelling. "It's not looking good. Dr Evans says I'm screwed."

"Oh, Holly, I'm so sorry."

"I don't know what to do. It hurts so much, Liam. I think I now understand how you felt when you had to quit racing. It feels like my heart is being ripped in two, and I don't know what to do."

"I'm coming to get you," Liam said.

"What about your trip?"

"Matt and Jules can handle—"

"No, I'm okay. No need to change your plans," Holly politely declined his offer. She may not know much about the family business, but she knew her brother had a tremendous responsibility on his shoulders. The end of her dream shouldn't affect him. 

"No need to worry about me. Mom and Dad are here," she said, forcing herself to sound cheerful and firm. "I just wanted to know if you have my keycard. I can't find it anywhere. Willow doesn't have it, either. I have a feeling I'll be in the country a lot more now, and I'll need my own space. Something a little more permanent."

"Holly, I'm sorry, but your penthouse was sold. We put it on the market, and the sale was finalised last year."

Liam's response was the last thing Holly had expected to hear. His words hit her with the brute force of a gut punch, and for a startling moment, she was rendered speechless. 

As she sat there in the blistering cold, watching people rush in and out of the hospital, she finally understood what everyone meant when they said when it rains, it pours—

"Holly? Are you still there?" Liam pressed on his end.

"I'm here," she responded, her anger slowly bubbling to life. "But I don't understand, Liam. Why would you do that? Why would you sell my place without talking to me first?"

"It was vacant for years, Holly. Someone wanted to pay good money for it, and Dad was happy to sell it."

"Who bought it?"

"I don't think you need to know that."

"Tell me!"

"Andrei."

"Oh wow, and I thought you all hated him."

"It's business, Holly, don't overthink this."

Knowing her career was over and she'd soon be homeless was a lot for Holly to take in. The last thing she needed was for Liam to be so casual, so blasé, about something so life-altering for her. It was all too much, too soon. The last shred of self-composure she still had finally left the building, and she imploded, ranting and raving about all the unfairness she'd been subjected to since her accident.

"That was my penthouse! What the hell am I supposed to do now? Where will I live? I can't go back home. I'm too old to live with Mom and Dad. I need my own space!"

"But you have your own space in Morningside Mews!"

"Only if I remain a principal dancer, Liam, and if Dr Evans has his way, it's never gonna happen now, is it?" Holly snapped, gripping the phone tightly in her hand. "The townhouse was one of the perks of being a prima. If I'm out of the game, I'll have to vacate it!"

"We'll find you a new place, something bigger and more modern than that old penthouse." 

"Liam Clarke Anderson!" Holly shrieked, using his full name, a clear sign she was highly agitated and pissed off. "I don't want 'something bigger and more modern'. I want my old penthouse back!"

"Listen here, you spoilt brat," her brother shot back, anger punctuating each word he uttered. The concern and compassion he'd shown her moments ago was gone. "Get over your shit and quit acting like the Queen of Sheba. We'll find you a new place!"

He promptly hung up on her before she could get in a word edgewise. 

Holly stared at the phone in her hand, seething and sorely tempted to hurl it at the trimmed hedges lining the emergency parking bay. 

As quickly as her meltdown had begun, it died down, leaving her reeling with grief and sadness. Two emotions she wasn't used to because up until last weekend, her life was perfect, and the sky was her limit. She'd truly lived an enchanted life—

"Everything okay?" Her father's voice pulled her away from the phone in her hand.

"No, Daddy, everything's gone to the dogs!" she said, pointing at the crutches and stack of pamphlets in her mom's hands. "And those? What are they for?"

"There's tons of info on physiotherapy, support groups and counselling," said Clarke as he placed her overnight bag on the bench beside her. 

Holly checked the time on her phone, her shoulders slumping when she saw it wasn't even an hour since Dr Evans delivered his devastating news, but she was already expected to join support groups and go for counselling.

"Dr Evans said you can't be on your feet for too long until the swelling on your knee is completely gone. If you need to get around, you have to use these for support," Lois said as she handed her the crutches.

"I'm not an invalid. I don't need stupid crutches!" Holly shoved them away petulantly, knocking them out of her mom's hands. It was bad enough that she had to wear a clunky brace to stabilise her knee; there was no chance in hell she'd be caught dead in crutches. 

"I'm not picking them up for you!" Lois said sharply, anger smouldering in her eyes. "I understand you're upset, but the sooner you accept your new reality, the easier things will be for you." 

"I'm not ready for this!" Holly screamed in her hands.

"No one ever is," Lois said. "Look at your brother. Do you think he wanted to quit racing? Of course, he didn't. But look at how he's thriving now. You, my darling, just have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. You are an Anderson. We are resilient. We don't break—" 

She would have continued her pep talk if Clarke hadn't stepped in quickly. He picked up the crutches and gently placed them in Holly's hands, saying in his soothing voice, "Honey, I know you don't need the crutches, but for now, while your knee recovers, you have to use them to get around."

Before Holly could argue back, their driver pulled up beside them. He exited the car, placed her overnight bag in the boot, and helped her settle in the back seat with her mom while her father jumped in the front passenger seat. 

"Can we stop in Forrest Creek?" Holly asked as they left the hospital grounds. 

"Why?" Lois gave her a sidelong glance.

"I just want to see my old place."

"Holly, your place was sold," Lois informed her.

"I know, Liam told me. But I still want to see it."

Clarke turned around in his seat, his eyes soft with sympathy when he spoke, "That's not a good idea, sweetheart. The new owner has already moved in. We have to give him his space."

"Yes, darling, let's not make a nuisance of ourselves," Lois quickly agreed. "And you're moving back home until you've recovered."

"No, I'll be fine at the townhouse," Holly informed her.

But Lois wasn't having any of her bullshit. "You are coming home with us. You need to be with family right now." 

Holly wasn't thrilled with the arrangement but nodded anyway. Arguing with her mom was pointless. Besides, they'd butted heads enough for one day. So she eased back in her seat and began planning her bleak future. 

She knew Andrei had that massive compound in Linksfield. He clearly didn't need the penthouse. She just had to make him an offer he couldn't refuse. But come hell or high waters, she'd get her penthouse back.