Chapter 21.
Andrianne's phone rang just as she pulled into the driveway of her new apartment. She glanced at the caller ID and saw it was her father calling. She hesitated for a moment before answering, her heart racing in her chest.
"Hello?" she said, her voice shaky.
"Hello, Andrianne," her father's voice came through the phone, cold and unfeeling.
"Dad," Andrianne said, trying to keep her voice steady. "What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you," her father said. "About your marriage."
Andrianne's heart sank. She had been dreading this conversation ever since she had decided to file for divorce. "What about it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I understand that you're having some doubts," her father said, his voice dripping with condescension. "But you need to understand that this marriage is important for our family. It's important for our business."
Andrianne's jaw tightened. She had always known that her father had only arranged the marriage to further his own interests, but hearing him say it so plainly still made her angry. "I'm sorry, Dad," she said. "But I can't stay in a marriage that I don't want."
Her father's voice turned sharp. "You don't have a choice, Andrianne. You need to think about the bigger picture. Your personal feelings are irrelevant in this matter."
Andrianne felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. "What are you saying, Dad?"
"I'm saying that you need to decide," her father said. "You can either stay in the marriage and continue to live the life that you've always known, or you can risk losing your best friend."
Andrianne's heart pounded in her chest. She knew exactly who her father was talking about. Carmen. The only person who had been her only source of comfort in the midst of her unhappy marriage. The next door neighbor in her childhood who had become her friend, her confidant, and her ally. Someone who she had taken as her sister.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I mean that if you go through with this divorce, you'll be cutting ties with Carmen for good," her father said. "He won't have any reason to continue seeing you, or helping you out. He'll be free to pursue his own interests, and you'll be left alone."
Andrianne's heart sank. She knew her father was right. If she went through with the divorce, she would be losing Carmen. She would be losing the only person who had ever truly cared about her. The only person who had ever seen her as more than just a pawn in her father's game.
But at the same time, she knew she couldn't stay in the marriage. She couldn't continue to live a lie. She couldn't continue to pretend that she was happy when she was anything but.
"Dad, I can't do this," she said, her voice shaking. "I can't stay in the marriage just to keep Lucas in my life. It's not fair to him, and it's not fair to me."
"You're making a mistake, Andrianne," her father said, his voice cold and unfeeling. "A big mistake."
And with that, he hung up the phone. Andrianne stood there, her phone still pressed to her ear, feeling more alone than she had ever felt in her life. She knew that she had a tough road ahead of her. But she also knew that she had to stay true to herself. She had to follow her heart, even if it meant losing everything else.
Andrianne sat in her car, her hands shaking and her heart pounding. She knew her father was capable of anything, and the threat he had just made was not to be taken lightly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
As she sat there, her mind raced with different scenarios. What if her father really did try to harm Carmen? What if he found out she was planning to leave Lucas and decided to come after her too?
She knew she needed to come up with a plan, and fast. Calling the police was out of the question, as her father's influence would likely allow him to escape any consequences. But she couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
Andrianne's heart skipped a beat as she saw Carmen's name flash on her phone screen. She knew she had to act normal and try to hide her fear from her best friend.
"Hey, Carmen," Andrianne answered, trying her best to sound calm.
"Hey, girl, how are you doing?" Carmen asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I'm doing okay," Andrianne replied, knowing she was lying through her teeth.
"You sure?" Carmen asked, "You sound a bit off."
Andrianne hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not to confide in her friend. But then she decided that she needed Carmen's help if she was going to keep herself and her friend safe.
"Carmen, I need you to be careful," Andrianne said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"What do you mean?" Carmen asked, her voice now filled with confusion.
"My father is not a good man," Andrianne said, "He's threatened me, and I'm worried that he might try to hurt you too."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and Andrianne could hear Carmen taking a deep breath.
"I'm not afraid of your father, Andrianne," Carmen said firmly, "I won't let him scare me away."
Andrianne felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. Carmen was always the strong one, always the one to stand up for what she believed in.
"Thank you, Carmen," Andrianne said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Hey, that's what friends are for," Carmen said, her voice now filled with warmth, "We'll get through this together."
Andrianne smiled, feeling a glimmer of hope. Maybe with Carmen's help, they could come up with a plan to keep themselves safe.
"Thanks, Carmen," Andrianne said, "I'll see you soon."
And with that, she hung up the phone, feeling just a bit more hopeful than she had before.