With only a small amount of cash on hand, Annalise decided to head straight to her boyfriend's house. He was the first person she could think of who could help her.
It was late at night, and she figured the party must have wrapped up by now. She planned to explain her situation to Liam, hoping he would understand and allow her to stay the night—or even for a few days if her father, Marcus, refused her entry back home.
As she arrived at Liam's house, she realized she had finished all her cash after paying the driver.
The card had been returned to her mother, leaving her with nothing but the clothes and her bag. She looked a mess from crying, so she quickly wiped her face and attempted to fix her hair.
Taking a deep breath, she approached the door and called out, "Liam" but received no response.
After a moment, she discovered the door was unlocked and stepped inside. Her gaze landed on the remnants of the party scattered around.
Annalise scanned the living room and the dining, searching for Liam, but he was nowhere in sight. She dialed his number, only to find it switched off.
Puzzled, she made her way upstairs, assuming he must be asleep.
But as she approached his room, her heart raced at the sounds coming from inside—ragged breaths intertwined with a familiar voice.
What on earth was happening?
Peering inside the room, her world shattered as she caught sight of Liam with another woman, holding her legs and thrusting into her.
To her horror, she recognized Astrid, her best friend, the one person she had trusted the most. They were tangled together, completely oblivious to her presence at the door.
Annalise's eyes were moist with disbelief as she watched them. "Liam?" she thought, her heart dropping as she processed the scene.
Astrid was moaning, calling for more while her gaze drifted toward Annalise. Her eyes widened in shock and surprise before slowly, a smirk emerged on her lips.
Instead of pulling away, she leaned into Liam, wrapping her arms around his neck and biting her lips sensually.
"Harder..." Astrid demanded, her voice dripping with pleasure as she continued flirting with Annalise's worst nightmare.
Annalise felt tears dropping from her eyes as Astrid cried out, "Oh, Liam, harder, please!"
Just as Astrid reached her peak. Liam leaned in to kiss her but then finally noticed Annalise standing by the door, and his expression morphed into shock.
"Babe," he called out, but Annalise shook her head, her heart racing as she turned and fled, tears streaming down her face. The betrayal cut deep; to witness Liam, someone she thought she had something real with, engaging with Astrid was unforgivable.
Astrid firmly grasped Liam's arm before he could rush after Annalise. "What do you think you're doing, Liam? Chasing after her? Have you forgotten that Annalise is completely broke now? She doesn't have anything left," she stated, pushing herself onto the bed and pressing her chest against his back.
"You never loved Annalise; it was always me. Do I need to spell it out for you?" Astrid challenged, draping her arm across his neck while her other hand slid confidently along his arm. "You were only with her because I told you to play her, remember that, Liam?"
Liam turned to face her, his expression shifting. "Yes, you're right. I lost my focus for a moment," he admitted, leaning in to kiss her as they tumbled onto the bed.
Astrid smirked internally.
That served her right, she thought, feeling a wave of satisfaction as she recalled the tears streaming down Annalise's face.
Watching her downfall was priceless. Now, Astrid wouldn't have to deal with Annalise at all. With her finances crumbling, everyone would inevitably cut her off.
There was no one else responsible for spreading the news about Annalise's bankruptcy. It was her, Astrid.
Astrid had picked up the details during her visit to her father's library, where he had connections to Annalise's father's circle. As she left that day, her fist clenched; it was the perfect moment to bring Annalise down.
Annalise had always acted superior, condescending to others and flaunting her wealth. Astrid had never considered her a friend—she was merely playing a role to fool Annalise. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, she was eager to seize it.
At the party, she released the anonymous message, and it spread like wildfire without a second doubt.
Astrid had watched Annalise's reaction with satisfaction; it was clear she had struck a nerve, which explained Annalise's desperate attempts to escape.
She hadn't expected Annalise to return that night, but Astrid felt exhilarated when she found Annalise confronting her with Liam, her boyfriend. The sight of Annalise's shattered expression fueled Astrid's desire to see her hurt again and again.
•
•
•
Eventually, Annalise stopped crying, realizing her boyfriend had betrayed her with her supposed best friend, who had looked like she planned the whole thing. With nowhere else to turn, she had hoped to crash at Liam's place, only to be confronted with betrayal. Each thought tore at her heart.
Annalise managed to call Remi, her voice wavering as she began, "H-hi Remi."
Remi scoffed on the other end. "Hi? Now you're humble enough to say hi? What do you want?" she snapped.
"I was wondering if I could crash at your place tonight—" Annalise started, but Remi interrupted her.
"Crash at my place? For what? Didn't you see that You're out of the group, Annalise? I don't know you anymore. What could you possibly offer?" Remi replied harshly.
A tear slid down Annalise's cheek. "I thought we were friends. How could you turn your back on me?..." She trailed off.
"And to think Astrid is cheating with my boyfriend—how could you all do this to me?"
"Now you're trying to seek validation, as always. I don't care what Astrid does. If anything, you deserve it. I've never seen you as a friend. You were just an empty vessel, flaunting your father's money. Now that it's gone, you're nothing, and I won't associate with someone like you," Remi coldly retorted before ending the call.
Annalise felt each of Remi's words hit her like a dagger, but she then called Portia, her last hope. "I can't talk, Anna. My grandma jumped a fence and is in the hospital. I have to go," Portia rushed, cutting off the conversation.
Alone on that cold night, Annalise felt the weight of abandonment. Everyone had turned against her, leaving her isolated and defeated.