CHAPTER 7 I Ann Veritas Reject You…

　　Ann woke with a start to the incessant vibrating of her phone on the bedside table.

　　With her heart beating wildly at being forcibly woken unexpectedly, she fumbled around trying to find the damn thing with her bleary vision.

　　When her fingers finally closed around the familiar surface of her phone, she hurriedly checked the caller display and saw the name of her cheating ex flash up on the screen.

　　She narrowed her eyes and pressed the reject button before throwing herself back on the bed. 32 missed calls and a stream of messages across SMS and social media flashed up on her notifications from him. Ann snorted derisively.

　　Her head turned to the side on her pillow and she scanned her room. A wry smile formed on her face as her eyes landed on the discarded wedding dress crumpled in the corner of her room.

　　She was supposed to be getting married today… the day she had dreamed of and planned for all these years destroyed in merely a few moments.

　　The phone vibrated noisily in her hand and a quick look revealed yet another call from Brad. She sighed internally and answered.

　　“What?” She sneered into the phone.

　　“Ann, please, you have to believe me, it’s not what it looked like…” Brad began hastily before Ann cut him off with an incredulous laugh.

　　“Oh, fuck off, Brad. It was exactly what it looked like and you know it. Don’t take me for a fool any more than you already have done. We’re done.”

　　“Wait! Ann! You can’t be serious? One mistake after all these years…”

　　“Only one? Funny that… Ada was quite eager to fill me in on all of the glorious details of your sordid relationship over the years that you conducted behind my back.”

　　“What? She’s lying! I swear Ann. It was only once and I was blind drunk…”

　　“She’s pregnant with your child, Brad.” Ann spat icily.

　　A cold silence extended between the two of them for a few minutes. Anne wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold. She wished Maeve would speak up with some cocky, inappropriate comment but since they had returned last night, there had been nothing but silence.

　　“Impossible. It’s not my child. There’s no way…” Brad answered finally, a panicked edge to his voice.

　　“I don’t care, Brad, this isn’t my business. Find a way to sort it yourself.” Ann answered flippantly, already slamming the walls around her heart so that he could never hurt her this way again.

　　“What? Of course, it’s your business! You’ll be my wife in a matter of hours! We can face this together, Ann, we’ll work through it…”

　　Ann snorted loudly and laughed hard. It was a sound devoid of any happiness and filled with mockery.

　　“You can’t seriously expect me to still go through with the wedding after this, Brad. Get over yourself. I refuse to play stepmother to the brat of my step-sister… that’s beyond all kinds of fucked up.” Ann sneered derisively.

　　“You can’t just cancel the wedding! This has taken months to organize! People have traveled from different counties just to be here! What am I supposed to tell everyone?”

　　“That you stuck your dick in my sister, but then, honesty isn’t really your strong point is it?”

　　“Ann… please...”

　　“Fuck you, Brad. I hope your wolf deserts you.”

　　“Ann… don’t…”

　　“I Ann Veritas reject you…”

　　The sound of the line going dead and the resulting tone of a disconnected call bleeped loudly in Ann’s ear.

　　She stared incredulously at the phone in her hand.

　　“Did he just… MOTHERFUCKER!” Ann screamed as she launched her phone across the room angrily and watched it bounce off the wall and onto the floor.

　　If Brad thought that would save him from Ann’s rejection he had another thing coming. Ann slid off the bed angrily and after a quick shower and washing her hair, she began to get ready.

　　“Self-obsessed, arrogant little prick. How dare he refuse to listen to my rejection. Just wait until I get my hands on the little twerp.” Ann muttered furiously as she rapidly pulled her clothes on and grabbed her phone from the position where it had landed.

　　She stormed out of the bedroom and barely dodged the housekeepers in her fury as she entered the kitchen area looking to grab a quick breakfast to take with her.

　　The Kitchen staff hurriedly passed her a bag with a hastily prepared bacon and egg panini and she thanked them hastily as she turned and walked straight into Ada.

　　Ada shrieked as the coffee she had been carrying tipped down her front and glowered at Ann furiously.

　　“Watch where you’re going, freak! Fuck! This was new, it's completely ruined!” Ada wailed.

　　“New? Thought sloppy seconds were more your style.” Ann snapped as she pushed past her.

　　“Awww, is the little princess still sore that I’ll be marrying her man because I’m a better choice? Really, Ann, you’re ugly enough already, if you let jealousy twist you more no one will want you.”

　　Ada’s shrill laugh tore through her and Ann whirled around snarling furiously and rushed towards her.

　　Ada yelped, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to get away from her but she was too slow.

　　She was slammed into the wall with such force that all the air from her lungs left her. Ann’s forearm pressed dangerously against her neck and she gasped for breath as he stared panic-stricken into Ann’s eyes.