A Curse

It had been a week since Flynn's funeral. Anastasia stood in front of Bella's door, knocking repeatedly. "Bella… open the door." The silence from the other side filled Anastasia with hopelessness. She was worried. Bella hadn't eaten much since Flynn passed away and had been locking herself in her room even more than usual.

"Bella..." Anastasia knocked again, her voice softer. "I'll leave the food here, make sure you eat it." She placed the tray on the small round table outside Bella's room and sighed as she walked down the stairs.

Marleen looked up as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "Still no luck?"

Anastasia shook her head, a hint of frustration in her voice. "She won't open the door or respond when I call her."

Both of them sat in silence, the weight of Flynn's absence hanging heavily in the air. The house felt emptier than ever, and with Bella's behaviour, the gloom seemed to seep into every corner.

"Mom..." Anastasia suddenly broke the silence.

Marleen raised her gaze, locking eyes with her daughter. "What is it?"

Anastasia hesitated, pursing her lips before finally speaking, "How about... asking Ethan to help?"

"No!" Marleen's immediate response echoed through the living room, firm and resolute.

Anastasia was taken aback by Marleen's strong reaction. She knew the marriage arrangement had been called off, but their families still seemed to get along. The Harrington's had even come to Flynn's funeral.

Then, a sudden realisation hit her. She hadn't seen Ethan at the funeral—or maybe she just didn't notice him. 'But that doesn't make sense… He should've been with his parents,' she thought, confusion swirling in her mind.

Anastasia's confusion deepened. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, trying to understand her mother's reaction.

Marleen's gaze hardened. "Why would you ask a stranger to help with our family's matters?"

Anastasia was taken aback by Marleen's reaction. "He's not a stranger. I thought it would be okay to reach out for help."

"I said no, Anna," Marleen replied firmly. Her tone was unyielding, leaving no room for further discussion.

Anastasia's concern deepened as she noticed the shift in her mother's demeanour. "Mom…are you sure you're okay? You don't seem like yourself."

Marleen's gaze softened momentarily, but her resolve did not waver. "It's just not the right time to involve Ethan… or Daniel, for that matter."

"Daniel?" Anastasia had a few seconds of thoughts, "Did I mention Daniel?"

"Daniel?" Marleen asked, trying to cover her slip. "Did I mention him? You must have heard wrong." She hurriedly stood up. "I want to rest. Can you wake me up around eleven?"

Anastasia didn't even have time to reply before Marleen walked off to her room. She sat in silence for a few moments. Everything had changed—it hadn't even been a month.

She replayed the conversation in her head, trying to make sense of it. Her mother had been acting strange, distant, and overly protective since Flynn's death. And now this, mentioning Daniel's name when she hadn't even brought him up. Something didn't add up.

Anastasia stood up, pacing the room as her mind raced. Thinking back, she hadn't heard from Daniel all week. It wasn't like she was expecting him to reach out, but he could have at least asked how she was doing. She pouted as she glanced at her hand, still encased in a cast.

She sighed and sank back onto the sofa. There were so many things that needed to be settled. The company needed managing, and she still hadn't resigned from her job. Another deep sigh escaped her as she thought about Flynn's will, which would be read tomorrow. She hoped, more than anything, that there wouldn't be any more surprises.

The sound of footsteps coming from upstairs surprised her. Thinking it was Marleen, she looked up. "Mom—"

A sour-faced Bella came downstairs, wearing a cute pink dress, as if she were ready to go out.

"Where are you going?" Anastasia asked, concerned.

Bella gave her a side-eye glare. "Not your business."

"Yes, it is, Bella. Have you eaten? If not, eat first." Anastasia walked towards her, but Bella raised her hand to stop her.

"Now that Dad is gone, I understand that we don't have to be involved with each other." Bella's eyes were cold, and the corner of her lips curled into a smirk.

Anastasia frowned at Bella's words. "What are you saying? You are my sister, and I will take care of you until the end!"

Bella let out a bitter laugh, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Anastasia. "Sister? Please, don't pretend we've ever been close. Now that Dad is gone, there's nothing left to tie us together."

Anastasia's heart sank at Bella's words. She stepped forward, her voice filled with concern. "Bella, I never wanted things to change between us. We weren't like this before. Ahh…" She paused, "Whatever, I will still care about you."

Bella's smirk faded slightly, replaced with a flicker of pain. "Care about me? You don't get it, do you? Everything was fine until you came into my life. You took away my chance, my future."

Anastasia frowned, feeling the weight of Bella's resentment. "If you're talking about Ethan—"

"No!" Bella shouted, startling Anastasia. "I didn't realise it at first. I thought it started when you took Ethan from me, but no! It started when you and your mom came into our lives. You're bad luck! Nothing good has come of it, nothing! You're a curse, Anna. You're the curse that caused Dad to die." She paused, her breathing becoming rapid with anger. "No, wait, you also caused your own dad to die! You're a curse!"

Bella's words echoed in Anastasia's ears. The words 'curse' rang in her mind. She stared blankly at Bella, and couldn't utter a word.

"I hope this is enough to wake you up. And please…" Bella's eyes widened with anger, "please leave my house and my life right now! I don't need either of you! I know you're hoping Dad will leave the inheritance to you, but it won't happen! Because I'm here, and I'm still alive!"