183: Unkindly Visit - Part 1

Anabella sat on the edge of her small bed, staring at the faint sunlight streaming through the window. 

The rays warmed her face, but her chest still felt heavy. She was free now. The chains of her marriage to Daniel had been severed, the final papers signed. 

It was what she had wanted, wasn't it? Yet, instead of feeling liberated, she felt trapped—by memories, by lingering guilt, and by the suffocating pressure of her past.

She had thought this freedom would be empowering. She imagined that once she was divorced, she could focus on herself, her dreams, and the life she wanted to build. 

But the constant intrusion of her family, their expectations, and their judgment lingered like a shadow she couldn't escape.

Her stepmother, Helena, had always treated her like a pawn. 

Marriage to Daniel was not about Anabella's happiness; it was about elevating Helena's status.