Presley Estates, Wesbury
‘You’re saying she actually called you?’ Trina asks with anxiety when I ring her up from my private terrace. The cat’s out of the bag now, thanks to Duke spilling our little secret, and she’s in disbelief.
“You mean Geneva called you?”
‘Yeah, she called the house. Can you believe that?’ I confirm, tension knotting my voice. ‘We’re looking at a full-blown family war, Trina.’
‘Why would Duke share such a thing?” Trina’s voice is like a serrated knife, sharp and cutting.
‘That’s what I’m wondering,’ I reply, my emotions a swirling mix of anger and confusion.
‘This is bad, Anne. Really bad.’
I let out a heavy sigh. ‘I feel like my head’s gonna explode, Trina. How do I even begin to deal with this?’
‘What’s her angle?’ Trina’s curiosity peeks through her concern.
‘She’s demanding I take her to see Olga,’ I say, disbelief coloring my tone.
‘Seriously?’ Trina sounds as shocked as I felt.
‘And I’m definitely not doing it. She’s not even going to get a chance to see me,’ I state firmly, my mind set.
‘So, what’s our next move?’ she asks, worry creeping into her voice.
‘I need to talk to my aunt. We’ve got to act fast to shield ourselves from this mess,’ I say, a plan starting to form in my mind. I need to act fast.
Trina lets out a low, worried murmur. ‘Oh, my God…’
“We shall be okay..”
An hour after my call with Trina, I’m on the phone with Aunt Emma, my heart pounding with fear. Nora’s news has also left me reeling.
‘Sally reached out to me. The matriarch wants a meeting with us and her family,” I say, taking a deep, shaky breath.
“Okay,” says Aunt Emma.
‘I don’t understand why Duke would let things escalate this way,’ I say, with a strained voice.
‘Anne,’ Aunt Emma’s voice comes through, calm and grounding. ‘Perhaps it’s best you face the matriarch on your own first.’
My heart races. ‘I need you with me, Aunt Emma. I can’t do this alone.’
She exhales, the sound reminding me of how things used to be before all this chaos. ‘I wish I could be there, sweetheart. The shelter, it’s taking up so much of my time, and this week is so busy.’
‘Aunty, you can’t just leave me to face them by myself,’ I argue, frustration creeping in. “It’s as if you are avoiding us.”
There’s a pause, and I imagine Aunt Emma searching for words. ‘That’s not fair, Anne.’
‘It feels that way,’
‘Go and meet her, ‘ she asks, her tone steadying me.
‘Aunty..,’ I admit, feeling a bit cornered.
‘Go and meet her. If she calls another meeting, I’ll be there,’ she assures me.
‘Aunty, it feels like you’re using the shelter to avoid facing this,’ I can’t help but accuse, feeling a sense of abandonment.
‘No, I’ll be there for the next meeting. Sally only asked for you this time,’ she says firmly.
‘What about talking to Olga? This could impact her too,’ I ask, my mind racing.
She clears her throat. ‘Listen, I’ll talk to Olga tonight. She’s been through things like this. She knows how to handle them.’
‘I’m scared, Aunty. I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ my fear evident in my voice.
‘Don’t worry. Olga’s got this. She’s been through worse. She’ll turn the situation around, and make Aisling and her family the ones at fault. Aisling hasn’t conceived yet; Olga will use that,’ Aunt Emma tries to reassure me.
I pull in a deep breath.
Aunt Emma’s voice grows softer, conspiratorial. ‘Olga has a way of shifting perspectives.
‘Hopefully, that works,’ I respond, clinging to the sliver of hope her words provide.
