The coffee shop was busy but Seline simply gave the huddled masses a bleak look. She hated being here, with the "regular people". She pushed a stray hair back and sighed examining the cup in front of her. She shuddered as she saw that the cup was cracked. Isabel sat down across from her and smiled at the disgusted look on her face."You couldn't pick an upscale place?" Seline asked as she pushed the coffee away. "My family actually owns part of this place thank you." "Figures," Seline muttered as she looked down at her nails. "Listen I know you don't like me, we've had our "disagreements", but I think that we both know why we're here.""You tell me, you called me.""She has been a pain in our a&* for too long and I propose we do something to get rid of the problem," Isabel said with a smile that promised trouble. Seline looked at her and smiled. She and Isabel had never gotten along in high school but she could see that Isabel was just as mad as she was and ready to get even. "S

John raked his hands through his hair and paced. Anna sat in a chair watching him wear a hole in the floor. John was set to go in front of the investors in a few moments and he looked practically sick. "John sit down, wearing a hole in the floor won't change anything." "If I don't, I'll probably hit something." Anna stood and stopped him as he circled back around to her. "Honey stop.""I'm sorry, I'm just…""Worried?""It's okay to admit it. I'm worried too."John sighed and pulled her into his arms resting his hair on her chin. "I'm so sorry, I'm supposed to be your rock, not the other way around.""Please," she huffed against his shirt "you know that's not how that works, we are a team, and we work together.""How did I get so lucky?" He said with a laugh. Anna smiled against his chest and realized that was the first time she'd heard him laugh today. "I love it when you laugh."John leaned back and smiled at her incredulous, "That's what you're worried about right now, I can't b

"Thank you so much for coming. I wasn't sure you would."Anthony stood and held out her chair for her as she approached. "I have to admit I was curious.""Well, whatever your reasons for coming, thank you." "I came for you. I knew you must need my help to call after what happened at the coffee house." "Don't you care about yourself? I mean you were in those pictures too.""Please, if anything I got off easy. The men think I'm a stud. Society sucks.""Yes, it does. You know Seline leaked those pictures right?""I was sort of hoping she didn't, but there is no other explanation." "I'm really sorry." "I kept waiting for her to grow up and it never happened," Anthony sighed "Plus I was always distracted by a certain redhead."Anna smiled at him sadly "If I didn't love John so much things might have been different." "I know." He said softly."I wanted you to know that John and I found proof of the digital altering of the photos and we are giving them to the press today to help clear ou

Anna put away the last of the supplies on her desk and smiled. This was her first day working as a lead in training and she was so excited. What made it the best was that John hadn't promoted her because she was his wife, he promoted her because she was doing a good job and making the client happy. Anna was trying to ignore the odd looks from the other employees. Not that it wasn't hard but after all the things she'd overcome in the last month waiting out some sour looks and resting bit$% faces was nothing."Knock, knock," Bess said from the doorway. "Okay to come in?""Bess, come on in! I'm so glad to see you. I wouldn't have been here if not for your mad computer skills."Bess smiled and sat down across from Anna. "It was nothing, I'm just glad I was able to help. So how have you been holding up?" "Okay, I told John that I'm tired of all the drama in the last few weeks. It's emotionally exhausting.""I understand that", Bess said, "I went through a really hard time in college with a

Anna wiped the tears off her face as she pulled in at the lake. Lake lure was just far enough from Asheville that no one would look for her there. She tucked the keys in her pocket and walked down the dock. The sun was setting and twilight had not yet fallen on the lake yet. Anna took off her shoes and put her feet in the water breathing deeply. The tranquility had always been an escape for her and she needed it now more than ever. They'd rented a trailer about a mile from the lake every summer before her mom died. They'd never had the money for a real vacation. "Maybe I can just get in the lake and keep swimming," Anna muttered as she wrapped her arm around herself as the tears continued to make tracks on her face. "At least then I wouldn't have to feel this." She'd seen the misery out of control rage and jealousy caused. She'd seen it on the face of her mother for years. "I guess I thought I knew what to avoid. How did I end up in the same situation?" She thought to herself as she