Ana
Facing my best friend and sister in law, I take a deep breath and move past her into the house.
"Hi Ana, it's great to see you too..." Kate mouths and her bitchy tone makes me want to strangle her.
"Kate, I just had a nice afternoon, don't ruin my good mood." I say and walk into the kitchen where I find Gail.
"Hi Gail, where is Arielle?"
"Napping in the living room." She says and points to the baby monitor next to her.
"Ok, Kate and I will be in my study." I say and walk back to Kate who is still in the hallway.
"Kate, we need to talk." I say and walk into my study.
"So, he has brainwashed you again?" She asks and I spin around to face her.
"Stop it! He is trying Kate... can't you at least for one minute acknowledge that he has been through hell and back?" I ask.
"He is lying... even if they did something to him, he is now playing the victim card to lure you back in."
"Enough!" I yell and Kate looks at me wide-eyed.
"Ana... I... I'm just trying to protect you."
"And that's the problem Kate, I don't need to be protected. You are my best friend, not my security or mother... what I need from you is to support me, not making my life harder."
"I am supporting you, I support you finally getting to live the life you deserve. Which is why I hate to see you fall back into Christian's arms."
"Why do you hate him so much... I don't get it, what has he ever done to you to treat him as if he is Satan himself?" I ask frustrated with her. I know she never liked Christian to begin with, but in all the time she has known him now, she never once tried to get to know him better or even tried to be friendly with him.
"This is not about me, Ana. It's about him trying to turn you into his trophy wife yet again!"
"That's not going to happen, Kate. I'm different now, he is different... we actually talk, get to know each other without him being influenced by Elena and John. I want to be with him Kate, I want us to be happy... why can't you support that... show even the slightest bit of compassion for him and what he has been through?" This is so tiring... it's like she is on a personal vendetta against him and I don't get why.
"He is a bastard. Christian is selfish, rude and just the actual fucking worst. The best thing he ever did was to fuck off to Taiwan and leave us all alone. He causes nothing but trouble, Elliot is constantly pissed at me because of him..."
"Because you are acting like a cold-hearted bitch towards his brother at any given chance. Imagine he would treat Ethan like that... you would have kicked his ass to the curb years ago. Do you even think about that you constantly put your husband in a position where he has to choose between taking his wife's and his brother's side?"
"Oh come on... they are not even real siblings." She says and I gape at her, horrified that she would even say this.
"You have got to be kidding me! They are siblings Kate. They might have been adopted by their parents, but that doesn't make them any less family than siblings who share the same genetics." I say and she rolls her eyes.
"It's not true and you know it."
"No, no, Kate, I actually don't know. Do you honestly believe that they are not real siblings because they are adopted?" I ask.
"Frankly, yes."
"So, if you believe that, then you also believe Ray is not my Dad."
"Ana... no, that's different."
"Like hell it is... I mean, I have heard you say offensive things a lot, but this really takes the cake. Right now, I don't even want to look at you; what you just said is just so upsetting and I hope to all that's holy you will never say that while Christian, Elliot, and Mia or god forbid Grace and Carrick could hear that." I say and watch Kate start to pace.
"Can we come back to what is really going on here... you need to get rid of Christian, not let him back into your life!"
"Kate, I'm going to say this just once, but what I do with Christian is none of your god damn business. If you can't be supportive, then just stay the hell out of it. Because even if Christian and I won't get back together, we will always remain Arielle's parents, so I will never get rid of him, because he loves our daughter and she him."
"Arielle is better off without him too..."
"Are you insane, what child is better off without having a loving father. You are acting like a nut case, Kate... just fucking tell me why you hate Christian that much." I demand, but nothing could have prepared me for her answer.
"Because he rejected me!" She hisses at me and I just gape at her, not able to comprehend what she just said to me for a long moment.
"What did you just say?"
"He rejected me, Ana. There, I said it. I wanted him, since the first time my Dad introduced me to him at a Gala back when we were in college. I tried to get him to notice me so many times but he never even acknowledged me and then a month before the interview I saw him again at an event and tried a bit more aggressively to get his attention and the son of a bitch leaned close to me and said he is not into sluts... so, I thought I show him that I'm not a slut, prove to him that I'm smart and got the fucking interview after kissing the ass of his entire PR Team and what did it get me, I get sick and you end up living my dream!" Kate rants and I don't know whether to slap her, kick her out or to call Dr. Harper to have her mental health evaluated, but she continues.
"And you know the best thing... the next time we met, he didn't even remember who I was. Like, me! Me! I'm fucking gorgeous and he simply forgot we ever met." She says and I grab her by the shoulders.
"Kate... are you telling me you are in love with Christian, have been for all these years?" I ask absolutely horrified.
"What? No! I wanted him because of who he is Ana... yes he is hot, but that's just a bonus. I wanted your life Ana... traveling in private jets, galas, ladies luncheons, shopping around the clock... that's what I wanted." She says and I have to sit down.
"Kate... do you love Elliot and your children?"
"Of course, I do..."
"Really, because it doesn't sound like you do... you sound like a bitter, rejected gold digger and by doing that you make all the good you have in your life sound like it is not what you want. You know... Elena and John might have manipulated Christian in most aspects of his life, but he still was able to smell a gold digging whore a mile away and that is why he would never have touched you. I want you to leave, Kate. Go home, look at your beautiful home, your amazing kids and your loving husband and spit right in their face by continuing to be bitter over Christian rejecting you, because you have done that for seven years now, why quit... or just leave them, they can do way better and you can find yourself an old rich guy who gives you the life you've dreamed of but please, don't come knocking at my door when you realize that what you dream of is hollow and will never make you happy." I say and start to leave my study.
"Ana wait... I... I'm not that kind of person... I just... I don't know."
"Well, then you better figure it out, but not here. You know what, I feel really bad for Elliot, he is loving, loyal and he deserves so much better... so why don't you try to be what he deserves instead of sticking your nose into everyone else's business." I mutter and walk out of my study.
"Please, Ana... you can't tell, Elliot." Kate begs as she follows me.
"I won't... but you will, because let's face it, you probably only married him to stick it to Christian, only he didn't care and that's why even after all these years you still hate Christian so much. And you know what the worst part is, I always defended you, every time he said you are a bad influence and not a good friend, I defended you... but no more, because I'm done with having negative people in my life, so stay away from me. Go and figure you pathetic life out, be thankful for what you have and stop blaming everyone else for what you don't have. I just hope Elliot wakes up, sees you for who you truly are, takes his children and leaves you." I hiss open the door and point outside.
"I'm sorry." Kate whispers and leaves in tears, but I don't care. All I want is for her to leave me alone, but as she leaves I realize that I'm now faced with a different kind of drama, because part of me wants nothing more than to call Elliot, while a little voice in my head stops me from doing it, because it is their relationship and getting involved in someone else's relationship is never a good idea.
Walking back inside I pick Arielle up from her playpen and sit down on the couch.
"Did mommy wake you up by yelling?" I ask and kiss her chubby cheek while she snuggles into my arms.
"Your auntie Kate is crazy, baby girl... she has it all and would trade it for money and fame... but you won't do that, right? Believe me, darling, all you ever need in life is to find someone you truly love and together you'll get through anything... always remember that." I whisper into her soft curly hair and take a deep breath, inhaling her unique baby scent.
"Is everything alright, Ana?" I hear Gail and turn around.
"Yes... just please don't let Kate in the house when I'm not here, I don't want her anywhere near Arielle... can you ask Luke to come here... I need to talk to him."
Luke as my CPO has moved into the apartment above my garage, while Gail has her room in the house. I have offered Luke to take the other guest room, but he prefers the small apartment.
"Ana?" I hear his voice after a few minutes.
"Luke, I want you to make sure Kate doesn't come near Arielle... and Christian. Please let Taylor know."
"Did she threaten you or Mr. Grey?"
"No... but I don't want to take any chances... I'll call Christian after his appointment with Dr. Harper, until then please just call Taylor and let him make arrangements."
"As you wish." He says and leaves while I call my shrink for an emergency session the next morning. I don't know how to handle this and talking to my shrink is helping me to put things into perspective, so I hope this will work again this time too. In reality, though, it's not Dr. Mayers I want to talk to, it's Christian and also Elliot, he deserves so much better.
This whole thing takes me back to when everything between Christian and I fell apart. If anyone in my family would have known and not told me, I would have been so hurt. Still, I'm not sure if I should get involved. After all, it's not just there marriage, there are three young children involved and don't doubt that Kate loves her children. Still, I can't shake the thought that she didn't meet Elliot by chance. In college, Kate was quick to get revenge on boys who didn't treat her the way she wanted them too and I remember one instance where she started to date a guy, just to spite his older brother who was not interested in her. What if she did the same with Elliot... given marrying him and having his children just to spite Christian would be extreme, but still I can see Kate starting to date Elliot to get some sort of reaction out of him.
Later in the evening, long after Arielle has gone to bed, I sit in the living room having a glass of wine and decide to call Christian. I'm sure Taylor is going to tell him that I asked him to put Kate on the no-go list of people allowed near us, so I might as well get it over with.
"Ana, is everything alright?" He asks and I can hear the surprise in his voice, clearly because I'm calling this late.
"Yes... look, I had a fight with Kate and I asked Luke to make sure she doesn't get to be alone with Arielle or you."
"What happened?" He asks and I sigh, I guess there is no way for me to keep this to myself now.
"Do you remember meeting Kate before we met?" I ask and there is silence for a moment.
"No, I don't think so, I met her father because I did business with him, but I don't remember meeting her before I agreed to do the photoshoot at the Heathman." He says.
"Well, you did meet her. According to Kate her dislike for you stems from the fact that you rejected her when she tried to hit on you on different occasions."
"Ana, I know this is going to sound arrogant, but women hit on me all the time and I was never interested in of them, if anything, it repulses me when women come on to me in an aggressive manner. And Kate... while I won't deny that she is attractive, is not my type at all. Why would she even bring this up so many years later?"
"I think it's because she still isn't over getting rejected by you. She acted like a crazy person, I had to kick her out and she basically demanded for me to let you go so she wouldn't have to see you again."
"She said that... have you told Elliot?"
"No, I'm just scared. I know he deserves to know, but at the same time they have three children and he loves her." I say and he is silent for a long time.
"Christian, are you still there?"
"Yes, look, he is not happy with her. We talked over some beers last night and he had enough, he is staying with her because he fears she'll take the kids and makes it difficult for him to see them."
"I thought they were happy." I murmur.
"He was, but he says Kate has changed and not for the better after she had the baby. At first, he thought she had postpartum depression, but after he insisted she would see someone it turned out that wasn't the case. She is just a bitch about everything and he can't stand it."
„That's so sad... I hate to say this, but Elliot deserves better. I didn't even recognize Kate today, she was so full of hate... or maybe I just truly saw her for the first time. Do you think we should tell Elliot?"
„I'm not sure, as his brother, I want to tell him right away, no questions asked, but then there are three young children involved. Let me sleep over it for one night. Who knows, maybe Kate will come to her senses and tell him herself after she told you."
„Ok, well call me once you've made up your mind."
„I will; sleep well, Ana."
„You too, bye." I say and hang up. I still haven't made up my mind, but at least Christian is as torn as I'm about telling Elliot. So, for now, I will just hope that Kate for once is going to do the right thing and tell Elliot why she is behaving so poorly herself.