It had been a hell of a week so far. After her father had been busted for fraud the week before and rather than getting arrested, he had put the barrel of his gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, leaving her and her mom with the mess that followed. The debt collectors and appraisers were quick to come knocking. They had not even had time to bury her father or their house was being raided of all of it’s valuables before the appraisal of the estate itself would be carried out. It would probably settle most of the debt, but that was the least of her worries.
When the funeral service had barely been concluded, her poor mother collapsed from the grief of losing her husband and her home and her mind and body literally had shut down, unable to handle it all. Avalon herself had been in survival mode, not even allowing herself to fall apart when her beloved dog Lola had been pulled from her arms. Sure it shattered her heart, but nothing was going to be as destructive as the event that was about to unfold.
She had just come from the hospital to check in with her mom and after dropping off her bag at a cheap motel, she received a message from Easton, asking her to meet him at his mother’s estate. When she was seated across from him, she already felt his distant demeanor. She could not put her finger on it yet, but then the heavy words rolled off his tongue, emotionless, like they had not been dating since High School. “Ava, I am gonna need that ring back. I hope you understand that in the light of current events, we cannot go on with the wedding and our relationship,” his eyes sought hers, but she just looked down at her trembling fingers as they rested on the expensive dining table.
Her lips trembled as she shakily exhaled, but then she slipped his family heirloom off her slender finger and dropped it on the table before Easton as she stood up. He tried to reason with her, making excuses for his decision, but she did not want to hear it. “Just forget it, Easton,” she just said before she made her way out of the dining room and straight to the front door. A moment later, the door slammed behind her and she left the Patton estate. He did not chase her, he had what he wanted after all. The engagement ring that belonged to his late grandmother from his mother’s side and that his mom had removed from the family vault so he could propose to her.
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The door to the fancy uptown bar fell shut behind her as the doorman let her in. She still had some money and tonight she needed some relief. So she made her way to the bar and took her seat on a stool before she ordered herself a cocktail. She leaned her head on her hand as the bartender served her the freshly made cocktail and she slipped him a twenty dollar bill before she used the small plastic stick to stir her drink before she lifted the glass and took a small sip. She felt the pleasant tingle as the liquor made its way down and she closed her eyes as she let out a sigh. One night to drink away her worries, that was all that she was goign to allow herself before she would force herself back into composure and get back into the problem solving state of mind.
She opened her eyes and looked around the bar again to see if she saw any familiar faces this Friday night. Of course there were plenty of people she knew from the Country Club and the lavish parties that she used to throw herself and even attend at the Patton Estate. But that was a life that she had to leave behind now. No more fancy soirees and social events in lavish outfits and venues, but scrambling and groveling to make ends meet. But she had no choice but to press on. If not for herself, she had to for her poor mother…
