"Oh yes, I was promoted and offered a job with the British dep of my company, and I accepted!"
"That's great news, Mark!" the girl gasped in admiration. "But why did you bring that chicken with you?"
"You mean Emily?" Mark laughed with a hit of scorn. "She's my secretary actually, and she's been transferred, too, as a very useful employee."
"Sure she is."
"Don't be so grumpy! I suppose you and Randall are together now? You went after him like a rocket, and I'm sure you found him!"
" I did find him." Anna's eyes filled with tears and all desire to tell Mark the details immediately disappeared. "Well, I thought we'd go out one evening and have a chat."
"There! Life is crazy, huh?" Mark retorted. "I'm sure we'll see each other again. I have found you again, my dear Anna! You're back in touch!"
"Yes, of course." she smiled. "Wow, London! Mark, you're so cool! I dream of London!"
"Do come!"
"I will one day!"
Emilia's voice was heard in the background.
"Okay, let's talk later! Okay?" Mark asked timidly.
"Of course!" Anna said, and they hung up.
London!... Had she lost even a friend forever?
Chapter 85
But they did not have to talk again for a very long time. Routine life affairs again became a priority. Anna delved into a career and a new goal- to take a guiding position of the educational institution.
For the sake of this, she took all sorts of courses, training, participated in the activities of the teachers circle, made new useful business acquaintances at conferences and forums. She intended to overthrow the head of school and sit on her "iron" throne.
These new errands have become another panacea from obsessive thoughts about her love triangle which has acquired the character of an enigma, overgrown with mysteries and confusion.
Anna still tried to find Randall but as none of her attempts were successful, she gave up at one point. It was obvious that he was avoiding her, and she decided that one day he would come and reconnect with her if that was meant to be, and then fate would open her cards to their relationship.
She was still angry and tormented by the thought of him in bed with another girl and sometimes it even helped her to live every day apart from Randall.
Far more confusing was Teo, who, though in touch, seemed to be farther away than where Randall was hiding. His messages were even more seldom now, and even if they corresponded in the context of "boyfriend and girlfriend", it was so far from the truth. Teo wanted to be always busy performing, traveling and touring. He was planning to move to Sweden and talked to Anna the way you only talk to people in the streets - politely, tactfully and ... indifferently.
Such changes could not but hurt even more, and upset Anna constantly wrote to him, hoping for attention, messages, video chats and requests to see him again and fix everything. She apologized endlessly, not knowing in her heart why she was running after Teo at all, more driven by feminine possessiveness than common sense or feeling. Her messages were often either unanswered or dry "It's OK" and "Don't think about anything."
So when she found herself alone and forsaken again, confused and lost, she plunged headlong into pursuing money, and she did it well again.
Chapter 86
"Miss Ryans, come and sit down." the director pointed to an empty seat in the office.
Hesitating a moment, Anna sat down and cleared her throat:
"Why did you call me, Ma'am?"
"Miss Ryans," the woman began again.
"Anna."
"Anna. I've heard rumors that you have great ambitions, and I think the Principal's chair is very attractive to you and..." she cleared her throat, too. "... you have far-reaching plans. Right?"
Anna didn't know what to say but the head teacher went on.
"I would like to tell you that if you knew what a huge responsibility it is and what moments you need to keep under control, you would not aim at this place so... fiercely."
"Ma'am, I..."
"But I understand. Young, ambitious, intelligent ... you want to reach some heights. I understand all this. But I still can not allow you to carry out what you have planned. I'm not giving up the Principal's chair. Over my dead body."
"I think such extremes are unnecessary." Anna smiled and added. "But the inauguration of the new directorship is entirely up to the parents and faculty of the School 678, and here I suppose..."
"Anna, for God's Sake!" suddenly blurted out Mrs. Treethers. "How can you so coolly step on people and go ahead for dethroning me from a position that is the passion of my entire life! Is nothing sacred to you?"
"You're exaggerating, Ma'am." Anna frowned.
"What? Look what you're doing? Do you think I don't have eyes and ears? With your victories and contributions, you win over people before voting."
"That sounds fair."
"This is cruel. Anna, is it really so important for you to become the principal of this school?"
"Career is important to me, Mrs. Treethers, and I'm getting it straight in the normal and obvious way, I don't see the point of your claims." Anna shrugged, annoyed.
"And the human attitude? Did we not sit with you at the teachers ' gatherings, talking about dreams and careers? Don't you remember me telling you my way to that chair?"
"Ma'am."
"Miss Ryans. Anna. I speak to you now not as a colleague, but as a friend. Please, Anna. Back off."
"Ma'am. Being a teacher, a principal, or something else is not enough for me. It is a step in a ladder."
Mrs. Treethers' eyes glistened with tears and Anna looked away not to embarrass her even more.
"I can transfer you to our London school branch. We have a partnership with a British institution, and I will arrange your transfer as a teacher, but this is a temporary matter. Miss Ryans, step back."
"Perfect."
"Excuse me?"
"Great!"
"Are you serious?" the director froze in her movements.
"I like your offer of the transfer. I accept it, waiting for sponsorship in the visa and registration of all necessary documents for my legal residence and teaching at this school."
"Will you back down at the election?" the Director asked.
"I will."
Mrs. Treethers, not believing her ears, went up to Anna to shake her hand.
"I can't believe it. Thanks. Are you sure you're ready to move?"
"Yes, I need a change of scenery." Anna swallowed. "Can I go?"
"O-of course. Thank you again."
Anna walked out the door and Mrs. Treethers gave way to tears of relief.
Chapter 87
The first thing Anna did when she left the principal's office was to text Mark, telling him that fate was giving them a chance to meet again because she was coming to London soon.
They corresponded now by email, because of the long nose of Mark's girlfriend and his personal constant employment, and only in a friendly and polite way.
The expectation of receiving a reply by letter seems to be even worse than constantly checking the messenger, and Anna nervously put the phone in her pocket, knowing that the response to the news would clearly not come soon.
And indeed, the answer tarred as much as a week. Anna had already forgotten about it and life events did not give her a chance for writhing with boredom. She was passing her driving license exams, studying in absentia on the faculty of philosophy, walking six dogs of her neighbor out of sincere kindness and for the sake of squeezing several minutes for rest while they perform their canine affairs.
The answer from Mark came late at night, when Anna, with her feet up against the wall, was reading "Pride and Prejudice", sighing and asking the Universe why it had not given her the same Mr. Darcy. As soon as the notification rang, Anna read it and beamed. The smile slowly but surely faded from her face as she was reading the e-mail:
"Hi, Anna! Wow, that's news! What does it all mean? Meteoric career growth? You didn't
write any details! What is the job? How? Where? Write to me all the details! And I hurry to share news , too- on October, 12, I have a wedding! I was planning on writing to you, but you beat me to it. It doesn't matter, though. Emilia and I invite you to the ceremony and you have no right to refuse! The colorful invitation should be in your mailbox any day now, and I hope you don't let me down and come. I need your support! Who would have thought! I'm getting married, hehe! Text me, I'll nervously check my mail every day. Kisses, Mark."
"Who would have thought." Anna murmured.
She stared at the screen, trying to understand her emotions. What is this, a fucking joke of fate? A wedding? In a flash, she remembered all the dreams, all the memories about the relationship with Mark. Her dreams of marriage with him, children, a happy family life.
She thought nothing connected with Mark could hurt her because in his time he extinguished her love effectually so she was at her ease, and it would be foolish to react to anything at all. And yet she felt pain. Hurt feelings, resentment. Spite. Even some hatred for him and his lady at that moment.
She just sat there, aware of what she was feeling.
"No way. It's enough for me to feel like shit!" she cursed and began to type a brief reply.
"Mark! Congratulations! Of course, I'll be at your party! About work and other things, we will talk when I arrive, long to write. See you later, Anna."
"Damn all that shit." Anna commented rather on her condition.
She didn't want to read or do anything else that day.
Chapter 88
She had never seen anything more beautiful than London. Now, she was sitting in a London cab, craning her neck to look at the passing sights and taking pictures of everything.
It was a dream come true. This was the England she had drawn maps of as a little girl. Here were the English, whose language she worshipped, running their errands. These were the places she'd read about in books. She was here! She was here! She was here!
Anna's face broke into a wide smile. She felt nothing but infinite happiness.
The taxi stopped at the campus gate of Anna's future place of work an hour later. The school was huge, in several buildings, and Anna was quickly met and shown to the dormitory for teachers.
Although it was possible to rent an apartment without problems, Anna still wanted to immerse herself in academic life, make friends with colleagues and quickly join the society. Otherwise, she would never have shown such friendliness, but this was Great Britain, baby! She wanted to know and be a friend to everyone. Logic can be immediately disabled when a child's dream becomes a reality.
Anna and Mark agreed to meet the next day, at The National Gallery square, which as always was full of people, absorbing even the noise of the endless stream of cars with their hubbub.
Anna shifted nervously from one foot to the other, afraid that Mark had forgotten the meeting. He didn't answer her calls or texts, and as she was waiting, she wondered why he was so late.
Mark came into view 20 minutes later and not alone. He was accompanied by none other than the bride-to-be herself. As he was approaching, he looked guiltily into Anna's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Anna. I know we're late, but the traffic is terrible. We got stuck in a traffic jam for an hour and a half getting here from the suburbs."
"It's okay!" Anna said, embarrassed that Mark had come with a fiancée.
"Please, let me introduce you Emilia, my future wife." as if reading her gaze, Mark hurried on. "Emily, this is Anna, my high school friend."
Emilia was actually a very beautiful woman. Tall, with a wasp waist, she was dressed stylishly, in the latest fashion. Her blonde hair was neatly styled in waves, and her minimal make-up betrayed a sophisticated taste. She smelled of expensive perfume even from a distance, and undoubtedly she made an instant positive impression even among those who should not like her at all.
However, all this impression of delight at how gorgeous beauty looks spoiled the second she opened her mouth. A gratuitous haughtiness, and an apparent hostility that Emily, even out of politeness, did not intend to conceal, at once built a wall the size of the Great Wall of China between them.
Anna hadn't planned to be best friends with someone who, if life turned out differently, literally took her place, but for the sake of decency, she was always ready to smile and be friendly when the situation demanded it.
Here, when Emilia did not even bother to pretend that she was pleased to meet her, Anna was unpleasantly embarrassed, and already foresaw that they would enjoy a tedious and unpleasant walk in the style of a "third wheel". Anna had assumed that Mark must have a good reason for bringing Emily with him, but that didn't help at all to dispel the impending bad mood.
"We know each other." Emilia grunted in response to the performance.
"Not personally." Anna corrected.
Mark, glancing nervously at the two women, hastened to suggest.
"Okay, ladies. Shall we go to a cafe? There's a great place across the street. Although even on the way there, we'll come across a lot of great eateries."
"Take us to a proper restaurant, Mark." Emily shook her head."You have a visitor, after all. It's no good taking her to a diner."
Anna raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, that is quite all right, I have literally half an hour of time, I am very..."
"Of course, I'm sorry." Mark apologized to not clear whom. "Then we'll steer to the left, and it won't take long. There is a great Italian restaurant with equally great Italian cuisine very close by."
So the company went to look for the place recommended by Mark.
Chapter 89
A few minutes later, they were sitting at a beautiful table, very similar to the interior of one of those that Anna met in Milan.
She sighed sadly and checked her phone again. While Mark did all the ordering, she decided to write a message to Teo and try her luck again.
She had completely lost all thread of understanding of the relationship in which she either was or was not. There was no point in asking, but the girl's heart was not made of stone. She missed Teo terribly, the way he talked, the way he drove, the way he had confidence in himself.
Hesitating for a moment, she wrote, "I miss you so much, Teo. Please write back."
Surprisingly, Teo answered immediately:
"And I miss you very much, Anna. But the choice was not mine."
Resentment and disappointment surged through her. Emilia saw the tears in Anna's eyes and suggested:
"Listen, Markie. Your friend looks like she's going to cry. I think you should do something, talk to her or whatever. Because I have nothing to say to her."
Mark turned from his conversation with the waiter and looked anxiously at Anna, who lowered her eyes in shame and anger, trying to wipe away the treacherous tears with her sleeve.
"Emilia, we'll leave you for a little while, okay? We'll be back shortly."
"Pf." Emilia reacted.
Mark took Anna's arm and led her out onto the balcony of the restaurant, closing the door behind them.
"What's the matter with you? What is it?" he asked anxiously.
"I-I don't know what's wrong with me!" Anna shook her head, no longer holding back her tears. "But I'm fine."
"Anna." Mark insisted."I know you better than you do. What's wrong?"
"I don't know, Mark!" Anna blurted. "I don't know what's going on in my life. I got into a love triangle and got out of it in the end absolutely alone."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, My God, Mark! Do you hear that?
"What? What do you mean?"
"The song?”
"What?"
"The song, Mark! The song is on! Do you hear it??"
"Yes, of course, I do. So what?"
"This is Iris from Sleeping With Sirens. He played me this song the very first time we saw each other on video."
"Who?"
Anna wept bitterly and Mark asked irritably:
"Anna, you speak in riddles, an
d I hate it. Tell me who you're talking about."
"Teo. I'm talking about Teo. The guy I went to on my second trip to Milan to get back at Randall for cheating on me."
"Ah, yes, your idiotic revenge. Did you succeed?"
"Managed. Randall suddenly said he loved me."
"He's thirteen years old, just like you. You're worth each other."
"But I rejected him."
"What?"
"He wanted us to be together, but I turned him down."
"You decided to stay with the other one?"
"With the other one, I believe it is all over, too..."
"Why? He left you?"
"I suppose so... But he doesn't say that. He's mad at me for the way I treated him and God knows I understand it all."
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