"And now... the winner of the... Global Impact Award... is Annalise Grey." The announcement echoed through the grand room, and a heavy silence descended.
"Annalise Grey!? That's impossible! I haven't heard her name in a decade!" Muffled voices emerged from the crowd.
"Is this thing rigged? Who even is Annalise?"
"That bitch is still alive!?"
"This is outrageous. There must be a mistake."
In the corner of the grand hall, a smirk crossed Annalise's face. She was the Annalise everyone was talking about, her green eyes sparkling with amusement at the buzz surrounding her. She felt a rush of pride, knowing she had finally made it and proved herself. Rising from her seat in a sleek black gown that accentuated her frame, she strode confidently towards the podium, all eyes on her—some in disbelief, others glaring daggers.
Yet, amid the skepticism, some were genuinely pleased to see her triumph.
As she reached the podium, she bowed subtly to the announcer, who welcomed her with a charming smile. With the spotlight illuminating her, gasps filled the room. "IT IS ANNALISE!"
She accepted the award from the announcer, their hands shaking briefly for a photograph, and then all focus shifted to her. Her gaze swept across the audience before settling on the award, a radiant smile breaking across her face.
"Anna, you did it," she whispered to herself, tears welling in her eyes.
You did it...
You did it...
Annalise had once lived as a spoiled princess, believing her wealth was infinite. She felt entitled, mean, and completely unaware that her extravagant lifestyle would end. She lost everything, plunging into hopelessness. It was a dark nightmare that she wanted to escape, but it became her harsh reality. The moment she chose to rise and transform into the formidable woman she had become, everything changed. She was proud to achieve her goal; for the first time, she felt like she had truly worked hard for something. This award was the result of countless hours of sweat, tears, and dedication.
****How did we get here?****
It all began at the Grey mansion...
Annalise was engrossed in her phone while a maid stood behind, combing her hair as she had ordered. Everything seemed fine at the beginning until a scowl settled on her face as the maid continued combing through her hair.
"Be gentle, you fool!" Annalise frowned hard at her.
"I'm so sorry, Anna" The maid's voice quivered fearfully.
She placed the brush gently on Anna's hair to continue brushing, her fingers trembling and body sweating, but ended up yanking at it. Anna gnashed her teeth in anger now.
"I'm so sorry, Anna, I didn't mean to" The maid muttered, worry contorting her face. She wondered what she was doing wrong.
"Just get on with it" Anna waved her off dismissively.
The maid brushed again but it yanked Anna's hair harder.
Anna was now convinced that this maid was trying to kill her, but she didn't know that the maid wasn't doing it on purpose.
The maid was yanking it painfully due to an unnoticed knot.
Annalise shot up from her chair, swiveled on her heels and glared at the maid.
"I told you to be careful! You're ruining my scalp!" Anna snapped, her voice sharp and demanding.
She touched her hair, wanting to know what the cause was exactly until she noticed one hard knot. "You fool, you mean to tell me, you didn't see this knot? And you just wanted to brush through it!?"
The maid fell to her knees, gripping the brush tightly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see it," she stammered, tears already brimming in her eyes, aware this was only the beginning of her misery.
Anna seized a handful of hair and yanked the maid's head up, her voice seething with anger. Then hit her across the face.
"Did you feel that? Now you know how it hurts when someone pulls your hair!" She barked.
Anna then began to massage her own head.
The maid bowed her head, tears streaming down her stinging face. "Please, I'm so sorry! I was stupid to have not noticed it—"
Annalise smirked cruelly. "You're right; you're stupid. And now you're fired. Get out of my sight and don't ever come back," she declared, her voice icy and authoritative.
"Please, I have nowhere else to go!" the maid begged.
"That's not my problem. Leave before I decide to teach you a lesson on manners," Anna shot back, stepping forward to assert her dominance.
The maid scrambled to her feet and hurriedly handed back the brush before slipping out of the room, tears still falling. Annalise scoffed in satisfaction and began brushing her hair herself. "Next time, I'll do it myself," she muttered, irritation still evident on her face.
Just then, her mother, Keira Grey, entered the room, a concerned look on her face.
"What happened? I heard you shouting," Keira said, approaching Annalise, ignoring the fact that the maid had been crying when she ran out of the room.
"It was the maid, but don't worry, Mother. She's been fired," Anna replied as she approached her mother and they shared a hug.
Keira didn't say anything about that. "I hope you didn't let her get on your nerves. You know how I feel about you stressing yourself."
"You don't need to worry, Mom. I'm perfectly fine now" She said, trying to calm herself down although she was still angry that the stupid maid had yanked her hair.
Keira nodded firmly, "Alright, I'll bring in another maid to assist you. But first, what do you need right now?"
Anna's response was quick, "The maid was supposed to wash my dress and my undies after brushing my hair, but she's gone now" she pouted, clearly frustrated. "Can you do it, Mom?"
"I'll take care of everything myself," Keira assured her without hesitation.
"You are the best mom," Anna said with a large smile, wrapping her arms around her. Keira returned the embrace with a smile.
Keira gathered all of Anna's clothes, including her underwear, and took them to handle the laundry herself while Anna flopped onto the bed, scrolling through her phone.
Annalise was nearly 18 but was entirely dependent on others. She was so spoiled that sometimes she was carried to bed. She had never actually done any work in her life. Her days consisted solely of shopping, vacations, and outings. She lived like a princess and fully expected that to continue.
She often thought, "The doers of good are always blessed," yet she had never actually done anything meaningful. She had never lifted a finger to contribute in any way but she enjoyed it all.