Chapter 29
Ani
Ani walked through the doors of Kami’s family’s mansion, so sore between her legs, she was sure everyone could tell. No one could, of course, but she felt like it was written all over her face: fucked into oblivion.
Oh my God, Raffi was a sex god. It wasn’t just his technique; it was how intense he was about everything. She could practically feel his possessive thoughts about her as he drove in again and again. Mine. Mine.
They’d spent hours together, and still she could have more. A lifetime more. Wow. That was a thought. A big thought, and she liked it. Oh, she held on to it like a precious creature, stroking its soft ears and whispering to it, encouraging it to grow and thrive.
He must have put that into her head when he asked her about kids. An irrational part of her brain almost wanted to yank out her IUD with her bare hands and tell him to go for it. Obviously not, but as she’d told him, one day.
She took a deep breath and slunk into her room.
They didn’t need her today, so she’d spend it prepping for tomorrow.
The actual wedding. Today, the tea ceremony was run by one of Grace’s family’s planners.
It must have been over by now because Kami’s family was back at the home, from what Ani could tell.
And tonight, the family wanted to lie low, inviting Grace’s close family over for a private chef dinner right here at the house.
Everything was taken care of by the house staff, so Ani could hide away. Relax and plan.
She woke up to a knock on her door, not realizing she had fallen asleep. The sun had set now, and Ani tried not to sound groggy when she asked, “Who is it?”
“Grace,” came a voice.
Her client. Ani jumped to the edge of the bed, straightened out her clothes, and called, “Come in.”
Grace entered and Ani rose. Ani meant to give her a quick hug, but Grace held on a bit tighter, then let go. “I’m so sorry,” Grace said, “about the article today. That’s horrible, and you should not have had to go through that.”
“Oh. Oh, that is so nice of you to say.”
Ani thought Grace had come to give her a rundown of the tea ceremony, or check in on some last-minute items for tomorrow. But no, Grace was there to share her kindness.
Grace continued, “I called them and let their celebrity editor know it wasn’t you who cut the hose. That we all had it under control. That we all trust you and you have been so on top of everything.”
Grace looked like she wanted to say more. Ani’s chest tightened, and she braced herself. “But?” she asked.
Staring down at her feet, Grace said, “They were pretty interested in you. Being Mimi’s ex, planning the wedding. I didn’t— I’m really sorry to drag you into all this. Fame is fun in some ways, but it also sucks. Especially when it hurts people around you.”
Ani gave a half smile, trying to put on a brave face. “It’s not your fault. I appreciate you sharing with me.”
Grace nodded. “Anyway, just—be careful, I guess. They’re snooping around us and you’re not excluded, even after my call.
The very snobby editor made sure to tell me that he couldn’t keep sizzling news out of his paper, were he to uncover anything juicy.
He actually used that word, ‘juicy.’ Ew.
So I’m not sure how I can help, but I wanted to give you the heads-up.
Let me know if I can do anything. Seriously. ”
Ani bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her worry from seeping out. “Sure. Thanks, Grace. Don’t worry about me; just get some good rest tonight so you can enjoy your big day.”
Grace gave her a smile and left the room.
The rest of the night, Ani planned, checked, double- and triple-checked everything for the next day. Nothing would go wrong. Everything was prepped and in perfect order, but Grace’s words rang in her head and she had trouble sleeping.
Ani woke up the morning of the wedding before anyone else. She wasn’t sure she’d slept at all. Maybe an hour or two. Her body ached and protested at her insistence on getting up. But it didn’t matter, because there was a huge day to plan, and she was going to give it her all.
She showered, dressed, put on professional makeup, and checked her watch. Right on time for everyone to wake up before the hair and makeup team arrived. Ani knocked on doors, was cheerful and firm, and ushered everyone to the kitchen to get a few bites to eat.
Ani strode to the front doors as the doorbell rang and opened them to the makeup team and the photographer and videographer. The hair and makeup crew got started exactly as planned. One hour of sleep be damned, Ani thought, I’ve got this.
She wove through the bridal party, grabbing muffins for people and giving opinions on shades of eyeshadow.
She and Kami made eye contact and smiled politely.
Ani, feeling a little bad about how harsh she was the day before—even though she knew she needed to be—told Kami, “You don’t have any makeup on, and you already look radiant. ”
Kami gave a demure smile and said, “It’s the cryogenic face mask I put on this morning.”
As Ani made her rounds, she felt the air shift around her.
Not as many animated conversations. More hushed, whispered.
Then, glances in Ani’s direction. Stolen glances.
Ani made eye contact with Kami’s bridesmaid cousin, who promptly snapped her gaze back down to her phone.
Something molten formed in the pit of Ani’s stomach.
She wanted to know, but she really didn’t want to know. Not here. Not today.
Then Kami called for her, sounding cautious, even nervous. “Ani?”
Kami had been keeping her distance from Ani but not in a passive-aggressive way, more in an I-am-sort-of-scared-of-you-now way.
Ani approached her ex and sat on the edge of a chair while Kami’s hair was being twisted into tight ringlets that would later be set loose. “Just so you know,” Kami started, “I don’t believe it at all. Okay?”
That was when the dread truly took hold of Ani. A chill shook through her, and Ani shivered, anticipating, terrified.
“Daily Mail again?” Ani asked.
Kami nodded.
“Can I see?” Ani asked, figuring it was already up on Kami’s phone.
Kami held it up. Ani took a deep breath and read the headline:
EXCLUSIVE: Grace Zhang’s Wedding Planner on the Brink of Financial Ruin!
Reporting by Basil Wentworth
Oh God, no, no, no, no. She’d expected a headline about her and Kami’s past, possibly about her still pining for Kami, or photos of her and Raffi hooking up. But not this. This was the secret that no one but her and the banks knew. And it was true.
The truth of it, the bare-naked truth of her shame, splashed all over one of the world’s largest tabloids, was almost too much to bear.
But she had to read what the article said.
“Just give me a second,” Ani said. She trembled on the way to her room and shut the door behind her. She found the article, saw her face plastered in between Grace’s and Kami’s, and read.
The Daily Mail has uncovered exclusive details about Ani Avakian (30), the wedding planner behind freshly minted shooting star Grace Zhang (27) and entrepreneur Kami Mardian’s (30) highly anticipated nuptials.
While the world waits for what promises to be the wedding of the year, it seems that Ani’s personal life is far from the picture-perfect image she projects.
Our in-depth investigating revealed that Ani Avakian is teetering on the brink of financial ruin. The wedding planner who so far has only serviced more modest clientele is reportedly $50,000 in debt, having resorted to personal loans just to maintain her lifestyle.
Questions are swirling about how Ani’s precarious financial situation might impact the high-profile wedding she’s been entrusted with. Did Kami Mardian, her former flame, hire Ani out of pity, making her a charity case rather than the best choice for the job?
As the big day approaches, many are wondering whether Ani will be able to pull off the event of the year, or if her money troubles will cause yet another disaster for the happy couple.
With the pressure mounting and the eyes of the world upon her, Ani is undoubtedly feeling the heat.
Based on her online portfolio, a wedding of this grand scale is far out of Ani’s comfort zone.
Will she rise to the occasion, or will her financial woes lead to yet another headline-worthy snafu?
One thing’s for sure—Grace Zhang’s wedding is shaping up to be far more dramatic than the role she plays on-screen opposite Robert De Niro in her upcoming film Mafia Princess. Stay tuned as we continue to bring you the latest updates on this unfolding saga.
She felt like this reporter had reached through the phone and stabbed her. The humiliation nearly overcame her.
A charity case. Her modest clientele. Her inability to handle a wedding like Grace and Kami’s. That was all true. Even if Kami didn’t know it when she hired her, there was no denying it was true.
At least one thing she could defend. Her lifestyle?
Please, Basil, she thought, she didn’t have a lifestyle.
She lived in a beat-up apartment with a roommate, driving her fifteen-year-old car, and the fanciest thing she did was style cheaper outfits to look nice.
She owned a dress that was more expensive than her entire wardrobe put together, but that was Raffi’s doing, not hers.
Raffi.
Hopefully he wouldn’t see this article. It wasn’t the biggest news of the day, not by far. It’s possible he could have missed it.
However, the Armenian community talked, and she was sure at the very least it’d be widely circulated. He’d find out. He’d find out she’d kept this secret from him.
After everything they went through yesterday, how they were both, she felt, on the brink of telling each other they loved each other, of proposing a lifelong commitment, that she still held back from him. Didn’t trust him enough to share. What did it say about her and her relationship with Raffi?