In "Family Ties," the Moretti family is everything, or so they thought. But beneath the surface of loyalty lies a web of betrayal and lies. In the heart of this tangled mess, the Morettis struggle to find their footing, torn apart by secrets and dec...
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The bar was a sanctuary, a haven from the storm raging within me. The dim lights, the mellow music, it was all a blur. All I could see was the empty glass in front of me, a mocking reminder of the drink I so desperately craved.
What do I gotta do to get a fucking drink around here" I demanded, my voice rough with desperation.
"We don't open for another two hours," Athena said, her tone sharp. "And you know damn well you can't be in this part of town."
"Well your little associate could have told me that before she swindled me out of a hundred bucks and left," I spat out, my anger rising. "What kind of place is this, where a kid's running the show?"
"I don't even know why Annalise let you in here, And I own this place. You shouldn't have made a deal with a 14 year old anyway" she shot back, her eyes flashing with anger. "And maybe if you weren't such a hot mess, you'd have noticed the 'Closed' sign."
"I just need a drink," I pleaded, my hands shaking. "I need to...to clear my head."
"Well you can't get that here," she said, her voice softening slightly. "But I can see you're in bad shape. What happened?"
The words tumbled out, a rush of bitter resentment. "I walked in on my wife...with another man. ...she was fucking him"
"The same wife you disrespected and cheated on" she said, leaning back in her chair. "Now your having a meltdown"
"I'm not having a melting down," I snarled, my grip on the glass tightening. "I just...I just need a drink."
"Then maybe you should try calling a shrink instead of a bartender," she shot back, her eyes hard. "Because you're not getting one here."
"You don't understand," I blurted out, my voice raw with desperation. "I need to...I need to make things right. With her. With myself."
"And you think the drunk version of you will fix it?" she asked
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. They were true, and I knew it. I had destroyed everything that mattered to me, and now I was pathetically clinging to the hope that a bottle of whiskey would be the magic wand that fixed it all.
"I don't know," I whispered
There was a pause, and then Athena let out a heavy sigh. "Alright," she said, surprising me. "You can stay. But you're not getting a drink."
A wave of shame washed over me, hot and humiliating. I was a grown man, reduced to begging for a drink from a woman who had every reason to tell me to rot. But there was also a flicker of hope in her words. A glimmer that maybe, just maybe, she saw a chance to help me.
As I sat there, lost in my thoughts, I was dimly aware of Athena moving around the bar. She was a silent presence, a constant in the chaos of my mind. Then, to my surprise, she returned with a book.
