The Beginning of Resistance
990 Words
That morning, the atmosphere in the Schneider house felt just like any other—cold and full of pressure. Sonia sat in the dining room with a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper while giving orders to Anna.
“Make sure the vineyard’s inventory report is done by this afternoon. You know how important that is,” she said without looking up.
Anna merely nodded. But inside her heart, something had changed. She no longer felt afraid or small in front of Sonia. Now, she began to see Sonia not as a threat, but as a challenge to face.
---
While Anna was cleaning Rio’s office upstairs, she found something interesting—a stack of financial documents lying on the desk. She wasn’t used to touching Rio’s personal belongings, but the documents caught her attention.
She saw large figures written there, accompanied by Rio and Claudia’s signatures. At the bottom, there was a stamp from a bank in the city.
“A big loan for the vineyard?” Anna muttered, confused. Rio had never mentioned this.
She stared at the documents longer, trying to understand what was going on. From what she saw, it seemed that Rio had taken out a substantial loan, with the vineyard as collateral. But why had he never mentioned this to her?
Anna felt a bad premonition growing. Was Claudia involved in this decision?
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That evening, at dinner, Anna decided to try to dig for information.
“Rio, I saw some documents in your office earlier. About the loan for the vineyard. Are you facing some problems?” she asked carefully.
Rio, who was cutting his steak, suddenly stopped. Sonia immediately glared at Anna.
“You shouldn’t have touched those documents,” Rio said firmly.
“I just wanted to know,” Anna replied, her voice steady. “If there’s anything I can help with…”
“You don’t know anything about this business, Anna,” Sonia interrupted. “Rio has worked hard enough to manage everything. Don’t add to his burden with unnecessary questions.”
Anna clenched her fists under the table. “I just want to be part of the big decisions in this family.”
“Then focus on your tasks,” Sonia replied coldly.
Rio didn’t say anything, just continued eating with a stiff expression.
---
After dinner, Anna decided to speak to Rio privately in their room.
“Rio,” she began softly, “I know I might not be a big part of your business, but I’m your wife. I just want you to be honest with me.”
Rio looked at her with a tired expression. “Anna, I’m not hiding anything. I just don’t want to burden you with work problems.”
“But that loan is huge,” Anna continued, her voice shaking. “Are you sure this is the right decision? And why is Claudia involved in this?”
Rio sighed, then sat at the edge of the bed. “Claudia has connections that helped us get approval for that loan. It’s all for the vineyard, Anna. You have to trust me.”
“How can I trust you, Rio, if you won’t even talk to me about important things like this?”
Rio stood up, clearly not wanting to continue this conversation. “Anna, I’m tired. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
---
In the following days, Anna felt increasingly distant from Rio. She tried to find answers on her own. While Sonia was busy with her guest in the living room, Anna sneaked into Rio’s office.
She opened the desk drawers, searching for something that could explain the real situation. In one locked drawer, she found a small key hidden under a notebook. When she opened it, she found another document—a partnership agreement between Rio, Claudia, and a businessman named Marco.
The name Marco made her remember the man she had seen with Claudia at the market a few days ago.
“Why does this name keep coming up?” Anna murmured.
From the contents of the contract, Anna learned that the vineyard had been included as part of a joint investment. Claudia and Marco held significant shares, more than Anna had imagined.
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That evening, Anna decided to confront Claudia directly. When Claudia came to visit the house, Anna waited for her in the garden.
“Claudia, I need to talk,” she said firmly, stopping Claudia’s steps.
Claudia smiled sweetly, but there was a mocking tone in her voice. “Of course, Anna. What’s up?”
“Why is your name in the partnership contract for our vineyard? And who exactly is Marco?”
Claudia chuckled softly, then said, “Anna, you’re too naive to understand this world. Marco is our business partner, and I’m just helping to ensure everything goes smoothly. No need to worry.”
“But why was everything done without my knowledge? I’m part of this family,” Anna replied, her voice rising.
Claudia stepped closer, looking at Anna with a cold smile. “You may be Rio’s wife, but you don’t have a say in this. This business is too big to be handled by someone like you.”
Claudia’s words stabbed Anna’s heart, but she refused to back down.
“You might think I’m weak, Claudia,” she said firmly, “but I won’t sit back while you try to take something valuable from me.”
Claudia just laughed softly and walked away, leaving Anna with a burning anger in her chest.
---
Anna knew this wasn’t the time to keep being patient. She had to do something. She started planning small steps to fight back, beginning with finding out more about Claudia and Marco. If she wanted to protect the vineyard—and herself—she had to become smarter and bolder.
That night, for the first time, Anna didn’t feel afraid. She felt ready to fight.
- Writer
