Hannah took her food to her car, carefully opening the different little tiny blind bag hats. They were really adorable. They had different hats you could get that were the perfect size to put on a cat. But they looked adorable and silly on a full grown woman. Which was why Hannah was having fun putting a mini dark blue fedora on her head. She looked in the mirror and giggled before putting it away. At the very least for today she had to follow the normal routine as best as she remembered it. 

That meant a drive to the abandoned gas station. Going home. Carefully tucking away the clothes under her mattress to hand wash later. And then work on the packing. Currently everything was slowly getting packed up back home. She had decided to move to a property recently built right next door, letting her mother keep the family home for now. Especially since her brothers were living in the east and west wings. 

Hannah had no desire to kick them out at this time. But she knew as she worked on moving everything over, cameras were being installed in the new home. With speakers. The speakers would make her think she was crazy and drive her back to her mothers home. Giving her oldest brother the new place for him and his wife. Leaving Hannah in the clutches of the people who did the most harm. Her mother. Russett. And Chip.

So what would be the best option? 

Sadly going and screaming at them she knew their plans would not work. Technically, it didn't work when she had years worth of evidence. It may be why she was blown up. It was that or horribly timed bad luck. Hannah supposed she’d never know. 

As Hannah pulled into the gas station, she mulled over the events in her mind. Originally, Chip wanted to have a private place away from her mother, so he could continue to ‘not cheat’ without her ‘judgement’. Obviously that changed at some point. If anything he became worse after they moved in. Her mother pretending not to see anything, even when Chip and this waitress made out in front of them at the restaurant. The only reason Hannah didn’t think she was hallucinating was a waitress told them off in front of Hannah. Even going as far as to slap Chip.

God, that had been satisfying to watch. Hannah might have bribed someone for a copy of the footage. She smiled at the memory as she unwrapped her burger. She was going to eat this slowly. Not only was this body in a state of starvation, but she hadn’t been allowed to have anything past dry grilled chicken in years from her perspective. Heaven forbid Hannah be a size 14 instead of a size 10. Or better a size 6. The corsets. Workouts. The meals she couldn’t eat or take part in. All of that needed to stop.

But how fast? Ideally, she’d like it to start today. In order to do that, she’d need a solid reason for the sudden change in behavior. Hannah couldn’t think of anything off the top of her head. What could have changed in one afternoon?

Her phone started buzzing. Still chewing her food she carefully swiped on her phone, trying to see who was trying to get a hold of her. It was just Chip. Letting her know he’d be checking out the new home. And reminding her she needed to go down two sizes since the bridal shop swore they couldn’t let the dress out.

Ugh. That dress.

It had been her dream princess dress. Only for it to be turned into a nightmare. At the wedding she barely fit into it. It split half way down the aisle. That evening no one would give her anything to eat. Or even a piece of her own wedding cake. Not even for a cute cake smash picture. When she tried to get half a slice, her mother had flipped it upside down and pressed it into the table. 

“If you’re going to be a pig you can eat it like one. Otherwise no cake.” Mrs. Kerr told her in a harsh whisper.

Hannah couldn’t bring herself to eat hardly anything for a few weeks after that. Dr. Fry nearly had to send her to a clinic. Thankfully, the fear of having to talk to anyone but her encouraged her to eat properly again. She just had to be on the phone with Dr Fry each meal. Listening to her gentle encouragement.

Now here she was. Finishing off a cold from the drive burger as Chip sent his third message. He wasn’t used to her not responding once the therapy sessions were done. The Hannah of this time was very quick to respond. Ever pleasing. Like a damned golden retriever. 

“Well. I’m going to be a different kind of bitch soon, Chip.” She looked at the messages coming in, only to see other messages starting up. From the PR team. Her Mother. And a incoming call from Beauregard of all people.

He never called.

Well. Not unless her mother made him. 

Why was he calling?

She opened up the special hat sauce packet and squeezed it onto the fries as she answered the phone with her free hand. How did she answer the phone back then? Oh right.

“Hannah Kerr, soon to be Hannah Kerr-Nall. How can I help you?” She answered sweetly.

Beauregard’s voice hesitated. “Hannah? Is that you talking or do you have someone answering for you.”

Hannah had to bite her tongue for a moment. “It’s me, big brother. Why?”

“It’s just you were stuttering badly this morning. It normally takes you a few days to recover from that.” His voice was tinged with concern. 

It was probably fake. After all, he helped with all those plans their mother had. Hannah shouldn’t trust it.

Part of her really wanted to though.

“Oh I had a really good session.”

“Are you sure? Because I saw videos of you online. Tech company Heiress buys out fast food store?! What did you do today?” He hesitated again. “Are you having a mental breakdown?”

Shit.

Shit.

Think fast Hannah.

“No. I just was driving by and remembered. Well. Do you remember when dad would try to take you out in regular society? Just to see what it was like?” Hannah asked hopefully. Trying not to let the strain come out in her voice.

“Yes. But it was honestly a waste of time. The poor are poor because they don’t know how to handle themselves most of the time.” He sighed. “So what, were you trying to remember the good times with father? In your pajamas no less?”

Hannah pulled her shirt forward, looking at the faded state silk screen image. Her dad had bought this with her at some little tourist trap. Ok. She could work with this. 

“Kinda. My homework today was to come in something comfortable people don’t normally see me in. And as I was heading out, I saw the fast food place and thought about how dad said places like that people went to because it was what they could afford.”

“And you bought the place?” There was an attempt on his part to keep an understanding tone at least. Hannah appreciated that. Even if it was an act.

She took a quick bite of a fry, trying to swallow before he noticed. You know, they weren’t half bad. 

“No. I spent five thousand on a gift card they could use to treat people the rest of the day. Or at least part of it.” She paused for a moment, trying to calculate the total meals in her mind. “Well, a bit over 470 meals I suppose depending on what people get.”

“Hannah.”

“Beau.”

“Don’t shorten my name.” He responded shortly. “You can’t just do that. And now the world just sees you as the 20 something trying to slum it while she buys greasy fast food. Mother is furious since you are supposed to be on a diet.”

“Well, I can’t be on that diet anymore. It’s bad for me.” Hannah kept talking as she knocked over her purse trying to get a handkerchief out for her fingers. As she did, out fell a pack of mints. The plastic case rattling loudly. 

There was a moment of silence before Beauregard carefully spoke up. “Hannah. What was that?”

Oh. Oh he thought this was… perfect. It’d explain the personality change. It’d explain away a lot of things!

“That? That’s my new pills. Dr. Fry dispensed some for me during the session and I get my full prescription at the pharmacy later today. But I can’t have an empty stomach. I need to have a more regular diet with it, or it might have unintended side effects.” Hannah tried to talk quickly, praying he wouldn’t call her out.

“I see. Hannah?”

“Yes Big Brother?”

“You’re doing that thing when you aren’t being honest. I better see something that’s actually prescribed or we are getting you drug tested tonight. You can’t be high and running the company. Stress or not.”

Fuck.

“You got it. I’ll show you later. Ok? But for now I’m going to finish my fries and then go pick up everything. Love you. Bye!”

 She hung up, feeling her phone buzz more with messages from all sorts of assistants, her controlling fiance, and a mother who would be happy if Hannah looked like a skeleton. None of those messages mattered right now.

Now she needed to do the most stereotypical rich person thing to do and beg her doctor for a prescription she didn’t need.

Her father was probably rolling in his grave after all the don’t do drugs talks he gave Hannah.