Emma’s POV
For several seconds, mom, dad, Lyida and I stare at each other in silence.
"Mom? Dad?" My voice trembles. I try to tell myself, try to keep the sobs inside, but they burst out anyway.
"Did you really think I let your mom adopt you and raised you because we loved you? No, Emma, you're always regarded as an investment, we educated you to be a dainty girl, but the truth is, you're a whore."
“Mom, I am your daughter, your beloved kid, dad must be so angry to tell me a lie.”Tears start to burn in my eyes, but I swallow hard and fight to keep my lips from quivering.
Mom looks straight into my eyes with sorrow, "sorry, Emma, you’re not our biological daughter.”
Tears burned in my eyes, but I swallowed hard and tried my best to keep my lower lip from quivering. “No, no, I don’t believe it.”
How will I ever know if the words that come out of my dad's and mom's mouth are real? How? They used to tell me they loved me without flinching. And then they tell me it was all a lie, and now they ask me to believe that this is true.
Dad's eyes darkened as he deliberately turns to glare at me. "I plan to let you marry my business partner, we made a deal as long as you marry him, he would invest us three billion dollars, now just because you lost your virginity, he canceled this deal."
For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm watching my entire future slip through my fingers. For the first time, I feel powerless to do anything about it.
Dad narrows his eyes, his lips tightened, and his fingers started to drum. "Do you have any idea you ruined my plan? You can bring us a huge amount of money when you marry that bloody old man, it's the only chance to repay us for feeding you food all of these years."
Dad wants me to marry an old businessman and let that man invest in our family's jewelry shop. This is a huge decision, especially for dad.
"Dad, that man is forty years old, and all my friends laugh at me for marrying him. We can think of another plan to save our business."
"Shut up!" Dad screams, and I grab my bag, too shocked and terrified to utter a syllable.
He asks me to leave like a servant. I flutter my lips, unable to hide the sadness in my voice. My eyes are imploring as I grab my dad's hands and beg him not to kick me out. "Dad, please, don't do this to me! I can't live outside."
Mom's voice cracks, "Emma..."
"Jack, if you insist to do that, I'm gonna take a divorce with you! You have no heart!" Mom is shouting at dad.
Dad knows how to shout too. “I have no heart? What about you? You antagonize me in every way possible, and delight in making me look like a villain.”
I'm afraid mom might faint because she has a heart problem. Dad always avoids quarrels with her.
"Are you threatening me?" Dad's eyes glinting like tempered steel.
Suddenly mom finds out a teeth mark on my neck, and her eyes go round with worry and shock. “Emma, this is marking bite, they must find you.”
Mom is even more nervous, I lean closer to hear more clearly.
“If these people knows Emma if these people mark Emma, and what would have happened if Emma is made a way into their hands? We will die.”
Then she stops whispering and remains silent. Confusion crosses my features, does mom mention someone is looking for me?
But dad can’t hear mom’s lower whisper, he continues to spit out the last words as if they disgusted him. “Everyone knows I have a whore daughter. Now get out of my house! You’re no longer my daughter now. You’re useless and worthless."
Tears slid down my cheeks, my heart pounds against my ribcage.
Mom and Lydia panicky grab my shoulder and hand, mom hugs me tightly, and Lydia stares at dad and keeps shooting eyes daggers at dad.
Dad ignores their begs and my desperation. He opens the front door and pushes me outside.
The morning is humid and cold. Clouds have rolled in, and there is going to be a thunderstorm, the impending rain adding to the heaviness in the atmosphere.
Raindrops start to pound in my face.
"Dad, it's raining outside, and Emma is getting wet," Lydia begs dad. Mom is frantically hugging me tightly to stop me from leaving.
"Emma should stay here with us, Emma is my daughter!" Tears slid down mom's cheeks.
"That bitch is not my daughter!" He speaks darkly to us.
The immediate panic makes me shiver, my teeth chatter, I sweat, my heart beats ridiculously fast, and my breathing quickens.
"Dad, it's raining outside, and really icy," Lydia begs.
"No! I won't allow a bitch to live in my house," he growls, and his sharp voice pierces my ears.
Enough! How long will it take for me to start feeling smothered again and again?
And regardless of my confused feeling about who I really am, whose my real biological parents are, I feel trapped now.
It's so easy to see the difference, love. Love is the difference. I know dad doesn't love me, but knowing that he never did, makes all the difference to me.
Curling my fingers into fists, I choke out. "Mom, Lydia, I have to leave."
"Jack, wait. At least, give us some time to talk." Mom sobs. She looking straightly into my eyes with sadness, these same eyes that fill with love when I was a little toddler, now filling the desperation for her grown-up daughter.
"Five minutes." He warns us before walking off. Mom wipes away my tears before hugging me briefly. Then smashing the door in front of us, the loud cracking sound is heard in the house, followed by dad's growl.
"I'm fine, mom, I'm gonna be okay." I press a gentle kiss to her cheeks before dad curses maliciously, making them jump.
A steady downpour of rain is beating against the window, I can see small floods in front of the door.
"I'm sorry, Emma." Mom apologizes to me, checking her watch. I smile before the curtain closes, and dad still cursing loudly. My sister Lydia sniffs her nose, takes off her clothes and hands them to me.
"Put it on, sis, it will make you warm. You can drive my car, I can ride your bicycle to go to college." The rain soaks my clothes and my hair. Lydia says as she notices I shiver.
At least someone loves me, I talk to myself, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.
"Thank you, Lydia," I hug her, she sadly nods her head and hugs me back in response.
Lydia whispers to my ear, "I bought some new clothes, jeans, hoodies and some girlie stuff last week and forgot to bring them home, it's all yours. Remember to wear them immediately before driving the car, they will keep you dry and stay warm."
Mom hands me her wallet, there are thousands of dollars and a credit card. " Here, take these. If you need more money, just call me, Emma."
Dad looks out the window, a disappointed face shows on his face, he raises a clenched fist and hit a wall.
“Lydia, there is one important thing I need to tell you. A college named Nevermore called me yesterday, they offered you a full scholarship to study there.”
The school for outcasts? Nevermore usually accepts students who get high scores on the ACT, why do they want me? My scores are not enough to go to that place.
But this is the only place I can go, there are no other options.
“And Emma, your biological parents didn’t abandon you, they gave me a huge amount of money to raise you, they promised me to bring you home when you were ten years old, but somehow they called me they were in danger and warned me never mention to anyone where are you from, even to your dad.”
“Can you tell me where are my parents?”I ask her and swallow hard.
“They didn’t tell me the location, but they did mention a place - Nevermore. And yesterday the principal of Nevermore mentioned your biological parents had studied there when they were young, and your biological parent's family has a long history with the school. If you're looking for your parents, it is a perfect place to start your investment. "
I nod my head and don’t know what to say.
Lydia rushes running outside, and she passes me a big bag, "I put your laptop and your Id cards in this bag and a mail from Nevermore, you can drive to your college now. Call us when you arrive."
"So, you two will come to Nevermore to take a visit one day?" I ask mom.
“Yes, we will. And you can share some photos, tell news about your college life, like having a boyfriend.” Lydia winks at me.
"We can use Skype, it's convenient, and I can see your pretty smile when I miss you," Mom says.
Biting my lower lip, I nod and not saying a word. That is as good as I'm expecting. Dad and mom won't argue with each other, they're soul mates, and it's impossible for mom to go against dad.
"You three have one minute to say goodbye now!" Dad shouts to us behind the door.
"Emma!" Lydia stands there helpless, with my shoulders captured by her. I give her a big hug, and touch her hair, tears dropping down like a flood. A sob escapes from her mouth.
"Sis, you know I'm good at lying to dad. I will slip away and visit you once you arrive at your college. It's a promise." Her hairs soak from the rain, and her face is covered by rain and her tears.
"Call us, no matter what happened." Mom chokes out and kisses my hand.
"I will, mom."
"Emma, take care of yourself," mom tells me while Lydia gives me her car key.
Rushing down the steps as my body keeps shivering, taking my breath away. Clutching the banister, I grit my teeth, pain making me cry out.
Emma’s POVOne Week Later9:28 pmIt is a chilly day, but I feel warm and dry thanks to Lydia's clothes and mom's money. I lift up my head, the moon is big in the midnight sky like it's trying to brighten up my heart.I stop at a gas station to add some fuel and buy some warm food to eat. After spending several days and nights in the car, I also want to find a place to take a shower, but most of all, I need to change a tire.I keep telling myself that once I arrive at Nevermore, I'll be safe and have a roof over my head to sleep.Opening my pocket, thousands of dollars are hiding down there. Lydia gave me two thousand dollars, mom passed me five thousand dollars. Gee, thanks, mom and Lydia, I love you. I think to myself.I sigh. That will buy enough gas and some food for a few days, I need more money to feed my stomach and have a normal life.Then I find a purse, open it and I find ten thousand dollars. She want to buy a new computer so she worked hard to save money, she gave me all h
Emma’s POVOne month later"Emma, wait!" My landlord Tara's sharp voice pierces my ears, which makes me cringe.My eyes scan my surroundings nervously, hoping she doesn't notice me. The rent is one month late. Holding my bag to cover my face, I try to hide behind a big vase, but I fail when she hisses with so much anger that I wince at her intensity."Emma!" She reaches me in an instant, I nervously grip my sweater tightly while her eyes keep shooting daggers."I need your rent, you promised me to give it last night." Her breathing is hard and she looks ready to kick my butt.She has dark eyes and short shoulder-length dark hair that frames her face nicely, and the high neck short black dress shows off her long legs. She is a real beauty, but no one dares have the nerve not to give her rent."Hi, it's nice to see you, Tara." I greet her, pretending as though I hadn't tried to escape from her earlier. My attic room's rent is 1000 dollars per month, but I cost a lot on buying a bed, cha
Emma’s POVThinking about the next two months’ rent, food and transport fees, I need more money.With little professional experience and a bad economy, three months' salary is not enough to support me have a normal life.Suddenly my phone rings."Hello?""Emma? Where are you?" Roberta asks me.“Home. I prepare to go to our coffee shop five hours later.”"Okay..uh... there's a problem." She pauses. Oh, I know. Every time she feels pity about doing something, she always uses this tone.I hold my breath, waiting for the bad news."Uh... My brother and I had a little accident, he broke his neck and we're at Vegas' hospital.""What? Where are you? I'll drive my car and be there as fast as I can. Or do you want me to open the coffee shop alone?""Whoa, hold on! It's no biggy, I'm fine, just need to take care of my brother tonight.""And...Emma, my brother and I need you to do something very important. We need your help. He owns a club, and every night he needs to go to the club. But he’s in
Emma’s POV"Sorry, I think I wander into the wrong area, this is for VIP customers only," I shout in panic.Instantly I want to run away as my eyes land on him which is way more possessive in person than in front of the stage.My guess is right, that man is Jordy.Only his body moves quickly, cutting off my exit, my wrists are captured by him and can't move an inch. I struggle against his hold and try to grab onto something, rather than stand here helpless."No, baby. I’m waiting for you. I've never seen you here, when did you move to our city?" His finger rubs back and forth on my lips."One...week ago... I was struggling to make ends meet in my hometown, and I'm just a new one here, it's my first day." I lie to him.The next second, Jordy easily pulls me to my feet and I lose my footing, tipping forward and my palm pressing against his rock-hard chest.He is still so hot. I can feel his heartbeat beneath my hands, and it beats faster and faster.“Tell me your name, you smell familia
Emma’s POVI drive home at the midnight, checking the time on my phone... one forty am. I look seeing I have five misses called and one text massage all from Roberta. The last one she sends only one minute ago.I start to read it.Emma, James told me what happened, I'm sorry for that. James shouldn't persuade you to dance like a stripper. I sign and open my envelope, I earn 10,000 dollars in fifteen minutes, and I want to scream, drink beers and celebrate. For the next month, I have enough money to support my normal life.Stopping the car around the coffee shop, I open my car window and look at the sky blankly, wanting to make myself a cup of coffee.Suddenly, I hear several men's voices, I notice some drunk guys hoovering around the shop. Their bodies reek of alcohol, and dirt stains on their jeans and hoodie. Their hair is a big mess.It's a small and silent street, and there's no one around me except them."Hey, chick!" One of the guys finds me, "are you looking for some fun?"Ton
Emma's POVI wake up to the feeling of a strong scent, my eyes open and go around in shock.Austin's sleeping face next to me.I relax a little and allow myself to enjoy looking at him.He's gorgeous like an angel when he's sleeping. Thank god, that his eyes are not open and not concentrate on me, so I can enjoy this moment.I have the sudden urge to run my hands up his smooth jaw and touch it.I lift my hand towards his face, running up his jaw slowly and back behind his neck. I caress his black silky hair at the nape of his neck, and breath his scent deeply.His scent smell like vanilla cinnamon, like homemade cookies, or boy-next-door. My fingers touch his long eyelashes rose to reveal his eyes underneath.Then my head presses against his chest and the sensation of his strong chest molding itself against my ear is irresistible.My eyes are closed."Morning, Emma! Are you satisfied with my body?" His eyebrows frown as he grabs my hand, I can hear happiness in his tone.I open my eye
Emma’s POVFinding out about Austin's condoms shocked me and distressed my heart, I tell myself that he will betray me even if I have a crush on him.I keep on living a normal life and try my best not to think about him. Because my heart hurts so much every time I miss him.Today the fuggy bacon-scented warmth of the coffee shop, the busts of cool air as the door opens and closed. The low murmur of conversation, trading jokes or comments over the mugs of steaming coffee.After the lunchtime rush has ended, and with the coffee shop empty, I wipe my hands on the apron, come out from behind the plate and turn the CLOSED sign to face the street."Roberta, may I ask you a question?" I have to ask, praying to get some truth I want to need."Yes?" She asks, twisting a coffee towel between her hand and looking a bit more uncomfortable than I have ever seen her.I lean over, saying in a low voice, "um... I hear Austin is looking for his second chance mate, what happened about the first one?"A
Emma’s POV"Okay, that will be all for today. No homework and papers. Have a nice weekend." The professor dismisses us all, and we gather our computers and book to leave.It's my first day in Nevermore, and luckily my classmates and professors are very nice.I watch my phone and ready to go to see Roberta after the long day.I rush outside and turn the corner onto the street, and see many luxurious cars outside, which means this place is heaven for rich students, except me."Emma, what are you doing here?" Someone grabs my shoulder and forces me to stop walking.I turn my head and notice Barbara and her friends staring at me. She seems shocked for a short moment but quickly changes her expression."I'm a student."She wears a sarcastic smile, "student? Nevermore is not a suitable place for homeless waitress like you."“What do you intend to do?”She looks so mean that a momentary pang of anger pierced my tough hide."Drop out and leave Nevermore, and stop being a whore," she suggests