Prologue

One moment.

That's all it takes for your life to change completely.

One

Single

Moment

That's all it takes,

To fall in love

To fall out of love

To lose your soul

To die

I stand in front of the freshly made grave.

In front of the person who meant everything to me.

It has been one month since the funeral but the disbelief and shock still haven't worn off.

The feeling of complete and utter loneliness consumes me.

I am completely alone.

"Why did you leave me mom?" I stutter.

The tears start flowing again.

Why did this happen?

Why now, just when we'd started to be happy again?

My mother's final words echo in my head;

"I want you to go back Scarlett. Go back home to your father. I want you to forgive him. You can't keep running away from your life like this."

My hands curl into fists.

Forgive him?

She wants me to forgive the man that killed her?

I would go back to that godforsaken place and fulfill my mother's dying wish but I was never going to forgive my father.

I wasn't going to forgive any of them

How could I forgive the people who had driven me away from my home?

The honk of a car horn distracts me. I turn around and see a familiar black Porsche waiting.

I pick up my suitcase and slowly started walking towards the car.

When I had left three years ago I had hoped that I'd never have to see this day. I had prayed every night that I would never have to go back.

But I guess my luck had run out. Somewhere in my heart I knew I'd eventually have to go back and face everything.

My heart is aching. I've never experienced such pain before.

Almost involuntarily my fist travels up to my chest and clenches over the place where my heart is supposed to be beating.

I'm surprised that I still remember the significance of the action. A long time ago someone who had meant a lot to me had told me that the movement symbolized a heart hurting.

I take a deep breath and brace myself.

I was walking towards the people who had made my life a living hell.

I was walking towards the place that had ruined me.

|Present|

Tap

Tap

Tap

The rain drops plummeted down on the car's roof. I realized that we had stopped moving.

My mind and body were completely numb.

Ever so often my brain reminded me of what had happened and an unbearable stab of pain pierced through my heart.

Mom is dead.

She died a month ago.

You are all alone now Scarlett.

The chauffeur opened the door for me and I slowly stepped out. The kind man offered me an umbrella but I brushed off his offer.

I liked how the ice cold water from the rain felt on my skin. It made me feel numb.

Numbness is good.

It keeps me from feeling.

It keeps me from feeling pain.

My eyes drank in the huge mansion in front of me. Once upon a time, I had called this place my home. But that was a long time ago. Now it only reminded me of how much I'd suffered.

I made my way to the entrance and the doors burst open even before I rang the door-bell.

I looked up at the man standing in front of me. His face lit up when he saw me.

His lips broke into a smile. Once upon a time, that smile used to mean the world to me, but not anymore.

"Welcome home." His voice was kind but I knew otherwise.

'This isn't my home' I wanted to say but I bit my tongue. I had made my mother a promise and I was going to do everything I could to keep it.

"Hey dad." I said blankly.

His smile wavered a little but he swiftly covered it. "Come in quickly. It's freezing outside and you're soaked."

I just nodded my head as I made my way inside.

I took in the familiar surroundings, not much had changed.

The family portrait still hung in the hallway. Just looking at our smiling faces made me feel sick.

Happiness was an illusion.

It was a lie.

"Your room has been prepared why don't you go shower and I'll have your suitcase sent up." My father's voice broke in.

I didn't need any directions, I knew every inch of this place by heart. Without giving him a second glace I hauled my body upstairs. My room was the first one on the left.

As soon as I entered, I noticed that everything was exactly how I had left it. A warm feeling settled inside my heart as I ran my eyes over my surroundings.

At least my room feels the same.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss my room. My room had always been my safe haven.

I made my way towards the dressing table. I gazed at the pictures still stuck to the mirror.

Every person in those pictures was a stranger to me, including myself.

The pale skinned, raven haired girl smiling into the camera might have looked like me but she wasn't me, not anymore. I was a completely different person now.

My legs carried me to the window. My eyes automatically found the window across from mine. The light was on. A strange feeling churned in my chest, was it . . . longing?

I sighed softly before walking towards the bathroom.

I stripped out of my drenched clothes and stepped into the shower.