Prologue

"Mom, what is going on here?" The deep tone of Zeke's voice could be heard clearly throughout the entire living room of the Smith estate.

My heart continues to hurt so deeply that the tears that I've been shedding continue to run freely down my face. His voice was like a rainbow that gave me hope that everything will be okay after all of this chaos.

"God, Ezekiel! It's hard for me to imagine that you would let a thief to stay in such a luxurious home as yours." Mrs. Desiree Smith uttered those words in an appalled tone. Her almond-shaped eyes, filled with rage, bore into me.

"Z-Zeke, no! Pleas–"

"Oh, you poor servant, be quiet! You really need to be grateful that my son even let you stay here, but what did you do? You stole my jewelries!" Mrs. Desiree cut me off in the middle of my sentence.

"Madam, please.... I have no idea how your things ended out there."

"Oh, Cara, you need to keep your mouth shut! What else are you trying to say? That each piece of jewelry has its own feet and walks right into your closet? What a liar!" Claudine said. 

"Claudine! What are you saying? That is not something Cara is capable of doing." Zeke made an attempt to defend me, but it was clear from the look on his face that he did not fully understand the situation.

"Guess what, Zeke? She already did! We discovered the lost jewelries that your Mon had been searching for." Claudine gave me a smirk while she was looking at me.

"That's t-true, Sir…" My heart ached as I heard one of my closest friends in the mansion say something that I knew wasn't true.

While I'm here, I've had the opportunity to become friends with Reah, who also worked as a maid in the Smith mansion. But now…

I was sure in my own mind that I had not done that. I couldn't bring myself to act in such a way. I didn't steal Mrs. Desiree's jewelries. I am not a thief!

"Reah…" I could barely muster a murmur because I was out of breath. True? Is she implying that it's true that I took Mrs. Desiree's jewelries?

"I was the one who first laid eyes on the jewelry that was stored in Cara's closet. And she has not been shy in expressing her desire to be with her family again... However, she did not have sufficient funds. It's possible that this explains why..." Reah spoke with her head bowed the entire time. Wow… just wow! I just can't believe that she would say something like that.

Claudine's expression conveyed her distaste as she stared at me, "See, Ezekiel? You fed a snake on your mansion! God, I seriously can not believe this."

"Reah, are you telling the truth? You know out of all people what I despise are liars!" Zeke exclaimed, squeezing the bridge of his nose like this whole situation is making him stressed.

Reah, please deny it... You're lying. Please say no. I have nothing to do with the missing jewelries.

"Ezekiel, are you being serious? You seem to have forgotten that Reah was Cara's friend, don't you? Reah won't lie about that because she is well aware that if she does, their friendship will be damaged beyond repair." Claudine pushed her way in to the conversation.

"Shut up, Claudine. I'm not talking to you." Zeke gave a serious response.

"That's right, Sir. I saw the jewelries that was in Cara's closet."

"See?!" Claudine chuckled, "I told you, Zeke! This woman is not someone who you should put your faith in. Have you seen the picture that was shared to us showing her kissing another guy? She is merely taking advantage of you in order to get back to her home. To the place where her life is!"

Picture? Kiss? What is she talking about?

"Is that true? Have you actually taken Mom's jewelry? Those… those jewelry are rather insignificant items, but what I am valuing most in this situation is the trust that has been established between us. You are aware of the reasons why I despise people who tell lies and those who pretend..."

I could only shake my head. That is not true, Zeke; of course it is not. That's not something I can do. I shook my head back and forth incessantly. I was at the point where I could not even utter a word because I was so exhausted and weak.

Is this the consequence that my actions have brought? For defying my parents to the arranged marriage that they are discussing? Should I just give in to the pressure of convenience and accept that marriage? Was it a mistake that I ran away because I yearned for freedom?

But, if I hadn't gotten away from my family, I never would have had the chance to be with Ezekiel Smith. I would never be able to understand what it is like to be with the man you love so deeply. So, it causes me a great deal of pain to watch him questioning me like this.

Ezekiel, you should have faith in me, shouldn't you?

"I didn't do that, Zeke…" It's taken me a while, but I've worked up the nerve to speak up.

"But you kissed another guy, right? Cara, I did see the picture... You kissed Angelo."

I didn't! When he tried to kiss me, I rebuffed his advances and pushed him away. I wanted to say.

I bent my head slightly. Even though Angelo was the one who kissed me, our lips nonetheless made contact with each other.  But, I didn't want it! But still…

Oh God, my head hurts from all of the constant stress that is being placed on it. I can't… I am no longer able to cope with this. Is it really so difficult to love?

Zeke observed my silence, which is likely evidence that Angelo and I did share a kiss. I intended to explain, but the disappointment and disgust that can be seen on his face is preventing me from doing so.

It's almost as if I don't need to because he won't take a single thing that I say seriously

"Cara Fulleros...," he mumbled, "I don't want to see you ever again. You know how much I despise those who make me look like a fool! Those who lie… those who break my trust. You should've known better."

My chest hurts like it has been stabbed with a million needles all at once.

Ezekiel, I am not Cara Fulleros. I am Cassandra Acosta. 

That was something I wanted to say, but it's too late now because he's already gone. He left me. It was clear that he had no desire to see me again.

"What are you still doing? Go and return home with the items you stole. Isn't this what you really want? Money to help you return home?" Mrs. Smith spoke after a lengthy period of silence following his son leaving.

"If you let her have the jewelries, Auntie, doesn't it make her a very lucky person? Just let her get out of here. After all, Ezekiel is done with her."

She pushed me until we reached the entrance of the huge mansion. However, before I left, I decided to take one more look around the mansion that had eventually become my home. I was able to see Reah as well as the other maids who have become my friends over my time here.

As we neared the massive mansion's gate, the rain began to fall, as if empathizing with the agony I'm experiencing right now.

"Do you think I did a wonderful job? I didn't know that placing Auntie's jewelry in your closet would result in you being kicked out of this house." Claudine grinned devilishly.

 She was the one who did that. I was right.

"Has your memory failed you? Have I not told you that I will stop at nothing to remove you from this house and, presumably, from Ezekiel's life? Ezekiel is mine, Cara. Mine alone." She flashed me a smirk as she shoved me away for the last time and allowing the guards to shut the gate. 

I set out on foot in the pouring rain with no clear sense of where I should go. Every drop of the rain is landing directly on my skin, which is causing me to shiver. I feel very weak. It feels like something is pressing down on my eyelids. I walked and walked in the vain notion that I would eventually find my way back to my normal life.

If this is what it means to be free, then I don't want it. If only I had known that this is the price to pay for loving Ezekiel.... It was wrong of me to try to run from my family. To a place that offered me protection and safety. 

I was so exhausted that I had to bow my head down, and when I did so, I noticed that blood was running down my legs and mixing with the water from the rain. But before I could do anything about it, a blinding light emanating from a vehicle struck me in the face, leading me to close my eyes.

"Move quickly, Flavian! Our daughter is bleeding!" My legs started to give out from weakness, and as that happened, I heard a faint voice coming from somewhere nearby.

"Mom, Dad, Calvin, Caden…. I want to go home." My family's name slipped out of my mouth as everything went black.