Chapter 1

"Of all the females within my family, why I'm I the only one punish with this awfully looking hair?" protested Paris, as she held a loose strand of her long, curly, red hair, scornfully, gazing at it with great disappointment.

She hated her hair so badly that her heart ached every day to look at herself in her mirror and to touch it. She wished she had another color of hair, instead of her red hair, she considered to look like a white mop utterly stained by blood or red polish. Paris thought nothing of her hair other than unattractive. Sadly, neither of her parents had red hair. Her father had brown hair, and her mother was blonde. She had her father's bright blue eyes though, but sadly that was only the physical feature she had managed to inherit from one of her parents.  Her mother had once informed her she had gotten her bright red hair from her great, great, great grandfather. Paris didn't care and hated it even more. She considered it the ugliest color of human hair and there's nothing beautiful about it. Angrily, she brushed back the loose strand of her hair, back into its tight bun hairdo. A hairstyle she would always fix her hair into trying to conceal it, the best she could.

"Paris," Mrs. Rose Poppy, her mother called as she entered the office, they both shared at work.

Her chair spun from her small desk filled with documents to look at her mother, who was also her boss.

"Please count the items now and see to it that they are gathered into the cart before your father returns from his next trip," ordered Mrs. Poppy.

"Yes," Paris answered as she slowly got up from her desk exiting the office.

Her parents Mrs. Rose and David poppy has been married for 27 years. She is the oldest of two children. She's 26 years old, her only sibling is Brian Poppy who is 6 months old. However, she is not the only girl her parents raised. Three years after she was conceived, a dear friend of her mother, a single mother had died from an incurable disease and so Mrs. Poppy had decided to take in her best friend and only child, Everlee Sunflower, to raise as her own. Everlee is 23 years old. She grew close with the Poppy family not lacking any love. However, she's out of the country finishing her studies to become an art teacher.

Mr. and Mrs. Poppy have a successful company where Paris had chosen to work with them after completing school, unlike Everlee who believed she was too good for greenfield and ran off to New York to chase her dream. Paris helped her family operate their business by checking their financial statements, paying employees, and counting all the apples reaped daily from their large orchard. They didn't only sell apples, in the past two months, the company started selling apple juice, and Mrs. Poppy has a small bakery shop where she would make and sell apple pies and other pastries by customer orders. She was a good baker.

Paris went to the back of the factory where all the picked apples and other products were kept.

"Here you go Ms. Paris, who has never been to Paris," Robert a tall sturdy, short dark hair male, who once was a classmate of hers from high school days handed her a sheet of paper teased her.

She dragged the sheet of paper and rolled her eyes.

Robert had been nothing but a troublemaker from her high school days. It amazed Paris that he hadn't changed. Robert worked with Poppy's company as one of the delivery men and an annoying employee who just can't seem to stop joking about Paris’s name whenever he sees her. Roberts knew how badly she hated her name just as she did her hair. Sadly, there was nothing she can do about them.

Paris was made the night after her parent's honeymoon in Paris. When Mrs. Poppy discovered she was with a child she decided to name Paris from the country they were because of the wonderful time they had there.

Hastily Paris counted off the apples and sees to it that they're carried to the cart.

"Please don't move this cart until father is here," she instructed Robert.

"Yes, Ms. Paris," retorted Robert as he gave her a warm smile. The kind of smile that gives you a hint that you were being teased.

Again, Paris rolled her eyes and returned to the office. She never could stand Robert. It surprised her a female had decided to marry him.

Well, at least he's the lucky one, no men here in Greenfield will ever be interested in taking me as their wife, Paris thought sadly walking straight back to her office.

"It's all done mother," said Paris as she gave handed the sheet of paper.

Mrs. Poppy took it, reviewing it.

Paris sat comfortably back into her chair.

"Everlee is coming home tomorrow," Mrs. Poppy shared surprising news.

No one thought Everlee would ever return to Greenfield after she secretly ran off without the consent of Mr. and Mrs. Poppy.

Paris's face was lightened by the news. Everlee had left greenfield from she was 18, so, she hasn't seen her for 5 years now. They would always write to each other but sometimes Paris wishes she could see her in person and tell her how miserable and lonely her life is, having no partner to call her own.

"That's great mother," said Paris excitedly.

Mrs. Poppy started on some files. She wasn't too happy about Everlee returning. The day Everlee decided to pack her bag and leave, Mrs. Poppy was against it so did Mr. Poppy, but Everlee was so determined to chase her dream to become an art teacher instead of staying back home and being a part of the business, like Paris did, so, she sneaked off, and both Mr. and Mrs. Poppy haven't forgiven her ever since. Paris too wanted to be angry with her but how could she when she knew what Everlee did, was what her heart had always longed for.

"Did you tell our maid to prepare her room?" Paris asked. The day she left to chase her dream no one had ever slept in her room much less go inside.

"Why.... she won't be staying for too long for she's too good for this country lifestyle," Mrs. Poppy said upset.

"I'm going outside to eat lunch," said Paris not wanting to be around her mom in her upsetting mood, she always ends up taking it out on her and later blamed her for not being married nor ever going out on a date at her age, but how could she find love when no one liked her hair as much as she did. They teased her here calling her a carrot top. No young men within Greenfield found her attractive.

Paris left the office right away and went to sat underneath a tall tree behind the factory. It was a very peaceful place for her. It was her everyday spot at work. She bit her apple jam sandwich enjoying the beautiful view.

"Paris," she heard her dad called, disturbing her peace.

"I'm coming!" she yelled, hurriedly packing away her lunch, running back into the factory.

"Is everything okay, is Everlee, okay?" Paris asked worried as she enters the office seeing her dad and mom both standing, waiting on her.  She was not liking the strange behavior both were giving her right now.

Both Mr and Mrs. face lightened.

Paris stared at them strangely.

"Sit down Paris, your father has great news to tell you," Mrs. Poppy said in an excited high-pitched voice.

Paris sat stiffly within her chair eager to know what her parents were so happy about.

"Is Everlee married and you're getting grandchildren very soon?" she again asked curiously.

Paris thought it must be the reason why they were so elated, ever since she turned 26, her mother had been down her ears telling her she needed to find herself a man and have children, for she was not getting any younger.

"No, much better," said Mr. Poppy.

Paris gazed at him hard.

"I've found you a good suitor to get married to," said Mr. Poppy.

Paris's eyes widened surprisingly.

"What!" she sat up from her chair.

"He's 30, an old friend of mine son and he'll be coming tomorrow to have dinner to meet you."

Paris started to breathe heavily at such appalling news.

"The faster you both meet, the faster you get married and give us some grandchild," said Mrs. Poppy excitedly.

Paris couldn't take such shocking news; she fainted right away.