2

The next morning…

Lily came out of the room that had been her sleeping chamber for almost two years now. She forced herself not to take another glance at it as she lugged her two grey suitcases along the hallway, heading for the stairs.

One of the housemaids who caught sight of her approached her and bowed her head slightly in respect as she said her greetings.

Lily acknowledge her and continued pulling the suitcases forward. However, the maid caught up to her and Lily raised a brow in askance. "What is it, Wendy?"

“Madam, please let me help you with your luggage,” the latter offered.

Lily smilingly refused her assistance, “I’ll be fine on my own, dear. No need to worry,”

Her smile couldn’t fully mask the bitterness and the sorrow consuming her from inside. Although the maid noticed this, being a smart lady, she chose not to pry.

“When will you be back from your trip, madam?” Wendy voiced out her curiosity.

“I’m never coming back here. You and the others should take care,” Lily responded before continuing her walk.

"Take care, Madam," she heard the maid say, but she didn't say anything in response.

Finally out of the mansion's huge golden gates, Lily headed to the community bench that was some distance away and sat on it. The ride she had booked would be arriving soon.

Her phone suddenly rang, yanking her from her musings and she reached into her bag, fumbling for it.  Fishing it out of her bag a moment later, she frowned on seeing the caller. But then, she still answered it, turning on the loudspeaker function.

Her father's voice echoed from the phone, the thrill in his tone was unmistakable and it left her feeling grossed out.

"Lily dear, I heard what happened. Don't be too sad, okay? There are many fish out there in the sea. I'm waiting for you to come home. I've found three eligible bachelors in the elite circle. Although they aren't as rich as Roberto, any one of them would still make a good husband for you,"

"Mr Nelson Aaron Quinn," she called out his full name, her tone rather calm.

But her father wasn't.

"What did you just call me, Lily?"

She replied, her tone indifferent, "Whatever your ears heard, that's what I said,"

"How dare you call me by my full name? Are you out of your mind?" he thundered.

"That's the only thing you worry about," said Lily, her eyes already misty, "You only care about yourself, your business and your happiness. But what cost? My well-being and my happiness!"

"You are my daughter, it's your duty to contribute to the family,"

"No, you don't consider me your daughter. To you, I'm just an item you can use to exchange for stability in the business circle, right?"

"I've invested a lot in you from infancy till you turned an adult. You aren't a son, and since you'd naturally end up in a man's kitchen, what's wrong with me selecting a good man for you? Besides, how much alimony did Roberto give you? Did he give you any property as well? I could make do with some extra funds for a project I've been considering embarking on,"

"I wish you weren't my father," Lily seethed.

"You ungrateful girl! Did I do wrong by not insisting for your mom to abort you? I didn't want a child at that time, especially a female one, but your mom convinced me to let you live. And after everything I've done for you, you're telling me this nonsense?"

"This is the last time you'll ever call me," she apprised him, "From now on, I'm no longer a member of that damned family, and I'm no longer your daughter,"

"You stupid girl..."

Lily cut the call and blocked his number. She set her lower jaw, trying hard to mask the hurt she felt inside, but she ultimately failed as a tear rolled down her right cheek followed by a few more.

Her perfect makeup was ruined now, but she didn't care anymore. Her shoulders racked with muffled sobs as the scene of last night replayed in her head.

After leaving her ex-husband's room, she couldn't sleep last night. She tossed and turned in bed and had later ended up in the balcony, her hand on the railing, staring at the sparsely starred sky till daybreak.

The honking of a car that just pulled over at the curb soon drew her attention.

"Hello, are you Miss Lily Quinn?" The driver, a young man, barely in his thirties, inquired.

She quickly dried her face with a hanky and sniffled before replying, "Yeah, that's me,"

"Can you please assist me with my luggage?" she requested in a polite tone.

"Sure thing," the man got down from the vehicle to help her out. Soon they were on the way to the airport and after 2 hours of waiting, Lily boarded a plane headed for her destination, WhyteVille.

Her father, being the stubborn man that he was tried calling and texting her using different numbers, but she ignored it and eventually discarded the sim. She was now in a new land and here, she would start a new life.

Back then she gave up her studies just because she was too excited to be Roberto's wife. Now she would continue with her studies and pursue her dreams.

***

Five years later...

A raven-haired woman descended the steps of the plane that had just touched down at the runway, taking a moment to appreciate the clear sky above her.

The plain and slightly loose thigh-length grey gown she was clad in, did little to hide her curvaceous figure, and even though she was donning glasses like many others present, she couldn't avoid drawing attention.

She walked into the arrival concourse and headed to the baggage claim area where she finally identified her luggage.

"I can't believe I'm here again," she mumbled to herself as she clasped her fingers around the handle of her black suitcase and lugged it along, soon mixing into the array of people miling about the terminal.

Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind, causing her to freeze in her tracks. She turned to see an unfamiliar young man wearing semi-formal clothing and lugging a suitcase of his own.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," he said with a sheepish smile.

"Anything the matter?" she asked, her tone colder than she had intended, but that didn't dissuade the young man.

"I wanted to ask if you're single," he said bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck, failing to hide his nervousness.

"Guess,"

"I'll take that as a yes?" he asked, his tone unsure.

"I'm not interested in kids," she said, sashaying away from the stunned man.

"I'm not a kid. I'm already in my 20s," he said as he rushed to interpose himself in her path, but she quickly sidestepped him.

"Not interested," she stated with a stern look, increasing her walking pace, leaving the man transfixed in his spot.

Outside the terminal, she  came across a bald man wearing a black suit, hands clasped behind him.

"Are you Lily Shawn?" he inquired.

She took off her sunglasses and smiled warmly, "Yeah, that's correct,"