"Something didn't go well," he sparingly responded which had me confused."I see." I nodded. "Mom told me that you regretted letting her take the credit card. Why?" I curiously asked."What is it to you in finding this out?" I couldn't see his eyes but I was sure he was glaring at me."Maybe because I'm just too concerned about Jones' wealth after all." I scoffed, trying to get him to spill it out though I was anxious. What if Mom had lost millions of dollars? "Don't be silly, Araulla." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't let her take the credit card because she spent too much money on pointless stuff. Like getting drunk with a guy and partying. I beat up Greg, her boyfriend, because he almost raped Mom.""That's why." I nodded, my tone sounded sarcastic as if I didn't believe what he said. Because if it was the truth, he wouldn't have a hard time spilling it.

It was Monday and I was heading to school for the event today. The fundraising activity was the most anticipated event; they assured me it was fun. Everything that happened at the party flashed back in my head. Why was that night so dramatic?I went out of my car and clipped the ticket between my fingers. Once I entered the school, the humungous lot near the entrance was filled with colorful decorations. There were booths, mini-games, some food stalls, and many more. I was in awe, to be honest, and I never thought this would look like a carnival.I approached the entrance as I spotted Lindsey and Jillian, collecting the tickets. I extended my hand forward to Lindsey as her eyes flitted from my hand to my face."Hey," she said with a smile."Lindsey, right?" I responded as I dropped the ticket inside the box. She ignored me and after writing me down on the list, she then said,

It was the next day of school and I was heading to the cafeteria. Everyone was looking at me, gossiping about what happened at the party. I tried my best to ignore them and focused on my way, not minding their judgmental eyes.I swung the door open in the cafeteria and moved to the counter, grabbing a portion of food. As I held a tray, I took a glimpse at the table that Nick and I usually sit in, but he wasn't there. He was completely ignoring me and I didn't know what to do. Maybe he became uncomfortable being with me since the night Daniel ruined my reputation.I heaved a sigh and shook off everything that was bothering me. When I got my food, I approached our table and sat on the chair.I didn't feel like attending school today but since attendance was a must, I didn't have a choice. I was really feeling down after Catherine Houston entered our lives and then this happened. People continued to judge me as if I

As I was driving down the road heading to William, the rain suddenly poured, making the windshield wet from its droplets. I turned the swiper on, the view in front of me was replaced with wiped water.My mind was drifting from one thought to another, as my paranoia slightly hit me. I tried to shake off the things Hansel and Mom said to me, especially the lies they were spitting out. But I couldn't help but wonder about it.What if Dad was really dead, and William was just using me to get what he wants? What if he just told me that Dad's still alive so I keep working for him? He said to me that if I do what he ordered me, he'll find Dad, I thought to myself. I shook my head in disbelief and continued to drive.Minutes later when the rain stopped pouring, my eyes landed on the side mirror, noticing a black Ford car behind me. I was taking a glance at the mirror, and my mind was suddenly distracted. I didn't know if

I didn't attend school for one week for I was letting my wound heal. William called me that night, and he was so frantic because I left the hospital. So I told him that there were people who were trying to kill me, so he hired me a nurse who cleansed my wound every day.While I was staying here for a few days, I was clearing my mind from all the tragedies that occurred lately. I convinced myself that I needed to be strong and that I could go through this alone without my family's help. It was hard to accept the facts, and I would just look like a coward if I continued to decline it. Although I wasn't sure if Dad was still alive, I changed my belief that he was. Because believing in something uncertain would cause me more pain, than not believing with nothing to expect. It hurt when you couldn't do anything about it, but all I got to do was to be strong. I wasn't Araulla Jones anymore because I was so tired of weeping, this was me now: Lala Preston.