"You hate me for not telling the truth?" I snorted. "Not at all. I was just upset but I don't blame you either. I was just a peasant living in your house and you're not obliged to reveal yourself wholly to me. My reaction was just..." I trailed off. "Some outburst. No hard feelings." He sighed after he heard my words. "Glad to know that. But don't think of yourself as a peasant. You're not a peasant." A smile crept onto the side of his lips. "And we arrived. Welcome to a part of my life, Sydnee." And true to his words, the car halted to a stop.The restaurant he was talking about was the grandest restaurant I've seen in my entire life. I gaped in shock. Golden lights shone in each lamppost and guards were standing and roaming around the whole building. I saw the great signage and the blue hues from inside shone before my eyes. We walked towards the huge entrance of the building. The guards near the door snapped their heads in our direction. Seconds later, they stood erect and greet

"But I heard that you release him from prison recently." Lisa's father snorted. "Rogie won't marry my daughter unless I release that bastard. Ask your good godson, Lady Geneva." The woman whose name was Geneva turned to Rogie. "Is that true?" Rogie nodded and did not say anything. Lady Geneva squinted her eyes on me. "Girl, you are very brave. I applaud you for standing in front of us. But Rogie had married Lisa. And they will live under one roof from now on." "No." Rogie shook his head. "I won't live with Lisa and that's final." Rogie's father squinted his eyes. "She stood in front of officials. It's a disrespect, son. Do you want Sydnee to be punished or you'll live with Lisa?" I felt Rogie tensed at his father's words. I gulped hard. Before one of us could protest, someone entered the partisan and stood beside me. "Sydnee is just a kid who knows nothing. Please excuse her disrespect to the rulers of this land." I looked sideways at Anthony. There was no smile nor a sign of

"I bought you a dress." I stopped chewing and looked at him. He was busy on his plate but I noticed his occasional glance on me. When our eyes met, I knitted my brows. "Dress?" "For prom." He reached for the glass of water and took a sip before facing me. "Next week. I bought a dress for you." I looked on my plate and my cheeks felt hot. I thought he would reprimand me for ignoring him in school ground but I did not know that he wanted to talk about a dress. And I was still thinking about Rogie's appearance in prom. I kind of reluctant to go since he is coming and maybe Lisa too. "What are you thinking?" Anthony asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "About the dress, I have money." He just grinned and said nothing. We spent the next minutes eating and thinking of our own affairs. But I noticed how knitted Anthony's brows were. I cleared my throat. "What's wrong?" I asked. He looked at me and then shook his head. "Nothing." He resumed eating. I looked on my plate and finished the food

A deafening silence echoed in the sorrounding. It made Sydnee's breath hitched. She swallowed hard and waited for Anthony to speak but the latter did not show any emotion. He just stood there, silently watching her. "Umm..." She looked away and tried to ease the uncomfortable feeling in her chest. "I-I like you. Don't misunderstand that. I just want to say ---" "Sydnee," Anthony stopped her then he looked away, just like she did. "It's cold. Let's get inside." She spent a few seconds before she look at Anthony. The latter was looking at the black horizon in the distance. Sydnee lowered her head. "I want to go home." Sighing, she turned and took a step towards the parking lot. She knew it. Anthony was not into her. And why should he be? Sydnee swallowed hard, blinking away the tears brimming in her eyes. There was a pang in her chest but she ignored it. She knew that she and Anthony would not... Footsteps were heard in the cold night and leaves were rustling around her. She knew t

Sydnee pushed the table to hinder the woman from approaching her. She turned around and ran her way out of the house. Frustrated screams could be heard from inside the hut but she did not mind it at all. The good thing was that she still have her backpack which contain all her important things. Now, she needed to find shelter and to ask for help. But she did not know where to ask for help. She spent nearly an hour running away from home before she slowly stopped. She bend and put her hands on her knees, panting hard. Her back was drench in sweat and beads of sweat accumulate in her forehead. A few minutes later, she stood straight and looked around. She was standing in sidewalk and occasional cars were seen passing by the highway. Her forehead creased. She was not familiar with the street. Where was she? She looked sideways and the afternoon glow of the sun shone on her face. She squinted her eyes and turned back. A car was seen parking two meters away from her. The backseat window