LEILANII sat on the couch, with a sobbing Sienna’s head resting on my thigh. She has been crying since she came and hasn't even uttered a word. I’m really worried, but then I didn’t want to add to her tears by asking her what was wrong. I know Sienna, she might be bawling her eyes out right now, once she is okay, she would definitely tell me what is wrong with her. Seeing her like this made me wonder how she coped alone while I was in New York for five years. Sienna has no one beside me. After losing her parents at a very young age, Mr and Mrs Miller, whom I will never address as my parents again, brought her to live with us. Since then, we both lived like sisters and soon became inseparable.“I'm such a bad friend,” I mumbled. Unknown to me, I had said it outloud and Sienna heard it. She immediately raised her head.“I won’t tolerate you calling yourself a bad friend all because of my problem. Which you know nothing about.” Tears streamed down her face as she said this, moving me t

MALCOLM To say I am disappointed would be an understatement of the feelings surging through me. I know I was a jerk and all sorts. But I expected Leilani to see the change in me. I already explained why I acted that way in the past, why shouldn’t she believe me right now? Shock is a small word compared to how I felt the moment I set my eyes on that boy. His looks, his eyes, even his hair colour, were all the same as mine, I was momentarily confused, almost believing that he is mine. But then, I recalled the list Michael and I had organized back then to keep track of all my previous whores in order to make sure that none of them shows up to trouble Leilani. We had realized that most of them were missing. We couldn’t get any information as to where they were and how they got missing. But having been able to get the information about the lady standing before me, I knew she had no child, and I never went down with her eight years ago. It was even after I rejected Leilani. Her face isn’t o

MELINDA Ever since mummy forced me to leave dad’s house with her, I haven’t spoken to her, and she never made an attempt to speak with me either. Honestly, I do not understand Mummy anymore. One minute she is loving and caring to Dad, then the next, she suddenly looks at him like she would rather be under the earth than be next to him. For the past two days, Aunt Sienna has been the one bringing food to my room and trying to get me to eat. But honestly, I have no appetite. Mummy’s constant change of attitude towards Dad bothers me so much that I can barely sleep. When I go to school, I often see other kids who are brought to school by their parents. I’ve always tried to understand Mum and never asked her about dad even when I’m taunted about not having a dad. Back then in New York, other kids whose parents bring to school often threw the fact that I have no dad in my face. I endured because Mum was already stressed as it is. When we moved to California and I found my lookalike, knowin

LEILANI Crumbled on the floor like all hope was lost, crying and bawling my eyes out. Melinda’s words to me had really wrecked me. I kept crying, clutching my heart while screaming that I’m a bad mother. Malcolm is seated beside me, trying to make me understand that everything is his fault, not mine. But then, I’m convinced that it's really my fault. No matter what he says, it doesn’t change the fact that I neglected my daughter for two freaking days. “I’m the worst mum of the year,” I cried. “I’ll go talk to Melinda,” Malcolm said, seeing how I am too broken to even utter a coherent word. I didn’t say a word to him and let him do his thing. He rose from the ground and walked away, leaving me alone to wilt in anguish. Moments later, I’m still seated on the floor crying my heart out. I heard footsteps approaching me but didn’t bother to look up. Judging from the sound of the footsteps, I knew it was probably Sienna or Malcolm. I felt a little hand on my shoulders, I immediately t

MIRANDA I lay helplessly on the wet kitchen floor, once again, Dad's sister had beaten me up. She had taken a spatula and flogged me like I was some mad cow. I cried and screamed, but then no help came since mummy was not around. After beating me, she threatened to beat me again if I didn't clean the mess I made on the floor. I lay still, my body aching and tears rushing down my cheeks. "What did I ever do to this woman that made her hate me this much?" I kept asking myself. But then, there is no answer to that, as I never did anything to her. "Why is the world against me? Why doesn't anyone want me? And my real parents, why in the world did they abandon me?" These thoughts made tears stream down my cheeks, I couldn't control my emotions. As little as I am. I've seen the dark side of the world, and with each passing day, I must feel a negative emotion that I should know nothing about at my age. "I really hate whoever gave birth to me and abandoned me?" I held my chest and broke