CHAPTER 1 | WHEN LIFE TAKES A TURN

LUCY'S POV

A City of rush, that is how they describe it. Silence has abandoned this place a long ago, the city might ask me what is it.

I remembered the last time this fact passed through my mind, and I'm left to say millions. This was my dream, a job, a place to own, a boyfriend and being independent. This was the life I had always wanted, the one I've dreamt of.

The phone rings as I pick it up for checking the notifications. A smile crosses my lips as I notice who it was.

"Ethan," I brushed my hair as if I was in his presence.

"I really miss you, can we catch up tonight?" I imagine him raising his eyebrows, something that he often does.

I check my watch and hear the bus horn on the street. The window was open, with the fresh air is finding its way in.

"Lucy?" He calls my name to ensure that I'm on the line.

"Sure, why not?" I answered, biting my upper lip and dancing in my heels.

"8 pm, you want me to pick you up?" He questions as I pull back to myself. I wondered what might Olivia say.

"My roommate would be genuinely pissed," I chuckled while I witness Olivia entering the room and placing me a questioning look.

"Ethan," I whisper, placing hands on the receiver.

She rolled her eyes as she went back to her room, but not without a fierce slam. She hates Ethan and often describes him as a tattooed guy with creepy looks. I find him cute and sweet with a charming smile. I often feel that Olivia behaves like my sister, but there is nothing I can do about that. I sometimes find it amusing, that I don't miss my sister anymore. But it didn't mean I don't feel bad about her being in a coffin, tucked in dead.

"Olivia, manners!" I whispered again, but I knew she would hear it.

"Lucy?" He calls me again, clearly annoyed.

"Jazz plaza, meet me there" I announce, as he chucked. We had our first kiss there, a blissful moment. I often wondered how many times he had kissed a girl because he was my first kiss. Thus, he became ultimately special to me.

I open my cupboard and grab the outfit which I had planned already, in case I had to go out with Ethan. I am always very excited about him, I often wondered what that meant. But without any hesitation, I had concluded it as love.

The dress had pale pink glitters on the shoulder area, which had gradually faded over the first time I wore it. The dress isn't very transparent, but not very decent either. But it is special since Ethan has bought me this on our first anniversary. It is very pretty, with a netted skirt which borders my waistline.

"You don't have to look very pretty for a worthless piece of shit," Olivia murmurs as I jerked out. I didn't realise that she had entered my room without notice.

"Liv, he's my boyfriend," I roll my eyes as I wear the pink dazzling danglers. I didn't like using make-up, but I manage to find my usual lip balm which gives out a pink tint.

"He doesn't deserve you, Lucy, trust me," She pleads this time, her eyebrows touching.

"I'm late," I ignore her as I notice the time. It will take me 15 minutes to reach there, but it was 7:50 already.

"Lucy," She calls me again in a desperate way. This was the reason why I couldn't invite Ethan home. She tries her very best to pull me away from him.

I'm not very fond of heels, but Ethan likes the way I walk on heels. I sometimes don't realise how much he has changed my ways, but I never felt bad about it. That is why Olivia hates him since she likes my usual self.

I braid my hair simple and walk down to wear matching heels. I didn't have pink ones, so I went for a silver one.

"Bye-bye Liva lady," I wave a goodbye for which she didn't respond and stood grumbling. I close the door and call a cab.

I don't know how I ended up with Ethan, the son of a rich man. He has never de-briefed about his father's job but I knew he was very rich.

The cab arrived within no time, which indicated I was fortunate. I quickly land inside and tell my destination. I check myself in the rear mirror of the car and adjust my hair. I ensure that my lip balm stays intact and I sigh, as if I was meeting him for the first time.

Ethan stands waiting outside the plaza, clearly impatient. I pay for the cab and rush outside, not wanting to disappoint him.

"Here you are," He grabs me by the waist which made my heart leap. I behave like a lovesick teenager in front of him. He grabs me harder which made me wince. I wondered what made him do that, but I skip thinking about it.

We sit in the barstool and order our usual, which the bartender guessed. I gave him a pretty smile, which pissed Ethan off.

"You didn't have to smile," Ethan raises his eyebrows.

"I was being nice babe," I reply, shrugging.

He stands up and reaches for my arm, he pulls me into him as he starts dancing, matching with the melody. He slowly reaches for my neck as he continues dancing. I wanted him to stop, but it would further make him angry.

It is not like I hate it, it's just that it was awkward, doing things in public. My parents have always thought me the moral values of life, and how to be a respected person. But dancing in a pub, with a guy touching me all over, was not on the list, which was added to my "to be anxious list".

I had always dreamt of this life. Being independent, but something inside me wanted him to stop. I can't possibly say that is because of my morals, Ethan would laugh if I say so. Thus, he will never get to know why I feel uncomfortable.

He leaned to kiss my cheeks, but he abruptly stops when he hears the gunshots. He tucks me safely under the table and he pulls out his own gun. I gasp in horror as I realise he carries his gun all the time even when I am with him.

All I can hear was smashing and gunshots, tears flooded down my cheeks as I tightly close my ears, hoping it will pass.

Suddenly, everything got silent. All I could hear was the wind chandler chiming, which meant the window was broken. I couldn't control my curiosity, and bear being alone for almost an hour now.

"Ethan?" I whisper, managing little strength.

"There seems to be someone else," A broad male voice answered to my whisper. My heart palpitates as the footsteps near.

Someone grabs me by my arm and pulls me out. He smells of sweat and grease, which made me think of the worst cases. The bright lights blinded me for a moment, I saw the horror when my eyes adjusted.

Ethan is made to kneel, his shirt is torn. Blood splatters from his mouth as he coughs, he was forcefully made to lift his head by another man.

"Do you know her?" the man who was holding him asks before I could relax from what I've seen just now. Ethan, the strongest person I ever knew, was trembling vulnerably.

"N-" He began to talk.

"Ethan, are you alright?" I rush to his aid, forcefully removing the grip and running towards him. I cup his cheeks as he struggles to look up.

"It seems he does, we're taking her too" another man joins the conversation, he gives a crooked smile towards me. The sweat beads trailed from my forehead down the cheeks.

"No Jeremy, that's not our intention," the man who was holding Ethan answered, adding to the crooked man's disappointment and making me feel fortunate.

"Maybe we should bring her too, the boss informed us to bring everyone who was with him," I panic and shoot a terrified look at the man who was holding me. It felt terrible, his grip was already causing me to wince.

"Knock her out then," the man who was holding instructed, and all I felt was a sharp pain on my head, and everything else went black.