Prologue

   Every second in Elisabeth Cavern's mind is filled with basic questions that have never been answered. Part of her rebelled, wanting to escape from the complicated problems she was currently facing. Or restraints that come from within her family. Not only that, she cursed angrily remembering every word that came out of her father's mouth, comparing her with her siblings, including her twin sister, Cleopatra Cavern.

   For Elsie, comparing her to her twin sister was a fatal mistake. Although it is undeniable that Cleo is indeed superior, smart, a daughter who makes her family proud. One or two times is not enough for Thomas Cavern advises his daughter, to turn into a sweet girl, as expected by him. Often, Elsie ignores these pieces of advice, instead of taking them as casual sentences.

   "Look at you. What kind of appearance is that, Elsie!" Thomas Cavern snapped at his daughter, like the previous days, even starting to get tired of advising his daughter to behave like a normal teen. "How many times have you let me down, throwing shit in my face, huh?!"

   Despite listening, Elsie didn't budge and remained where she was, ignoring Thomas Cavern's screams and anger.

   "I just want to be free," Elsie replied slowly. "I want to get out, breathe free air without any shadow of hypocrisy in this house."

   "Who do you mean by that hypocrisy, huh? Your father?" A smack on the desk was loud enough, echoing through the room. "How dare you. I raise you to be a good child, to be useful, instead you repay me like this? Look at your brother, Nathan! He managed my company successfully. He is very independent and painstaking. Look at your twin sister too. Her grades have never dropped she became one of the model students at school. And look at your brother, Delvin. He won the national football tournament. Where's your achievement? Why don't you look like me?!"

   The corners of Elsie's lips pulled up, forming her trademark crooked smile, a sign that she was getting more and more fed up with being in the room. "Maybe because I look like Mom. She is always honest, not blind to power, nor… not a hypocrite."

   "How dare you talk like that..." Thomas Cavern growled softly. "Get away from my face!"

   "With pleasure."

   Sliding slowly full of beats, Elsie let out a short breath just to calm herself. From the corner of her eye glanced around the place after she came out of Mr. Cavern's room. The maids in the house bowed their heads at her appearance. As usual, Elsie was the laziest when she was treated so sweetly. She never really liked being in the house. Even just to sleep or spend the night is reluctant.

At the door of the Cavern family mansion, Cleo grabbed her twin sister's arm, pulled her closer, and showered her with intense gazes.

   "Where are you going again?" asked the girl, tired of seeing her twin sister going in and out of the house without saying goodbye.

   Pulling her arm again, Elsie snapped back. "None of your business." Then, continuing her steps, leaving Cleo frozen in place.

   There was no point in advising a stubborn girl like Elsie. Every word, whether sweet or harsh, must have been removed far away. Because Elsie only wants to hear one word, not another, which is 'freedom'.