1 A chance encounter

Sweaty bodies ground on each other as the people in the club danced, trying to forget their lives outside the walls of the room they were in. Two women sat, away from the cluster of people, at the bar. Alone and drinking their worries away. They knew that they were surrounded by people and yet the loneliness they felt only deepened.

"Jack, another shot please." A beautiful woman in a black dress called. The dress showed off her slender legs and curvaceous body. She was aware that many men were watching her lustfully, but chose to ignore them. Noticing a girl with eyes misty from loneliness sitting beside her, she felt a bit nostalgic, resolving to try to help the girl.

"Break up?" She asked the girl sitting beside her. The girl looked at her and shook her head "No.".

Now the curvaceous beauty was curious. 'What happened to this girl?' She wondered. She was usually unbothered by the people around her but this girl reminded her of her past self. Once, she was broken, just like her. She looked intently at the lonely girl and once again broke the silence.

"Hi, my name is Tulip Anderson." The black-dressed beauty introduced herself. Recognition flashed across the other girl's eyes as she introduced herself.

"Tulip Anderson, y-you're the famous makeup artist... that broke her sister's engagement." the girl stuttered.

A sardonic smile appeared on Tulip's face. The girl realised what she said and quickly tried to correct herself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that".

Tulip sighed "It's fine... I'm not very bothered about it anymore. After all, it's true that I broke off my sister's engagement. But I don't regret it at all because if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have had my son." Here she paused and then continued. " How about I tell you my story and in exchange you tell me yours?" Tulip said, smiling in self-ridicule.

The girl looked at her suspiciously but nodded. 'What's the worst that could happen?' She figured.

Tulip started narrating her story.

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All her life, Tulip only wanted her parents to love her. She wasn't born as beautiful as her twin, Daisy, nor as smart. From childhood, Daisy became the apple of her parents' eyes. Excelling in her studies, sports and anything else, she was the perfect daughter.

Her parents were so preoccupied with Daisy that they forgot about their other child. They weren't cruel but seeing Tulip not match up to Daisy in studying, sports or even mannerisms made them disappointed in her. She remembered growing up very lonely.

One of the reasons she became rebellious was that she wanted someone to pay attention to her. And she did get attention, but not the positive kind. She became the foil to her sister's brilliance. The only person who truly cared for her was her grandfather. He was the only person who loved her, even now.

One day her sister brought a man home. Tulip was taken aback by the man's appearance. He was a famous bachelor and the CEO of Romani Industries, one of the leading corporations in the country, Sol Romani. Tulip fell in love at first sight.

She loved him so much that it bordered on obsession, she was always keeping track of him. The day before her sister's wedding to Sol, Tulip went to show him to his room. He was acting weird, as if he was drunk. Her intention was never to sleep with him but before she could say anything a pair of lips had silenced her and Sol had pulled her into his hotel room. She cried from the pain and the whole night the room was filled with their moans.

In the morning she was suddenly pushed to the floor. She didn't understand what was happening and all she could see was the murderous look that Sol was directing at her.

"You bitch, How dare you!" he slapped her.

The force he had used to slap her had caused her head to turn to the side and she saw her sister and her parents looking at her, disgusted. She tried so hard to tell them that she hadn't drugged him and that she didn't mean to sleep with him but nobody listened to her.

Her grandfather was disappointed in her but, thankfully, he didn't throw her away. She promised her grandfather that she will make herself someone worthy of the chance he gave her. Life was difficult for her ever since. She got pregnant and Sol's parents forced him into an engagement with her. Even after everything that happened Sol's parents never treated Tulip badly but on the day of the wedding Sol never showed. He didn't want anything to do with Tulip or his son.

After the spectacle everyone cut ties with Tulip, even her parents. Everyone except her grandfather and Sol's parents. Tulip worked hard to get back on her feet. She had always wanted to be a makeup artist and with the help of her grandfather she enrolled herself in the best academy, after all her grandfather was still the chairman of Anderson Corp. She worked hard for her son, her grandfather and for herself. It's been 6 years now and she's made a name for herself in the industry, but her past still clung to her.

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Tulip ended her narration and glanced at the girl beside her.

"So, what's your story?" She questioned.

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