Prologue

"Dazaree!"

Aunt Roena looked at me with her menacing eyes as the terrible reek of alcohol lingered in my nostrils. She's now sitting on her queen size bed, looking at me with disgust.

I put the black folder of documents back on her nightstand and before I could even turn my gaze back to her, I received a loud slap across the face that threw me to the ground leaving me speechless.

"Aunt--" Suddenly, I could feel the lump in my throat as I gently touched my aching cheek.

I was so taken aback by what she did that it didn't sink in my head immediately.

Every time my Aunt is drunk, she always says vile things to me, but today is different. It is the first time she hurt me. I'm not sure how much alcohol she drank but it is probably enough to make her burst her rage and disgust towards me that I'm not even aware she has until tonight.

I'm very much aware that she does not know what she's doing but it still pains me.

Ever since I came here I know that she never welcomed me into their family unlike what my uncle did. She and her daughter Maree is indifferent to me. They barely talk to me and I understand that because we are not relatives by blood.

I was adopted by uncle Gabriel's brother, daddy Leandro which means I am completely unknown to them. Tears kept on running into my cheeks as my adoptive parent's faces flashed inside my head. I wiped my tears using the back of my hands and fixed myself. It's not the slap that hurts but the truth there is no place I can call home.

I looked at my aunt and smiled gently. "Auntie, you need to change your clothes." The strong smell of alcohol is still over her body. I think it spilled on her dress.

I tried my best to remove all the negative thoughts that are popping into my head. I'm not a baby anymore and I need to be tough for mom and dad since they are not here anymore. I can't let them see that I'm weak and a crybaby. They didn't raise me to give up easily.

Aunt Roena tried to stand up so I tried to support her but she just pushed me away. I groaned when I felt the cabinet hit my back.

"Get away from me!" She yelled and tried to stand up alone. "I don't need you here! Get out of my house!" Her voice echoed in the whole room which made me tremble in fear.

I calmed myself and ignored what she said. She's just drunk. And I know for sure that she wouldn't say this if she's sober.

"Let me help yo—"

"I said. Let go!" She pushed me forcefully and this time, my head hit the tiled floor.

My vision went black for seconds because of the impact and after that, I felt the blood from my head streamed down my face. I felt the side of my head twinge and my vision started getting blurry.

I tried so hard to pull myself up while my eyes are closed because my blurry vision would make me feel lightheaded.

"Hah! You. You are a plague in this family. Leandro died because of you!" I can feel the anger that she's been confining all this time. I'm terrified and at the same time, I don't understand what she's saying. My head was full of questions.

Did dad die because of me? I don't understand. Is this the reason why she never liked me?

Then I suddenly thought that my parent's death was never clear to me. Uncle Gabriel never tells me what exactly happened. All I know was they died from an accident and I never asked since then because I usually locked myself up in my room back then when I started living here.

"I'm disgusted to you! Why would they protect someone else's child?" she continued.

Protect? Me? My adoptive parents were protecting me? From who?

"We should have not taken you in. You will bring danger to this family!"

I closed my ears as my tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn't bear the torment of her harsh words, which pierced my heart like a rusted dagger.

My aunt was not contented seeing blood in my head and started throwing pillows and everything she can see on her desk. I tried to protect myself using my arms but I couldn't stop myself from crying.

"Mom! What the hell?"

I heard the door slammed open and I heard Maree stormed in. Maree is my Aunt and Uncle's only daughter who has the same age as mine.

Although I couldn't see her, I can hear her footsteps runs toward her mother who won't stop throwing her stuff at me.

"Mom! Stop! You're hurting Dazaree! Are you crazy?! Can't you see she's bleeding?" I saw her tried to stop my Aunt but she just pushed her away and walked towards me.

I was surprised when she pulled my hair that made me shriek in pain. It felt like she's gonna pull my hair off my head and the wound in my head is making it worse.

I can see Maree trying to stop her mom but she wouldn't stop.

"Mom!"

"A-auntie, please stop!" My voice is trembling because of pain and fear. I screamed when she pulled my hair even harder as if she was out of her mind.

"You're just like Desley! You're both a plague in this family. Until now I can't believe why Leandro chose her over me. Even my husband Gabriel fell in love with her!" she said and pushed me away. Maree tried to stop her.

I couldn't believe what I just heard but that just answered one of my questions. Why she never liked it when uncle talks about my mom Desley. She would always walk out upon hearing her name.

I knew that my aunt and dad were best friends but I never knew that she has feelings for him.

"Mom that's enough," Maree said in a serious tone.

Aunt Roena laughed as if she's out of her mind and ignored her daughter. She was about to fall on her knees but Maree supported her. She's drunk.

I tried to stand but my knees are trembling and my head is still hurting.

"Do you know what you're mother is?" She smirked

My brows knitted when I heard what she said. Her laughs make me feel like she's not gonna say something nice about my mother.

"She's a wh*re!"

My jaw tightened when I heard what she said. I can accept the rash words that's she's throwing at me but I can never let her badmouth my mom. I can never let her say bad things about my mom who is the kindest person I've ever met in my entire life. The woman who never failed to make me feel loved.

Suddenly all the pain in my body vanished as my anger started to fume. My vision turned back completely and my body felt a sudden adrenaline rush and before I know it, I'm already clutching my Aunt's neck.

Her face is turning violet while looking at me with fear in her eyes. Then I realized that Maree was laying on the floor unconscious. Everything was so quiet as if the moment was muted.

When I realized what was going on and what I just did. I immediately let go of my aunt who fell to the floor while trying to catch her breath.

What have I done?