Chapter 1

In the hushed stillness of the cemetery, Samantha whispered softly to the gravestones before her, her voice barely above a murmur. "Hey, mom, dad. It’s been a while," she began, her breath hitching as she leaned down to place a bouquet of tulips, a feeble offering to the memory of her estranged parents.

As she traced the letters of their names etched in stone, Samantha's fingers brushed away the accumulated dust, revealing the cold permanence of their absence. "Daniel Brown, Josefina Brown," she recited, her eyes flickering to the identification card hanging from her white coat. "Samantha Shane Andersen," she added with a bitter laugh. "Twenty years later, and I still can’t comprehend how you could despise your own flesh and blood."

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she gestured to her ID. "Look at me now, mom, dad. I'm a licensed psychiatrist," she choked out between soft sobs. "I have the career you always wanted for me. I even have my own office, soon to be filled with comforts reminiscent of home."

Her lips tightened into a thin line as she continued, her voice tinged with a mix of longing and resentment. "Am I worthy of your love now?" The wind seemed to echo her sorrow, brushing against her back with a haunting tenderness. Samantha, ever the solitary figure, concealed her loneliness behind a facade of icy detachment, even from her closest confidant.

But then, with a resigned shake of her head, she dismissed the notion. "Forget it," she murmured bitterly. "You're not here to witness my achievements anyway. You probably wouldn't even acknowledge them, even if you were."

Her voice fell to a whisper as her gaze drifted to the scars on her wrists, lingering remnants of the abuse she had endured at the hands of her parents, who blamed her for the disappearance of her twin sister.

Agatha Shye Brown was the epitome of perfection—a daughter any couple would be proud to call their own. With her striking beauty, intelligence, kindness, talents, and impeccable sense of responsibility, she embodied every desirable trait imaginable.

On the flip side of the coin was Samantha Shane Brown, whose surname had been changed to Andersen by her own parents following Agatha's disappearance. Despite being twins, Samantha paled in comparison to her sister. She felt inadequate, constantly reminded by her parents of her supposed shortcomings—lacking in intelligence, attractiveness, and talent. Despite her efforts to bridge the gap, she could never measure up to Agatha's standard. Though she managed to complete college with the support of her friends, her parents were tragically killed in a car accident on the day of her graduation, robbing her of the chance to prove herself to them.

With a thin smile, Samantha turned on her heels towards her car, where a black motorcycle was parked behind it. The helmeted rider removed his headgear, revealing the slightly maddened expression of her boyfriend, Scott.

"You left me again!" he exclaimed, his lips twitching in dismay.

"No, I didn't," Samantha replied in a monotone. "I made it clear for you to be in my office at exactly 4 PM or forget it. Have I not been clear enough?"

She attempted to enter her car without further explanation, but Scott caught her arm just in time.

"Why are you always so mean?" he queried.

Samantha arched a brow, assessing him with a cool gaze. "We're only two months into this relationship, Scott. Don't expect to have me all figured out yet."

"Don't 'Scott' me, missy!" Scott retorted, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "It should be 'babe'. And may I remind you, miss Andersen, we've been dating for six months. SIX. SOLID. MONTHS!" he emphasized.

Caught off guard by his playful demeanor, Samantha couldn't help but smile inwardly. She closed her eyes briefly to collect herself before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry. I-I'm just really tired from work," she admitted.

"I know," Scott said softly, enveloping her in a hug. "Just let me know if you need help. I'll be there for you."

Samantha looked up at her boyfriend's earnest expression. "Really?" she asked, her smile widening.

"Of course," Scott replied, returning her smile. "Anything for you, babe."

"Anything, huh?" Samantha's grin turned mischievous, causing Scott to blink in realization.

"You're not going to make me analyze your patients' problems, are you? Because, you know, I'm a chef," he joked, earning a chuckle from Samantha.

"You're so damn judgmental!" Samantha's lips pressed into a thin line. "I was just imagining you cooking my favorite foods."

"Hahaha, I know... I know!"

They made their way to Samantha's house, and shortly after their arrival, Kathleen, Samantha's best friend, called to ask if she and her boyfriend could come to visit. Samantha agreed, and Scott also invited some of their mutual friends to join in.

As they settled on the couch near the balcony, waiting for their guests to arrive, the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The full moon rose in the sky, illuminating the evening with its gentle light. Samantha wrapped her arms around Scott's waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Babe?" Scott's breath tickled Samantha's wavy hair.

"Yeah?" she murmured.

"Don't you have any plans to sell this house?" Scott's question caused a muscle in Samantha's jaw to tighten, prompting him to lean back slightly.

"Why would I?" Samantha replied, her tone guarded.

"I-I mean... it's getting pretty old, and don't you want to start a new life somewhere?" Scott whispered, his gaze drifting from her to the fiery sky. "You know... with me."

Samantha hesitated. "You know I can't leave this place, babe."

"But why?" Scott's voice rose, catching Samantha off guard. She pulled away from him, a flicker of hurt crossing her features.

"I-I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to," Scott stammered.

Samantha gave him a bitter smile and looked away. "I thought I made it clear."

"I know, but I just can't seem to understand. I'm your boyfriend, Sam. You know you can tell me everything. Asking for help sometimes doesn’t hurt."

"I wanted to tell you everything, I really did. But now's not the right time. Eventually, you'll find out why," Samantha's voice softened with each word, and Scott's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Yeah, whatever, babe! I'll just wait for that time then. Just come back here," he said, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I love you so much, even if sometimes I really can't understand you," he chuckled.

"Is that even a good thing?" Samantha teased.

"Hmm..." Scott paused, tapping his chin as if in deep thought.

"Whatever, Scottttttt," Samantha replied, playfully pushing him down on the couch and attempting to tickle him, but he skillfully blocked all her attacks.

"Oh, woah! So, this is what you want, eh?" Samantha gasped as he suddenly grabbed her hand and forcefully switched their positions, pinning her down with his weight on her thighs, rendering her immobile to his next moves.

"How dare you do this to your girlfriend?" she shrieked, attempting to free herself from his grasp, but to no avail. She felt like David trying to take down Goliath.

"Oh, ho ho!" he taunted. "Don’t be such a crybaby and accept your defeat, my little princess! Samantha, 2. Scott, 5!"

"Mine's 3, you jerk!" she corrected sarcastically. "So, you want it the hard way?"

"Dare me!" he grinned. Samantha stared at him for a moment, closed her eyes, and then slowly opened them with the sweetest smile.

"This David will never lose," she thought to herself. Suddenly, Scott's expression darkened in horror.

"Don't use that on me. That's technically cheating!"

"What are you talking about, babe?" she moved closer, her breath brushing against his neck. Scott raised his hands in defeat.

"I told you, mine’s three ahahahha!" Samantha chortled, leaving him with squinted eyes. "Who told you, you already won?"

But before Scott could respond, he grinned and roughly pinned both of her hands above her head.

"Hey!" Samantha protested, struggling against his grip, but he was too strong.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she groaned.

"Doing it the hard way?" he teased.

"Uhhh––hell no!"

They froze in place, their attention turning to the pale figure standing in the corner beside a man.

"Ah... s-should we just leave?" Christian stuttered, fidgeting beside his girlfriend. "Y-You shouldn’t have left the door o-open, goddamnit!"

"Oh!" Samantha quickly pushed Scott away and innocently stood up.

"T-That was nothing! We were only fighting. You know––forget everything!" she exclaimed, her voice almost a shout, sounding somewhat eccentric.

"Hmm... Sure," Kathleen's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Samantha sheepishly turned towards Scott, who was trying to suppress his laughter.

"HA HA! Get up, lad!" Samantha's mouth formed a grim line. "You still have to cook us dinner."

"We! We will cook us dinner," Scott corrected. "This is your home, lass, and I’m a visitor. You should be the one preparing—" he paused when Samantha shot him a glare.

"Perhaps, it would be very sweet of me if I do it, so I will," he concluded, causing Christian and Kathleen to laugh.

"You look really terrified of this small bean, huh?" Scott's eyes crinkled with amusement, but he didn't smile as he looked at Christian blandly.

"That's how things should be, or else I'm done for. C’mon!"

They headed towards the kitchen, both skilled chefs in their own right. Meanwhile, the others arrived: Kaiser, Kim, and her boyfriend, Junel; Scott's closest cousin.

"So, tell us," Kim suddenly sounded nosy as she sat beside Samantha. "Did something happen between the two of you already?"

"God, Kim! Why do you have to blurt it out like that?" Samantha's face flushed. "We’re not that kind of couple; you know that."

"What’s so wrong about that? You two are already of the right age anyway," Kathleen chimed in, making herself comfortable on the other side of the couch where Sam and Kim were seated.

"I cannot argue with that nor can I complain," Samantha said with a bitter laugh. "Scott is a man and he has his needs, but I can’t compromise my beliefs in a relationship I'm not even sure will last."

Truly, Samantha grew up in an extremely conservative family, and having an intimate relationship outside of marriage would likely be discouraged by her family. She's just thankful Scott understood her principles. Besides, he already has a seven-year-old daughter with one of his former girlfriends. She thought he doesn't need a child from her anymore.

“Dinner’s ready, you piece of shits!” Junel called out from the kitchen.

“Call us that again and you'll sleep outside when we get home,” Kim warned, their banter followed by laughter from their direction.

Kim and Junel had been living together for years now with their seven-month-old daughter, as had Kathleen and Christian, though they still didn't have any plans of having a child yet. Kaiser, on the other hand, also had a girlfriend, but she wasn't too close to the group and rarely joined them.

They went to the kitchen to have dinner and then returned to the dining room to watch movies and have fun drinking. Everything was fun and games until Kathleen started talking.

“How about...” Kathleen's eyes squinted as she raised a glassful of Spider’s Kiss. “We play a game.”

“Game, like what?” Junel asked.

“Spin the bottle?” Kim suggested, eyeing the drink in Kathleen’s glass.

“Stop being old school, Kim!” Kathleen chuckled.

Samantha sighed, not interested in what Kathleen was proposing. She rested her head on Scott’s chest, closed her eyes, and felt his warm embrace—her home and downfall at the same time.

“Do you want to go to bed now?” Scott's dandelion eyes met hers.

“Hmm...” she shook her head as she absentmindedly rubbed the ruby necklace her mom gave her when she was three. “I have work tomorrow, so I want to have quality time with you tonight.”

He smiled and gave her a light kiss on her forehead. “We have all the time,” he whispered. “But I know you're tired. You need rest."

Samantha was about to speak when Kathleen cut her off.

“What about storytelling?” Kathleen suggested. "Starting with you, Shane. Just how much have you been keeping from me?"

Kathleen’s words caught Samantha's attention, making her look at Kathleen inquisitively. Although feeling uncomfortable, Samantha smiled and shook her head.

“Nothing much,” she muttered. “As a matter of fact, I am not hiding anything worth knowing.”

She observed their curious gazes, her shoulders rising as she noticed their intense curiosity.

“About what happened years ago––"

“Hey!” Scott interjected, signaling Kaiser to stop. “Don't go there.”

“Oh! C'mon, Shane!” Kathleen exclaimed. “We've been best friends for ten years. Why can't you bring yourself to tell me?!”

Samantha stayed silent as Kathleen's voice echoed through the dark and old corridor of her spacious house. Everyone knew a page of Samantha's past, and it was indeed a nightmare, but she couldn't understand why time couldn't erase those memories from their minds.

The ticking of the cuckoo clock near the entrance and their heavy breaths overpowered the movie’s intense noises. Samantha’s consciousness churned as she shot her best friend a glare.

“What are you trying to say?” Samantha maintained a calm demeanor. “That you don’t trust me despite us being best friends?” Kathleen nudged her chest. “Don't you have any idea how that hurts me to see you suffering alone? I couldn't do anything because I don't know anything!”

Samantha's lips formed a bitter line. “It’s not that I wouldn't tell you or any of you,” her eyes dropped to the creaking floor. “It's just that I couldn't.”

As she raised her head, scenes flashed in her mind—things she had been trying to forget all this time. Samantha’s breath became shallow. She wanted to do more to defend herself from her friends’ curiosity and protect them from that curiosity. Her lips tightened with resolve. She had to warn them before it’s too late.

“The heart that has been composed of broken hopes and empty promises will make you all live the life she has if you wish to unfold the truth behind the past."