Prologue.

May bowed her head down in shame. Her coffee, doe eyes were filled with tears of pain,

immeasurable hurting. She was trying hard not to let the tears fall as her dad's words pierced into her heart like a sharp knife.

"You're a disgrace to this family." he proclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Just look at yourself. Do you see how much of a mess you are? Your mom and I gave you everything you ever wanted!"

She fiddled with her wrist band. Her grandmother, Ese, had given it to her as a present. She couldn't look at her dad's face nor could she talk back. She wouldn't dare.

"We've only wanted the best for you, your mom and I. We gave you everything you needed and you pay us back is by getting pregnant from an ordinary gatekeeper's son?! At this age..?"

At the age of seventeen, still in secondary school, getting pregnant was indeed a big disgrace to the family and especially to her father's reputation.

The tears flooded from her eyes to her small, cute lips. She tasted the salty liquid and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing time would reverse so she could tell Edric, the twenty-year-old gatekeeper's son responsible for her pregnancy, that she didn't want to be his girlfriend. Then she wouldn't have to stand outside her house with a bulging stomach and her family looking at her with contempt. Especially her dad.

"For bringing shame into this family, I disown you. You are no longer my daughter."

She threw her head up with a shaky intake of breath. Her eyes were wide because she couldn't believe what she had heard.

"Father... It was a mistake." she managed to croak out.

He looked away from her and with a gesture of his hand, he ordered his securities to push

her out of his compound. As she was dragged out, she stretched her hand to her younger sister - whose hand was reaching out for her to hold, as if that was going to bring May back into the house. But the two security men forcefully held Esther back.

They shoved her out, making the dirt rise with her fall. But before the big, black gate closed, she saw her mom kneeling on the floor weeping. She balled the cloth of her father's trousers in her hands, pleading with him to bring her pet back into the house.

People nicknamed May as mummy's pet.

Now that, too, would be no more. She will have to stop schooling, stop her luxurious lifestyle, and start a new life. Living with the poor gateman's son until they eventually got married. She didn't want that. She was too young for that.

She wanted her sweet life back where she could ask for anything and within minutes, it would be in her hands. Where she wouldn't have to do anything but order the maids around. She closed her eyes, weeping at the thought of how she had messed up her life.

May's head rested on the gate as she gradually drifted off to sleep, standing. But before she entered a deep slumber, someone tapped her shoulder gently, jolting her awake. She relaxed when she saw it was Mr. David, the gatekeeper.

He motioned with his head.

"Let's get going." was all he said as he started walking away, hoping she would follow.

Without thinking - there was nothing to think about anymore anyway - she followed him.

"Goodbye.." she whispered to herself, hoping the wind would send her farewell to her

beloved mother and sister.