Chapter One

Ana POV

When I was seven years old, my brother Andres and I were playing hide and seek behind the house, I ran so fast and hid so well that it was difficult for him to find me, my parents didn't notice my absence and the worried Nana called the police, two days later they found me, in the same place.

That day I learned that our parents completely ignore our existence, that they don't even notice when we are not there.

Andres decided to leave home and mom only found out five months later, because the police called her to say that my brother was in jail.

The irony of life is that for some reason or another we did not leave our parents in this cold home.

We don't have the best relationship and only sometimes wish we could be heard by them.

I have seen families, being unity and loving, I can only feel envious, my head is filled with many thoughts every morning and I wish I was born in another home and with another family.

The sun coming through the window created a heaviness in my eyes, which made it a little difficult to open them, I was sure that at night I had closed the curtains, but mom always came into my room, she did whatever she wanted and entered as she pleased, a slight sigh left my lips and I hid my face under the soft pillow.

I remained still while I let myself be embraced by sleep again, until I heard voices and screams coming from the room next to mine, plus a horrible sound of a door slamming and the screams of my mother makes me lose the minutes of peace, it was the most beautiful moment of my life and I lost it because of the fights of Andres and my mother.

Something that always happen and lately more often.

"You are a bad son, you don't love your father and much less me, who have given everything for you and your sister, I don't waste my time with you anymore and go get yourself killed in those bad neighborhoods, because that's what's going to happen if you don't come to your senses, Andres." 

Mom screams really loud and I get ready to go see what was going on, I can feel the sentiment in my mother's words pretending she doesn't care, but I know deep down she loves us. I want to believe that.

Because all mothers have to love their children?!

Andres is a rebel without a cause. His bad meetings with two other boys from the surrounding community make his behavior problems increase and they end up in jail at the police station, where my father has let him spend more than a week in detention, and not that dad or my own brother cares much, but I think sometimes he tries to get their attention, being the worst way and which does not work since they do not care; the truth, I think Andres will not change and they are not going to be better parents.

Living in the high society, as our parents call it, has taken us away from the real world, from the poverty, scarcity, hunger, the pain that many people can suffer in what mom calls, the real world of the poor and my brother prefers to be in that world, the world where everyone works to survive. Andres loves that world, he prefers to live with them, he says there is more love and trust, that they are good people.

I have never gone to the communities where he lives, but the truth is that I would like to feel a little of what my brother calls home and where he practically lives, I know that the only reason for his way of being, is that there is something there that we do not have at home, it is Love.

The love of people who even knowing that they just know you want to give the best of themselves, for you in good times and bad.

I turn with heaviness and sit on the bed, I put my feet down to find my slippers, I get up and drag myself to the door of the room still with my eyes closed, I peek my head through the door, opening my eyes with much effort, but I find no one in the hallway, so I close the door and head to the bathroom.

Even though my brain says that all is not well as my parents paint it, my heart is hoping that this blissful surprise, that daddy talked so much about at dinner yesterday, is not really a very bad surprise, because they never prepare anything that is good for their children.

Because with my parents you never know when you are going to laugh or cry.

Andres and I know very well that these events happen very often.

My father sent a text message in the morning, it clearly said that I could not be late for dinner, which would be held at my favorite restaurant and this intrigue was driving me crazy, mom left home very early and dad spent the whole morning at the company, texting orders every second, that the makeup and clothes had to be perfect.

Dad was never a father who noticed these details. There could only be one reason and that was the new partners.

He had been talking all week about his new partners and how well we were going to get along with them, which was new because we had never been invited to meet any partners.

When I went down to the dining room I found Andres, from the way he was eating his food with his fork, poking the plate hard while keeping his eyes fixed on it, I knew he had something going on deep inside his mind and I knew he had someone special, that's why he refuses to leave the communities he attends.

My brother has always been someone who is reserved, including me, and this is something that has always bothered my mother, because she seems to hate it, she does everything she shouldn't, instead of me, I'm the stupid one who has to follow my parents.

And before she thinks I want to interfere in her life or give my opinion about her, I decide to leave the dining room, I go to get my bag to leave the house, I find Rafa, the family driver, he is as always kind and with a slight smile opens the car door to let me in, both he and my aunt are very kind people, since we were raised by them in the absence of our absent parents.

Arriving at the mall, I set out to do what I do best.

Spend my parents' money, and why not? They do with our lives as they please, and we often had no say in the matter.

When I arrived at the restaurant and greeted the staff, whom Andres knew very well, I noticed that at my parents' table was a young and handsome man, next to two gentlemen who I assumed were his parents.

So I faked my best smile, as I was used to doing, and set out to behave as my parents expected.

"Sorry I'm late, you know how women are, they always want to leave the house looking beautiful and take more time than usual," my father said and my smile gradually disappeared, he himself asked me to be a little late. "May I present my daughter, Ana Maldonado."

"Nice to meet you," I said and held out my hand politely, which the handsome man ignored and I thought was a bit rude of him.

His father presented himself as Gabriel Smith.

Just for a second his eyes locked with mine to leave a trace of fear in my heart, his gaze was so penetrating that my body bristled, but he also focused his attention on something else.

It was as if everyone at the tables didn't exist, I was so fascinated by his behavior that I could only watch him a little longer.

And then I lost it when I heard Mr. Smith speak.

"Then we can talk about the wedding."

Fear grew in me, I quickly looked for Mom's eyes, but they were lost on the plate in front of her, and Dad, this human called Father, had only a disgusting smile of victory on his face.