-Chapter One-

CAMILLA

This book is stupid!

This is crap!

So Carly ends up with Ramsey? A guy that killed her dad? Bullshit!

I said it before, this story is pathetic and it does NOT make sense at all!  A complete waste of time!

Someone please bribe this writer to stop writing!

This must be the worst book of all time!

I would pay to have this book and the stupid writer wiped off from the face of the earth!

This book should be crowned the worst book of all time.

This is not even a book! This is Complete Trash!

Pathetic book! 

I just finished writing my book, "Sweet Stranger" , and I am getting a lot of backlash from readers. I know I should not focus on the negative comments. There are a lot of good comments from thousands of readers but me being a normal human being, I seem to focus more on the negative comments. I let them get to me. I want to strike back and defend my work of art when I see a comment from one particular fan that warms my heart.

@hopelessromantic♥️

You don't like this book? Then fucking write your own perfect book with a perfect ending and see if anyone will even sit down to read a single letter of it and let millions of people read this "pathetic" book in peace!

I find myself smiling so widely at the comment. This fan just made my day. The fan just fought my battle.

"Sweet Stranger" is a book I started writing online two years ago and it got officially published this year. I honestly did not expect the reads and all the support I got from my  fans. I mean, I was an amateur writer and I was just writing crap.

Sweet Stranger is a book I wrote based on my real life love-tale. It dives into the life of a young woman, Carly, who fell insanely inlove for a sweet stranger, Ramsey, who turned out to be the enemy that murdered her father.

Though the book receives a lot of backlash, I must say it is one of the books that has gotten mind-blowing recognition and gotten millions of reads on GoodNovel.

I never expected that honestly.

I hear a loud knock on the door.

Who could that be?

Royce never knocks.

He just busts inside the house and jumps on top of me on the couch. Or, was he finally finally taught manners in school?

I put the laptop on the table, rise from the couch and head to the door.

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A blue-eyed plumb man is standing at the door, looking tensed up and anxious.

"Good evening, Ma'am."

He looks suspicious. "Good evening, Sir..."

"Are you Roy's mom?" he asks.

I nod, fear suddenly starting to creep in.

"I am sorry I hit him with my car and I am... I am afraid he might be... Dead."

My heart stops.

I freeze on the spot.

I can not move.

A sudden anger builds up inside me and I grab him by the color, tears welling up my eyes.

"I want my son back!"

Suddenly, two little boys scamper in chirpily like excited puppies.

"Bursted!" The two little boys chirp in exuberance.

Royce and Renny.

Then it hits me that this was nothing but a  stupid prank!

Totally embarrassed, I let go of the man's collar and mutter apologetically,

"Sorry."

I turn to glare at the two little naughty humans, looking unbelievably cute in the blue uniform.

"Boys! That was not funny!" I snap.

"But the look on your face is," says Royce.

The two boys look at each other and laugh.

"I want my son back!" They mimick my voice and burst into a laugh again.

The man that was part of the prank chuckles as he ruffles up Roy's brown hair.

"Good job boys!"

Then he waves us and walks away.

I strut towards them when the man has vanished and pinch their ears.

"I must cane the two of you! Get inside!"

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I sit beside the two boys, watching them eat the crunchy cookies, dipping them in the chocolate milk.

These two are just so adorable.

Roy suddenly takes Renny's cup and drinks all his milk.

"Roy just drank all my milk!" he grumbles, scowling at Roy.

Roy glares at him. "Snitch! And why did you have to tell her? My mom is not blind! She obviously saw me duh!"

My son can be such a bully at times.

"Roy, get Renny some more milk! Now!"

His face lights up, his brown eyes dilating in delight.

"There is more milk?"

I nod.

Roy grabs the jug and pours Renny some more milk, and of course he does not forget himself.

"Boys, what you did back there, the stupid prank, was not cool or funny at all!"

Roy grins. "It was just a test, Mom!"

"Test? What kind of test?" I ask in confusion.

By the look on Roy's face, it is clear that he does not want to tell me. So I turn to Renny, who is not so good at keeping secrets.

"Renny? Please tell me..."

And he does not hesitate even for a second.

"We were testing who, between you and my dad, loves their child more."

I chortle. "That is ridiculous. You know we both love you boys so much!"

Roy giggles. "Renny's dad does NOT love him. He told the guy who helped us with the prank to call him when the funeral was done."

My son laughs so hard at his friend.

Renny glares at him. "It is because I have pranked my dad before, Roy! We have pranked him almost ten times!"

Roy chuckles. "Whatever... Fact is, my Mom loves me more than your dad loves you."

He seems like he will burst into tears right this minute.

I look at him and squeeze his little hand.

"Renny, you know that is not true. Your dad loves you more than anything and anyone in this world..."

"But my mom loves me more," Roy insists as he slurps through his chocolate milk.

I glare at my son but he does not even flinch.

He looks at Renny's chocolate milk.

"And if you continue sulking, I will drink all of your milk again..."

"Roy! That is enough," I bark at him.

The doorbell rings.

It is Renny's dad, Eric.

He is here to pick him up.

Renny scuffles to the door, leaving his chocolate milk at the table.

He throws his arms around his dad.

Eric picks him up and showers him with kisses. He adores his son alot...

Watching them makes me wonder... What If Ramon was here? Would he love Roy as much as Eric loves Renny?

"Dad, Roy says his Mom loves him more than you love me. Is that true?" he snitches on Roy.

We all turn to look at my son, who is slurping down Renny's chocolate milk.

I scowl at him.

That boy is really mannerless.

He bangs down the cup loudly on the table and looks up at us with puppy eyes, milk stained on his upper lip and chin.

His puppy eyes sweep my heart every time and he uses them to manipulate me when he knows he has done something wrong or is about to do something wrong.

"I love you as much as Mila loves Roy. And even more," Eric assures his son and turns to my son.

He ruffles up his hair, "Hallo young man!"

Roy grins at him. "Hallo man!"

Eric turns to me. "Mila, thanks for babysitting this little man of mine for me. We will be on our way..."

"Bye."

Eric stands at the doorstep, staring at me, when I escort him out.

And I can not say I am not enjoying staring at his gorgeous green eyes too because that would be pure lying.

Eric is handsome. Way too handsome. Dark hair. Green eyes. Perfect jawline. Sweet smile. He is ridiculously hot but not hotter than...

No! Stop thinking like that stupid!

"Bye Renny!" Roy blurts out, breaking the stare.

I clear my throat nervously.

"Bye Eric."

"Bye Mila."

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My son and I are at the shopping mall.

Roy pushes the shopping trolley at a slow pace as I walk beside him, putting stuff in the trolley.

"Is Grandma coming tomorrow?," he asks as we stroll slowly.

"Yes."

Mom always comes on Saturdays.

"She promised to bring me more toys. Will she forget?," he asks.

"She never forgets," I assure him.

He rolls his eyes. "Yes she does! Grandpa Rupert is the only one that keeps his promise and never forgets!"

Roy and Rupert have a great relationship.

Sometimes I am a little scared that he loves Rupert more than he loves me. When he sets foot in the house, Roy literally forgets who I am.

And that makes me kind of... Jealous.

A guy and his son walk past us laughing.

My son stares at them then tilts his head to look up at me.

"Do you think Dad will ever come back to us?" he asks out of the blues.

I freeze.

That question catches me off guard.

"What?"

"I know he died... But do you ever think there is a chance that he might come back to us? That i will see him..."

He makes me feel terrible after asking that.

I feel like a horrible person for lying to him about his dad. But it is for his own good. And I hope he never finds out the truth. I will make sure he never does.

"No, he will never come back, my boy," I say softly. "But he watches us from heaven. And he is always with you because he loves you... He loves us."

He smiles.

"And we love him too!"

I fake a smile but it pains me inside that I have to lie to such an innocent and precious soul.

We turn to another stall and my eyes quickly fall on a pregnant woman with long ebony hair, picking ketchup from the stall.

My heart sinks.

Riana?

What the fuck is she doing here?

I thought I had run from Kingswood and everybody there so what the fuck is she doing in this town?

Shit!

I have to leave right away.

I grab Roy's hand and bolt to the exit door quickly.

But then Riana calls from the back and I freeze on the spot.

"Camilla?"

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