Chapter Two : Sweet dreams

Taking a taxi from work was not a good idea at all. She had always tried to avoid those leeches in New York since they tend to charge people with a ridiculous amount of bills and she would have taken a subway train home to her apartment if it wasn't too late. It wasn't luxurious. It was just a simple 3-bedroom apartment with great neighbours that has always been nice to her.

When she opens the lock to her door, she was greeted by a scream of an angel. Alissa smiled when a girl with long blonde hair jump to her when the door was open.

Her front teeth have gaps and her smile with her green eyes, the only thing she got from her mother was all sparkly and beautiful contrasting her fair skin. Her pink Barbie nightdress with long sleeves looked so adorable on her.

"Baby!" Alissa giggled as she hugs her daughter closer to her chest.

"Momma! You home! You home!" She spoke in her babyish voice. 

Alissa puts her down and kneels to her height, "Guess what I have brought for you?" Alissa teases her by roll her eyes to her left insinuating she was holding something behind her back.

"Ish that a faiwy?"

Alissa scrunch her face and smiled, "Why would you think I'll bring you a fairy, baby?"

Hope smiled and bit her lips, "Because I wove faiwy. You bwing a faiwy, mama?"

Alissa chuckled and take out a box wrapped with glittery pink paper and a ribbon on top.

"I sure have a smart daughter don't I?" Hope cheered and screamed her heart out. She starts to jump and celebrate her new gift, leaving Alissa at the door and goes to her room. Alissa just smiles at her and seeing how she was stress the whole day; Hope's smile never fail to put her back in good mood.

Sarah, her neighbour's daughter enter the hallway while wiping her wet hand on the apron she was wearing. Her curly brown hair with blonde highlights was put in a bun and even in a messy look, she was still so beautiful and well known in her college, at least that's what her mouthy left neighbour said every time she approaches her when she sweeps outside of her house.

"Hiya, Alissa. How was job today?" 

"Oh, it's all good. A bit tiring but Hope always know how to put me in a good mood. How is she today?"

Sarah smiled and just shook her head, "A bit livelier than usual but that’s cuz' the new Tinkerbell movie just came out. She was obsessed."

"Huh, then that toy that I just bought for her must've times all that happiness. "

"Definitely. What was it you bought for her?"

"What do you think?" She smirked while helping Sarah clean up the living room that is filled with many toys on the floor and used plates on the table.

A happy scream from the room next to them made both women laugh. "I don't think she'll be sleeping tonight," Sarah said.

"Lucky me. By the way, this is for you." Alissa reaches out to her handbag and passed rolled-up money to Sarah who was shocked by the amount.

"You giving me this? Oh, Alissa, it's too much."

"It's not. I heard your graduation was two days ago so here's a bit extra for you just to congratulate you. Take it. You deserve it since you have been such a good friend to Hope."

Sarah bit her lip and take the money. She was trying to control her excitement and it ended up making her smile even more and Alissa laugh.

"I can take it from here. Just go ahead and lock the door will you?"

Sarah nodded and fold the apron she was using on the kitchen tabletop. Alissa sighed in the living room. It's a mess so she decides to clean everything up before taking a bath and eat her dinner that was prepared by Sarah earlier.

...

All that seems to take some time since once she enters Hope's room, Hope is already asleep with her Tinkerbell doll in her arms and she was on the floor, lying on the furry carpet with all her toys around her. Her light pink room was small and simple but it was pretty. 

Alissa carry her daughter to the bed and laid her to sleep on it. Pulling Hope's blanket on her petite body makes her smile. Her only child slept in peace without any worry from the ugly world they are living in. She laid next to her and gently tap on her thighs. Humming a lullaby that seems to make her daughter smile in her dreams.

Her infectious smile from the day she was born seems to calm her. Nevertheless, there was a sense of hollowness in her chest that made it difficult for Alissa to be fully at peace.

In Hope's small bed, Alissa could imagine a young boy her age. Perhaps a boy with blonde hair like Hope or a boy with brown hair like Alissa herself. She didn't know how a twin like a relationship works but it must be a special one. 

Alissa was surprised to find herself imagining Daniel's face. Was it because how Hope had looked like him instead of Clarke who was his identical twin? Meeting him today was a shock and not how she had imagined it to be

It was odd that a rich person like him have never found her and from his reaction, Daniel never did know where she had gone off through.

Tears fall from her eyes thinking back to how she is in this current situation. She believes that it was due to her failure as a mother and a daughter. The memory of her mother crying herself to sleep next to her in the Walton's mansion had always broke her heart.

She was put on bed rest and wasn't allowed to leave her room after her attack. The incident has already shamed Daniel's parents and the fact that they were blaming her for provoking Clarke made things worse.

...

3 years ago

Her body all bruised up especially in her inner thigh area made her feel shameful. Her tears had already dried on her cheek but other tears threaten to fall when her devastated mother sat next to her with her upper body rest on the bed she was in.

She felt her lower body ache and sore from Clarke's forcing himself on her. Her skull felt painful as well and it troubled her every time her head rest on the pillow.

The door to her room was slammed open and Dinah and William, both Daniel and Clarke's parents enter. While Dinah looked furious, William seems to be more in control of his emotion but deep down, Alissa knows how much he hated her.

Alissa's mother woke up and quickly stand beside her daughter. "What is it, sir? Maam?" She spoke in a slight Spanish accent.

Dinah wanted to speak but William steps forward and says, "We can't find Clarke. Last news was him leaving the country."

"What?" Erika, Alissa's mother raised her voice, "You are looking for him, aren't you?"

"I'm afraid not, Erika. Clarke, he's a smart boy. He knows that I will track him back to where he is so he has already withdrawn all his cash and hide himself."

"Then you must do something! Your son has hurt my daughter! She was innocent and he had hurt her. My poor baby, it was her birthday and he..." Alissa starts to cry when she sees Erika had covered her face to cover her own cries.

"Momma..."

"Enough! Your whore of a daughter must’ve seduced my son and when she couldn't take it, she tried to leave after provoking him to that extent! You dare to request from us?" 

Erika cries harder and huddles next to Alissa who had hugged her. Even in pain, it didn’t matter to her when her mother is hurt so she holds her closer and prayed to be left alone.

"Darling, that is enough," William said in a stern tone. Dinah bit her lip and back away. William moves closer to Alissa's bed, staring deeply into her eyes. William, a mogul in his state was well known by many. His thick salt and pepper hair used to had deep brown strands that were much similar to Clarke while Daniel fits more of his mother with her blonde hair.

William wore a thick beard which became a great photo image for his election ads and campaign, a face that appeals to the public as a family man and hard-working 'sir' especially deep in Texas, but right at that moment, it looks so cold.

"Here's the thing. I know my son is at fault and I can assure you, he won't do it again. I ask that the two of you to keep it hush and I'll make sure to treat you with enough savings to keep yourself alive till the end. Will that settle everything?"

"You are joking, right? You expect me to keep quiet when your son raped my daughter?"

William smirk, "It's a simple matter, Erika. My son became rough and accidentally hurt your daughter. Surely you know how sex can be a bit...messy. With how your daughter looks like, even I'm shocked she is still a virgin."

Erika became so furious that even in her tears, she starts to curse at him with all the worst things he could think of in Spanish. William rolled her eyes and turn his gaze at Alissa.

"If I were you, Alissa, I'll make sure to keep this matter private. You know, seeing your mother is not well. We don't want anything that happens here to affect her, right?"

Alissa's eyes widen. He was using the fact that Erika has breast cancer. His threatening gaze was so evil. Alissa was so angry. She was devastated to be in such a situation.

"Would you leave us for a minute, Erika? I need to speak with your daughter. "

"Like hell, I'll allow any of you Walton's dog near my daughter!"

"Momma!" Alissa shouted. Erika turns to her in shock. Alissa put on a little smile.

"Just for a moment, momma. Please."

"Baby..."

"I'll be fine. You're near. Nothing bad is going to happen. just go."

Erika hesitates but after a few seconds, she left feeling dejected with Dinah that gave her a hateful glare before leaving. Once the door was closed, William approach her and smiled.

"You must be that good to push my son to commit a crime that could potentially make him lose all his inheritance."

Alissa closes her eyes. Her blood is boiling in her chest and she wanted to scream at this man for justifying his son's action.

What is wrong with this family??

"You mention my mother. Surely you are not doing what I think you are?"

"It's simple early. I am a sensible man. What my son did is bad. I'm not stupid to know that and calling the cops to imprison him is the right thing to do but my election means more to me than all these silly matters."

"My mother told you didn't she? How I was a virgin? And your son took that from me. He wasn't just rough! Even when I cried he never stops and leaves like I was some doll he can treat like garbage. I am not a rich person, not well respected like you or by your community Mr Walton but I know that I don't deserve any of this. Threatening my mother is a horrible way of convincing me to stop reporting this to the cops."

"That is true but you see, I can do whatever I want. Unlike you, I can just hide this all away without a second thought about your feelings but as I said, I am a sensible man. I have an offer."

Alissa kept quiet and just stare at him angrily.

"I will give you a million dollars to go on with your life. Besides, even if in court, you would never get your hands on this kind of money and I can assure you, your mother will be taken care of till the end of her days. Full medical help and a good life for your own."

"And if I say no?"

"Your mother will have no money nor any job to keep her sustain. It wouldn't be fun for you either. As I said, I am a wealthy man and I can just make you two disappear with a snap of my finger. Plus, Erika is illegal right?"

Alissa's eyes widen in fear.

"I hit a nerve, didn't I? Good. so take my offer or the first thing I'll do is sent your mother away. Understand, Alissa?"

She looked down at her fingers gripping tightly to her blanket. She didn't know what to do. Even her own father wasn't here to help her and nowhere to be found. She was all alone and left with no choice. Her mother was everything to her.

With a heavy heart, she nodded and William took that as a cue to leave the room. Before he takes out his phone, her words made him stop.

"What if I'm pregnant?"

William turns back. his eyebrow was pulled down altogether. Alissa understands now that even he had forgotten about the consequences of what his son had done.

"He didn't use a condom?" Alissa shook her head.

"I was a virgin. I have never... He did it inside of me and because you refuse to bring me to the hospital..."

She let her words trailed off and his face was turning red.

"It's just one time. If getting pregnant was that easy, Dinah would be having more kids by now but sadly, it wasn't meant to be."

"That's why I ask, what IF I get pregnant?"

"Then I will deal with it. You just need to keep your mouth shut."

She nodded as her head bowed down to stare at her finger.

William wasn't done as he approached her closer and a pull on her hair made her flinched and groan in pain.

"Listen here you whore, you don't deserve to carry any of my heirs. My blood won't be soiled by the likes of you. And if you are pregnant, know that if it is indeed my heir, I will take him from you. I have been nothing but nice to you so mark my word, you test my patience, I'll make sure to wipe off your existence. Got it?"

She nodded hysterically as she bit her lip to stop herself from crying out from the pain. It's bad enough he was clutching the area where Clarke had ripped her hair from. He shoved her head away, causing her to almost fell off the bed and cried softly when the room to her door was closed.

....

That nightmare, till now has never gone away. Alissa sighed and she turned to see her sleeping daughter. William told the truth. The vow to take her child away from her and his wife was made true.

Because of him, Alissa had lost every good thing her old life has to offer. He had taken her mother from her and if she hadn't run off with Hope three years ago, she would've lost her too.

She wipes off the tears threatening to fall from the edge of her eyelids. She huddles closer to Hope and inhales her sweet berry perfume from the fairy princess cologne bottle she had bought for her.

Hope always spray the pink liquid cologne all over her body after shower and though it was a cheap product, it does have a long-lasting effect. She closes her eyes and falls into a deep sleep, praying for a sweet dream that would fill the darkness that still inhabiting her dream.