Chapter -2

Cassandra looked at her surroundings with a disgusted face. She came back to her hometown after ten years and it l looked just as she left it ten years ago. Clean.

Yes it was clean and luxurious looking but the people who live in it were as filthy. They are the most vicious and ruthless group of people she's ever met.

No one would think like this about their hometown after ten years of absence but Cassandra, she has no good memory in this place to even say one good word about it.

Her legs dragged her close to her childhood home. The place which she was supposed to seek protection from but failed miserably. Standing at the front door of the white enormous apartment, she pressed the doorbell and heard a small *ding* come across the house.

She waited for the other person to open the door while skimming her eyes on the beautiful looking flowers beside her leg.

They used to be her only friends. Flowers, they were beautiful, soft and innocent.

Her thoughts about flowers were cut short when a beautiful lady with blonde hair and golden brown eyes opened the door. She was wearing a long, white dress which served as a second skin to the lady.

She was looking at Cassandra with eyes that screamed shock. "Carla?" She voiced out with uncertainty.

"It's Cassandra. Mother." Cassie said and smiled lightly.

"Oh my Goodness, you look-" she stopped, giving her a head to toe glance and spoke. "Different."

""It has been a while." Cassandra spoke and smiled as if it was a mere ten minutes of her life.

"Where have you been this whole time darling?" Sarrah, her mother for once in her life called her 'darling'. And Cassandra didn't like any of it. The way she said it gave away the fake care laced with her voice.

Cassie knew her mother and came prepared wearing all the expensive looking clothes and jewelry, she was wearing a fancy blue knee-high dress that gave off an elegant look while putting white pedant necklaces around her neck. Her mother is a materialistic person and Cassandra knows every-bit of it.

"Come inside darling." She said, opening the door wide and giving her the sweetest smile of all time. But to Cassie, it was no more like a fake welcome to the daughter who came back looking fancier than her mother.

"This place hasn't changed." Cassie spoke glancing at the house attentively.

"You are right. I didn't want to change the vibe your father left in this house by putting things differently."

Hearing her mother say her father's name, she got the urge to slap her hard. But that would blow her whole plan. Thus instead, she smiled.

"You are right." She smiled her sweet smile again and went further into the house while her mother followed her from behind. The walls were painted in cream white color while expensive pots and vases were put on every corner, the place was still very big and spacious.

"Come, sit." Her mother offered her to sit on the cushion sofa and Cassie took that offer.

Rubbing her hands on the tight fitted dress, Sarrah sat on the sofa near Cassie.

"Darling, where have you been this whole time? I looked for you everywhere."

'Liar.' Cassie thoughts

"I was abroad. I got scholarships to medical school in Europe and I thought why not take the opportunity?" She chuckled at the end of her sentence. "You are right darling. Are you a doctor now?" Sarrah asked.

"Yes. " Cassie answered.

"Do you have a family of your own?" Her mother inquired cautiously.

"No, not yet."

'Good. You will have so many suitors standing on our doorstep asking for your hand now.' Sarrah thought silently and smiled.

"Don't worry, with this beauty I'm sure it won't be hard to find a good one for you." She said,

"What should I bring you? Coffee or tea?" She asked. Cassie felt awkward being offered tea or coffee from her mother in her childhood home.

She never regarded it as a home but still, she lived most if her life in here and the strange feeling still lingered at the back of her head

"Tea would be fine." Cassie answered and her mother said a quick' I'll be back' and went to the kitchen with her phone.

Cassie stood up from her seat and Went to the wide glass door that leads to the backyard. She wanted to see what the place that haunted her for so many years looked like.

But she stopped mid on her tracks when she heard her mother speaking with someone on the phone. She was speaking in a hushed tone and Cassie couldn't make out what her mother was saying.

She instead went quietly to the kitchen door and listened to what her mother was talking. "Oh you should have seen her." She heard her mother speak when she got closer to the door.

The door was opened slightly so she could make her mother's figure. " Of course you should come. Baby, you will love her. I bet she will make you dumb struck when you see her." She heard her mother say and smiled to herself.

'That was quick.' Cassie thought coldly. She knew her mother would set her up with some dirty people for money once she comes back but she didn't think it would be this fast.

She didn't even stay for proper fifteen minutes here and what her mother thinks of is money again. It has always been money.

"Now? That would be great." Cassie didn't need to hear more to know that the person her mother wants her to be with is coming soon. And she has been prepared for it.

Quickly she went back to the sofa and stay there looking out the window just as if nothing happened and her mother went out of the kitchen with tray of cookies and two cups of tea.

"I hope I didn't make you wait long." He mother smiled. Cassie wanted to say something but smiled instead thinking it would be wise to stay looking dumb in front of her mother.

"Of course not." She said and straighten on her seat. Her mother spread the Trey on the table and gave Cassie a cup of tea. She also offered her some cookies and sat down with her.

"So tell me, how come you never called me darling? And by the way you look so beautiful. I didn't know I had a beautiful daughter before." She said and laughed at her excuse of a joke. For the sake of acting, Cassie also laughed with her.

"I was busy with all the work and you know how it is with young girls, we forget our past when we get in to a better place." She mimicked he mother's pitchy voice and her mother found it amusing.

"So are you saying you are rich now? Got yourself a sugar?" He mother winked at her. Cassie was getting disgusted with every word that came out of her mother's mouth.

"I mean what can I say, they are the quickest way of getting money.." Cassie played along and they stayed for a while talking about stupid stuff for a while until the doorbell rang.

"Oh, seems like you're expecting someone?" Cassie asked as of she knew nothing about it.

"Yes darling, before you came. It's better if you open it" Sarrah said but Cassie knew what she planned to do.

"Alright." She smiled again and went to open the door. There a gorgeous black haired man with a gorgeous tanned body stood looking back at her with those beautiful blue eyes of his. He was wearing a loose fitten blue jeans with white shirt.

"Hello." He smiled at her while his eyes were glued on her face. He looked stunned.

She almost choked on her saliva, looking at the boy she's had crush on for the most of her highschool years.

There he was standing looking at her like she was a lost gem he found on his way. Those blue eyes were haunting her in her dream every night of the past ten years making her sleepless. And now he's standing right Infront of her.

"Hi" she breathed out. For others, it might appear as if she was stunned by his beauty or that she's charmed by his smile but deep in her mind: she was thinking about all those memories she had of him making her highschool life miserable.

"Is Sarrah home?" He asked again giving her a flash of his popular charming smile. Hearing her name get mentioned, Sarrah went to the front door and opened the door wider.

"Oh, hey Jaden." She smiled and gave him a quick hug. They looked close like mother and son for eyes of stranger.

"Hey Sarrah. Who's this beauty here?" He asked getting in to the house while Cassie closed the door behind him.

"You two should meet, this is Jaden. And this is Cassa-"

"Cassie. You can call me Cassie." She said and extended her hand for a shake. He took her hand with his firm one and shook it well before planting a kiss on the back of her knuckles. "Nice to meet you Cassie."

At the sight before her, Sarrah thought ' This is going to be one hell of a ride.'