ONE

TWO DAYS EARLIER...

    "Evy, You know we have just today to prep for my birthday? I want everything to be perfect!" Doris, Evelyn's childhood best friend spoke from the other end of the phone. "This is gonna be the best birthday of my life."

    Evelyn struggling between carrying brimful grocery bags and making her way out of the crowded store chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm. "How could I possibly forget when you remind me of every little chance you get?" She stopped and got into the Uber she had called earlier.  "You have nothing to worry about. Everything is perfectly in order, Ma'am. Tomorrow is gonna be a blast."

    Doris Evans, a 25-year-old model and social media influencer with about 20 million followers, has always been one to care about her birthdays, but this year's birthday seems to be super special to her. She had somehow overheard her boyfriend, Jeff, on the phone with one of his friends, talking about surprising his girlfriend with a gift that'll take her breath away and just a week ago she saw him buying an engagement ring from the jewelry store. And of course, she's told her 20 million followers to expect something breathtaking on her birthday.

    Jeff Blake was also a model and a social media influencer too with about 22 million followers. So, you could say they were the ‘Power Couple’.

    "I've always imagined how my proposal was gonna be like ever since we were kids, you know that right? and I've waited three long years for this. To be called Mrs. Blake." Doris shrill excitedly. "I can't wait!"

    Evelyn sough aloud. "I'm so jealous." She changed the tone of her voice, feigning annoyance. "Can you please stop rubbing it in? You're speaking to a woman who hasn't dated anyone ever."

    Doris giggled. "So-o-ry!" She singsong. Then added. "By the way, how are things going on between you and Matt?"

    Matt Johnson graduated from the same university as Evelyn and Doris. They started as friends —greatly to her relief— and on their graduation night after-party, he confessed his feelings to her. Even though Evelyn didn't accept dating him, he still decided to wait till she was ready to feel the way he felt for her. Recently, she'd have to admit she felt some little spark when she was around him. 

    "Nothing is going on between me and Matt."

    "Oh C'mon! How long are you going to keep denying the fact you like-like him as much as he does?"

    Evelyn rolled her eyes. "I don't like-like him. Okay, maybe I had butterflies once or twice doesn't mean I like him."

    Doris let out an elaborate sigh. "Evy. I know you've been through a lot but sometimes you just need to bury some ugly memories and let someone love you. You deserve someone to look after you. To be protected. You just have to open your heart and let love in."

    Evelyn listened to her friend as the cab pulled in front of her driveway. She chuckled as she got out of the cab and made her way toward her apartment. "You sound just like my Abuela right now," she said, trying to balance her phone between her left shoulder and her ear as she held her groceries with both hands.  "And I think I'm ready to give Matt a chance."

    "Did you just say you're ready to give me a chance?" A familiar voice spoke from behind her.

    Grinning, Evelyn turned around to see Matt walking toward her. His eyes twinkled.  "Speak of the devil," she mumbled under her breath.

    She could hear Doris whooping from the other end of the phone as she has succeeded at her mission. "Okay, I'm gonna leave you two love birds alone to do your thing. See ya!" And with that, she hung up. 

    "Hi, there! Thank you!" Evelyn cried as Matt reached out to carry her grocery bag for her. "What are you doing here this early, it's barely 9 am. Shouldn't you be at the hospital, Doctor Johnson?"

    "Oh! It's my day off today and I was in the neighborhood so I thought I'd drop by," he said with a shrug and then he shook his head. "Don't try to change the subject, Evy. I clearly heard you say you'd give me a chance. Are you being for real?"

    "We-e-ll..." She looked at him with squinty eyes drawing the ‘well’. Then shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah. I guess."

    "I'm holding you at your words. You can't change your mind later, okay?" 

    Evelyn laughed softly. "Okay!" She said. "Hey. You should stay for breakfast."

    "Can I?"

    "Of course. Mamá and Abuela would love that. I think Livvie even has a crush on you." Evelyn whispered the last part as she opened the door for him. They could hear Livvie dancing and singing along, at the top of her voice, to Jason Lyndon's music video been played on TV.

    "I doubt that. The only person Livvie has a crush on is Jason Lyndon," he said with certainty and a little laugh.

    Evelyn's countenance scrunched up with utter disdain. There were two people she hated the most in her life. First, her father, who'd always come back home drunk in a stupor. He would beat her, her sister, and Mom and lock them up in the cold basement till morning when he was sober again. It was a vicious circle. That was their family's routine. And then one day, when she was just ten and her sister fifteen he'd left–much to their relief– and never returned. And the second person was, Jason Lyndon, who was probably responsible for her sister's death. 

    Seven years Olivia-Livvie Rodriguez was Evelyn's niece. Evelyn's big sister, Clarissa Rodriguez, had come back home one day with an adorable baby and a few months after that she died in a fire outbreak in her apartment. At first, the news claimed it was an accident due to some household inflammable but she and the rest of her family weren't buying it. They suspected foul play, knowing Clarissa for one to be extremely careful to a fault and would nag anyone for a day straight if they don't put things in where they were meant to be kept. 

    Jason Lyndon's fans, who'd hated the friendship between an upcoming artiste and their fave artiste, started spreading rumors that she'd committed suicide due to the black lash she'd gotten for having an affair with Jason's father. Back then, just after she made her debut, there were horrible rumors in circulation that Clarissa was in a relationship with Jason's Dad, Case Lyndon, who was the President of L. Corporation one of the largest Gadgetry companies, and a man also known for his being a Casanova in his prime. 

    According to the rumors, she'd befriended Jason to get close enough to seduce his father—who had a thing for younger women— to get her career sponsored by him. 

    Clarissa had been stronger than anyone Evelyn knew and she had been through a lot to take her own life over something like that. Not right when she was so close to achieving her dreams and so not after haven become a mom.

     Yes, Clarissa had sometimes been the reckless member of the family, especially when it came to boys. She'd had a one-night stand with God knows who and had fallen pregnant. Clarissa had wanted to raise her baby alone, in seclusion, far away from all the toxicity and rumors spreading about her. 

    She'd gone through the pains of having her child all by herself without anyone's knowledge. Not even her family members knew what she was going through, in fact, the world didn't know she was pregnant, she did a good job hiding it. 

    Until she couldn't deal with the stress of raising her kid and pursuing what's left of her dreams all alone, she'd come back home. Though she was completely tight-lipped about who the father of her baby was, the Paparazzi took up the news, and the rumor that Livvie was Case Lyndon's daughter, spread the nation like wide fire.

     After investigations and forensics, they found the trace of an unclear footprint of someone else's in the apartment, who was probably with her and probably had set the fire at her apartment, the case was now changed to a homicide. 

    The rumors surrounding Clarissa died down right after the news of her death being likely due to murder was released.

    Evelyn strongly believed that Jason had something to do with her sister's death or he was even responsible for her death. 

    Clarissa had told her on the day she died that she was finally going to meet up with Jason to clear up the rumors about her dating his father. 

    She'd tried meeting up with him so many times but Jason was pissed about the rumors and had refused to see her. 

    How exactly did she end up in her apartment two hours later in the middle of an inferno?

    After Evelyn had told the detective about how her sister had planned to meet up with Jason, The Lyndons were called in for questioning as suspects, due to the rumors and Evelyn's statement. 

    Both father and son denied the allegations and there wasn't any solid proof to pin it on them either. 

    Clarissa's body and every other thing in her apartment were burnt beyond recognition and worst of all, the CCTV camera of her apartment was destroyed, probably by the perpetrator, on the day of her murder. There was no way of finding out who was in her apartment with her. Due to lack of evidence the case was closed. 

    And just like that, every news of The Lyndons' involvement was taken down and Clarissa's murder case was forgotten like it never happened in the first place.

    "Mami, why do you always play those horrible songs?'' Evelyn said calmly, trying to curb her temper. She wasn't angry at her cute niece but her all-time fave musician. Livvie was still ignorant of Jason's involvement in her Mom's death and they intend to keep it that way.

    Livvie turned slowly from the TV to her aunt. "Horrible?! Horrible?!" She exclaimed wide-eyed. "Of all adjectives to qualify my Jason's music, you choose... Breathe Livvie, breathe." She added, dramatically making hand gestures across her face and taking a long breath. "You should be seriously lucky I love you, Tía Evy. I would have dragged you to the mud. Do you know who Jason Lyndon is? World's hottest artiste with zero scandal. Have any of his songs ever flopped? No! If he isn't the definition of perfection then I don't know what is. I still can't believe you called his songs horrible."

    Matt exchanged greetings with Evelyn's Mom and Grandma as Evelyn's mom takes the groceries away from him. Then he turned to Evelyn and laughed at the look on her face. "I don't think Jason's music is that bad," he said to her. "I listen to it sometimes."

    "Thank you, Matt," Livvie let out with a smile. Then she blew him a kiss. "I can't love you less."

    Evelyn turned her murderous look towards him. "Don't encourage her!" 

    Matt shrugged and made a zipper sign across his lips. As Livvie went back to dancing to the music video on TV, a piece of breaking news interrupted the show. ‘Jason Lyndon is rumored to be in a relationship with a minor’.

    "33-year-old Sensational musician, Jason Lyndon, known as the ‘forever single celeb’ who has never been in any sort of serious relationship has been spotted at the lobby of The Royal Hotels on what seems to be a romantic date with the 17-year-old actress, Kelly Davis, who just made her acting debut last year at her award winning movie, ‘Marianne’..." The celeb gossip newscaster announced in her usual smooth tone.

    Some pictures of Jason and Kelly—wearing face caps and sunshades— smiling in each other's arms at the hotel's lobby were attached to the news broadcast.

    "What?!" Livvie shrieked horror-stricken. "This can't be true. Someone is trying to frame my Jason."

    Evelyn gave her a devilish smirk. "I told you he wasn't so perfect."

    "He is!" Livvie differed obnoxiously. "And I and every loyal member of our fandom are gonna prove it. You just wait!"

    Evelyn watched in utter dismay, as her niece stormed off, tapping her phone violently.