CHAPTER ONE
"Sullivan Sisters"
12:45 P.M. | Thursday | At the Sullivan Mansion
SAMANTHA
"Miss Lena, where is Sakura?" I ask the head of the maids.
I have been looking around for my little sister and yet, I could not find her anywhere inside the mansion. I went to the places where she often stayed longer than usual, but she was not there. You all might ask why I was looking for her. Well, I was supposed to inform her that we were going to Japan tomorrow for a business meeting in regards to forming ties with other influential companies. I knew she hated going to Japan; however, I needed her to be there as well. Why? So, she could heal completely over her invisible scars that happened 4 years ago.
I think it's quite obvious that she's not my biological sister. Given by the fact that my name sounds different from hers. Truthfully, my father just adopted her. He accidentally found her in the one of the park's benches, shivering and sneezing uncontrollably. Of course, being a kind hearted man he is, he picked her up and took her to our house. My mother and I were startled at first because my father brought home a teenage girl with ludricous pink hair, but eventually we nursed her and made sure that she is being treated correctly.
Sooner or later, I found myself hugging her in comfort after she finished telling us her story. I could tell that her story was true because her face was very vocal. It spoke all the expressions she needed to express, and not to mention that she was sobbing hysterically through out her story. My father decided to adopt her since she did not have any place to go. We pulled a string here and there, so we could get her papers ready even without the consent of her biological parents — no one was planning to get their signatures anyway.
We learned from her story that she originally came from Japan and she is - was - the second daughter of a famous business man, Haruno Kizashi. Her parents disowned her because her elder sister framed her up by putting all the bank accounts of her parents in Sakura's bedroom. She is accused of stealing their possessions. Also, on that very same day, her supposed-to-be understanding boyfriend dumped her for her elder sister after he learned that she was a 'thief'.
It was a good thing that she knew English, so it was not hard to communicate with her. I recently learned Japanese and I was still trying to get used to it. But despite the fact that she opened up to us, she was still wary and was silent most of the time. However, I was resilient and broke down her walls and she fully trusted me now. And then, a protective instinct developed within me and I felt compelled to protect her because she became my little sister and also because I did not want her to experienced another pain and suffering.
"Lady Sakura? Oh, I think I saw her going out with Eric. She must be shopping for her food since her stock ran out last night," she replies with her signature kind smile.
I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms over my chest. "Did she buy junk foods again? Why was I not informed of this, Miss Lena? I thought I made it clear before that you should tell me what she always bought especially if it concerned her type of food."
"I apologize, Lady Samantha, but Lady Sakura made me promise to not tell you," she said with a guilty expression on her slightly wrinkled face.
I hold back the urge to sigh. I should have expected this. I mean, this is Sakura's true nature after all. She's too stubborn to give up what she wants. Well, there is no one to blame but myself. I taught her to be strong and to be sturdy during the hard times because if no one was with her to console her, she only had herself and she should not break down at all cost. Yeah, I know that it is wrong to teach her like that, but that is what I went through before and I managed to help myself on my own. My parents were too busy at that time, so I could not approach them and I did not get an opportunity to tell them.
"Alright, I forgive you; however this should not happen again, am I understood?" I asked, sternly.
"Yes, Lady Samantha."
"I'm going to head over to my office. If you saw Sakura, tell her to come over to my office at once," with that said, I whirled around and headed towards the staircase.
1:25 P.M. | Thursday | At the Sullivan Mansion
AUTHOR
A pink haired girl steps out of the white van (Mercedes-Benz Metris) with the help of a middle-aged man and while carrying her pet rabbit, named Usagi. From a far distance, her black and white dress seemed to be rather simple, but once you got nearer and you asked for the brand of the dress. You would be shocked to know that its brand was a Louis Vuitton. Yes, she's very rich, because with just a snap of her finger, her favored item will be in her hands immediately.
"Thank you, Eric," Sakura smiles gratefully at him before taking her pet into her arms. The driver closes the door from behind her, after taking out her grocery bags.
"Lady Sakura!" someone calls out her name with a frantic tone and the said woman turns her head around and sees the head of the maids walking towards her in a fast pace. "Lady Sakura, you're back! I apologize in advance, Lady Sakura, but your sister already found out about your snacks. I'm really sorry for not being able to keep it hidden."
The pink haired woman tilts her head downwards, but she knows that it wasn't Miss Lena's fault. She shouldn't have hidden it from her sister in the first place. She is bound to find out anyway. With that in thought, her shoulders slump down in defeat and she hangs her head low. Her sister would definitely scold her for sure.
"By the way, Lady Sakura, your sister said to me to passed this message to you."
Her eyebrows furrow. "What message?"
"She wanted you to go to her office immediately."
"Did she tell you why?" the 23-year-old woman questions. "Am I going to be grounded for a week? A month? A year?"
"Lady Samantha did not say anything further other than what I have said to you, Lady Sakura," Miss Lena says and then, she smiles assuringly at her concerned face. "Do not worry too much, my lady. I know for sure that Lady Samantha won't be too hard on you. She loves you too much to hurt you."
At the very least her worries lessened by a fraction. She hands over Usagi to the head maid. "Please take care of Usagi for the mean time, Miss Lena. I will go to Samantha-nē's room."
'Nē means Older sister in Japanese. Sakura had explained to everyone in the household why she started calling Samantha with that weird — it was weird for them — suffix.
"You do that."
1:32 P.M. | Thursday | At the Sullivan Mansion
SAKURA
I took a deep breath and knocked on the wooden door. I heard a faint voice telling me to come in. I pulled the handle gently and then, I peeked inside carefully and slowly. I see Samantha-nē reading the file of a probably new employee to her company. She looks up, takes off her reading glasses, then motions for me to enter inside. I smile sheepishly before fully entering inside, then closing the door.
"You called for me?"
She closes the folder that she was holding and put it on top of her glass-made desk. She also put her reading glasses on the desk. "I am not going to beat around the bush, Sakura. I want you to come with me to the business meeting that is going to be held in Tokyo, Japan, specifically in the conference room of the Hyūga Corporations. The meeting will start at exactly 12 in the afternoon at Saturday."
Suddenly I feel really numb and cold. Not this again. I have gone back to Japan twice, but I think that twice was enough. I do not want to go back there anymore, especially if its in Hyūga Corporations. Even though, my heart was somehow healed, I knew for sure that the scars would come back one day once I saw them — especially him. I can not bear to be in pain anymore. And do you all want to know why I did not go back to exact my revenge on them? It is because revenge will not satisfy me. It will not be enough to pacify my hatred towards them all. I hated them so much that I always had the urge to kill them with my bare hands for what they had put me through.
"You know that I can't go with you —" I was cut off.
"You can, but you're a coward," she said with an offhanded insult.
Sometimes, I dislike this side of hers. She's too blunt and she's unforgiving. She only says the truth which is more likely painful. Besides, as what people most say, the truth hurts. But, I am not a coward! And she knew that. I will bet all of my money that she is baiting me. She wanted me to agree with her, which I would do everything in my power to not lose.
"Do not mistake cowardliness from avoiding, Samantha-nē. I can not afford to lose my composure there," I said calmly.
"Excuses. You know, Sakura, if you do not face your past sooner or later, you will regret. Why? Because fate will do anything just to make you face your #1 problem."
"I can not face them yet!"
"It has been 4 years, Sakura. Plus, we won't stay there for too long. I am just going to make ties with our company and that is what our Dad wants," she reasoned.
I close my eyes and clench my fists. She just had to mention Dad. She knew all of my weaknesses very well. Ugh, now I feel like I do not want to entrust my weaknesses to her. She's too manipulative. I sigh in defeat and raise my hands in the air, then give her an irritated look. "Fine. Alright. I will go with you to Japan, but I will not go to the business meeting."
She thinks it over before nodding in agreement. "Deal. Now, pack your things because our flight will be tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" I blanched.
She raises an eyebrow. "I did mention that the meeting is on Saturday, correct? It is Thursday and tomorrow is Friday. Of course, we can't delay the meeting any longer."
I sigh. "I sometimes hate you, Samantha-nē."