Prologue
Have you ever suffered abuse at the hands of someone? Haley James was just 14 years old when she was hit for the first time, 16 when she was touched inappropriately for the first time and 17 when she was raped for the first time. 18 when she found hope for the first time.
In a constant struggle with life, depression overtook Haley like a truck hitting a kitten on a motorway. She would spend hours at night, standing in the middle of the street in the quiet town of Tree Hill, wishing that something would come along which would end her life for her. She prayed to God that he would put an end to her life and what was happening to her. She could speak to no one; she was disgusted with herself and knew that the blame lay at her door. Maybe if she wore a skirt that was slightly lower in the hem – maybe if she wasn't such a tease that day when she wore a little bit of mascara. She hated every inch of herself, and wasn't entirely sure what to do. She wished that her parents hadn't agreed to take on the troublesome teen five years ago. She knew her parents thought that they were helping Carl out when they took him on, but they had no idea how much pain that they had inflicted upon Haley after this decision. Why should they after all? Carl had turned out to be the perfect foster son, he got good grades and went to medical school. He came home every two weeks to visit, although Haley believed that it was to get something from her instead.
