Author's Note: Hiya to everyone who bothers to stop by to read this fic of mine. First attempt at a Harvest Moon story.
Hope you like it. I got the idea from watching "Wild Child" a movie that stars Emma Roberts and Alex Pettifer (not sure if i got his name right).
Set in Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland. Flowerbud Village, if I'm not mistaken. I'll check onto it later. Pairings will be seen much later in the story. Or I might set a poll for it. I'll have to see if readers like this fic first.
This is the prologue.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Same gist. I own nothing.
- Prologue -
Claire Harvest. She's just your average spoilt rich girl.
She's blue-eyed, blonde and beautiful.
She's got a body that is worthy of being on a sports magazine.
She's the 'It-girl' who all the boys want, and who all the girls pretend to like.
She's lives in a luxurious, modern mansion with a view of the ocean.
She's got a handsome, promising actor boyfriend.
She owns a closet that can serve as a dinning room for a family of four.
She has been going to runway shows since she was five, and strutted down a few herself.
She considers Paris as her second hometown.
She's an aspiring fashion designer with unlimited access to daddy's money as start-up and come next fall, she will be launching her first ever line in her very own boutique, Vision de Lune.
She may be young, but she knows what she wants out of life. And whatever Claire Harvest wants, Claire Harvest gets.
Yes, this rich girl has everything going for her. She's eighteen and life is getting sweeter by the minute. She's on top of the world, and she isn't planning on coming down any time soon.
Too bad for her, this particular rich girl has just done something very naughty, and daddy's found out. Now daddy's planning on teaching his not-so-lovable princess a little lesson.
"YOU'RE WHAT??"
"You heard me, Claire. I'm sending you off to the countryside."
"THE COUNTRYSIDE?!"
Richard Harvest cringed. "Could you please stop yelling?"
"STOP YELLING?! YOU TELL ME THAT YOU'RE BANISHING ME TO SOME PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND YOU EXPECT ME TO BE CALM ABOUT IT?? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?! YOU CAN'T TREAT ME THIS WAY, DAD, YOU JUST CAN'T!"
If it was any consolation, at least Claire wasn't bursting out in tears like Richard thought she would. Thank god, for that.
Richard Harvest could deal with a lot of things. He could deal with simpering bankers out to get his money. He could deal with big shots in expensive suits from high-standing law firms just looking for an alibi to put him behind bars. Hell, he could even take a loaded gun pointed at him, which had actually happened more than once when he—accidentally—fell in with the wrong people.
However, at the sight of a crying woman and Richard Harvest would be the quickest out the door. He hated people who cried. He hated seeing weakness.
"I can and I will," he continued in a stony tone. "You're going to stay at your grandfather's village for a year and that's final. I mean it, Claire. Consider it a probation,"
"Probation? What the hell for?!" wailed Claire.
A pair of thick dark browns pulled together in frustration. A deep frown settled itself onto Richard's face as he regarded his daughter carefully. "Don't act dumb with me, Claire. You know exactly what for. We both know how much you hate Kristy. I can't think of anyone else who would pull such a rotten trick,"
There a cry of outrage at the mention of Richard's current girlfriend's name, almost feral in its nature, such an odd sound coming from a girl. But looks can be most deceiving, especially when it's Claire Harvest you're talking about.
"So this is about her??" Claire snarled. "You're choosing HER over ME?! Me! Your own daughter over some fake slut?"
Richard lowered his voice. "After what happened yesterday, Claire, I'm afraid I barely recognize you anymore. This isn't how the old Claire would act." There was a sad note in his tone. "I'm so disappointed in you,"
A coldness fell over the spacious living room. Claire gusty energy was suddenly blown away, and along with it was her voice. She wanted to open her mouth but found that she couldn't. Her whole body was just so weary all of the sudden, and she more than a little hurt by what her dad just said.
Her gaze was downcast as she finally managed to say, "That Claire doesn't exist anymore. And neither does my old dad,"
Finally, she looked up, and to Richard's darkest horror, she had tears in her eyes.
"Where's the dad who used to take me to amusement parks every weekend, huh? Or ice-skating? Or just dropping me off at school? Where was he when I was at the hospital, getting my tonsils removed? Where was he when I graduated? Why don't I ever see him at the dinner table anymore? He was never there, and even if he was, he was never actually there,"Claire swallowed down a sob. "And yet, you wonder why I've changed??"
There was a long stretch of silence. Richard didn't look at his daughter as he spoke, mainly because he didn't dare to. He wouldn't let her know that her words were worst that any bullet he had to take. "You're leaving next week, and that's the end of it," he said with finality.
With tears now running down her face in streaks, Claire ran out of the room. Richard didn't follow her. He was too shaken to even move his legs. He sank back into a leather armchair, his expression dazed and his head whirling.
For a few moments, he simply sat in that position, staring at something no one else could see. A million train of thoughts raged within his tired mind. He was so very, very tired. Tired in every aspect.
Yet, he was far from being considered old. He was only forty-two and could effortlessly pull off for a dashing fellow in his mid-thirties. He was the best kind of men in terms of looks, the kind who only ripened with age. Women still shamelessly fawned over him like they had twenty years ago.
In spite of all that, women were never a big part of his life. Sure, there were ones like Kristy, who stuck around longer than the usual one month, only because Richard haven't gotten around to dumping her yet. Blame his busy schedule. There will always be women around him. Some will claim to be in love with him, others just stay for the ride.
But there will only be one woman who has ever truly won him over.
He was still a fresh young adult with big dreams, just eighteen years of age, learning the tricks of the business world. He was that young when he met her, but he knew something special when he saw it. The attraction was undeniably mutual.
Eva was her name. Two years later, it was Eva Harvest. However, because of Richard's desire to establish a stable career before expanding their family, they only had Claire four years into their marriage.
Richard saw it as the happiest day of his life, and Eva's too.
He was the luckiest man on earth. He had found his perfect soul mate, his company was blooming, and so was his family. He couldn't wait to have another child. A boy this time, he thought. He wanted a family of four, then it would be complete. That was what Eva wanted too. She wanted whatever that made him happy.
But then Eva died, on a raining afternoon while a rescue party had tried to remove her from her wrecked vehicle. It was already too late. She was dead before they even arrived at the scene. Claire was only seven years old.
Richard remembered living in a stupor for the first days, trying to piece together his life, now empty without the presence of his Eva. After a month of seclusion, Richard found the only way to get over his tragedy was by drowning himself with work. He would keep himself so busy that he wouldn't even have time to think. Because thinking was exactly what he was trying to elude.
All he had wanted from the beginning was to have a happy family with Eva by his side. It was because of him that it had to be put on delay. He thought after he had things at work all stabilized, the things at home would all fall into place. But it didn't and that wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to follow the plan he had so impeccably conjured up in his head. Unfortunately for him, Richard Harvest didn't adapt well when things didn't go his way.
And because of that screwed up jinx in his personality, without even knowing, he had screwed up Claire's life in the process.
"Eva…" He breathed. Even after so long, there was still a tingle in his bones whenever he said her name. That was how magical their bond was. "How did it turn out this way?"
Richard Harvest never liked people who cried, especially when it was in front of him. He always had the image of a weak, scrawny, defeated person when it came to crying. He would never allow himself to become that person. That person was pathetic, a loser who was never anything of worth.
Now, as Richard Harvest buried his face into his hand, letting tears drip down his face, he felt like all those things couldn't even begin to describe him.
Claire Harvest. She's just your not-so-average spoilt rich girl.
She's not really the 'It-Girl' who everyone makes her out to be.
Her luxurious, modern mansion is nothing but an empty home.
Her handsome, promising actor boyfriend dumped her two weeks ago after announcing he was gay.
Her much talked about fashion line is going to be set back another year. And that's going to be tomorrow's biggest gossip.
But that is not what's making this particular rich girl miserable at the moment.
Like everyone else, she harbors a secret, something that she hides underneath all those fancy clothes and branded make-up. No one notices this about her, because no one has ever looked hard enough.
If they looked pass all her money, her sharp tongue and her attitude, they'll see a sad little girl. And like every other little girl, this one just wants some attention.
Author's Note: So, there you have it. My writing might be a bit cliche, even if I hate to admit that.
The title: Au Claire De La Lune means 'In The Silver Moonlight.' It's actually a song I've learned on the piano. LOLZ!
What did Claire do to Kristy, the infamous girlfriend? You'll find out in the next chapter xD
Tell me what you think of this. I'll continue this but update will take a while.
Review! plz?