Chapter One:
Elizabeth Wakefield sat at her desk, in the corner of her cramped studio
apartment, going over her journal entries for the last few weeks. She had just
arrived home from Asia Garden, where she worked as a waitress, close to
midnight. It was now almost one o'clock in the morning. Sleep still wasn't
coming to her, despite the fact that she had just put in a ten-hour shift.
Elizabeth looked over to her right where her roommate, Anna, was
sleeping peacefully on the couch. Smiling sadly, she thought back to the day
she first met the lively twenty-four year old. Elizabeth had just arrived in
San Francisco, a crowded city in which she knew no one, and was absolutely
terrified. Walking along Pier 39, Anna had taken notice of Elizabeth, all
alone and obviously unfamiliar with the place. Remembering what it had
been like arriving to the States from the Philippines four years ago, Anna
had taken her under her wing. She set her up in Anna's small studio
apartment, even though it proved to be a tight fit, and quickly managed to
get Elizabeth a job at her brother's restaurant.
Just thinking about what had driven Elizabeth to a city where she had
never been, brought fresh new tears to her eyes. It all started when she had
walked in on her twin sister, Jessica, kissing her boyfriend, Sam. Seeing
such betrayal with her own eyes proved to be too much for Elizabeth. She
had taken the next flight out to London, to the University she had decided to
transfer to. Unfortunately, when she arrived, she was told the position was
already given to someone else. Apparently, she had missed the deadline
while she was on the disastrous road trip with her sister and boyfriend.
As if that couldn't have been any worse, Elizabeth had immediately
fallen in love again. "Max…" she whispered to herself longingly,
remembering those lovely nights spent with him. She had found work as a
scuttlery maid, where he and his father lived like royalty. The affair proved
to be risky, for Max was engaged to a Duchess. Even though she knew it
was wrong, Elizabeth couldn't help herself. She had continued seeing Max
on the sly, knowing deep down inside Max's father would put a stop to it
should he ever find out.
"Oh, he found out alright!" Elizabeth muttered bitterly. "What a coward
my prince turned out to be." Max had claimed to have loved her, and had
even broken his engagement with the duchess off. Yet when it came down to
having to choose between Elizabeth and his humongous inheritance, he had
chosen the later. Her heart broken once again, she had taken the money she
had saved up, heading for a place she thought no one would be able to find
her. Unfortunately, someone had.
The non-addressed letter had come in a week before, on a Saturday
afternoon. Elizabeth was quite surprised, the reason being that no one,
except her best friend Nina, knew where she was. Not even her own parents.
As she opened the letter, her eyes narrowed. Cold fury began taking over her
body. Somehow Jessica had managed to get the information out of Nina. "I
should have known…" Elizabeth had fumed. "Being the manipulative witch
that she is."
Thinking about that day now, still angered Elizabeth down to the core.
She had written back, but only one sentence…"I wish you were never
born." Maybe it was a harsh thing to say, but at the moment… she really
didn't give a shit.
Elizabeth Wakefield sat at her desk, in the corner of her cramped studio
apartment, going over her journal entries for the last few weeks. She had just
arrived home from Asia Garden, where she worked as a waitress, close to
midnight. It was now almost one o'clock in the morning. Sleep still wasn't
coming to her, despite the fact that she had just put in a ten-hour shift.
Elizabeth looked over to her right where her roommate, Anna, was
sleeping peacefully on the couch. Smiling sadly, she thought back to the day
she first met the lively twenty-four year old. Elizabeth had just arrived in
San Francisco, a crowded city in which she knew no one, and was absolutely
terrified. Walking along Pier 39, Anna had taken notice of Elizabeth, all
alone and obviously unfamiliar with the place. Remembering what it had
been like arriving to the States from the Philippines four years ago, Anna
had taken her under her wing. She set her up in Anna's small studio
apartment, even though it proved to be a tight fit, and quickly managed to
get Elizabeth a job at her brother's restaurant.
Just thinking about what had driven Elizabeth to a city where she had
never been, brought fresh new tears to her eyes. It all started when she had
walked in on her twin sister, Jessica, kissing her boyfriend, Sam. Seeing
such betrayal with her own eyes proved to be too much for Elizabeth. She
had taken the next flight out to London, to the University she had decided to
transfer to. Unfortunately, when she arrived, she was told the position was
already given to someone else. Apparently, she had missed the deadline
while she was on the disastrous road trip with her sister and boyfriend.
As if that couldn't have been any worse, Elizabeth had immediately
fallen in love again. "Max…" she whispered to herself longingly,
remembering those lovely nights spent with him. She had found work as a
scuttlery maid, where he and his father lived like royalty. The affair proved
to be risky, for Max was engaged to a Duchess. Even though she knew it
was wrong, Elizabeth couldn't help herself. She had continued seeing Max
on the sly, knowing deep down inside Max's father would put a stop to it
should he ever find out.
"Oh, he found out alright!" Elizabeth muttered bitterly. "What a coward
my prince turned out to be." Max had claimed to have loved her, and had
even broken his engagement with the duchess off. Yet when it came down to
having to choose between Elizabeth and his humongous inheritance, he had
chosen the later. Her heart broken once again, she had taken the money she
had saved up, heading for a place she thought no one would be able to find
her. Unfortunately, someone had.
The non-addressed letter had come in a week before, on a Saturday
afternoon. Elizabeth was quite surprised, the reason being that no one,
except her best friend Nina, knew where she was. Not even her own parents.
As she opened the letter, her eyes narrowed. Cold fury began taking over her
body. Somehow Jessica had managed to get the information out of Nina. "I
should have known…" Elizabeth had fumed. "Being the manipulative witch
that she is."
Thinking about that day now, still angered Elizabeth down to the core.
She had written back, but only one sentence…"I wish you were never
born." Maybe it was a harsh thing to say, but at the moment… she really
didn't give a shit.