Prologue

…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ

IT HAD BEEN

a long time since that day,

the day that everything came crashing down and nothing was the same again.

It had been a very long time since the day she had forgotten the meaning of true love and what it meant to be cared about.

Now instead, she watched as everything she and her family had worked towards, was torn down.

And there was no one but herself to blame.

At the end of the day, it was her own fault that that man, Lucas, had gotten control of the company.

She was young and foolish, and he knew that. So he used it to his full advantage, well, along with her.

Freya, the girl she had once thought to be her best friend had stood with her enemy when they declared her incapable of taking care of herself in court.

By then, everything had already gone to hell and everyone she once loved was dead, all they needed was a reason to have control over the Vermilion Company.

She should never have married that man and it was clear to her now.

Tsk tsk, there was no reason to mull over everything now that there was nothing she could do. Yet as she stood in front of her terrace right now, and took in a deep breath, she couldn't help but wish that there was something she could do.

Her blue eyes shone with unshed tears, reflecting the blue ocean infront of her. An ocean which promised escape and a land of no more worries.

The breeze blew as a soft knock was heard at the door.

When Annabella turned towards it, she saw none other than her supposed friend who had a sneer on her lips, yet a tired look covered the rest of her face.

The one comfort Anabella had from this is knowing that both of those people had no idea how to lead a company, and they would eventually being themselves down. No need for her to intervene.

Freya looked at the frail, tired, and worn woman in front with her, a small comfort ringing in her own chest.

The previous gullible girl whose blue eyes always shone the brightest, and who lived a life filled with privilege that none other would even think of experiencing, was now gone.

Freya walked closer to the woman as a sad expression took over her face.

At one point, she truly considered Anabella to be her closest friend. At one point, Anabella was the closest person to her.

That is, until the first time she was compared to Annabella by her own mother. Everything changed that day. There was no longer such a thing as 'Freya and Anabella are so close', the was only, 'Poor Annabella, such a gullible child'.

Freya took her old friend's have in her own and said, "Maybe, in another life..."

With that, she injected Anabella with the poison Lucas had instructed her to use, her face filling with tears as she watched Annabella look at her with pure horror.

She had never wanted it to go this far, but it had reached the point where it was either her life or Annabella's, and she would be damned it she died now... After everything she had already gone through.

Annabella slowly backed away, already feeling the effects of the poison take over her body, and with that, she swung her legs over the terrace and jumped into the one thing she had truly had for the past years, the ocean.

If...if I ever got the chance to go back, I would never leave my family for Lucas. I would stand by them and love them and protect them unconditionally.

And that person that always stood by me no matter what. I would never choose Lucas over him.

Livius...will you still love me?

I don't want to be alone...

I don't want to die...

I'm not ready...

Mom...