Chapter 1

The enchanting gala has always been amazing…every single year. The only problem is that every girl my mom sets me up with is just plain boring and not what I want.

“So what do you like to do?” I said to the lady standing in front of me.

“Um… I like to dress up and I like shopping.”

She was beautiful, yes, but just like the other girls I’ve met. I mean…does every girl like shopping?!

“Excuse me,” I said and walked away from her, making my way to my cousin, Carl.

“Buddie!” Carl said as soon he saw me. We did our signature handshake and hugged each other. “How is the girls going?”

“Dude I’d prefer to sit in a forest all alone bored than talk to her.” We both burst into laughter.

“How is Emma?” I asked him as we made our way to the chocolate fountain.

“She’s fine. She said she’s feeling feverish so she didn’t come today.”

“I’d have loved for her to come, at least I’d be able to laugh when she scolds you.” We both laughed again, but we’re interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Foolish girl! Couldn’t you see?!” Carl and I walked over to where my mom was shouting. Her clothes were stained with what I assumed was red wine. Despite her frowning, my mom was always a beautiful woman. She was blonde and tall, she had long eyelashes and blue eyes.

“I’m… I’m sorry ma’am. It’s just that I couldn’t see because I...” A girl said, using a napkin to clean the mess.

“Will you shut up and get out?!” my mom screamed and she faced me, before running away. The time our eyes met was enough for me to take in all her features. Her eyes were blue, just like mine. She was wearing flat shoes and the waitress uniform. She was petite and short, with a fair skin. She pursed her thin lips and ran.

She looked so innocent.

“Mom I’m sure she didn’t mean it. Why are you like this mom?” I said as I went to embrace my mom.

“She is a fool. I can’t have such clumsy workers?!”

“Dear must you always be angry,” a deep voice said. We all turned our heads to see him. My dad, or as everyone likes to call him, King Stanley Clifford.

“She said she’s sorry, you made the poor girl cry.” The girl was beside him, cleaning her face with her perfectly manicured hands.

“Ugh! I’m not angry anymore, okay? Now go…continue your work.”

She ran off.

“Dad…you always have a solution for everything,” I said and did a signature handshake with my dad, and no it’s the same one with Carl.

“Despite being the king you never act so serious with your son,” my mom said and we all laughed, because it’s true.

Tiana’s pov

A week earlier

“Open the freaking door!” The noise woke me up from my peaceful slumber.

“Mom…mom,” I said tapping her arm, she woke up immediately.

“What is it? Why did you wake me up?” my mom asked in a sleepy voice.

I smiled, “It is the landlord, can’t you hear his voice outside?”

As soon as she heard me, her pupils looked like it wanted to bulge out of her eyes. She stood up from the floor we slept in and went to open the door. I was confused so I followed her.

“Oh Mr. Brown, it’s so nice to see…”

Before my mom could finish speaking, Mr. Brown went into our tiny house.

He went to our wardrobe and started to take all the clothes out.

“Hey hey hey what the hell are you doing? Are you mad? I’ll call the police stop it.” I said but he didn’t listen.

“I’ll slap you now!” I raised my arm.

“Tiana!” my mom called my name before I could actually slap him. I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration, taking my hand to my hips.

“Let’s just go.”

And with that we packed all our bags, with nowhere to go.

“Mom.” I said as soon as we got to a small guest house which offers low pay.

“Yes.”

“What’s happening?”

My mom shrugged, “It’s life dear.”

“If this is life, then I don’t want to live!”

“Shut it…don’t say things like that.” My mom shouted. That day was the first time my mom ever shouted at me. I wanted to cry and scream, but I had to hold it in. “I saw a job offer in the newspaper.”

She walked to the other side of the room, “It says they need an extra…maid.”

“A maid? Mom you’re a multi-billionaire’s wife…you can’t work as a maid.”

My mom laughed, “Correction… I was.”

“Mom? For all I know dad hasn’t even married anyone yet.”

“Whatever. Go to bed now we’ve been walking around all day.”

Present day

“Ugh why am I so stupid?!” I screamed in my head as a fidgeted with the tray in front of me.

“Tiana,” my mom called me, signaling to go serve the food.

This time I made sure not to spill any drink, I walked up to the man and said, “Your drink sir.”

He turned his head and faced me, a sheepish smiled appeared on his face. He was quite handsome. He had the face of a baby, literally. His hair was neatly packed to the back of his head, forming a jump at the front. His eyes were blue, exactly like mine. To be honest, back when I used to stay in the USA, I never really met much people with blue eyes. I always thought I was different.

“Um…what’s your name miss?”

“Let me guess, Plain Jane.” A cocky lady said and held his hand. I knew what she was doing.

“First my name isn’t Jane…and if you wanna smirk, at least do it well.” I said and left.

I left her speechless.

Sometimes I can’t just stand being taken for granted.

Later that night, I was cleaning the kitchen while my mom has slept when I heard someone walk in.

It was him again.

“Can I come in?” he had a playful smile on his face.

“Yeah sure it’s your house,” I said without looking at him, I was busy trying to get the stains off the sink.

There was an awkward silence before he spoke.“How did you get this job so easily.”

I just had to glare at him, he raised his hand in surrender in a way I knew he meant ‘sorry’.

“Ask your mom. I don’t actually know why immediately she gave my mom and I the job.” I looked up and found him staring at me.

Why was he staring at me?!