Chapter 1 Prologue

• I was already ready, while waiting for my uncle Charles to talk to his lawyer, I watched my cousin playing outside the house. Louis ran screaming and laughing with friends I didn't know, it had been a long time since I had seen them. My father had fought with Uncle Charles and even though he was my mom's brother, we never saw each other again.
• I was there, being handed over to Uncle Charles, so that he could be my guardian until I turned twenty-one. And all because my parents had died in a boating accident. It was hard to believe that they were gone forever, just a week ago they had gone on vacation to Europe to celebrate their wedding anniversary and I stayed with my nanny.
• They thought I still didn't understand what was happening there, why they took me to my uncle's house, but I had heard the conversations, a nine-year-old child hears a lot of things, I'm sure of that.
• "Sophie dear, you have to eat a little," my nanny arrived insisting for the tenth time that I eat, but I hated fish and all that was for lunch was seafood.
• "Why did my parents have to die, Jenny?"
• "Oh my dear, I'm so sorry for what happened to your parents. But it was an accident and accidents happen, it can happen to anyone," she tried to comfort me, but she couldn't.
• "But it didn't happen to just anyone, it happened to me."
• "You are still a very lucky girl, your Uncle Charles will take care of you now, until you can take care of your father's businesses," she said. I wanted to scream, say that I didn't want my uncle, I wanted my parents, but instead I lowered my head and agreed with her.
• I didn't have many memories of Uncle Charles, or why his son didn't call Aunt Magie "mom", but now we would have to learn to live together since I would be trapped there.
• "Dear, why don't you go play with your cousin?" I raised my head and looked at her again. "Maybe you'll learn to like it here."
• I doubted it very much, but to be a good girl like she had repeated several times, I got up and went to the lawn. They were throwing an American football, which fell very close to where I was.
• "Throw the ball, brat!" one of the boys with my cousin shouted, smiling.
• "Can I play with you guys?" I asked shyly when I picked up the ball, I was trying, as Jenny said, everything starts with a first step.
• "No! Because you're a girl and girls are boring and weak!" it was my cousin who shouted while his friend ran up to where I was.
• "Go play with your dolls, you idiot!" he forcefully pulled the ball out of my hands and I almost hit him.
• The others started laughing and at that moment I ran into Jenny's arms, hiding in the only place that was still familiar to me.
• But that was just the beginning of my personal hell, the beginning of my torment.
• Patrick
• I was finishing tying my bow tie when Cris appeared behind me in the mirror's reflection.
• "Are you sure you want to do this? I can still help you escape, man, I have a car in the back just waiting for your order and we can get you out of here."
• I pushed my best friend away, laughing at his insistence on making me give up on the wedding.
• "Emily is the best girl I could ever meet, beautiful, rich, hot, comes from a good family like mine. What more could I want?"
• "I don't know, man, maybe wait another ten years? You're only twenty-five, you have a whole life ahead of you!"
• "A life that I want to share with the most perfect woman I've ever met," he rolled his eyes and moved away, and I couldn't help but laugh at the idiotic expression on his face. "One day you'll understand, Cris, I guarantee it."
• He made the sign of the cross as he walked away in search of the rings, which were on the dresser.
• "I guarantee that won't happen. But I won't insist anymore that you run away from this madness while there's still time, since you're too lovey-dovey for my taste, you'll end up saying more romantic nonsense."
• I turned to the window, looking at the people in the garden. Everything there had been chosen by my future wife, she didn't ask for my opinion on anything, but I believe all women are like that, after all, it's their day.
• I never imagined I could be so happy, not until this day, until the moment I would put the ring on her finger and declare to the world that she is mine alone!
• "Come on, it's time," my father's voice invaded the room, snapping me out of my trance. "Are you still sure about this, son? I'm sure she would still wait for you a year or more from now."
• "Even you, dad?" I asked, checking my appearance one last time in the mirror. "I'm more than sure, she's the woman I love and I don't want to spend another day without having her as my wife."
• Little did I know that I was making the biggest mistake of my life that day.