Prologue

"Athier, Athier. "I cried tugging the sleeve of his shirt willfully, urging him to get up from the couch he had established himself on. He pulled his arm back with his lips upturned.

"Leave me alone. "He said focusing back on the video game he was playing, obviously irritated. My lips turned upwards, and I put up the nicest puppy dog eyes I could muster, the ones that always got dad to get me the things I wanted. No one could resist it, not even mom.

"Pwease we are pwaying --- and we nweed an extra player. Pwease Athier pway with us." I pleaded. It was my favorite game, dad taught me how to play it very well last year when I turned seven.

He turned to me, staring into my eyes. He hesitated before turning back.

"No. "The ten-year-old boy said coldly," Why would I want to play with a spoilt, pampered princess like you. You'll probably end up crying when you lose. ".

My eyes became a tad bit clouded at his words. He was being mean to me again. He was always mean to me. I fought back the tears knowing all too well that Athier hated it when I cried in front of him.

I stood in front of the TV screen obstructing his view of the game. 
"Move. "He ordered, glaring at me. I stood my ground. He stood up and pushed me away from the TV.

I landed forcibly on the ground, tears began falling freely from my eyes. I wailed until his mom Charlotte came upstairs to find out what my crying was about.

I ran towards Charlotte and tattled on Athier. She scolded him loudly for not being a gentleman. While she scolded him once in a while he sent dangerous glares at me. She switched off his game and commanded him to go play with Ethan and me before leaving to go back to the kitchen where she was making snacks for us.

He grabbed my wrist tightly once his mom left and whispered through gritted teeth.

"Are you happy now your majesty?".

I was, but I didn't reply due to the stinging in my wrist from his tight grip. I got free and ran downstairs quickly away from him.

Six years later...

Athier's behavior towards me didn't change. Matter of fact it became worse. He held disinterest for me in his eyes, one that got deeper every day.

I hated him now, too. It was his fault that dad doesn't get to see his princess get ready for her first day in high school. I cried myself to sleep last night. I blame him more than anyone else except for myself.

I could have convinced him that night. I was his princess, I would have stopped him myself.

He was my king, my everything.

The night was but a blur, a bad dream now.

Mom was his queen and I, his princess. Ethan, he was my prince.

Eleven-year-old me was naïve.

That fateful day...

"Malia, Athier, Ethan stay back!." my mom screamed at us, staring straight at the gun that was held to her head. It began as a play date we were having at my house.

Ethan was initially the only one to come over gladly, but Charlotte had Athier tag along much to my dislike.

"Sweety, please stop this. "she smiled in desperation at my father, trembling at her knees. Why was he doing this, I thought?

"Daddy stop, Mommy doesn't like this game!" I yelled at him, pleading, wiping away the tears in my eyes and the mucus from my nose.
Ethan tightened his grip on my hand beside me. I didn't pay attention to him; I only focused on dad.

No matter how much I cried, dad couldn't hear me. He chose not to. It was probably all the alcohol mom told him to stop drinking; It made him act differently. He hit mom and broke things when he was in this state. It was never like this though.

It started a year ago. His drinking.

Even if he is under the influence of alcohol, I would make him stop, I thought. He wouldn't harm his princess.

He turned the gun on me suddenly with red eyes.

I shook in terror, staring at the gun. "Henry Stop." Mom's cracking voice screeched as loud as she could. 
"Shut up! woman. ", he growled,
"You're all useless, my failure is because of you, all of you."

He began to place pressure on the trigger slowly.

Ethan still held me in shock but of us standing with shaking knees.

A shot was fired. 
But not by my dad but by a policeman that had appeared in all the commotion.

I turned around and saw Athier with a phone drop from his hands. It fell to the ground simultaneously as my dad dropped to the cold ground. Dad's eyes were blank, emotionless, shocked.

He didn't die.
He's been in a coma ever since.

It was Athier fault if he hadn't called the police then all this would have never happened.

Ever since that day, Athier didn't speak to me, nor I him. My tongue went bitter just by the sight of him.

Mom thought of him, however, differently. He was to her a savior; she treated Athier as a son after that incident.

She was almost obsessed with him. She went as far as telling me that one day I would get married to him, that way he would become her son.

That was three years ago, but mom was still relentless in her quest to make Athier her son-in-law.

On his birthday and also the start of freshman year, Mom gave me a present to a gift to him today despite my protests.

In the hallway in school, I spotted him in the uniform of the private school. He smirked at someone beside him, enjoying the conversation that he was having. His green eyes lit up generously as he brushed his hands through his hair.

Through the years Athier had become devilishly handsome, but that didn't douse my hatred for him.

I trembled as I got near him holding the present in my hands. My heart pounded loudly in my chest. I didn't want to face him not after everything. I hadn't forgiven him yet. 
I don't think I could.

I had to man up...woman up, I would see him frequently if we were in the same school. It was time to get used to it.

I walked up to him and straightened my shoulders, "Mom, asked me to...to give this to you. Happy birthday. "I stuttered.

He looked at me, squinting his eyes distastefully at me. He collected the present slowly without so much as a thank you and turned his back at me.

He turned at me again once, this time with something hidden in his eyes. 
"Don't talk to me again within this school's premises. I don't want anyone to think I'm friends with you.", He uttered his first words to me in three years before strolling off, leaving me with a sour heart.

Ethan came up by my side a few seconds after he left.

"Don't pay attention to him, Mal, he isn't worth it. Athier just like that. "He said comforting me with his green eyes.

I leaned towards him and blinked away the tears that threatened to reveal my weakness.

So much for a happy high school experience.

Two years after that I had finally gotten rid of him, He graduated.

Left for college in a different state.

And, for two years I have had the greatest time.

Ethan asked me out, the beginning of my junior year, things went smoothly at home and in school.

The first term of my final year began, and I felt relieved.

Until another fateful day...

"Malia!", mom cheered, barging into my room.

"What is it?", I urge her on, suspicious, what could have made her so happy?

"I finally did it. My dream will finally come through. "she exclaimed.

"Mom, what are you talking about?", I asked getting both worried and excited at the same time.

"I arranged your engagement to Athier. "She cried, proud that she could finally quail her obsession. But...

My heart stopped.