Prologue

"Aunt May! I have great news, I got accepted into the University of Melbourne to venture in my programme of Psychology!" Ingrid yelled as she ran down the stairs, waving her papers in the air.

When she got downstairs, she found Kate standing next to her mother. Aunt May was perusing through what looked like Kate's results while Kate stood with her hands folded. "Oh Mother, you know I'm smart, those guys framed me and gave me the wrong results," her mother looked up and said, "You're right, I'll just have to pay for the fee for you to rewrite your exams, okay my beloved?"

Aunt May had no problem blowing money on her daughter. She inherited all the fortune that Ingrid's parents left her, apparently she managed to convince everyone that Ingrid's mother wanted it that way. Unfortunately, it was rare that Ingrid ever benefited from this fortune, all except the fact that she could still live in the huge house with the both of them.

"Oh, uhm...excuse me," Ingrid said softly, "I just wanted to let you know that I got accepted into the University and..."

"And what? What has that got to do with us?" Aunt May cut her off before she could finish. "Well, I'm kindly asking if you may help me out with my tuition fees just for the first year, I'm certain that I will manage to prove myself worthy of the 100% scholarship in the second year if I continue to be an A+ student," Ingrid said.

"Are you crazy? Do you really think that I will waste my time paying all that amount of money when your cousin needs the money to get into school as well?" Ingrid looked confused, she didn't understand how a senior highschool student would compare to one being accepted into University.

Kate whipped her hair and started heading for the stairs, "Oh, and Mother? Don't forget to tell her that I plan on turning her room into my party playground," she says as she continues to walk up the stairs. "What? what is going on here Aunt May?" Ingrid was overwhelmed as the many thoughts of what that sentence could have meant filled her head.

"Ingrid, I am sick and tired of your ungrateful behaviour, I gave you a home but you still seem to stress me out. So, I'm kicking you out, you have one week to find a place to live and a job," Aunt May said, walking away from Ingrid.

It didn't make sense, 'what ungrateful behaviour have I shown?' Ingrid couldn't help but think to herself. She followed behind Aunt May, "This is not fair, I've done nothing but stayed out of your way ever since you took me in. You can't do this!"

Aunt May turned around and swung her hand to slap Ingrid, " Don't you raise your voice at me, pathetic cow!" Ingrid placed her hand on her cheek and thought of all the times she's had to deal with that physical and mental abuse ever since she was little, "You took my inheritance," Ingrid whispered under her breath.

Aunt May walked closer to her, demanding that she spoke up, "You took my inheritance by force! and still I did nothing, why do I deserve this?" Ingrid asked as she stood tall, she had never thought of standing up for herself before.

"You have no evidence on that matter my dear, you are just as pathetic as your mother was," Aunt May started to chuckle at the sight of Ingrid's angry face. "So this is the little red face you've been hiding all these years? I knew that you would crack some day, this gives me more reason to throw you out," Ingrid was beyond angry as she heard this. She wanted nothing but to beat the woman that stood in front of her.

"You are the most evil woman I've ever met," Ingrid said to her as she started to cry. Aunt May grabbed her by her red hair, kicked her in the belly and tossed her right at the wall. Ingrid screamed in pain, not just physical pain. Her throat ached from all the sadness she had been bottling deep down. Everything she struggled so much to keep and to gain was now disappearing far away from her grasp, and she was only given one week to pick herself up.

"You are the most useless daughter anyone could ever have, no wonder your parents preferred to die than to stay alive with you. Now get up! There is lunch to be prepared!"

Ingrid stayed on the floor until her Aunt was out of sight. She had no one to turn to for help, she had no friends. Her Aunt never gave her the chance to make any. High school girls were always the types to go for parties, even the unpopular ones could attend, it was a shame to say that Ingrid came below everyone.

All she ever paid attention to was getting those good grades, hoping that her Aunt would be proud of her some day. She made no room for boyfriends, no love, just school.

She got home early to bow down to the woman that took her in. 'If she didn't want me from the start, why did she take me in after that fire? ' This question always popped up in Ingrid's mind after every fight, every beating, every insult.

Now she had to come to terms that she was better off on the streets than in a home that gave her nothing but grief. Ingrid walks into the kitchen clenching her stomach, "She's right, I can't live here anymore, I'm grateful for her wickedness towards me." She begins to prepare lunch and fancily serves it on the dining table.

Whenever she served her lunch, all she had to do was ring the bell in the kitchen and everyone would come and eat. She wasn't allowed to sit at the table anymore because her Aunt always found reasons to keep her away from Kate. Ingrid didn't mind, she liked her personal space.

When she was certain that everyone was in the dining room, Ingrid went to her room and packed all her bags, all her necessary things that only managed to fit in two suitcases, she never had much. So she waited; for the right time to leave.

Dawn was arriving in the city of Apollo Bay, Ingrid knew the time that her evil family would wake up from their slumber, and she wanted them to find her gone. Tip toeing down the stairs with the bags of clothes, she couldn't help but wonder what she would do if she left at that hour, "I know, it's gonna be a risky gamble but I have to do it,"

And with that, she left a home that was never hers…