CHAPTER 1

It all began one summer morning when a flower festival was held in the beautiful garden of
the Dawson family. The Dawson were all together. and the flower festival was going on in
front of their home, a beautiful house that was built in colonial style. But the house wasn't
built on a hill, as they thought. The hill was just a little hill in the middle of nowhere. There
was nothing but trees and fields and a river. There were beautiful, delicate flowers. Like the
kind, they would see in nature documentaries.
It is a tradition being held every 7th of April since it's the season of blooming. Many people
from faraway towns visit the place because it is famous for its venust lilac shrubs lined along
the vintage road throughout the town. Magenta lilacs symbolize love and passion. Lilac, the
color for which this flower is named, is a light purple that symbolizes first love.
The flowers were beautiful, delicate, and perfect, even when they weren't blooming. There
was something about them that drew people to them and made them seem special to the
people who were visiting the garden. So, when the families went to visit them, all their
friends and neighbors, came out to meet them. The flowers had been arranged in such a way
that it seemed that everyone had come out of some kind of trance. Everyone seemed happy
and content. Everyone was smiling and talking, laughing, talking about their day, or their
plans for the future.
One of the yearly visitors who always appears at every festival is the Pierce Family ---
Dawson’s rival. One was an older man, in his late 50s, who had a full beard and a long gray
ponytail that was tied behind his head. He had the look of someone who'd spent a year in jail.
The other man was younger, probably in his early 20s. His hair was short, almost white, and
his eyes brown. A few moments after he arrived, I noticed that he was wearing a gray shirt,
blue jeans, and black boots. There was something else, though, that caught me by surprise.
I’ve never seen him before. He was the eldest son of the Pierce family named Shaun, the one
who’s gone away for years of work and went here for the first time with the family.
“That’s a new face,” said Laila the middle-aged daughter of the Dawson family. She is a
sweet and enigmatic girl; she has a mysterious air about her that leaves you wanting to know
more about her.
She spends her time mostly helping the gardeners tend the garden so that's why she's got
knowledge about plants. They had been working on the plants in the greenhouse, trying to
figure out what to plant. Then they'd gone out to the fields. She had to go back to help. Lilacs
are the first flowers she's ever held since she was just little then these became her obsession
ever since. Her room is filled with hanging picture frames with dried petals of different kinds
of flowers from around the globe that her father brought her every time he's gone on business
trips.
The festival lasts for a weeklong so that means that the pierce family may be staying in the
town for a while.
"How much is an assorted bouquet of flowers miss?" asked a wealthy-looking guy. “30$ sir,
pick the flowers of your choice” Laila replied. “I'm gonna buy these for my sick wife and I'm
gonna show her how much I love her and that I'm always gonna stay by her side no matter
what happens,” said the guy. The guy’s words melted Laila’s heart and she offered one lilac
free. “Here's a free lilac, sir. Lilacs symbolize love and passion.” Laila said with a sweet
smile.

She continued selling in the stall till the afternoon. And when the moon showed up Laila
started disassembling the foldable tables and kept the flowers in the greenhouse to be
displayed and sold again tomorrow.
 CHAPTER 2

Morning came, and the sounds of the early rooster began. "Back to work," says Laila,
rubbing her eyes. She took a bath and found a modest dress to wear to match her handmade
bracelets and tree-shrub necklaces. "What's for breakfast, Amie?" said Laila. "Your favorite
pancakes with blueberries, young lady," replied Amie; their family cook since they were kids.
"Oh yes! "Thanks, Amie, you're the best!" Laila said it with delight. She ate her meal and
rode her bike to the greenhouse.

"Good morning, my little darlings. "Have you gotten a good sleep last night?" Laila chuckled
while checking the leaves for any worms or pests that might kill the plants. "Well, let's go
back to business." Laila arranged the plants in the wagon and pulled them out of the
greenhouse to be displayed again in the stall. "You guys are getting heavy," Laila groans with
effort as she continues pulling the wagon towards the stall.

Finally, after walking for a while, she reached her stall. She got them out of the wagon one by
one and arranged them neatly and presentably in front of her stall. "Flowers! Oh, flowers!
"Buy them for your loved ones at an affordable price!" she advertised. People passed by and
just took a glance at her flowers but never bought them. She was surprised since everyone
who passes by her stall always buys and compliments her flowers. "Hmm, that's odd," says
Laila. "My flowers are lovely and pleasant; why don't people buy them anymore?" That's
when she saw a crowd of people surrounding a new stall she'd never seen before. Laila's
curiosity came upon the fact that she couldn't handle seeing people heading toward a new
stall, so she went near and saw for herself what was so special about the so-called new stall.

"What is this? "These aren't from around here; these are camellias! We don't grow them here;
these are from the Pierce family!" Laila said it with rage. Then she talked to the vendor, who
was facing the back, with a high voice. "Excuse me, sir, are you authorized to sell these
flowers that aren't from our garden or town?" "I think you are disobeying the rules here."
"And who are you to boss me around?" replied the vendor. As the vendor turned, Laila
realized that it was Shaun, the eldest son of the Pierce family. She stood in silence and
embarrassment as she stared into Shaun's big brown eyes.

"Hello?" Shaun asked, leaning closer to Laila. Laila flinched and got back to her senses.
"You are not allowed to sell flowers that are not from our garden or town," Laila said fiercely
as if she hadn't frozen a while ago. "You are a grumpy one; do you know you look cute when
you get angry at little things like selling flowers?" Shaun laughed.

Laila tried to hide her face because she blushed so hard after hearing those words. "I don't
care what you say; just go sell your ugly flowers somewhere else or somewhere far away
from the festival," Laila said. Then she turned around and couldn't stop thinking about the
embarrassing yet funny conversation they had. I can't believe that guy has the guts to sell
flowers that are not from around here. If I were him, I'd be embarrassed.
Laila went back to her stall and stared at the blue skies and woodpeckers flying around the
trees next to their house. "I wish I could fly like a bird and leave everything." Laila fantasized
about these scenarios in her head. But then again, their conversation with Shaun flashed in
her head again. "Ugh, why does that scene keep popping into my head numerous times?" she
said. An idea then came to her mind: she would either let the guy abandon his stall or call the
authorities if he ever tried to intervene.

The afternoon came, and she hurriedly kept the plants in the greenhouse and planned
something to let the guy stop selling camellias the next day.
 CHAPTER 3

The morning came, and as usual, the morning rooster alerted the whole house to get up and
be ready for the festival. Laila then took a bath and put on her blue shirt and biker shorts,
along with her dove earrings and leather bracelets. She went to the greenhouse, picked the
most beautiful shade of purple lilacs she could find, and brought them to the stall. Last night,
she came up with a plan to try a different design for displaying the flowers.

She thought of something hanging from above; others were in pots wrapped in ribbons. That's
when her plan ended up being modish, which attracted customers by noon. "My plan actually
worked," Laila said proudly. After that, Laila started coming up with ideas that made people
buy more flowers because of their unique and attractive designs. Other vendors
complimented Laila for her creativity, and some even made her their inspiration for designs. 

"Wow, that's very ingenious of you," said Shaun as he was just passing by to be amazed by
Laila's creativity. "Your stall is a hundred more amusing compared to mine."

"Oh, you again, but whatever, thanks, I guess," Laila replied in a mocking voice. "Rude,"
Shaun whispered, then walked away. Laila felt bad for her words and decided to follow
Shaun and see what he was up to. She hid from every person she went near and avoided him
every time he looked back. Shaun stopped to buy yellow tulips and gave them to random
little kids we passed by. "Here you go, little girl, a yellow tulip for you; it symbolizes
cheerful thoughts for kids like you," Shaun smiled. He looked back and saw Laila, surprised
by his actions. "Are you stalking me?" Shaun asked. "No," muttered Laila. "It looks like
someone's obsessed with me," he laughed and continued walking.

"So, Laila, right?" "I heard my father mention your name yesterday; it seems like you're the
middle child of the Dawson's, am I right?" Shaun said. "Yes, yes, I am. Look, I'm sorry for
the way I behaved yesterday. I just got carried away with my emotions," said Laila, looking
down. "It's alright, people can be rude sometimes; I totally understand that," he smiled.

"Let me introduce myself properly." I'm Shaun Sejj Pierce, the eldest son of Marco Pierce.
"Nice to meet you." He shakes hands with Laila. "I'm Laila Dawson, the middle child of Josh
Dawson," she said, shaking hands with Shaun too. They walked across the big garden talking
about flowers, and within an hour, they already knew each other's life stories as if they were
childhood friends.

"You hungry? Want to eat dinner with me? I'll pay." "I don't know it's getting late; I don't
want to go home dark," Laila replied. "Oh, come on, you've got me; I'll take you home, I
promise," Shaun said. "okay fine". Both ordered the best-selling beef in town, along with
herbal teas.
When they got up to leave, Laila noticed that one of her dove earrings was gone. "Oh no, my
earrings are gone!" Laila cried. "It must have fallen on our way here; come on, let's go back
where we walked," Shaun suggested. They searched for the earrings but didn't find them after
walking back and forth on their track. "This is all my fault; I'm sorry, Laila; I shouldn't have
invited you for dinner; this shouldn't have happened," Shaun blamed himself.

"No, it's fine; I was the one wearing it, and besides, I enjoyed eating dinner with you." "We'll
find it again in the morning, don't worry," Laila replied. Shaun took Laila home and planned
to meet again tomorrow to continue searching for the missing earring.
 CHAPTER 4

Laila jumped out of bed and sat in front of her big mirror, bejeweled with different stones like
diamonds and sapphires. "I've got to find my earrings because they've been in the family for
generations, and I don't want to be the one who loses them," Laila said to herself.

She opened the front door and saw Shaun sitting on the garden bench, already waiting for her.
"Wow, you're here early." "Well, of course, I don't want you looking for the earrings all by
yourself when I'm the one who asked you to go with me in the first place," Shaun replied.
Both laughed and walked back to the restaurant where they ate last night to retrace their
steps. The gray and rough surface of the road makes it hard for them to search for the
earrings. "It's a tricolored dove earring; it should be easily found, I hope," said Laila.

Thirty minutes have passed, and they still haven't found the earrings. Laila's eyes became
watery, and she wanted to cry, but Shaun didn't give up. He recalled all the things they did
while walking towards the restaurant until he remembered that Laila scratched her ear when
she encountered a tree branch leaning near the road. "I remembered you scratching your ear
when you bumped into a leaning tree branch; it was on the corner of the second crossing."
"Oh yeah, I think I did," Laila said.

They rushed to the exact place and finally found the earring lying beside a rock. "Thank God,
Shaun, you have such a good memory!" "Thank you, thank you!" Laila exclaimed with
merriment. But little did she know that she got a little bit carried away by her happiness when
she realized that she was hugging Shaun. Laila then went back to her senses. "Uhm, sorry, I
got carried away." "I'm just really happy that you found my earrings," Laila said in
embarrassment. Shaun just replied with a sweet smile. Laila wore it immediately and then
swore to herself that she'd never walk this corner again. After the incident, they decided to
continue working on their flower stalls.

As they were walking back to the flower festival, Shaun saw his father riding his 80s cruiser
motorbike around town. "My dad!" Shaun spoke in fear. "What do you mean, "my dad!"
"He's just your father." "There's nothing to be afraid of," said Laila. Shaun's father spotted
him and went to them with a suspiciously angry face. "Why are you hanging out with that
spawn of our enemy?" Shaun's dad said it in an impudent way. "Dad, stop being so rude;
she's my friend Laila, the middle child of the Dawson family; they own half the town, and
we're just visitors here; show some respect," Shaun said angrily. "I don't care if they own half
the town; I won't allow my own son to hang out with the same blood as my old friend who
betrayed me a long time ago," said Shaun's dad. Laila was stunned to hear those words.
"Wha-what? What do you mean betrayed? I mean, who betrayed you?" Laila asked.
"HAHHAHAHHAHHAHA! You’re the daughter of Russel ey?" Ask your father, dear, if he
knows the name Jonas Pierce," he replied, pulling Shaun away. "Bye, Laila!" Shaun shouted
as he hopped on his father's motorcycle. Laila stood and was left speechless. 
 CHAPTER 5

There are a lot of things going around Laila's head right now. "What was that?" Why? Did I
do something wrong? "Does he know my father?" Laila said it in her mind. She went to the
garden to breathe and figure out those words that she had just heard. Laila's curiosity grew
bigger and bigger until she found the courage to ask her dad about Shaun's father. She plotted
the perfect time to talk about it: at dinner time.

Laila went to the kitchen to see what was for dinner. "Is that Kobe beef?" asked Laila. "Oh
yes, ma'am, your uncle bought it all the way from Japan and shipped it here for your father to
enjoy; he's been craving Kobe beef lately. "He says he misses Japan and wants to eat their
delicious Japanese foods again," replied their cook. "Oh, really, I didn't know that was Dad's
favorite meal. "What can I do to help you?" "I've been kind of bored lately, so I went here to
find something I could do."

"Aw, that's kind, but we'll take it from here; Kobe beef is not just an ordinary dish to be
cooked normally; it needs a lot of time and spices; one mistake will make the meat taste
weird," says the cook. So Laila stepped out and just watched them do their job. "Okay, then
I'll go out now," said Laila. Laila looked at the sky to see that it was already getting dark and
that dinner was almost here. "I've got to go find dad." So she went to the garden to search for
her dad, but he wasn't there. She went to the stables and to the local store, but he was still
nowhere to be found. That's when Laila remembered the lilac field where fireflies used to fly
every night, and it was her father's favorite place to go when he needed peace.

And there he was sitting in an old chopped balete tree facing the beautiful lilac field that
smells deeply and richly floral, reminiscent of roses and hints of vanilla. "What brings you
here, my love?"

"Oh, hey dad, I've been thinking a lot lately, so I went here," says Laila. "Then you've come
to the right place." Do you know the scent of lilac can help ease your anxiety and calm your
mind? Many aromatherapists use lilac essential oil to relax their clients. Her dad replied.
"How come you know all that stuff?" asked Laila.

"I've been hanging out in this field for years, little one; how will I not know?" her father
replied, chuckling. Both stared at the beautiful fireflies roaming around the field. "Isn't it
beautiful that we were just sitting here romancing life?" says Laila. "Yes indeed, we're just
too blessed to be relaxing here, my love," replied her father. "Ms. Laila? Sir Russel? "Oh, I've
been searching for you both for minutes; dinner's ready; you've got to go; it might be cold,"
says their butler. "We'll be there," both replied laughing after seeing the butler exhausted
from finding them when they were just chilling in the field.
As they got up to leave, Laila noticed a gold ring with a weird symbol that her dad was
wearing that she had never seen before. She wanted to ask him about it, but she didn't want to
ruin the mood.

"Yes!" "Is that Kobe beef?" asked her father. "Yes, sir," the cook replied. Mr. Dawson sat in
the middle of the table, surrounding his family and Laila in the corner. The family enjoyed
the meal and thanked the one family member who sent the meat from Japan. No wonder Mr.
Dawson loves Kobe beef so much because its buttery, smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture
and qualities make it different from any other meat on Earth.
 CHAPTER 6
After dinner, Mr. Dawson got up and went to the balcony to call and thank his brother for
their delicious meal. Laila just stood in the corner, waiting for her cue to go to her father.
"Finally," Laila whispered after her father ended the call.

"Hey dad, can I ask you something?" Laila spoke nervously. "What is it?" "Do you happen to
know about the name Jones Pierce?" asked Laila. Her father's face grew red and resembled a
look of disgust and hatred, which made her nervous. "How do you know him?" "I do not
want you to mention that name again!" Her dad replied. It's a good thing that Laila practiced
patience and responded to her dad. "What has gotten into you?" That was just a simple
question. "Why do you sound like you're about to explode upon hearing that name?" asked
Laila. Her father calmed down and looked away, trying to hide his tears. "I'm sorry, dear, but
it's just a reminiscence from the past that I'm trying to hide because of the guilt and shame I
came upon."

*An analepsis*

"It all started back when I was still in my freshman year; I was just a nerdy boy with glasses,
the perfect target for bullies. I was always bullied by my thick glasses. I never had any
friends in my school or my class, not until a transfer student entered the school. He has long,
thick hair, big black eyes, and lots of piercings. Everyone who sees him wants to be his
friend. His name was Jonas Pierce, the son of a rich employer who had just moved into town.
After one week of entering our school, he instantly became famous and became the school's
heartthrob.

We sat next to each other in class, and surprisingly, he greeted me with a warm smile and
didn't even mock me. That was my first-time meeting someone who didn't make fun of me.
He looks like a bad boy because of his looks, but he's just a boy with a pure heart. We
immediately became friends, and we started hanging out every day after and during class. A
lot of students envied me because I was hanging out with someone cooler than me, but that
didn't matter to him. Jonas was such a curious and peculiar guy, and that's what I loved about
him. We often rode our bikes to our secret lair that we built deep in the forest so we could
hide from the outside world and live in our own fictional universe. We have so much in
common: we love country music, steak, leather bracelets, matching water bottles, and burnt
marshmallows dipped in melted dark chocolate.

But that bond didn't last long; he met a girl and changed literally everything about himself
just to impress her. I didn't like that. I mean, why would he change himself just to be loved by
someone? I'm a friend who stood by his side; I know him to the bone. I just didn't understand
why he settled for someone who didn't suit him and didn't value him in a way that made him
feel loved. He didn't even listen to me; he ignored me as if I were just a pile of leaves waiting
to be tossed. He treated me differently, and sometimes he didn't even talk to me. and that's
when I realized that our friendship was falling apart. I was willing to save us, but he cared
less, so why put in the effort? Half of the school year passed, and we still didn't talk; we acted
like strangers.

Until I heard the news that the girl he was dating—the girl he left me for—cheated on him.
He experienced heartbreak without someone to comfort him. I saw him at his lowest, which
made me feel sad.

He's gone through a lot during that time, but it's deceiving for me to feel pity for what he has
done to me too. When he's got a problem, I have too, and the girl who broke his heart started
flirting with me. I'm not going to lie, but the girl was hot; no wonder he loved her so much. I
can't understand what I'm feeling right now. If I go out with this girl, is it a good decision?

I've been through ups and downs, but I'm not letting myself be tempted by her. She's my best
friend's ex—oh, I mean ex-best friend's ex. But that doesn't mean I should hit on her. She's
the one hitting up on me, and it's making me uncomfortable.

It got too far when we went to a bar to celebrate that we had passed our exams. We drank a
little too much till we were all dizzy, and then I came across my best friend's ex-lover,
Louise. She was stunning at that moment; she was wearing a tight glittery red lace dress with
black high heels with feathers, and her smoky cat eye makeup looked so good on her.

We were getting closer as we were dancing with our drunk bodies in the middle of the dance
floor. Our eyes locked as we both moved our bodies. My hand was wrapped around her
waist, and as the music dropped into a slow romantic melody, I felt the whole bar empty, and
that's when I leaned closer to her face. Her hands were wrapped around my neck, and I pulled
her in for a long, passionate kiss. We were casually making out until I spotted Jonas sitting
across the club with mad eyes as if he were going to attack like a raging bull charging toward
its opponent.

I stood in the middle of the dancefloor with Louise, and Jonas was walking towards us. "So,
we weren't talking for a long time, and now you're making out with my cheating ex?" How
dare you betray me like that, Russell? You know what I've been through, and you just made it
worse. "You're not the same boy I used to know before," said Jonas. "Big word! You called
me "not the same boy you used to know"? You're the one who started it; you're the one who
broke our friendship and replaced me with a girl who I know isn't going to do you any good.
"I'm well aware that both of you are going to end badly, and my expectations are true," I
replied. Jonas was speechless after that, so I left the club and didn't look back.

I don't want to see all their faces again. That's when I decided to leave this place and transfer
to a new school. I moved to a school far away from the town, and so my new life began, and
that's when I met your mother. Moving away was the best decision.

The whole story made me confused and relieved at the same time; I didn't expect that kind of
plot twist my father had to encounter. He's strong, and I'm proud of him that he conquered all
those traumas that happened before. It all made sense now that time when we were sitting in
the fields and he was wearing an unknown ring. I finally came to my senses.

I asked him about it, and it was revealed to be a rhodonite ball, a Greek symbol of friendship
and healing. I hugged my dad and comforted him as he couldn't control his tears from falling.

It was getting late, so I went to my room and stared at the ceiling until I fell asleep.
 CHAPTER 7

The sun was up, and Laila was still fast asleep in her semi-single-sized bed with her little
stuffed toys beside her. "Psst! Hey, wake up!" Shaun whispered as he climbed onto Laila's
balcony. Shaun opened the balcony doors slowly and tiptoed towards Laila, then sprinkled
her with a little water to wake her up. It's funny that Laila didn't even flinch.

"Wake up, sleepy head," Shaun said, laughing at Laila. "Stop it!" Laila finally woke up.
"What are you--?" "How did you get in here?" asked clueless Laila, who had just woken up.
"I came here to make it up after that awkward situation with my father yesterday," replied
Shaun. "I know everything; just get out of here, please; you are stressing," said Laila. "Oh,
come on, can I explain?" Listen to me. "Let's meet at the garden later; I'll see you there later,"
Shaun said, and then left.

Laila then got up and went downstairs for breakfast. She stared at her breakfast pancakes with
blueberries with an odd face. “Is everything okay, Laila?” asked Amie. Laila shook her head
and ate. She then went back upstairs to change. Wondering what to wear today, Laila chose
her pink floral dress, together with her owl necklace and diamond earrings.

She went outside to see the sun beaming towards her eyes. Laila looked around for her bike,
but it was nowhere to be found. "Have you seen my bike?" Laila asked the gardener. "No,
ma'am, the last time I saw it was in the backyard," replied the gardener. So, Laila rushed to
the backyard, and there it was, leaning beside the door.

She hopped on her bike and went to the garden to meet Shaun. "Oh, there you are I thought
you'd never come," says Shaun. "Yeah, but here I am," replied Laila. "Look, I just want to
apologize for leaving you like that yesterday and for what my father said. My dad and your
dad have a tragic past; do you know about that?

" Yes, I asked my dad about it yesterday. I didn't know how much they both suffered until it
came to the point that they hated each other so much.” Laila responded.

Laila, their problem is not our problem; we can't put ourselves into these; besides, it's all in
the past now, and I won't let their hatred ruin our friendship," says Shaun. Laila's eyes gazed
into Shaun's eyes with a feeling of happiness, but Laila's stomach was filled with butterflies
at the moment, and she instantly blushed. Shaun noticed Laila blushing and squished her
cheek. "You look cute when you blush," said Shaun, and Laila blushed even more.
"So, do you have any plans for today?" asked Shaun. "Nope, what about you?" asked Laila. "I
don't know, maybe hang out with you if you like, haha," said Shaun. "Let's go sell flowers in
my stall and help me redecorate the plotted plants that I've displayed." "Sure, let's go." Both
went to the greenhouse and carried the plants back to Laila's stall. They redecorated the stalls
and repotted the plants in the new pots that Laila's mother bought; they were in different
colors and patterns, which makes them more attractive.

People passed by the stall and quickly got attracted to the beautiful plants displayed. The
flowers sold out in less than two hours. "Wow, that was quick!" "I've never sold out of
flowers so fast like that before," says Laila. "These pots made them even more pleasing; that's
why people got attracted. You should buy more of these, Laila; it'll surely click," said Shaun.
Laila got super excited and rushed to her mom to tell her the news. Upon hearing the news,
Laila's mom became so proud of her and supported her with her idea of managing the stall on
her own with her own capital.

 
 CHAPTER 8

The flower festival was already over, but life went on like this for the past few days, days into
weeks, and weeks into months. Laila and Shaun's bond became even stronger; they hang out
every day and spend most of the time together in the garden. The Pierce family even went
back to their home place, but Shaun insisted on staying there for the reason that he had
"business" to do there, but the real reason he stayed there was because of Laila. He found
happiness in this town, especially when Laila was around. They acted like best friends, but
they both secretly liked each other; neither of them had the guts to confess for fear that their
friendship might be ruined.

They would go strolling around the field, tending the garden, going fishing, climbing trees,
and horseback riding. Shaun gets to experience things that he could never do in their town.
He also loved the food here; his new favorite food is beef bourguignon, the best-selling beef
in town. 

Then there was Sunday when they planned a mountain hiking trip. "I was so excited for this
day to arrive, and here it is. "I've been waiting for weeks to have a fair-weather day and hike
in the mountains with you," said Laila. They both planned on going to a famous mountain in
the neighboring town a week ago when they heard feedback about how beautiful it is when
you reach the top. It's just a 2-hour trek, and then you'll reach the peak.

"Wake up, Laila!" Shaun screamed into Laila's room after sneaking onto her balcony again.
Laila then got up, very surprised, but instead of getting mad, she laughed and immediately
got ready and packed all her trekking stuff. "Mom, dad, I'll go now. I'll be back later. " "Me
and my friend will be going on a mountain trip."

"Okay, honey, but be careful and remember to follow the tour guide," said her parents, and
she left them with a big hug. Her parents were clueless that she was going on a trip with
Shaun.

Shaun was already waiting for her at the bus stop, and then they took the ride to the
neighboring town. "We're here, Laila, "Wake up now," said Shaun. "Let's go to our tour
guide," said Laila. They saw the tour guide already waiting for them, and soon the hike
began. They were halfway through the trip when Laila started having difficulty breathing.
"I'm exhausted. "Can we rest for a while?" she asked. " Shaun gave Laila some water, and
then they continued the walk until they reached the top.

"We can see the towns from up here; it's like paradise," Laila said. Instead of admiring the
beauty of the peak and the sea of clouds, Shaun just kept on staring at Laila, admiring her
beautiful face. As Laila was too busy looking at the view, Shaun couldn't stop staring at her,
and suddenly unexpected words slipped from his mouth. "You're so beautiful."
"I agree, just look at it," an unaware Laila responded, thinking that Shaun had complimented
the view, but it was her he was talking to. "No, it’s you, Laila," said Shaun with a serious
face. Laila looked into Shaun's charming brown eyes. "What?"

"Laila, I've been hiding my feelings for you for a long time now, and I can't keep them much
longer. I know you always looked at me as your best friend, but for me, it was something
more.

I've been in love with you since that day you got mad at me for selling flowers that weren't
from this town. Your beautiful and pure soul made me fall in love with you. I won't ask for
you to like me back; I truly understand, but I just want to confess to you all my feelings about
you." Shaun said. His words melted Laila's heart and made her tear up.

She hugged Shaun and responded, "You're not the only one who's hiding their feelings."
Shaun, I also like you in a different way. Your jokes, your eyes, and your smile made me fall
for you. I tried to hide it, but I can't anymore. "I'm glad I found the courage to confess to you
what I truly felt."

It's a hug that will never end. As they both hugged each other, Laila started tearing up
because of the overwhelming happiness she experienced at the moment. Shaun wiped Laila's
tears and asked her an unpredicted question. "Will you be my girlfriend?" asked Shaun.

Laila smiled and responded, "Yes." Shaun smiled and fixed Laila's hair, which covered her
face, and pulled her in for a heated kiss. "Her lips were warm and soft. They parted slightly,
allowing my tongue to slip inside," Shaun said in his inside voice. It was Laila's memorable
first kiss on the mountaintop, surrounded by a sea of clouds. "Your lips taste like chapstick,"
said Laila. They both chuckled and hugged each other again.

After that romantic scene, it was getting late, so they went down and took the bus home.
Shaun walked Laila home and said, "This is the best day of my life." "Thank you and
goodnight, my girlfriend!" Laila responded with a flying kiss, went to her room with a very
big smile, and lay in her bed until she passed out from exhaustion.
 CHAPTER 9

"I can't believe I'm no longer single; I have a boyfriend!" "My first-ever boyfriend!"
screamed Laila in her dreams. She woke up to a knocking sound from her door, along with
her father chanting, "7 days more!" "7 days more!" What is 7 days more? "Do you forget
your own birthday?" says her dad. "Oh yeah, right, oops, I forgot," she replied, laughing.
"You're going to be 18 soon, honey, and I can't believe my baby is going to enter legality,"
says her father. "Don't worry, dad, it's just a number; I will forever and always be your baby,"
Laila replied with a hug. 

And so Laila continued her sneaking out moments with Shaun after saying yes to him and
kept their relationship hidden. Both agreed to date but never revealed it to their parents
because they already knew what might happen. They'd go on dates in the garden and in the
field; their favorite hangout place is the 300-year-old oak tree that is located near the river.
They often make out sessions and carve their names on the tree.

"Laila, it's almost your birthday." "Do you have any plans?" asked Shaun. "I don't know; I
don't like a fancy celebration; I just want to have a simple dinner with the family, including
you," replied Laila. "Me? "What if your father finds out?" said Shaun. "I'll introduce you as
my friend; you'll get used to it," Laila replied. 

Once they got home, Shaun sat in bed thinking about Laila's birthday. "Hmmm, what should I
get for her?" Flowers, chocolates, jewelry? "It's so hard to decide; she already has these
things; what if she might not like them?" Shaun said to himself, He's been looking forward to
giving something special to Laila.
 CHAPTER 10

The day finally came; it was Laila's 18th birthday today. Tables, food, cakes, gifts, and
decorations were already prepared for this special day to arrive. "I want this day to be perfect
for my daughter," said Mr. Dawson. Everyone was setting up the place beautifully and
organizing it. Meanwhile, the birthday girl was still fast asleep in her bed, clueless about the
preparations her family had planned without her knowledge and approval.

Her father even invited everyone in town to celebrate and gave everyone invitations, even
passersby, which led to the Pierce family. They received an invitation from random people
who were sent to distribute them to everyone. So they accepted the invitation and planned on
attending the party, assuming their son would be there since he was still in town. Laila woke
up to the noisy sound coming from outside; the sound system was already set up.

Laila immediately got dressed and ran downstairs. "What is this?" she asked her dad. "It's my
surprise, dear; it's your 18th; you deserve a grand celebration," replied her father. Instead of
being upset, Laila just gave in and thanked her father for all the efforts in the party
celebration. "I invited everyone in town, and everyone is welcome." "Thanks, dad, but isn't it
too much for this party?" said Laila. "Don't worry about that, dear; I've got it all prepared,"
her dad replied.

Dinner time came, guests started to arrive, and then the band started to play. "Let the
celebration begin," says Mr. Dawson. Laila was still up in her room, putting on her beautiful
black bodycon dress and applying glittery makeup. After preparing, she then went down the
stairs looking like a savage, hot princess that came out of a fairytale.

The moment continued when Shaun entered the room wearing his best suit and brushed his
hair. "He looks so good in his outfit tonight," says Laila in her mind. The program started
with performances from Laila's friends and relatives. Then it was time for dinner, and lots of
food was served and prepared for the guests to enjoy.

Halfway into dinner time, Shaun's family arrived. The minute they entered the door, Shaun
spotted them immediately and pulled Laila into the corner to talk. "Why are they here?"
"Who invited them?" asked Shaun. "I don't know; I didn't even know that my family planned
a celebration." "I've got to go," Shaun said as he tiptoed through the halls, but his father
spotted him immediately. "Son? You're here; we missed you so much. "
"Are you invited to the party too?" asked his father. "Yes, he is, and you are not," Mr.
Dawson replied. Shaun stood in the middle without saying a single word. "Do you know each
other?" asked Shaun's father. "Yes, we do; he's my daughter's best friend," Mr. Dawson
replied.

People were shocked to know that they were just best friends. "Best friends? Do best friends
even kiss? Or do they have make-out sessions every time they hang out?" The crowd
sarcastically asked It left Mr. Dawson shocked and furious at the same time. "Laila!" "Is this
guy your boyfriend?" she asked her father furiously. Laila stared and didn't say a single word.
"Laila, answer me!" shouted her dad. "YES, DAD, YES! Shaun Pierce is my boyfriend, and
there's nothing you can do about it!" Laila answered. "Oh, I can," says Shaun's dad. "Both of
you are not meant for each other, and I forbid you to see each other ever again," say their
parents. The party was ruined, and the moment froze as tears started to fall from Laila's eyes. 

And from that scene, the Pierce family left, bringing Shaun and leaving Laila with a broken
heart. She immediately left the party, went up to her room, and locked herself up, crying her
heart out.

"Why?" "Why does it have to be me?" "Am I not worthy of love?" Laila shouted with pain,
lying in bed with her mascara ruined and running along her face.

Minutes passed, and as she was staring at the balcony, she saw Shaun struggling to go up
toward her. The moment she saw Shaun, she gave him a big slap across the face. "Why did
you do this to me?" "You left me at the party," said Laila, tears running down her face.

Shaun quickly hugged her and comforted her, saying, "I'm sorry that happened." I even
jumped out of the car just to come back running to you. "I can't leave you like that. I love
you. I'm sorry." Then he pulled her in and kissed her so hard as if the world were ending.
Their bodies pressed together heatedly against the wall, breathing heavily as their lips pressed
together. They could taste their shared breath and feel the thud of their combined heartbeat as
they fumbled to take off one another’s clothes. Shaun focuses on Laila's mouth, then back to
her eyes again, then back to her mouth. "Laila," he whispers. He says her name so softly that
she's not even sure if his mouth moves. She doesn’t have time to respond. His hand leaves the
button of her dress and slides through her hair at the same moment as his lips connect fiercely
with hers. He slides his body on top of her, and his kiss instantly becomes intense. Deep.
Dominating. His kiss is full of something that’s never been there before.

and then something happened that they shouldn't have done.

 CHAPTER 11

Daybreak came, and Shaun and Laila are still fast asleep together in a cozy bed with their
clothes scattered around the floor. " Laila? "Please open the door; I want to speak with you,"
her mom said, knocking on the door. She didn't respond because she was still passed out from
last night. When the morning rooster finally said "cock-a-doodle-doo," both Laila and Shaun
woke up. "Good morning, my love," says Shaun. "Good morning," replied Laila, together
with a kiss. "Last night was incredible, despite what happened to our families," said Laila.
Shaun laughed and agreed. "Laila, are you awake?" "I want to talk to you, please," said her
mom. "Hey, it's your mom; you should talk to her," suggested Shaun. Laila agreed and put on
her clothes, and Shaun went out on the balcony. Laila opened the door, and her mom
instantly hugged her. "Are you okay?" she asked her mom. Laila just smiled and hugged her
back.

They both went down for breakfast and saw her father eating at the table. As she was about to
go back, her father caught her just in time. "Look who's awake—the little liar I've raised,"
said her dad. "I wouldn't worry about you roaming around town sneaking with that boyfriend
of yours because I threatened his family and filed a restraint order against him and his whole
family," he said with an evil laugh. "You won't ever see him again, and also next week we're
moving away from this place for good," added her father. Laila ran outside to breathe and
cried so hard. She screamed so loudly that it scared their neighbors; people thought she was
crazy. A week passed, and her father's words really came true; they moved out of town and
transferred to another city. She was so out of her mind at the moment; she was still in her
healing phase and acceptance stage. 

If all her problems were combined, something else worse was about to be added. "It's been
two months since my last period, and I'm starting to get worried," says Laila. Her mom
immediately bought a pregnancy test at the nearest drugstore. "Pee on this stick and wait for
the signs to be visible." "A positive result would show both the test line and another line to
indicate that you are pregnant," said her mom. After five minutes, results were shown, and
Laila used two tests to see if they were accurate. "MOM, I’M PREGNANT!"

“and so, Laila’s new life began...”

 CHAPTER 12

*5 YEARS LATER*

"Mom, I can't find my shoes anywhere!"

"It's in the shoe rack, honey. Hurry up. " "My meeting starts at exactly 9 a.m.," says Laila.

Laila locked the apartment door and took her son's hand, as they were in a hurry to attend an
important business meeting.

"Don't let go of my hand; okay, there are a lot of people in the city; we should always be
careful."

"Yes, mommy," Neo replied.

As they were about to cross the busy road, Laila came across a familiar guy, probably in his
30s, with deep brown almond eyes and almost white hair. She stared at him for a moment
until she reminisced about a guy she used to know in the past. The guy also stared at her for a
while until she noticed that she wasn't holding her son's hand anymore. She looked around to
see Neo running towards the road with an oncoming car. She rushed towards Neo and got hit
by the car.

The guy stayed in the hospital while waiting for Laila's family to arrive. "Grandma and
grandpa, mommy is sick," says Neo. The doctor walks in to tell the most heartbreaking news.
"I'm sorry for your loss. "My condolences to you and your family, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson,"
says the doctor. "Dawson? "Are you Mr. Russell Dawson?" asked the guy. "No way, is it
really you? " Shaun? Shaun Pierce?" replied Mr. Dawson. "Yes, sir, it's me," says Shaun.
"Neo, meet your dad," Mr. Dawson whispered in Neo's ear. Neo sweetly went to Shaun and
hugged him, saying, "Nice to meet you, Daddy!"