Chloe Grace Moretz As Hailey Watson

Chapter One

Hailey:

I was sitting in my room near the window and reading my favorite book, which had a lot of mystery and thrill. I loved reading books before going to bed because they kept me distracted from recalling all the horrible memories in my past that haunted me every night.

I shivered thinking about last week's nightmare. In my nightmare, I was crying hysterically at something my mom said, and then the world collapsed under me as I fell into darkness.

I wanted to keep reading and finish the whole book before going to bed, but it seemed impossible to continue due to sleepiness. I closed the book and put it on my study table then I got up from the chair.

My eyes caught the glowing full moon outside my window, and I stared at it. It looked beautiful, spreading light in the darkness of the night. Suddenly, the rustling of the trees in the garden made me jump. I looked outside but couldn't see anything or anyone. Before something would appear and scare me, I decided to go to bed.

I jumped on my bed and pulled the comforter up to my chin. The softness of the new sheets felt so nice, making me sigh in contentment. I snuggled my face in the pillows and drifted into a dreamless slumber.

The shouting and screaming of my mother woke me up. I looked around, and my eyes landed on the wall clock, which was showing that it was half-past twelve. I heard the shattering of glass and jumped from the bed, running out of my room to search my parents and granddad.

The angry voices of my mom and granddad led me to my granddad's study room. The door of the study room was slightly opened and taking advantage of it, I silently slipped inside. I found my mom standing in the middle of the room crying and mumbling something. My dad was sitting on the couch and staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

I didn't know what was going on and I was scared to find out. I noticed anger and worry etched on my granddad's face while he was busy glaring at my mom. They didn't know I was standing in the corner and watching everything.

Finally, I got the courage to open my mouth. "What is happening? Mom, dad?" I asked them.

Their heads snapped in my direction, and their eyes stared at me with terror. My gaze connected with my mom and I found myself frozen. Her eyes were filled with hate, and the hate was directed at me. I feared for my life at that moment.

In my sixteen years of existence, I never saw this much hate for me in my mom's eyes. I was used with her disappointed glances at me, but this glare felt dangerous. Like it promised to inflict m an unimaginable amount of pain.

My father noticed the look on my mom's face and shook his head.

"Hailey, go back to your room," my dad said.

I was about to turn around and leave the study room, but my mother's angry voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

"No! She should know what is going on in this house. Emily left us because of some stupid promise your grandfather made years ago to his best friend," my mom yelled, making me freeze.

I couldn't believe my ears. My sister left! Why would she suddenly leave the house? What happened?

I asked my mom. "Why did she leave?"

My grandfather heaved a sigh and stood up from his chair. He took long steps, and within seconds he was standing in front of me.

"Hailey, when I was young, I made a promise to my best friend. Now, he is on his deathbed. He wants me to fulfill my promise before his death," my granddad said.

I was more confused after hearing what my granddad said. I didn't understand how it was connected to my sister leaving the house.

My mother noticed my confused state and said, "Tell her the truth!"

My granddad glared at my mom then turned back to me.

"My friend and I made a promise that someday, we will unite our families by arranging a marriage between our first grandchildren. Now, that he is not well and dying in the hospital, his family contacted me. They want me to fulfill my side of the promise before my friend's death. He wants to see his grandson happily married to my granddaughter before dying," my grandfather said.

I looked at him in shock. Now, it all made sense. That was why Emily ran away in the middle of the night. She had always been against marriage, and an arranged marriage was something she would never do. She always wanted to become a model and marriage meant the end of her modeling career.

"Why did you tell them that Emily would marry their son? She is eighteen, and it's too early to get married. She has her whole life ahead of her to spend the way she likes. Please don't ruin it by forcing her to marry a man she barely knows. Please, I beg you! Stop this nonsense so she can come back home," my mom said.

"What do you want me to do, Melanie? Do you want me to refuse them or tell them that I can't fulfill my friend's last wish?"

My mother's eyebrows scrunched up at his words. A few moments later she started smiling cryptically in my way. I felt nervous while staring at her. With slow predatory steps, she approached me.

"I think Hailey is the better candidate to marry off. She doesn't look that young. She has good height and weight. She will look perfect as the wife of your friend's grandson," mom said and gripped my arm.

I was shaking with fear, but her grip was so tight, making it impossible for me to move.

"If she marries your friend's grandson, you will be able to fulfill your friend's dying wish, and I will get my daughter back in this house." She suggested.

My eyes widened, and I instantly paled. My hands started shaking violently in anxiety, but she tightened her grip on my arm, digging her nails and making me hiss in pain.

"Are you out of your mind? How can you suggest something so absurd?" My dad was in a rage.

"This is the only solution. Believe me, it's best for all of us, even for Hailey," my mom said looking at me.

I felt tears brimming in my eyes, and they were ready to fall.

"She is sixteen, Melanie. She is younger than Emily if you haven't noticed," my grandfather said.

My mom's grip on my arm loosened.

"I don't care how young she is. I just know she is not Emily, my blood, my real daughter. And it's time for her to repay me for taking care of her all these years instead of making Michael leave her outside some orphanage," mom yelled.

I went numb after her words registered in my mind. Why was she saying this? Did it mean she was not my real mom?

"Melanie, why have you done this? It is not the right time to inform her all about the past. You promised me that we will not discuss this with her until she turns eighteen," dad yelled.

At that moment, I forgot how to breathe. It meant whatever my mom said a few seconds ago was the truth. I was not her flesh and blood. I was not her real daughter. Was my dad even my real father? Was he?

"Yes, I promised that I will not tell her anything until the right time comes. But I think this is the best time to talk about your past, Michael," my mom said with a nonchalant attitude.

My dad looked at her in utter disappointment. His face was showing the betrayal that he was feeling after my mom's revelation.

"Hailey, look at me," my father said, walking towards me and cupping my face. "I wanted to tell you this before, but then we decided to wait until you become mature enough to understand it. I am your dad. You are my own flesh and blood, but Melanie is not your real mother. Your real mother died while giving birth to you."

I stopped breathing after what my dad said. My world collapsed, and I felt like falling into a dark hole.

"I was already married to Melanie and had Emily when I went to England on a business trip. There I met your mother and fell in love with her. Then one day, I found out that she was pregnant. I didn't know that the doctor informed her that there might be complications during the birth. She kept that information to herself and stayed positive. She decided to bring you into this world. The doctors tried their best to save her, but she died a minute after you were born."

I gasped and pulled away from my dad's grasp. It felt like he ripped my heart out.

He continued, "I informed Melanie about my infidelity, and about you. She was angry and hurt when she found out that I cheated on her. But after some time, she forgave me because of Emily's and your future. Melanie accepted you and me. She is just angry at the moment," he said to me.

He thought she was only angry. I wanted to tell my dad that she was not only angry but that she also hated me. No one deserved a cheating husband and his bastard child from another woman. At that moment, I understood her constant jabs and hatred towards me.

I deserved her hate and Emily's hate. Oh, God! I destroyed their happy family by intruding. All my life, I thought this woman was my mother. Even when she called me a freak and constantly sent me hateful glances, I never doubted that she wasn't my mom.

I remembered when I was small; she played with me, took care of me, and fed me with her own hands. But when I turned eight, she stopped doing anything for me, and I started spending more time with grandma. From that day onwards she never showed any affection to me. But I still loved her.

I was completely silent absorbing everything in. My dad looked defeated, and grandfather was deep in thoughts. My mom was staring straight at me still waiting for my answer.

"Michael, I forgave you a long time ago and accepted her. Now it's her turn to do something for me. I want my daughter back in this house at any cost. Emily and I cannot tolerate her presence here anymore," mom said.

And at that moment, I realized that she really wanted me to leave. Her last statement made me choose my poison, and I decided what I needed to do next. I was already standing on the edge of a cliff, but she finally made me jump and fall.

My voice was emotionless when I announced my decision.

"Mom is right. I will marry your friend's grandson instead of Emily," I said to my grandfather. "Please, ask Emily to come back home. She deserves to live here more than me," I said, turning towards my mom.

"Thank you so much, Hailey. I'll stay grateful to you for this sacrifice." She smiled at me.

I left and ran back to my room as fast as I could and locked my bedroom door. My eyes were misty from the tears pooling in them. I flung myself on the bed and hugged my pillow tightly. The tears that I had been controlling started falling from my eyes soaking the pillow.

I cried for my dead mother and for my father's infidelity. But mostly for the decision, I made a few minutes ago without thinking about the consequences. Thinking about my past and future, a sob broke out from my chest.

The book has been published on July 23rd, 2018. I'm still here on Wattpad, but for copyright reasons, my publisher asked me to take down the chapters.

The complete book is unavailable on Wattpad. The twenty chapters are available here to give you an idea of the story. If you like the book then you can find it on Amazon in ebook and paperback. The links are mentioned in my bio on my profile.

Thank you for your understanding and love. The book is available on Amazon in papaerback and ebook.