The little things about us

Ava: chapter 1

15 years ago...

The day I saved Melissa from losing her job and getting her away from her cheating ex-boyfriend... was the day our entire dynamic has changed.

We became friends, exchanging numbers and sharing stories about our childhood, families and dreams.

I told her about my parent's divorce. How they left each other the same year I was born. How I got separated from my siblings to live with my mother while my 3 older brothers lived with my dad.

My mom raised me well. I was disciplined, made sure I did my tasks from school and around the house. She taught me to be kind but to never trust anyone unless they have earned my trust.

Never speak about what goes on in my personal life from thoughts, feelings or even family business.

She taught me to care about people's cultures, politics and religions as they come in handy in social gatherings.

You see, my family is well-known in the business industry and both my parents are rich.

Both of them owned their own businesses, thriving in both of their companies.

For that, I was heavily spoiled but not to a degree in where I turn into a brat. I still had to succeed in school, take extracurricular activities and learn at least 3 languages.

If I misbehaved, I would be punished with housework and that wasn't fun.

As a young child, I would see my dad often. He would visit almost everyday and spent at least an hour with me.

Progressively though, these times diminished from everyday... to every other day... to once a week or two.

For that reason, my relationship with the men in my family has been unsteady, unfamiliar and a bit divided.

As a teenager however, things started to change.

My father started entering my life more and more. I was peculiar with him, finding distrust in his sudden change of behaviour and appearance.

I didn't question it too much since I loved having him around and to see my brothers more.

I found out eventually, it was for me to follow his footsteps and hopefully, inherit the company.

I was stunned since I have 3 older brothers that could be a good potential for him. However, he choose me due to my intelligence, discipline and quick thinking.

His words not mine.

This decision angered my brothers and my mother.

They fought as my brother felt it was unfair while my mother had similar plans for me with her own company.

No one asked me about what I wanted. I didn't even know what I wanted to be honest. So, I just went with the flow.

I told Melissa most things, breaking the promise that I gave my mother to not trust a soul unless they earned it.

What made me feel at ease was that Mel wasn't quiet about her childhood either.

She told me about her parents, how loving and caring they were but they acted more like her friends than her parents.

She spoke about raising her little sister since both of her parents were too busy partying at night.

They weren't bad people, just not suited for parents.

She told me how sometimes she had to buy groceries and cook dinner as young as 11 because they weren't around.

She told me about the troubles she suffered from in school, how her grades were barely good enough and that she was lucky to graduate.