The Devoted

•Prologue•

•••

"Strong women wear their pain like stilletos. No matter how much it hurts, all you see is the beauty of it."

--Ring. Ring. Ring.--

My eyes snapped open as I heard the loud, annoying sound of my alarm clock. It was Monday and it was time for me to go to work. I exhaled slowly and rubbed my tired eyes. I hated how it was work and not school. I should be going to high school but remembering what my mother had told me, it wasn't possible. So I mustered up some strength and stood up to take a shower.

At exactly five in the morning, I was off to the bakeshop where I had worked as a baker of pastries. I have worked there for about a year now. Unfortunately for me, Instead of going to school, I was forced to find a job at an early age because we didn't have the money for it and my mother thought it wasn't what I needed. I believed her.

I strolled down the busy streets of Manhattan and waited for a bus, envying the kids on school buses that passed by. With an audible sigh, I got inside a bus and fifteen minutes later I arrived at the bakeshop.

As I entered the small bakeshop, Dianna, my only closest friend, greeted me with a warm smile. I smiled back and went to put on my apron.

"Seems like someone's waiting for ya." Dianna muttered, eyebrows wiggling in mischief. I sent her a confused look and her eyes darted to the man seated in the corner of the room.

My eyes landed on a young man. Maybe the same age as me, with steel grey eyes and caught him staring at me. Shades of pink were now visible on his cheeks and I mentally chuckled at the sight. My lips pulled into a soft smile at the young man and quickly looked back at Dianna, whose grin is now ten times wider than before, if that was possible.

"He's here for the pastries Dianna. Jenna's pastries taste always good you know." I retorted. Dianna just rolled her eyes at me and continued showing off her pearly whites.

"You do know that he's always been here every morning and all he does is just stare at you and order your special cookies?" She says while making a cup of black espresso for a costumer.

"I do know that but it's not like he likes me or something." I replied, pushing my glasses above my nose. It was true though that I didn't find myself quite appealing with my petite form, blue eyes that's been covered by my thick glasses and long brown hair that cascaded down my waist. In fact, if I was to choose, Dianna is prettier with her striking green eyes and long red hair.

"He's clearly into you." She mumbled with a grin.

"You're impossible." I shook my head and she chuckled.

The whole day, Dianna accompanied the costumers while I baked cookies and sweets and we both did the cleaning since Jenna attended her sister's wedding and Blaze was not feeling well.

Hours passed of relentless working, it was already eight-thirty when I closed the bakeshop. I bid Dianna goodbye and walked down the cold sidewalk to a bus stop and waited for the bus to arrive. Minutes of what felt like hours passed and I was walking towards the house.

My eyes were droopy as I came to a halt in front of the door. I fumbled around my bag to find my keys but stopped when I heard faint voices talking inside. I gently turned the door knob and found my mother seated in front of the television.

My mother? Home? That's odd. Usually, when I came home, I was always welcomed by the emptiness of the house because my mom was always out, doing god knows what.