It was already 7:30 in the evening when I reached San Francisco. My parents probably still don't know that I left. The last time I ran away; it took them three days to notice that I was gone. By that time, I already found a job as a newspaper journalist and as a waitress in a diner where I met Noelle.

I took a ride to The Array only to see Axon closing the doors of the café.

"Am I too late to order a latte?" Axon turned around and saw me standing behind him. He once again has that surprise expression written all over his face.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at your parents',"

"Change of plans. I thought the cafe was closed," I said as I saw him opening the doors of the café again.

"It is. But the owner asked for a latte and so I'm making one for her," he said smiling at me and opening the doors wider for me to enter.

Everything looked so dark until Axon went to the back to open a few lights and gestured to me to sit at my usual place. He immediately made the latte for me and pulled a cookie from his bag.

"We don't have any red velvet left but I do have an oatmeal cookie," I thanked him for the effort he did and felt the warmth coming from the latte. One by one the tears started flowing like raindrops. I did my best to keep my head down as I was embarrassed of being seen so broken.

"Noelle nor Aurora isn't here. Even Devon isn't here. But I am and you could tell me anything," through my tear-filled eyes I looked at a smiling Axon offering me his handkerchief which I gladly accepted.

I told Axon everything. Every single detail of what happened earlier. My every thought and feeling as I stepped into that place again. I opened my whole life to him and let him see the past Aneara he never met. He didn't make a comment, all he did was offer me a hand to hold on.

"I don't want to go home just yet. I don't want to be alone in that place and I know Noelle isn't in her apartment right now," I said when we decided to go home after my crying session with Axon.

"Do you know anyone else who could take you in tonight?" Axon asked when he was once again closing up the café.

"I could probably stay at Aurora's," Axon nodded and proceeded to call Aurora as I wasn't able to since my phone was dead. Luckily, she agreed to let me stay as long as I wanted. She didn't ask why as she knew I would open it up to her when I wanted to.

I was just about to suggest for us to walk but Axon already booked an Uber to Aurora's.

"I'm not going to let you walk tonight. It's late and I know you're tired," Axon said and loaded my luggage in the car.

The ride was silent. No one was talking, but his presence was enough to make me feel I wasn't alone. Axon didn't leave until he knew I was okay with Aurora. He even placed chocolates in my jacket before walking home.

Aurora's house is in a city subdivision just a few streets away from The Book Hollow. She moved here when she got married to Arthur six years ago. This is the first house she and Arthur ever bought and holds so many memories for the both of them.

As soon as I stepped in the house, my stomach grumbled at the scent of pastries circling in the house. It turns out that Axon texted her that I only had a cookie for dinner and made me Spinach puffs and cheese bread rolls. We talked about everything over the pastries she made and I couldn't help but cry again.

"The guest room is ready for you. Call me if you need anything, okay?" I nodded and she went upstairs with Arthur waiting for her at the top of the stairs. I bid them both good night and locked myself in the guest room.

I used to stay here a lot when Aurora needed someone to look over Viana while she and her husband were at work. I kept a few of my clothes here too just in case I wanted to stay here unexpectedly.

I was startled by a text message from my charging phone and I overthink as to who it probably is.

Don't think too much and sleep. Good Night! - Axon

I don't remember giving Axon my number and thought that he might have taken it from his sister since I text Devon a lot anytime of the day.

Reading the text message one more time, I closed my eyes until sleep took over.

I was woken up by a feeling of someone staring at me. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Viana's eyes lit up as she saw me waking up. She ran out of the room and came back with a slobbering dog in her arms.

"Auntie Aneara! Look who I have! Papa let me adopt a dog from the shelter! His name is Vader!" Viana said, jumping with the dog asleep in her arms. I stared at the door closely and remembered that I locked it before I slept.

"Bee, how did you get in? I thought my door was locked?" I said taking the dog from her as she won't stop handing it to me.

"Oh, I opened it with a scissor! I saw it on TV once. I used it to open Papa and Mama's room when I heard Mama screaming," I felt my heart drop with what my niece said. Is Aurora being hit? Why would she scream?

"Why would your Mama scream?" I asked

"Maybe because Papa was too heavy. He's crushing her on the bed," Viana said, climbing on the bed with me. My eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when I thought of something about what she said.

"Your Papa is crushing your Mama on the bed? How?" I am so going to regret asking Viana this question but I had to be sure that she didn't see something that she should've never seen. Not at this age.

"I can't remember how. I only hear Mama screaming "Ah" or "Oh" like that," my assumptions were correct and told her immediately to forget all about it.

What cartoon did teach her how to pick a door using a scissor! I told her never to do it again and that she should always learn to knock. My lecturing was interrupted by her mother and I sent her a glare immediately to which she replied with a confused look.

I took Viana and Vader out of my room and into the dining for breakfast. The dog awoke with the smell of food and kept jumping to reach the table until Viana gave him a piece of bacon from her plate.

My phone started ringing and saw a call coming from my mother. I pressed decline and saw that both her and dad had been calling me all morning with the number of missed calls I received. I opened a text message from Nana Millie telling me that my parents were supposed to introduce me to my future fiancé this morning.

It's a good thing I left last night or else I would be tied down on a chair right now to meet whoever that bastard could be.

"Mama, I'm done eating. Can Vader and I play outside?" Aurora nodded and Viana ran out to the backyard with the dog chasing her.

"What's with the glare earlier, Aneara?" I stopped eating and pulled the scissor Viana used to open my door from my pocket and gave it to her.

"That's the scissor your daughter used to open my locked door earlier. She apparently saw it from the TV. I don't know what show she saw it in," Both Arthur and Aurora looked shocked. Well, she should be shocked more with the next thing I'm about to say.

"And it turns out, it wasn't the first time she used it to open a door. She used it when she heard her Mama screaming from their room. And saw, this is Viana's words not mine, her Papa crushing her Mama on the bed screaming "Ah" and "Oh"."

I swear I saw a piece of egg flying from Arthur's mouth when he choked after hearing what I said.

"She said that?!" Aurora exclaimed while helping her husband from choking.

"Yes. Next time, install another lock. One that could only be open from the inside. I don't want my niece seeing her Papa crushing her Mama on the bed again," I said, taking a bite from my food.

"I'm buying another lock now," Arthur said, standing up from his chair, picking his car keys and leaving. Aurora was left with me on the table with her hands covering her face.

"I can't believe my daughter saw that," Aurora said from behind her fingers.

"Well, believe it. Unteach her that trick if you could and hide all your scissors," I heard a sigh from Aurora before removing her hands from her face.

"By the way, Noelle called and I told her everything that happened since I realized you don't want to repeat everything that you said to me last night. She'll be here in 30 minutes,"

A car parking was heard and Arthur came in from the front door and went upstairs, probably to install the new lock he bought.

"Mama! Auntie Noelle is here," and Noelle is here walking from the front door with Vader in her arms. She has always adored dogs much more than I do.

I told Noelle everything that happened over breakfast and Noelle didn't stop teasing her and Arthur about it. The couple were both red all over from the embarrassment. I guess this is a lesson for me and Noelle when we do have kids in the future, whenever that is.

Noelle helped me with my luggage and took me to my apartment. As much as I wanted to go to work with her, she told me to rest for at least a day before enduring again the stress at work. But hell, I would take the stress from work anytime rather than the stress I had from my parents.

Picking up the jacket Nana Millie made, I tried hard to think of a way to stop my parents from pushing this marriage to work. I couldn't let myself fall for another one of their manipulations. I already had so much of it growing up.

"What did you do all day?" Noelle asked when she got home.

"Thinking. I actually thought of an idea to stop my parents from the forced arranged marriage they want,"

"Really, what is it?" Noelle asked, sitting on the sofa with me.

"I have thought of two options. One, get married right now with the man I choose," she stared at me unbelievingly.

"How are you supposed to do that when you aren't even dating?"

"Option Two, get married and get pregnant," Noelle stared at me dead in the eyes and hit with the closest thing she was able to hold on. Thank goodness it was a pillow.

"Now, you're crazy! Aneara, what are you thinking?!" Noelle said, still hitting me with the pillow she has.

"This is the only way I know, okay? If you have any other ideas then please tell me. I am open to suggestions," I said frustrated.

"Aneara, this is marriage you are talking about and even pregnancy? Both are a life-long decision that needs enough time to think about and not just overnight,"

"What choice do I have, Noelle? I can't let them manipulate me ever again. I am done with it,"

"Your thoughts are just being clouded with emotions right now. So please think about this and make a rational decision. But knowing you, no matter what I say, I really can't stop you, can I?" all she heard was a No from me. I had to do this. It's crazy, I know. Like Noelle said, it's a life-long decision.

"Which of the two are you taking?" she asked.

"Option Two,"

"Are you really sure about this, Aneara? Option one is a lot easier to handle than option two,"

"That's the point, Noelle. They could easily make a solution out of it if I choose option one," I've hardly thought about this. They can't stop me this time and option two is my one-way road to freedom.

I seemed practically insane for doing this. But I was desperate to cut the chains my parents were holding against me.

"They might not be able to, but so will you. You're stuck in this forever if you continue to choose option two," sighing heavily I stared at my best friend with concern written all over her face. She and I both perfectly knew that I won't be able to leave this mess once I've started it.

"I know. That is why I have to pick the perfect prospect for it,"