CASSANDRA

I drove to my apartment, threw my suitcase on the bed, and started throwing my things inside.

My eyes were misted with tears. I felt betrayed by the people I trusted the most in my life. First, my dad led me to believe that he and my mom had a happy marriage and that he was a model husband when that was not the case. Then, there was Calix, who kept this from me for so long. Did he think I couldn't handle the truth?

Perhaps he didn't have any plans of telling me at all? They wanted to keep me in the dark thinking I am such a weak woman that it would be better to keep this secret from me and let them settle this thing on their own.

I didn't bring so many clothes only the things that could fit in my luggage and some winter clothes. To be honest, I didn't know where I would go. All I knew was that I wanted to get away from all of this.

I wanted to escape the pain that seeped through me from the moment I learned the horrible truth.

Calix is my half-brother.

I think fate was indeed very cruel to me. It led me to fall in love and get intimate with my half-brother. If only...

I shook my head, wiping my tears furiously. There was no use in regretting now. I believed that everything happened for a reason. I just hope that I will get over this soon.

Zipping my suitcase, I checked my passport in my bag. I was ready to run away from all of this--to cool down until I realized that I wanted to cut off my ties with the rest of them for a while.

I felt my phone, cards, keys, and everything that would remind me of my oblivious life. Besides, I didn't want them to have something that could trace me.

Thankfully, I still have good enough cash in me. This would be enough for me to start a new life somewhere.

I went outside my apartment and looked one last time at the place I truly cherished from the moment I first laid my eyes on it when I first went to my apartment hunting two years ago.

That was also the year I first got entangled with the Spiridakous when I got smitten with Loukas and became friends with Dionne. With a painful sigh, I firmly locked the door behind me and walked outside the apartment building to hail a taxi.

Once I got to the airport, I paid the cab driver in cash something that I was not using frequently.

I walked inside the busy airport and went to the check-in line of the airline.

"Yes, ma'am?" The ground crew had said with a ready smile on her face.

I arranged my oversized sunglasses on my face. I wore it so they wouldn't see how puffy my eyes were at the moment. "I need a plane ticket. It doesn't matter what country as long as it's visa-free for a Greek passport."

The woman gave me a worried look. "Well, I am not sure about your request since every flight is fully booked at the moment. Maybe we can have you book for another day?"

"No. I want to leave Greece as soon as possible. Today most probably."

"Okay," the woman behind the counter had said. "The only way you can leave Greece today is by being on standby. But there is still no guarantee that you can have a seat by being a chance passenger. There are already five people on the waiting list."

I nodded. I knew that I couldn't use my privilege here if I wanted to go undetected from my Dad or even Calix. "I'll accept that."

She smiled at me and gestured for those waiting chairs nearby. "You can sit and I'll call for you if there's any good news, ma'am."

I followed her instructions and sat on the vacant chair nearby. I didn't know how long I sat there thinking if I would ever have the chance to leave Greece. I also didn't have any appetite I just sat there waiting for my fate.

Finally, after several hours of waiting. The kind-hearted ground crew gestured for me to move closer.

My heart began to pound as I approached the check-in counter again. "Yes?" I asked in anticipation.

"I have some good news for you, ma'am," she said with a smile. "There is an available flight tonight at 10 p.m."

I swallowed as I felt that my heart was in my throat. "Where?"

"Tokyo, Japan."

Japan. I mulled my brain if I had ever been to Japan before. I realized that I had never been to East Asia before. I guess this was the perfect opportunity to explore places I'd never been to before. A perfect opportunity to start a new life in a foreign land.

"Do you want to take it?" the ground crew dragged me out of my reverie.

I gave her a faint smile. "Y-Yes. I'll take it."

She took my passport and processed the necessary things that I might need for this flight. After a moment, I was on my way to my boarding gate.

I didn't know what to feel when I was already sitting in my economy seat. I didn't know what to expect but I was looking forward to a new adventure.

When the flight was ready to take off. I felt my eyes grow heavy probably because of the day's event my exhaustion took its toll on me and I surrendered to my slumber.

My seatmate slightly shook my shoulder when food was already being served. "You already missed the first food service a while ago. You must be hungry by now."

I straightened in my seat. "Y-Yes. Thank you."

She was a kind elderly woman but I didn't have time for chitchat. I just wanted to be on my own for now.

I ate in silence. I knew that my elderly seatmate wanted to strike up a conversation with me but I was not in the mood. I just pretended that I was not aware of her intention.

After fifteen hours of being inside the aircraft. I finally arrived in Tokyo. I was in awe seeing the beautiful city from above. I couldn't wait to explore this new city. When the airplane taxied on the tarmac and the necessary procedure had been conducted inside we were instructed that it was now safe to get out of the plane.

Everything went blurry after that, from the immigration to hailing a cab outside the airport but one thing I realized almost instantly was that Japanese people were one of the most polite people I met. Also, this country was not an English-speaking nation. Only a handful of people could understand English. I had a very hard time asking around for the taxi terminal at the airport.

Once I got a taxi, I realized that I had come unprepared for this country. Even the signage was in Japanese. It was safe to say that I was successful in getting lost in a new city.

I think I was lost literally and figuratively. I didn't even know where I would go. I told the cab driver to pull to the side because I wanted to go on my foot from this point. We barely managed to communicate with one another.

Once I was on the sidewalk. I savored the moment that I began my new life here. I tried to find a hotel or an apartment building that I could use. But it was so hard to do that when I couldn't understand anything words around me.

I felt like I wanted to cry in the middle of the streets. I didn't even know where to stay today. I was tired and wanted to rest as I walked around I stopped to think for a moment.

I became aware that I didn't even have a smartphone to help me translate things. Why so stupid to leave it behind? I smacked my forehead for being a dimwit.

"You will regret doing that."

I turned around and saw a tall, fair-skinned, handsome man smiling in my direction. I frowned at this handsome stranger. "Sorry?"

The smile on his face widened. He raised both of his hands upward in silent surrender. "I'm not a bad person, I assure you. I just thought you might need some help. I've been watching you for a while now going in circles in this street."

"Oh, you speak English! Finally!" I was beyond glad to hear a familiar language after hearing only Japanese since I arrived.

"Are you lost?" He asked, his dark brown eyes focused on me.

I shook my head. "I am not sure. I am looking for a place to stay and I am having a hard time understanding the signage written in Japanese."

"I think I can help," he offered with a kind smile on his face. He extended his hand in my direction. "Daniel Takaaki, at your service."

I eyed his offered hand guardedly. I think I was being reckless here for letting my guard down just because he offered his help and he also speaks English.

His lips twitched with a smile. "I know you must be thinking about why you should trust me. Here," he took out his calling card from his wallet.

I accepted the calling card and read. I eyed him curiously. "You don't look like a Japanese to me." He looked more Hispanic to me.

He laughed out loud, clearly amused. "Well, I am not pure Japanese. I am a mixed race. My father is Japanese while my mother is Brazilian. That also explains why I am multilingual."

"Oh..."

"Now that we already established that I am not a bad guy. May I know of the name of this lady who is lost in our city?"

"Cassandra Vitalis," I supplied reluctantly.

He whistled softly. "Italian?"

"Greek."

"What kind of place are you looking for? Hotel or apartment?"

"Apartment," I answered. "A cheap one if possible."

He smiled at me once again. My instinct had been telling me that he appeared to be nice but I shouldn't let my guard down on a stranger I just met. "Why don't you join me for lunch while we sort the things you might need for your apartment."

"Now, "I appalled at him. "Why should I have a meal with the man I just met?"

"Because I was in the middle of my meal when I approached you," he gestured to the fast food nearby. My eyes widened when I saw the half-finished food on the table near the glass window. "Why don't you join me?"

I was about to turn down his offer when he grabbed my suitcase and pulled it inside the fast food. I was helpless to follow him inside. He placed my things on the side and led me to the counter to order.

"Wait. What about my things?" I protested, going back to the table.

"Relax. This is Japan, you can leave your things and rest assured that no one will get them."

He asked me what food I liked and I pointed to the picture that I wanted to try in this American fast food. He was kind enough to order for me in Japanese.

True to his words, once we get back to his table. My things were still there. I was quite amazed, to be honest.

"So," he said as he resumed eating his burger. "What brings you here?"

I looked at him guardedly. I think he could be trusted. "New life."

"Ah, just like me," He said while taking a bite of his burger.

"Pardon?"

He grinned at me while sipping his soda. "Don't tell me, you came here because of a broken heart? If that's the case, we're in the same boat, then."

I frowned at him. "Aren't you from here?"

"I used to live where when I was young but when my parents got a divorce. My other took me back to Brazil only recently I came back here to be reacquainted with my father."

"Ah..." I nodded my head. "And the broken-hearted part?"

He chuckled while shaking his head. "I recently broke up with my girlfriend. Four weeks ago."

"I see."

"What about you? Are you also brokenhearted like me?"

I avoided his gaze while sipping my soda. "What makes you think that?"

"Intuition," he said simply. "I could see the pain through your eyes. It must be a new breakup."

"I don't want to talk about it," I said firmly.

"I understand," he replied compassionately. "Finish your food and I'll help you find your new place to stay."

I looked at him bashfully. "Also, if you know of a job vacancy. Let me know. I don't think my funds can sustain me for so long."

He nodded. "I'll ask around."

"Thank you."

He pulled out his phone. "Can you give me your number so I can update you if I found a job for you?"

I bit my lower lip while smiling shyly in his direction. "I don't have a phone at the moment. I left it back in Greece."

He stared at me as if I told him I could levitate. When he finally recovered from his shock. He shook his head. "What happened to you to leave everything behind just like that?"

"It's a long story," I stated indifferently.

"Well, I have all the time in the world. I hope you can consider me as your first friend here in Tokyo. I am always here ready to listen. Finish your food then we'll buy you a new phone and look for your new apartment."

And that was how my unlikely friendship with this Brazilian-Japanese guy started when I met him on my first day in Japan.

He was a heaven-sent when I fell and lost in how my life turned one hundred eighty degrees. In some way, he was like my savior. And I was grateful to him for everything. If it was for this kind of man I'd probably end up homeless in a foreign country because of my reckless and hasty decision to run away from everything. 

Yes, I'd been a coward for running away instead of facing the problem. But how could I face the problem if it meant that I had to give up the man I love? I just found out that it was a forbidden love and that we were not destined to be together. 

It would be better if time would allow me to forget him while I was away. And I hope that I would forget about him and my love for him soon enough that when I saw him again, this searing pain in my chest was no longer here and I would be able to look him in the eye without a hint of pain.

I just pray to God that I would be able to forget Calix and I didn't know how long would it take me but I hope that the time would come.

Because if not...

Then, I'm doomed.