"So, are you ready for a new week?" Kenny asked her as she got dressed for work.

Diamond frowned at him. "Ken, who is ever ready for a new week?"

It was Monday morning and honestly, she wasn't looking forward to the week. Her boss had been grumpy lately, and she knew it had to do with the company. She lived in a crappy apartment, had no family, no money and no lover. Kenny was the only good in her life.

"Come on Dee! You don't have anything you're looking forward to this week?" he dared to ask.

She glared at him. "You should know better than to ask me that Kenny."

"Diamond, you've been alive for twenty three years now! I understand that your life hasn't been the greatest, but only you can change it," he scolded.

Diamond stopped to look at her best friend. They'd met five years ago at the bar he worked in when her curiosity got the best of her. He's a bartender in a gay bar, being gay himself.

She wanted to know what a gay bar is like, which would explain why five years later, her only friends are gay. Kenny is her best friend, while Gail, Gavin, Dale and Jamie are her closest friends.

Gail is the only lesbian amongst them. She rocks a butch look while Jamie is the most feminine of the guys. Kenny and Dale are more on the bisexual side, so they look like normal guys, especially with their robustness.

Gavin is a closet gay since he doesn't want his parents finding out, especially because they are such influential people in society. Gavin and Jamie are actually dating and Jamie is ok with their relationship being undercover. She met all of them through Kenny.

The five of them are the only people who know who she is. They know her true personality and they are the only people she trusts with her life. Kenny is the only one who knows absolutely everything about her, including her past. They've tried to offer her help, but her pride refuses to let them.

"How do you reckon I do that?" she asked him.

"You could start by moving out of this place and move in with me," he offered.

Kenny is filthy rich, despite his appearance. His grandmother had been a wealthy heiress and she was highly upset when Kenny's parents disowned him because of his sexuality choices.

She got back at them by leaving everything she ever owned to Kenny in her will. Her husband had died a year before she did, having left everything of his to her, and at the age of twenty, Kenny inherited her millions.

He's now twenty five.

"I'm doing nothing of the sort Ken," Diamond sighed, typing up her hair in a ponytail.

She was dressed in a navy dress with a white belt and heels. Her style wasn't the best, but that was only because she couldn't afford to dress herself stylishly. Her boss, forty two year old Sean Rubin, had never cared what she wore since he would lust after her either way. It grossed her out completely, but she needed the job. It was also the only thing that she hadn't told Kenny about.

She knew he would demand that she quit.

The one thing she was grateful for was that despite her financial state, she was born gorgeous. She has rich and wavy brown hair and big, light blue eyes. She has a natural tan, which has led her to believe that she one or even both of her biological parents were or are exotic since she's Hispanic.

She has a perfectly shaped body with a small waist, hips and a rounded behind and breasts. Out of boredom, she taught herself how to speak fluent Spanish, Russian, French and Italian.

Kenny sighed as she grabbed her car keys to head out. "I guess I shall try another day."

He cringed at the sight of her Chevy. The woman just refused any kind of help from him. For her twenty first birthday, he bought her a new car. She took it back to the dealers and cashed the money. She then donated the money to a charity. He couldn't even be mad at her. He can't understand why she refuses to be helped so much, but he loves her nonetheless.

"I'll see you tonight Ken," she said with a bright smile.

"Ok bunny rabbit! Don't forget it's at seven," he reminded.

"I know," she said hugging him, before getting into her car and driving away.

All the way to work, she couldn't help but think about Kenny's words to her. Could she really accept his offer without feeling like a charity case? Without having to pay him back? She knew Kenny would refuse money from her and she didn't feel right about that. She wanted to make her own life work without the help of anyone else. She'd already lived this long without anyone's help, and she could go the rest of her life in that manner.

She let her mind wander to an alternate universe where she had the perfect life- the loving husband and the beautiful children. While she may display a tough exterior, she wouldn't deny that she wanted that kind of life for herself.

She wanted someone who would sweep her off of her feet and shower her with love; someone who would love her completely for who she is and who would look at her like she's the only woman in the world for him.

She wanted the perfect house. She wanted to be pregnant with her children, and all the strange cravings that came with pregnancy. She wanted the house filled with love and laughter all around. She wanted it all, but she doubted she would ever get it. That kind of life just wasn't made for people like her.

She pulled into the parking lot of the company she worked for. It had been four miserable years, but she kept up with it because she needed the job. She stepped out of the car and headed into the glum building.

Some maintenance was desperately needed for the building, but she wouldn't dare comment. The last person who did was fired. She got to her desk and was glad that Sean hadn't arrived yet.

She got herself a cup of coffee before the man of the hour arrived. His own workers didn't respect him much, but they feared him a little. It always confused her how that worked, but again, she didn't question anything. The man wasn't all that bad looking, but his looks were tarnished by his personality.

Striding towards her, she felt her stomach dip as a smirk graced his face. "Good morning Miss Carmichael."

"Good morning Mr Rubin," she said through gritted teeth.

He sighed. "How many times should I tell you to call me Sean?"

She shrugged. "Every day and I still won't do it."

"You look exceptionally beautiful today," he commented, eyeing her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"That's very unprofessional Sir, but thank you," she replied. She was confused when she was met by his glazed gaze.

"Call me Sir again," he demanded. Her eyes widened a fraction before she recomposed herself.

"You have a meeting in two minutes Mr Rubin. It would be best for you to get to it," she suggested, not granting his demand.

"Oh sweet Diamond! I will have you one of these days," he said lowly before walking off.

Suddenly feeling light headed, she took her bag and headed out of the building, not caring about her job for the day. She needed to get out of the building that was suffocating her.

She knew that Sean found her attractive and often lusted after her, but she never imagined that his fascination with her was anything more than that. He'd officially scared the living daylights out of her.

She didn't know how she made it, but she found herself outside of a Starbucks. She went in, sure that she looked like she'd been run over and plumped herself onto one of the chairs at a vacant table. Her breathing was erratic, and she felt utterly nauseas.

"Hey, are you ok?" a voice said to her. She looked up to meet cobalt eyes looking down at her in concern.

"I don't know," she whispered. She couldn't have stopped the words even if she wanted to.

"Come on," the woman said, dragging her out of the shop. She wouldn't know why or how, but she trusted the woman.

The woman led her to a Mercedes Benz and drove her to wherever it is they were headed. The whole way there, she couldn't register anything around her. The incident with Sean would've seemed small enough if it hadn't triggered memories of things she never wanted to remember; things that haunted her dreams.

She vaguely felt herself being dragged into an apartment before she was placed on a couch. She faintly heard the kettle boiling. Minutes later, a cup was placed in her shaking hands. Without thinking twice about it, she brought the steaming cup to her lips. She was surprised to taste the sweetness and lemon taste.

"It's sweet tea with lemon," the woman spoke.

For the first time since leaving the office, her eyes focused on something, or rather the woman in front of her. She is absolutely beautiful, was her first thought. She has shimmering blue eyes that radiate her caring nature with long lashes. Her hair is long and brunette, and her lips are pink and full. She has a slight natural blush on her high cheeks and her nose is absolutely perfect.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked. Diamond nodded.

"Want to talk about what happened?" she continued asking.

Looking at the woman, Diamond felt like she could trust her. "I was raped."

"What? When? By who? We should call the police!" the woman panicked.

"Hold on! What's your name?" Diamond asked her.

"Oh sorry! How rude of me. My name is Emery Applegate. What's yours?" Emery asked.

"Diamond Carmichael. Now, as I was saying, I was raped, more than once. It first happened when I was thirteen. As a baby, I was left outside an orphanage, so I don't know who my parents are. I was never adopted, which also means I don't have family. I lived in a total of seventeen orphanages and homes until I was eighteen, when the last orphanage kicked me out. I wasn't exactly the best teenager to have around. I was awkward and timid. I never had any friends and I didn't talk to people. Anyway, I was first raped when I was thirteen by a drunk man that was in a relationship with the caretaker of the home. She was passed out, so no-one could help me. Honestly, at the time, I never knew what happened, but I knew it hurt and that it was somewhat wrong. When I brought it up, I was kicked out of that home, and that began my fucked up years of teenage hood. I feared men, and those who knew it took advantage of me. I can't even say I know how many times I've been raped. I was abused for three years too, but luckily I don't have anything to show for that. After being kicked out of the last orphanage, I was homeless for a year and became incredibly anorexic. I became a master at shop lifting and pick pocketing. The one thing I never did was drugs or alcohol. One night, I was walking when I noticed this place with neon lights and all. My curiosity got the best of me, so I went inside the place, using the back door. No-one saw me enter, so I was safe. Everywhere there were men making out with men, and women making out with women. I was hypnotized by the sight and didn't realize that I stood out like a sore thumb. I later found out that it was a gay bar, well club. One of the bartenders on duty spotted me and I thought he would throw me out. Instead, he led me to a backroom where he gave me food. I was confused at first, by I accepted it. When I was done eating, he made me tell him everything about myself or he would call the cops on me. I sang like a canary of course and he listened attentively. After that, he took me to his home, which is a mansion by the way. He introduced himself as Kenny and he promised that he would nurse me back to health. I objected, but he wouldn't hear it. For six months, he made sure that I ate and gained weight until he was satisfied. He looked for a job for me and found one. I've been working as a secretary at this company for four years now. The CEO has always made crude statements and all, and I knew he found me attractive. What got me in such a frenzy is that this morning, he kicked it up a notch. I called him Sir and he suddenly had this glazed look in his eyes and demanded I call him Sir again. I know that glazed look from anywhere and he confirmed my frantic thoughts by telling me that one day he would have me. I left the building in the midst of a panic attack and found myself outside of Starbucks. Now I'm here spilling my deepest secrets to a woman I just met," she finished off, finally looking up at Emery. She was surprised to find the woman crying.

She frowned. "Why are you crying?"

"How can I not? You've been through so much and yet you still go on! I don't think I would've made it in your shoes. I would've committed suicide after the first raping," Emery admitted.

"Suicide isn't the answer to anything," Diamond scolded.

"What happened to Kenny?" Emery asked curiously.

"He's my best friend now. He introduced me to my other four friends. They are all gay," Diamond replied.

Emery hugged her. "I'm really sorry about everything Diamond. You seem like a really nice person and it sucks that everything happened the way it did."

"I've never cried about it, which is why I don't understand why you are. The last time I cried was the first time I was raped," Diamond informed.

"Are you serious? Through everything that happened even after that, you've never cried?" Emery asked in disbelief.

Diamond shrugged. "I accepted from an early age that life just didn't want me in it. My parents abandoned me as a baby, I never had a home, I was made a sex toy for men's enjoyment and I've never had any financial luck. It's just the way it is."

Emery couldn't believe it. She'd gone to Starbucks to get some breakfast since she was lazy to make her own. When she saw Diamond trembling, she knew that something major had happened to get her like that, which is why she intervened.

The last thing she expected was to meet a woman who had not only been through so much, but was so accepting of it. Most people would've honestly never survived such a life.

"You have to quit your job Diamond. I don't like the thought of your boss getting his hands on you," she confessed.

Diamond laughed bitterly. "Gee, you sound like the mother I always wished to have."

Guilt shot through Emery at the words. "I didn't me-"

"I didn't mean it in a bad way, but I can't quit. That job is the only thing that's keeping me somewhat sane right now and I need the money," Diamond replied.

"But to work for the man who had you pale just an hour ago?" Emery argued.

"Look Emery, I've already adopted you as a friend, and as my friend, you have to respect my wishes. I need this job and I promise I'll quit the moment he actually does anything, but for now I'm not going anywhere," Diamond said with finality.

Emery was against the whole thing, but she nodded nonetheless before smiling. "So, we're friends now?"

"I would hope so since I don't open up to strangers. Hell, you're practically my best friend with all the information I just told you. The only other person who knows what you know is Kenny, but he doesn't know that I was raped. You are officially the only person besides my mind that is privy to that information. I don't know why, but I trust you with my life," Diamond informed her.

"Wow! I myself have never had a best friend, so this is awesome. Your secret is safe with me and we shall be best friends for life!" Emery replied excitedly.

Diamond giggled. "Slow down woman! I know nothing about you."

"Good point! I take it you're not going back to the office?" Emery asked her. She shook her head in response.

"Fantastic! We shall spend today and tomorrow getting to know one another," Emery squealed.

Diamond scowled. "What about my job? And yours?"

Emery shrugged. "You can call in sick or something. I'm on mandatory leave given to me by my boss."

"What do you do?" Diamond asked.

"I'm the secretary of the top management floor at Kingston Empires," Emery replied. Diamond nodded in understanding.

"Seriously?" Emery suddenly said.

Diamond laughed. "What?"

"All I get is a nod?" Emery asked.

Diamond raised her eyebrow. "What are you on about?"

Emery frowned. "Do you know who my boss is?"

Diamond laughed a little. "Uhm, no!"

"You don't know who Xavier Kingston is?" Emery asked in disbelief.

"Am I supposed to know?" Diamond asked in confusion.

"Not really, but it's amazing that you don't. He's the most famous CEO on the scene right now," Emery informed her. It made no difference to Diamond whatsoever.

"I'll be sure to Google him?" she offered unsurely. Emery burst out laughing.

"I hope he never meets you. He'll be shocked to know that there's actually someone who doesn't know him," Emery joked.

"He sounds conceited," Diamond commented.

Emery sighed. "He's very arrogant and self-assured if that's what you mean, but there's a side to him that he doesn't show itself all that much."

"Are you in love with him?" Diamond bluntly asked.

"God no! It's just that I know he's a good person behind all the crap said about him. I mean he gave me mandatory leave with a spa treatment tomorrow just because my eyes had rings around them yesterday when he called me in," Emery explained.

"A spa treatment? Geez! Can I work for him too?" Diamond joked.

Emery peaked at the idea. "That's a good idea! He's looking for a PA. I could put in a word for you."

Diamond laughed. "It was a joke woman."

"But it's a good idea," Emery whined.

Diamond shrugged. "Nah, I'll pass!"

"Ok fine! Can I at least ask him to pay for you as well so that we go to the spa together?" Emery asked nervously.

"Hey, he's your boss! It would be awesome if he could," Diamond replied. Emery squealed and headed to her cell phone, dialling her own desk.

"Kingston Empires, Raelene speaking. How may I help you?" her temp answered the phone.

"Hi Raelene, its Emery. I'm the person you're filling in for and I need to speak to Mr Kingston please," Emery replied.

"Uh, Mr Kingston instructed me not to let any of his calls through," Raelene replied.

Emery sighed. "Just let me through and I'll deal with it."

"If he kills me, I'm coming for you," Raelene replied before taking Emery through.

"WHAT?" Xavier snapped into the phone.

"Geez, are you having that bad of a morning?" Emery couldn't stop herself from saying.

"Emery? What's wrong?" he panicked. She was shocked by his concern.

"Let's start with you. What's got you so grumpy?" she asked.

"This temp is messing up my day honestly. I almost regret giving you that leave. I keep telling myself that it's just two days," he explained. She couldn't help but laugh.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm enjoying my break, but I need a favour," she said nervously.

"You sound like you're about to ask me to donate an organ," he teased. That statement made her laugh a little.

"It's nothing of a sort. The thing is, I know you booked me into a really expensive spa for tomorrow and I really appreciate it but now I have a problem. I was going out for breakfast this morning and I walked into the shop to find a frazzled woman there. She was scared out of her mind so I brought her to my place and gave her tea. I learnt that her name is Diamond and she's been through hell. She opened up to me and told me all about her life, including her darkest secret and now she's grown on me an-" she rambled before he cut her off.

"EMERY! What do you want?" he asked amusedly.

"Well, now that she's told me all about herself, she's become my best friend and we're bonding and all. I was wondering if you could pay for her to get whatever treatment I get tomorrow so that we can go to the spa together," Emery said before biting her lip.

He chuckled. "You couldn't have just started off with that?"

"I'm sorry! I wanted you to know the reasoning behind my request first," she replied sheepishly.

"Is she going to help you forget about the jerk who broke your heart?" he asked seriously, startling her. She looked over at Diamond, who was staring off into space.

"That and a whole lot more," Emery said lowly. She knew that Diamond tumbled into her life for a reason, and she hoped that it was the reason she was thinking of.

"Then I don't mind at all. Is there anything else you need?" Xavier asked.

"Nah, that's all! I'll give Raelene a quick rundown of what to do so that your day goes better," she replied.

"You're honestly heaven sent," he said happily.

"Anything for the best boss in the world," she replied.

"Let me get back to this! Rowland will pick you both up then," he said.

"Thanks!" she said happily before she was redirected to Raelene.

After giving Raelene a quick tutorial, she hung up. She got an idea and looked over to her new friend. Diamond was still staring blankly ahead of her, and she wasn't sure whether or not to interrupt her, but she figured that her friend was drowning in her thoughts, so she did the one thing any other normal person would do.

"Oomph!" Diamond exclaimed once Emery landed on her.

Emery smiled. "Good! You're out of it."

"You just jumped on me to get me out of thought?" Diamond asked incredulously, though she failed to hide her amused expression.

Emery nodded. "I didn't want you to think too much."

Diamond giggled. "Looks like I made a wise decision making you my friend."

"Let's go shopping!" Emery exclaimed.

Diamond frowned. "What for?"

"Well, we need junk food and movies," Emery pointed out.

"I take it I'm sleeping over?" Diamond asked knowingly.

Emery nodded. "Most definitely!"

"Ok, but on one condition. Tonight is one of my friend's birthdays so we're having a party for him. You have to come with me so that I introduce you to everyone, especially since you and I will be so close from now on," Diamond stated.

"Ooh, more friends! I'm definitely in!" Emery said excitedly.

"How come you don't have any friends?" Diamond asked.

"My boss honestly! My working hours are all over the place because of his lack of a PA. I'm doing the job of two people, and yet I wouldn't change anything. Sure, sometimes it sucks to have him call me at odd hours of the day, but he's a great boss and I get paid triple what most receptionists earn, so I can't really complain. With a schedule like that though, it affected my social life so I ended up not having one to begin with," Emery said sadly. Diamond picked up something else in her tone.

"What's his name?" she asked. Emery was startled.

"Xavier is the only other person who read me like that. Is it that obvious?" Emery asked.

Diamond smiled slightly. "Not so much, but it's different from the happy Emery. One can easily tell that you've been hurt if they pay close attention."

"His name is Paul. I had a friend by the name of Diana who I met a while back. She was the first person to not have a problem with my job, so she became my closest friend. We went to a club one night and that's where I met Paul. She had a problem with our relationship but she never mentioned why. Anyway, Paul and I were going great until Xavier got some new deals. The company was taking off, which meant more working hours for him, and ultimately me. I was seeing less of Paul, and I knew that it was straining our relationship, but I was still hopeful. A week ago, I decided to plan a special dinner for Paul. I was going to cook for him at his place and all, so I went there straight from work, only to walk into him and Diana going at it like bunnies in heat. Both of them didn't care about my feelings. Paul told me that Diana was there for him and I wasn't, and she had a smug look on her face. It was then I understood that she'd wanted him the entire time, explaining her hatred for the relationship I had with him," Emery said as she wiped away her tears. Diamond stopped herself from hugging her because she wasn't done yet.

"What about everything else in your life?" she asked her.

"I lost my parents two years ago in a car accident. I have an older sister who lives in London. She's some hot shot model there and we don't have a relationship; never have. I grew up a happy child I guess, and my job keeps me sane too. I guess that's everything," Emery replied.

That's when Diamond hugged her. While their pasts may not be anywhere alike, Diamond was willing to bet that they would become fantastic best friends from that moment on. She knew that Emery finding her was meant to happen. Her friend's kind nature gave her the hope she lacked that very morning- the hope that her life would change for the better.

They first fetched Diamond's car before they went shopping as they'd agreed and were soon engulfed in sappy movies. That's how they spent their afternoon before getting ready for Gavin's birthday party. It was an all red party, and Emery lent Diamond her clothing. By the time it was time for them to leave, they both looked drop dead gorgeous.

Kenny opened the door to his mansion where the party was being held and he was taken aback by the two vixens before him.

"Dee?" he asked in shock. He'd never seen her so magnificent before. Emery had applied make-up on her and styled her hair.

"Hey Ken! Kenny, this is my other best friend Emery Applegate. Emery, this is Kenny Wallace," Diamond introduced.

Kenny raised an eyebrow at her. "Other best friend?"

Diamond shrugged. "She knows everything that you do."

Kenny turned to Emery in disbelief. "She trusted you that much?"

"I didn't expect it too," Emery admitted.

Kenny hugged her. "Well, it's lovely to meet you Emery. You must be special if Diamond opened up to you before her friends."

"Thanks! It's lovely to meet the guy who saved her," Emery returned the compliment with a smile.

That's when Kenny knew that she really did know everything.

Kenny led them inside where the party was in full swing. Diamond recognized the look on Emery's face- it was the same one she'd had the first time she walked into the gay club. There were gay people everywhere, as well as some straight people.

"Come on," Diamond giggled, leading Emery to the bar.

Emery laughed. "This is surreal."

"They throw the best parties, trust me," Diamond said as she winked before ordering two margaritas for them.

The whole night was a blast for Emery and she let lose for the first time since losing her parents. Diamond stuck with her the whole night. She was introduced to Diamond's friends, who adopted her just as quickly as Diamond had. They even told her that they couldn't care less about her work schedule or anything of a sort; they would always be there for her nonetheless.

She couldn't be happier.