Inside the heart of Manchester's neighbourhoods, lived an ordinary family, except inside that house, not everything is what it seems on the outside.

The date is 1st September 2016, just a couple days before school would be starting back, and this day happened to be Amelia's 12th birthday.

Her stepmother, Camelia Pământ and half-sister, Jane, were out in town to find Amelia the perfect cake to celebrate.

However, despite having a loving mother and sister, her father was a very different story...

Amelia's birthday meant nothing to Alfred; in fact, she's barely meant anything to him, period.

And while the two just so happen to be alone in the house, he'd start giving her daughter chores to do, just like any other day.

But Amelia was having none of it.

"Are you kidding me?" She complained after been giving a list of things to do, "those things can be done tomorrow, it's my birthday, and I want to see my friends this afternoon."

"Amelia," her father glared and crossed his arms, "just because it's your birthday, doesn't mean you can go behaving like a princess."

"You wouldn't say that if you didn't treat me like a servant for the last 4 years..." she mumbled.

"What was that?" He eyed on her as he was finishing his beer.

".....Nothing."

Alfred finished his beverage and gave the empty bottle to his daughter, "so you'll clean the kitchen and the bathroom before Camila and your sister come home, yes?"

"......." Amelia sighed.

She didn't want to put up with this bully called dad, but she was about to argue and a slapped face on her special day.

"Yeah..."

She left her father, who sat down on the couch and turned on the tv. Meanwhile, Amelia entered the kitchen, shutting the door behind her.

Dropping the empty bottle in the bin...and looking around the kitchen.

The dishes were left dirty and covered with food from yesterday's meal, the counters were covered in oil spits and tomato sauce, plus a couple more empty beer bottles hanging around, and one smashed on the floor.

Amelia froze in her place and suddenly burst into tears, what did she do to deserve this treatment?

All she wants is her father's affection and love, but alas, it was just never to be...

She wiped her tears with her shirt and switched on the radio, loud enough that she could enjoy and have anybody being bothered at the noise, it usually kept her company...

As she began clearing up, tossing the bottles away, wiping down the counters, and carefully picking up the glass pieces on the floor, she wondered to herself.

What was my mum like?

Has dad always been like this?

Where did it all go wrong?

~~27th April 2000~~

On a cold, wet April night, just as the night was only just beginning, three young men studying at the Manchester University were making their way to their favourite Nightclub, Deviant Eye.

Alfred and his friends Brandon and Michael entered the club with their passes, once they came in, as usual, Brandon was not wasting time to mingle.

-Alfred's POV-

"Yo, Alfie!" Brandon called out under the loud music, "check out those birds!"

A group of young lady were all chatting and giggling among themselves, Brandon nudged me, "let's introduce ourselves, shall we?"

"Yeah, totally," I agreed, "let me get a drink first, want anything?"

"You kidding mate? Don't you remember MDS?"

"MDS?" Michael queried.

"Mingle, drink, sex," he chuckled.

Michael gave Brandon a slight disgust face, but I stepped up to reassure him, "it's just a technique he likes to use to get laid."

"And it works to a tea," he added, while I gave him the 'sure it does' look, "pro tip, if you go with the drinking first, it's only gonna work if the bird is drunker than you."

"As if one drink would make much of a difference," I chuckled, "besides, I'm not really looking to get in bed with a stranger....not tonight anyway."

Brandon couldn't help but snort at me, "you sound like a virgin man."

"......Thanks? Anyway, you two go have fun; I'll be at the bar."

I left Brandon and Michael to mingle with the group of girls, while I sat up to the bar to get a drink.

As much as messing around was fun, I begin to wonder where that woman I'd spend the rest of my life is in the crowd, and messing around some more would only drag that question on and on...

"Can I help you, sir?" A female voice asked me.

"Yeah, some Tequila would be great."

"Coming right up," she smiled and proceeded to pour out some from the bottle to a glass, dropping a slice of lime and placed the glass down right beside me.

"Thanks," I smiled back and took a sip.

I took a glance at Brandon, who was trying to flirt with one of the girls, whatever he was saying, she did not seem happy and slashed her drink on his shirt before giggling.

"Ouch, rejected," the voice behind me commented, I looked back to see the same voice speaking, her blonde hair was tied in a low bun, pink feather earrings in her ears and her body all dressed in black, "I would not want to be that guy right now. Or well, at all."

"Yeaaaah, Brandon isn't the type you want to be, a lady's man but stuck in denial when he gets rejected," I joked as I sipped a little more.

"You know that man?"

"Yup, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing," I admitted, while she giggled, "though he is my best friend, that must mean something."

"And I'm sure he's a nice guy," she added.

"Heh, yeah...."

The bartender picked up a glass and cloth and started cleaning the glass as she continues to talk, "so, what brings you to this place?"

"I go to the University, my friends and I like to come here a few days in the week for a little drink, or to meet people, depends on the day, how about you? How did you wind up working here?"

She smiled and chortled, "gotta find a way to pay for my keep somehow, it's my....third day here actually..."

"Ah, I see, and how's it going so far?"

"Surprisingly, quite uneventful," she scoffed, "mostly quiet, little tipping, but hey, it's early days."

"Mhm," I took another sip of my drink, "over time the money really starts to come in, trust me."

"How do you know?" She queried.

"Eh, business studies was one of those topics I was taught, and my dad was a bartender himself before his parents passed down their riches, by his 10th year in the job he double his money."

"Wow, sounds like he has a lot, so you're a rich boy, huh?"

"Kinda, not really, until I can find some girl with financial experience to marry and finish Uni he doesn't give me a pence, aside from an allowance to get by though..."

"Huh..."

"But anyway, enough about me, tell me about you."

"Oh," she scoffed again, "there's nothing to know about me. I'm just some girl from a financially challenged family, pretty boring."

"At least tell me your name."

"Georgia, and what should I call you?"

"Alfred," I winked, I don't know why, Georgia suddenly got excited and asked me, "Pennyworth is that you?"

"What??" I asked pretty confusedly, she bit her lip and then giggled like a little school girl.

"Sorry, I'm a big Batman fan, can't help myself; I'm an absolute nerd, grew up reading and watching the dark knight himself."

"Ohhhh I see, then that makes me the complete opposite, I don't know much about that trilogy."

"Well, If you ever need some information about it, I'm the gal to ask."

"Are you sure, I don't want to be a bo—"

Georgia interrupted with laughter, "don't be silly! I would love somebody to talk about it, who isn't a kid, or my sister."

We both smiled silently; she seems like a nice girl, perhaps maybe I could--

*RING RINGGGG*

"Oh!" I almost jumped, grabbing my phone out of my jean pocket, "that's me."

Some familiar weird number was calling me, I rolled my eyes and ignored the call, "fucking sales people, who's even selling this late on a Friday?"

She shrugged, "some American?"

"Perhaps," I shrugged back, meanwhile, I took the time to check my texts...

Son, I have a proposition for you at home, come as soon as possible, ideally tonight.

What could my dad be proposing, and why does he 'ideally' want to see me tonight? We're meeting tomorrow anyway, as usual.

But I suppose I should go now, get this over with...

"You alright?" Georgia asked.

"Yeah I'm alright," I sighed a little, "my dad wants me to go over asap, I guess now's a good time."

I forced down the last few drops of the Tequila, placed the now empty glass down, and started setting a couple £5 notes down on the surface, actually, make that another four notes.

"You don't have to do that."

"But I want to," I smiled, "it was great chatting with you."

"You too," she conceded, "good luck with father."

"Thank you," oh! I almost forgot I picked out a token with my phone number imprinted and passed it to her, "have a pleasant night, Miss...?

"Hammond, you too, Mr..?"

"Telgemeier," I chuckled, "good night."

We waved goodbye, walking passed Brandon and Michael to tell them I was off and headed for home. Just outside the club was the bus stop and luckily a bus was only a minute later, the rain is so cold tonight, but could've been worse if it were 2 am.

A whole hour on bus passed when finally I had arrived just outside this three-story house, with a gate and decent sports car parked by the house entrance. I rushed through the gates and the house to get out of the rain, rubbing my wet shoes against the mat before removing them.

"Alfred?" A powerful male voice spoke, "is that you?"

"Who else?" I mumbled sarcastically, then responded in a normal tone, "yeah dad, it's me."

That's when my dad decided to walk up to me from the shadows, wearing his red dressing gown that had 'L.T' embroidered, "you're early."

"Well, you did ask me to come as soon as possible."

"I know," he snickered, "though I was expecting you to go shagging some cunt before coming over to see your own father."

"I'm not that kind of guy anymore, father," I avowed.

"Oh, I'm sure you aren't," he took the cigarette out of his mouth and into the ashtray on the table nearby.

I scoffed, "what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"I met with this important woman at work today, she has a daughter roughly your age, an accountant, and I've arranged a date for you too, tomorrow at 7 pm."

"Dad," I wanted to facepalm so bad right now, "are you serious?? I don't even know her one bit, let alone said hi or know her name."

"Then call it a blind date, you'll get to know her and see if she's really wife material to invest the money, and her name is Ella Stenhouse."

At least Stenhouse sounds somewhat familiar, that family has some successful members, of course, he'd go for them.

"But....I have plans..." I lied.

"I have your weekend calendar, what's going on besides the usual university assignments and study? Your friends? Drinking Games? A Prostitute?"

"For the last time, they were NOT prostitutes," I sighed irritatedly, one night stands and prostitutes are two very different things, "and no...."

"So no excuses, you will meet Ella, you will be respectful, show up and behave, I will prepare you for the date tomorrow."

Shit....

Well....I suppose it's worth at least a hello, not her fault she's getting dragged into this...

"Fine," I gave in, reluctantly, "I'll see her tomorrow night..."

"That's my son," father smiled and patted my shoulder a couple of times, "I'm going to catch some kip now, perhaps you should do the same."

He walked passed me and headed up the marble staircase. I finally removed my coat and hung it on the stand, following suit up the stairs.

As I got dressed for bed, I checked the time on my phone, 9:48 pm.

Man, this is the earliest night I've had in a long time.

Though I guess I'm going to need all the sleep, I can get to get through this date tomorrow, and the will to attend it.