Warnings:

I would like to inform any readers that there will be "intense" scenes and words used in this book.

Some of the topics here can be very triggering. Please do take this as your official warning.

Also credits to LavenderandRosemary for the wonderful cover. Amazing human being. :)

I know the book name may be "cringe", but I chose it in 2020 and only started writing now, 2023. I didn't want to change it because my wonderful friend made the cover a long time ago.

\\END OF WARNING//

"SPLASH OF DESPAIR"

 I stand infront of a gate, looming over me. I hesitate at the button, I shouldn't do this.. But I have to. This is it. I press the button, waiting. As I wait I start thinking about how I got here...

------

I stumble into my shack, being greeted by my dogs. It's been a long day, almost dying from that job. I say, having to do illegal things to get money so we survive is difficult. I hate it, but nobody can know that. Damn my parents for dying, leaving me stranded here, alone. Well not alone, I have my dogs.

My Jack Russel, Lasagna, and my fully black German Shepherd, Echo, started crying for food. I click my tongue, signalling they can eat their food. I spent years training these dogs, and they are just so wonderful. We had just gotten them before my parents died.

I'm currently on a scholarship for college, having to look out for myself you have to do your best.

I hear the news being broadcasted outside, talking about some guy called Aster Bander. How he's super rich and important and blah blah blah. Honestly, I will never understand the obsession with rich people. What about people like me? We NEED help and to be seen, yet here we are, suffering. No matter how loud we get, they never hear.

I need a cigarette. I walk outside into the rain. I can finally relax. The scent of rain and damp soil engulfed my senses, relaxing my mind. Looking down, I put a cigarette between my lips. Struggling to light it due to the wind. With every step I took, that sense of calm left me. I need to move. I thought, quickening my pace. It's with this I heard a trash can fall behind me. Gasping, I spin around. No one... odd. Knowing how many enemies I have in the area, it's not safe here. Just then I feel a strong tug on my side, someone running past me with my bag!

Dropping my cigarette, I run as fast as I can but they are just out of reach. I keep pushing. "Hey! Get back here!" I scream. My dogs barking in the distance, locked inside.

I see the person run through bushes and I follow, leading me to a hidden gate. They run through, it's unlocked? Creeping in, finding out it's a back yard. Rustles comes from further on, "Gotcha." Silently running through the passage, suddenly I'm pushed, right into a pool. Engulfed by the icy water, air stumbling out my mouth, I can't breathe. Realizing what's happening I quickly kick up, my hair flying up and swiftly falling behind me. Looking up I see a pair of feet standing in front of me, pink high heels. Shooting my head further up there is a blonde woman standing there, smirking.

"Welcome, Andrea!" how the hell does she know my name? "Took you long enough, Tony." She looks over at the guy holding my bag, my eyes widen. It was a trap? "Who the hell are you? What do you want with me?!" I question. Her piercing baby blue eyes stare down at me, evil glistening in them. She chuckles...Chuckles! In a moment like this? "I'm Lilac, and I have a job for you, dear."

"What do I need to do?" I question. This better be good or else I'm gonna freak.

"Well, long story short, I hate my brother. My parents have always preferred him over me. He ruined my life and made them hate me, so I need you deary, to ruin him." Squinting my eyes I look into hers, cocking an eyebrow. "So you want me to get rid of him?" Lilac just rolls her eyes.

"No silly, I want you to make him fall in love with you, fake date him, and then leave in the worst way possible. Break his little heart, ruin him. Break his trust." As she explains my jaw slowly drops. Who does something like this? This is crazy. Bat shit crazy I think. "If I were to do that.. what is my reward?"

"Money. Lots of it. One grand a week maybe? And once it's done, a full five grand at once." She says carelessly. Holy- I need this. I can't keep living in that shack, this could be my big break. One question though, "How am I supposed to accomplish this? I don't even know him."

"I'll say you needed a place to stay, as long as you act as a maid too, then get close to him." Lilac states. A damn maid? What on earth. But the money...

"On one condition," she raises a brow. "As long as my dogs stay with me. I won't do anything without them by my side. I will do anything you say." A look of disgust wavers on he face, she sighs, "Fine. Move in by tonight, or the deal is off."

Tony pulls me out the pool by my hair, I punch him in retaliation. He grabs his nose, groaning, and Lilac snickers. Before he could do anything I ran out.

Arriving at my little broken shack, I hear the pitter patter of my dogs. I kneel down to them, "Lasagna, Echo, we gotta go. I have a new job, we get to stay in a mansion for awhile. Bring your toys." Lasagna and Echo grab their toys, dropping them at my feet. Putting them in a bag and putting it around Echo.

I realize my whole life can fit in a backpack, it saddens me remembering it wasn't always like this. I shake my head, throwing those thoughts away.

I whistle, "come". The dogs follow. We all take one last look at the shack, what was our home, and leave...

-----

"Hello?....Hello? Ugh, damn kids!" A strange man yells, pulling me back to the present. "Oh, uh, hello. I'm Andrea?" I breathe out. "Ah, come in then." He says, the gate slowly opening.

Every step I take into the yard, I feel a piece of me being stripped away. Who am I for this? Seeing Echo and Lasagna by my side I smile, at least they are safe and will live in luxury for awhile. I see a man and woman standing by the door, waiting for me. Once I get to them the woman gives me a look, "Where is all your stuff, sweetie?" I shrug and sigh, "This is all I got. Show me to my room? The dogs stay with me."

She gives the dogs a wide eyed stare, but nods. "This way" She says, walking forward, gesturing me to follow. "I'm Levinia, I'm one of the maids, wonderful meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too," I nod. We walk past the kitchen and a familiar guy gives me a look. "This is Aster, the son of the owner here. You are his personal maid for if we can't reach him. He's very messy." She whispers the last part to me and I snicker. Personal servant? This is a first. Aster rolls his baby blue eyes, walking away and running a hand through his brown hair. How lovely.

We move on, going upstairs. "Sorry the room isn't much." I look around, dropping my backpack along with my jaw. It was HUGE. Isn't much? I could fit like a hundred of the shack in here.

"Dinner starts at 6, you are expected to wash the dishes afterwards. Tomorrow after your classes we shall tell you the rest of the rules. Any questions?" I was so focused on the room I barely grasped what she was saying. "Uh, cool. Do I eat at 6 too?" I ask. "You do, you eat with everyone else, you will meet everyone then." She answers with a soft smile. "I think I'm fine now. Do I get to unpack now?" She nods and leaves, leaving be. I sit on the huge bed and see two dog beds next to mine, I laugh and call the dogs onto my bed. If I live in luxury so do they. I don't know when last I was on a bed like this. So soft... my eyes feeling drowsy, I'm so tired......everything goes dark.

------

I jump up when I hear the door open, my dogs jumping up and growling.
"Jeez, relax," I hear a mans voice say.... Aster? "I was told to come fetch you for dinner?" Oh.

"Leave it," I tell the dogs and they calm down, they come to sit right up against me. I pat down my messy hair and get up. "Thank you, Sir," I say, bowing my head down. He rolls his eyes.

"Didn't know you had little guards looking after you." Aster says sarcastically as I close the door. I just breathe in, keeping my cool. "You jealous?" I reply, immediately regretting my choices.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You are here to help me, not the other way around. Sort yourself out or go back where you came from." He stays, his voice commanding and eyes flooding with fury. I look down and let him lead me to the dining room.

We sit down, our seats next to each other. He scoffs when he sees the seating arrangement that was here to stay. Sitting across from me was Levinia.

"So Andrea, this is Andrew and Elizabeth Bander, the owners of the house." Levinia nods towards them. I turn to them and my eyes widen, I recognize him.

------

"Surprise!" Mom yells to dad, surprising him at work. He looks at us, a grin on his face. I run to hug him and giggle. "Ahh, hey there my little Pretoria!" Dad laughs out, picking me up and swinging around. He called me his little Pretoria because it's my favorite flower.

"Andrew! Come meet my family!" A strange man with grey eyes comes up to me, offering me a high five. Clapping my hand against his, his smile reaches his eyes as they closed. "Hello family!" He reopens his eyes and scans them over me and my mother. "Wonderful meeting you both. Andrew grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles, bowing his head down. "Princess."

------

That's the end of the first of many chapters! Hope it was okay and not too much info. Enjoy your day!