The heart broken cries of a woman, the desperate pleas of a fourteen years old boy and silent flow of tears of an eighteen year old girl. Nothing was enough to stop the heartless man who was determined to leave his family behind. "Please James. Please! Don't do this. Think about them they deserve the protection of a male. What will happen to them if I did not make it? Listen to me for God sake." But everything was falling on deaf ears.

The beeping sound of alarm clock caused Harper to groan and toss the blanket aside. Putting the alarm off, she woke up from her slumber with nightmares and looked at the digital alarm clock displaying 5.30 a.m in the morning. It's been two and half years and still she is haunted by her past, that doomsday. She sighed and wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. Another day to conquer she thought. She got up like the warrior she is and went to the adjoining bathroom.

Robotically she brushed her teeth, took bath and put her clothes on without paying heed to the latest fashion or trend. She picks up the brush to tame her wild hair and stared at her reflection while standing in front of her mirror. Bluish green orbs, dirty blond somewhat brown hair, freckles on her nose, pale skin and dark circles around eyes. Her eyes show a glimpse of tiredness that life has very generously bestowed at her and an overall aura of anxiety and restlessness. Her eyes were the mirror of what was going on in her life. Her face showed lack of glint and dullness due to adversities that life has thrown in her path with the passage of time. The responsibilities that she carries on her shoulders have given her the look of a mature woman, a female who was forced to leave her cocoon, her safe haven. The lessons she was taught by life were hard and she learnt early not to be dependent on someone to live.

She sighed and grabbed her wallet and phone from the table. Locking her room she entered the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee and some toast to kick start her day.

Another hectic day in the life of Harper Daniels was about to get started with her 6.30 shift as a waitress in the morning in a local restaurant till 9 AM and then her university lectures from 10 till 3PM and then a job as an accountant in the coffee shop from 5 to 9. The rest of the time was dedicated to all the university assignments and work. She was far from the normal youth of San Francisco, California or the normal university student who just has the burden to clear his or her exams and find a job. She was not regular 21 year old happy go lucky young adult. She was the guardian of a seventeen year old high school boy who happens to be her brother and the care taker of her ill mother.

Her life took a drastic change in the last semester of her high school in St Helena when her father left her, her younger brother and her mother who was suffering from uterine cancer. The hospital bills were enough to break the sacred vows of marriage, to kill the undying love that she saw between her parents and since then she has stopped believing in the fairy tales and happy endings and the knight in shining armors for the damsels. The princesses and their prince do not exist in real life.

She can never forget her mother's cries and the look of pain in her eyes when her father decided to leave them in the time of adversity. That was the day when Harper Ellington was changed into Harper Daniels. She could not bear being an Ellington anymore because in her eyes James Ellington her father was a coward to leave her sick wife and two kids behind to search a life, less tensed and chaotic. That day she took her maiden name and became Harper Daniels. That was the day when she decided to leave St. Helena and move to San Francisco where her maternal grand parents lived. That was the day when the bubbly, vivacious, charming and full of life Harper Ellington died and Harper Daniels was born who was not the head of cheer leading squad and the prom queen.
She broke the cliché of high school norm that cheer leading girls cannot be nerds. She was a straight A student, a complete nerd who loves to read and spend her time in sharpening her IQ. She was the best combo of beauty with brains. There was no field in which she was lacking. But all ended on that dreadful day. She got the scholarship in one of the top universities in California and decided to pursue her degree in business management in San Francisco. She has not contacted anyone from her high school because she did not want the pity of her fellow colleagues. She was no more the girl who was admired by all rather she was the girl whose father left her and was a source for pity for all. The pride in the eyes of her teachers was replaced by the sympathy.

She came out of reverie when she saw the name of the local restaurant in which she works as a waitress and heaved a sigh. She didn't know how she walked from her apartment to here.
She entered the place from the back door directly into the kitchen where the various aromas of food engulfed her. She smiled looking at Mr. and Mrs. Smith who was busy discussing the menu; they were the owner of the small restaurant called Heaven. The food of this place was heaven on earth for all the foodies here hence the name. Mr. Jonathan Smith was like the father figure that she lost long ago and the perfect and marvelous chef. His wife Martha Smith was a lovely, warm and kind lady who helps him with management. She approached them and greeted good morning

"I hope I am not late Jonathan" Harper said.

Jonathan who was busy talking with chef gave her a warm smile and embraced her. "Is there any day when you are late?" He looked at her and furrowed his brows.

"You look very exhausted and drained. I told you to quit that other job of yours. The burden is taking a toll on your health. Take a breather and relax. There is so much a human being can do Harper and you are no super woman."

"I agree with Jonathan on this one Harper, you are getting paler and thinner day by day. Take rest girl" Martha reprimanded her.

Harper grimaced "I know but the hospitals bills won't get paid by themselves and just few more months are left for my graduation. Then I will search a good job in the corporate world and hopefully my adversities will be cut short."

"We know and we hope that to come true. We are proud of you sweetheart. If anyone deserves success it's just you and no one else. You never allow us to help you in any way. " Mrs. Smith said.

"Come on Martha, you have given me a job and an apartment to live with your boys without charging any rent. What else could you do?" Harper replied gratefully.

Martha smiled and shrugged nonchalantly. "Speaking of boys how are my two chimpanzees. I know they will still be sleeping, those goons are headache. I don't know how you survive with them in their house."

Harper laughed a hearty laugh. "Yes that is one of my specialties. And not to forget the target of hatred among young girls who get jealous of me just because I am living with the two Greek gods like sons of your Martha. Seriously one day I will be roasted by one of their girlfriends"

Martha and Harper shared a good laugh. She was lucky to be an integral part of Smith family. She was living with two Smith boys Colton Smith who is of her age and pursuing a degree in photography and Dave Smith who was three years elder than her working as an IT engineer in one the multinational company. They both were handsome hunks with blue eyes like their mother and blond hair like their father and a muscular body to die for. Dave always treated her like a little sister caring and protecting her and Colton was always a flirt. Life was bearable to live just because of them.

"I must start my shift before I get lost in my thoughts again" Harper sighed and Martha chuckled. And so she started her job.
It was 9.30 when she was relieved from her work. Walking briskly she managed to reach her apartment and when she unlocked her door she found Colton working out shirtless and just in his boxer briefs.

"How many times should I remind you to keep a check on your nudity? You are a photographer not some Calvin and Klein model. You shouldn't parade your assets" Harper huffed in irritation and throws a shirt at him that was lying on the couch.

Colton laughed and said "Does my nudity bother you babe? Does it cause your hormones to run wild and mad" Harper rolled her eyes and said "Stop flirting. It is quite early for you. And by the way I am late so you are giving me a ride to the uni"

Colton smirked like the devil he is and was about to say something but Harper beat him and said "And no sexual innuendos on my previous comment. I know you can give a satisfactory ride to your girls but I am not interested. Get ready and be my wingman."

"What is this commotion?" Dave asked coming out of his room dressed in formal attire and ready to leave for work.

"Ask your brother and have a nice day at work. I will see you later." Harper said kissing him on his cheek. Then leaving them to bicker and entering her room.

"I am giving her a ride" Colton was saying to Dave. She rolled her eyes and yelled from her room."In your dreams" and closed the door with more force than required.

So your thoughts on first chapter. Please let me know how you find the story. Between Between recently I have started watching Smallville a Sperman TV series that started in 2001. The lead actor #Tom Welling is damn cute. Have anybody seen the series.

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