"I'm sorry Audrina. Your mother didnt make it."

You heard the news, but didnt respond. You didnt want to. You didnt believe it.

Mom cant be dead. Just this morning, she asked you if you wanted to go out to lunch with her. It hadnt been more than 2 hours ago when she told you she ordered you something that was coming in the mail.

It'd been just over an hour ago when you last exchanged "I love you's".

"When can I go see her? I need to tell her something," you murmured.

The doctor's face was stricken. "Audrina. Your mother...shes gone."

"No she didnt. She wouldnt leave us," you told him. You looked at his face and it was still pale and sad. "Dont tell me my mom's dead. She's not! Let me see her!" At this point, you were screaming.

You couldnt control yourself. You were screaming for your mother with everything you had. Slowly, you let the gravity of the doctor's words sink in.

"No! No she cant leave me! She wouldnt leave me! Damn it tell her to wake up!" You felt someone's arms wrap around you and hold you from lashing out.

"Let go! I need to see my mom!"

"Baby! Stop it! You cant see her! Baby stop!"

You looked up to see your father. His face was pale, his eyes were red, and there were tears pouring from his eyes.

Your mother was dead.

"Daddy. Why would she leave us? Why'd she leave me?"

Your father cradled you to his body. "I know baby. She didnt want to. She loved you. Always remember that. She loved you."

That was one month ago. It had been the day before your 16th birthday.

Since then, your father had all but left you for dead. You knew he loved you, but you think it had something to do with that fact that you were almost the splitting image of your mom.

"Dray, your father wants to see you in his study. Now, ma'am," Laura, the house maid, said.

You looked up from your novel and nodded.

This is the first time since your mom's death that your father actually wanted to sit down and talk to you.

You brushed your deep brown hair out of your face with your hand and climbed out of your bed.

You bed was built into the wall and it took a small curving staircase to reach it. Once out of bed, you followed Laura out of your room silently until you reached your father's study.

Laura knocked and held the door open for you.

"That's all Laura. Thank you," you father's booming voice commanded.

Laura sent you a look filled with pity and you could feel the color drain from your face.

"Come, Audrina. Sit. We need to talk."

You slowly made you way to the chair you always sat in when Dad wanted to speak to you in this room. However, he didnt sit with you. He moved to the large, empty fireplace and stood with his back to you.

"Dray, Audrina, I dont know how to make this easier on you. But I've made a decision. You arent going to like it, but in this you have no choice. It's for your own good."

He ran his hands over his face. His face had aged drastically in one month.

"You..." he sighed. "You are going to live with the Alicea's. They are a very prestigious family. They have accepted you with open arms." He turned to look at you. You were shaking your head silently in denial. "Dray... you are betrothed to their son, Lucian Chase Alicea. As you are both only 16, you wont be getting married until we feel you are ready. By law, with parental consent you can be married now, but we want to give you both time to accept this. However, you have until your 18th birthday to come to terms with this. Then, you will be married regardless. For now, you will live together, and you will be together. I will not hear of you having any other relationships with anyone else. He is expected to remain loyal to you as well. Regardless of your feelings, you will be married."

"Daddy... you can't. That's not even legal!"

"I can and I have to! And you will obey me!" he almost yelled. Then he said and began again with a calm voice "It's for the best."

You stood up. You were leaving so you figured it didnt matter now if you stood up to him. He wasnt your father anymore.

"'It's for the best.' For who? Maybe you didnt understand when you became a parent but your first duty is to your children. Not to yourself! The only reason you're sending me away is because I look like Mom. This is all for you. So you can sit here and wallow in self pity without having to worry about your daughter. Do you honestly think I will ever want to feel something for anyone after knowing where that gets me? I'm motherless with a father who's sending me away to make his life easier. You know what Daddy? Maybe it's good that you're sending me away. What I need is an adult. Someone with responsibility, and someone who can at least give me the illusion of caring. Something you arent man enough to give me!"

You turned and walked to the door, ignoring your father's defensive shouting. You turned back around. "Oh and Daddy? While I'm withering away with a family who isnt mine, I want you to think about Mommy. I want you to wonder how she would feel about this. If there is one thing you made me sure of, Daddy, it's that Mommy loved me."