Ella's POV
I was 14 when it all began. I had a good life before that. Jacob, Walter, Steve, Rachel, Tina, and I were all friends since we were kids. My parents lived a very happy and romantic life. I looked up to them, to their love, and wanted my life to be that way when we grew up with Jacob.
Jacob and Tina are twins. They were our neighbours in a very affluent neighbourhood where we all lived. All our parents were owners of big businesses; we were legacy families. My dad with his diamond business, Jacob and Tina's dad with his hotel and mall chains. Our families, and we kids, were all very close. Weekends, vacations everything was spent together.
I think I fell in love with Jacob when I was five. I asked him to marry me, and he went to the ice cream truck, got me a strawberry ice cream, got down on his knees, and said, "Will you marry me?" Even our parents had planned it all for us where we would marry when we got old enough and how both the businesses would profit. Since we were business dynasties, the media was always tailing us. They even ran stories about two little five-year-old lovebirds destined to be together.
Walter was my dad's brother's son. His father tried to run many businesses but failed. They lived in the same city, but because of those failures, he never liked meeting my dad. My dad secretly paid for Walter's education so he could go to the same private school as me, Jacob, and Tina. Walter would protect me like any brother would. He was just a year older than me, and soon he became Jacob's best friend. They were inseparable. They would even prank me and Tina all the time.
Rachel is my dad's assistant's daughter. She went to the same school as us through an employee benefit my dad gave to all his employees' children. She is beautiful and very talented, although I always got the feeling that she didn't like me. Whenever I got a new toy, she would break it. Whenever Jacob sat near me, she came and sat in between. Whenever Walter shared his food with me, she would get angry and throw the food away. But I did like her. I liked her resilience, how well she did in school. She was the best at whatever she picked—be it dancing or piano, anything.
Steve came later, when we were all 10. He was a shy kid, but Jacob and Walter took him in immediately into our little group. Soon he became my best friend. He was very emotional and sensitive and always understood me. He lost his parents in a car crash and inherited wealth at a young age. I always wondered how it must feel to be so rich so young, yet live such a lonely life.
I was living a great life till I turned 14. I was happy and fulfilled. But it all changed soon—almost overnight. Everything and everyone turned against me.