Chapter One

Debora had me when she was only sixteen. She called it an 'accident' that she practically had sex with a hot college guy that was married and had kids when he was eighteen.

You may wonder, who is Debora? I can't believe that I actually have the need to call Debora my 'mom'. You may think I'm a stubborn person. But, what am I supposed to do? Should I get angry and mad at her? Or perhaps, have a nice cup of tea while having a mother to daughter talk?

Calling me an accident doesn't make me hate her. What I hate about her is that almost every two months since the day that I was born, Debora would bring back different young, good looking boyfriends. It's uncountable.

And yeah, Debora like guys that are much more younger than her. I think it's because old guys are too boring and slow for her. If you know what I mean. Hehh.

Sigh, I wonder who my father is? Was he a coward that abandoned Debora because she was pregnant? Or was he scared that his lovely wife would find out that he cheated on her?

Don't get it wrong but, Debora is like a goddess. She's really young and pretty for her age. Even though she's already 33 years old, you can't clearly see a wrinkle on her face.

When I was eleven, I thought it was perfect that Debora had found a guy that is 2 years older than her. He was the chairman of his own huge company, Kensington Resort, and he proposed to Debora after they had dated for quite some time and after his resort had become the world's top 3 resort.

One year later, my step-father, Joel Kensington, left me, Debora and my annoying half-blooded brother. I didn't even get the chance to call him 'dad' because I thought he didn't have the right to be my father.

He was a nice guy. Too perfect for any girls to date or marry. I guess he just wasn't strong enough to fight his enemy, Leukemia. He still smiled at me and called me "Poppy, my sweet daughter" when he was lying weakly on the hospital bed, trying to fight the sickness.

I didn't even cry a single tear when the whole household planned a funeral for him. I repeated to myself everytime I looked at his picture, "I'm sorry, but I won't regret it."

A sudden shattered sound snapped Poppy out of her thought when she was looking sadly at her late step-father's picture with her. She rolled her eyes as she already knew what happened.

"FERGUSON KENSINGTON!!" Poppy barked as she ran out from her room then headed to the kitchen. She saw horrified looks from the maids and the butlers as they were surrounding the scene in the kitchen.

Ferguson Kensington, Poppy's half-brother looked at the broken plates then turned and looked at his sister innocently. "Good morning, sister!" he smiled a little. "I was making breakfast."

"Y-You..." Poppy swallowed a scream and glared back at Fergus. "You what?"

"Miss Wright, I'm really sorry!" Mr. Branigan, Poppy's closest butler in the household apologized sincerely. "I should have kept an eye on Fergus! This won't happen again!"

"It better be," Poppy said firmly while eyeing her brother. "And, Ted, stop blaming yourself. It wasn't your fault. Fergus still needs to learn a lot!"

Fergus stuck his tongue out and quickly ran upstairs to his room. He slammed the door that made the picture frames on the walls to shake.

"I can hear you Fergus!" Poppy shouted. She hated noises as it annoyed her. "If I count to three and you still haven't gotten down here this instant and apologize, no food for you the whole day! Understand?!"

The word 'no food' seems to be a great help as Fergus slowly opened his bedroom door and came downstairs sulkily. "I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

Fergus wanted to keep his mouth shut. He disliked admitting that he was wrong. His sister always bossed him around and he had no rights to talk back as she is older by 11 years.

"Sorry for breaking the plates, for being rude and for slamming the door!"

Poppy smiled to herself: thinking that she had won over her brother just with the mention of "food".

"Oh my," a young pretty looking woman ruffled her hair as she walked in the dinning room. "What is all the noise? I can't even get my beauty sleep because of my two trouble maker children."

"Mom!" Fergus pouted and ran towards the young pretty woman. "Mom, sis is being really mean to Fergus!"

"Oh my poor poor son, what did she do, huh?" she patted her son's head and glared at Poppy. "Poppy Kensington, what did you do to your little brother?"

"Debora, I didn't do anything, I swear! Fergus broke a plate and I only asked him to apologize!" Poppy explain hurriedly. "And, how many times have I told you? Don't call me Poppy Kensington, I'm Poppy Wright!"

Debora face palmed. "For heaven's sake Poppy! It's just a god-damn plate and you're making a fuss about it? Fergus is only six! Can't you just be nice to a little boy?"

Poppy ignored whatever Debora was nagging and continued. "I don't care about that. For now, please please remember that I'm a 'Wright', not a 'Kensington'!"

"Oh Christ, you're still talking about surnames?" Debora let herself fall on a chair. Mr. Branigan quickly got her a cup of water to cool herself down. "Poppy dear, have you forgotten that you had changed your surname to a 'Kensington' six years ago?"

It is the truth. Six years ago, after Debora got married, she decided to change Poppy's surname to her husband's surname. To Poppy, nobody could change her surname even if she got a new father. She was once a 'Wright', and forever would be a 'Wright'.

"Mom," Ferguson tugged Debora's pretty silk pyjamas. "Why doesn't sis call you 'mom' like Fergus?"

Debora looked at her son then turned to Poppy. Poppy froze for a moment then turned her gaze away. "I don't know," Debora shrugged while looking at her daughter. "Ask your sis and see."

Fergus looked at his sister for answers but instead, his sister gave him a look and said, "Mind your own business!"

"Poppy!" Debora's jaw dropped. "How could you be so rude to your brother? He's still your brother even he has only half of the blood same as yours!"

"I don't care, okay?" Poppy rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't have a brother if you didn't married Joel!"

Debora stood up angrily. She slapped Poppy hardly on the face which left gasps from the maids and butlers. Poppy hold on to her cheeks in shocked. Debora had never hit her before and this may be very the first time.

Debora was in shocked too. She looked at her own hands shaking then looked at Poppy with concern eyes. "Poppy dear, I'm so sorry! I'm reall-"

Without waiting for her explanation, Poppy grabbed her backpack and headed for the front door. "I'm going school," was all she said before slamming the door. She continue walking with her head down until she bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry, really sorry" Poppy nodded repeatedly, not taking her eyes off the ground. As she was turning to walk away, the same person who she bumped into grabbed her shoulder firmly.

"Poppy," it was a familiar voice that immediately made her heart at ease. "What happened to you?" She glanced up a little to make sure it was the right person. Yes, there he was. Her best friend, her childhood friend and her life listener, Asher Belleville.

"No, nothing happen," she smiled a little. She saw Asher's concern eyes looking right at her. "Really."

Asher stepped forward and he used his thumbs to wipe away a tear that is rolling down from her cheeks. "If nothing happen, what is this?"

Poppy kept quiet for a while then she took a deep breath. "Debora... Debora slapped me... for the first time, Ash." Asher's eyes turn from a concerned one to a shocked one. "For real?"