On the night of mom's funeral... the winds felt colder than usual.

- (sigh) What should I do now? ... What should I do?

What !?

I yelled at the top of my lungs out at the brightly lit city. But no one answered.... I was.... lost...

- What am I going to do now!!

I took out my mom's photo from my pocket. It was a torn photo of me and my mom which my mom gave to me. The person beside...cannot be seen.

Tears streamed from my eyes...

- It's all because of that man...that B*****D!

I am Jasmine Lin. An ordinary girl living with her mother. My father was dead, as my mother told. I was living happily...never feeling sad for not having a father...until I was devasted on mom's death.

In the cathedral:

Today is my mom's funeral. Every one have left.. and I was shedding tears at the empty cathedral. When he appeared. He said..

- Jasmine.... Are you Jasmine? You just look like your mother Lily.

- (wiping tears) Who are you?

I have never seen this man before... Who is he? What is his relationship with mom?

- I'm sorry for introducing myself after all this time... I'm Edmund Russell. Lily was once...my wife.

- What?!

What nonsense is he spouting? How can he be my mother's husband? Is this man crazy? I think I'll have to admit him in a mental hospital...

The stranger said...

- I am your father.

- My father? What nonsense?! How is it possible? My father had passed away when I was 5...

- I know it is hard for you to believe but this is the truth.

And he took out a torn photo from his pocket..

- Match this photo with the photo you have.. the one with you and your mother.

How did he know I have that photo?!

I took the piece from his hand and matched it with my photo. It exactly matched!

There is only one logical explanation to this: he really is my father. But I still don't wanna believe that.

- Wh-Why do you have this?

- Because I am your father.

I couldn't think anymore.

- Are... Are you really my dad?

- Yes, my dear.

- So, I am your daughter?... But you left us, and didn't even reach out to us... not even when.. and now you want to be my dad?

- Jasmine, I had my reasons. Let me explain..

- No! I don't want to hear any of your excuses! I have never missed you... Not a single day in my life...listenting to your feeble excuses won't change my mind about you!

- Jasmine, you have every right to be angry. But, I want you to give me a chance to make things right.

-........

- I came here for you...to take you to our home.

I was frustrated. I simply don't want to live with a b*****d father who left us for probably another woman.

I said-

- Mr.Russell. My father has died a long time ago. So please, please leave me alone.

Looking heartbroken, the person placed an envelope on top of the piano. It was a fight ticket.

- I'll wait for you... For as long as it takes...

And from that day, the man claiming to be my father sent me a plane ticket everday. Seriously?! He must be quite rich to send me a plane ticket everyday! Whatever! He can't change my decision!

I always threw the envelope given to me without even opening it. I was very annoyed. Tonight, I was drinking away my anger. The city was sad, but still beautiful, even through the tears.

- I wish I could paint this wonderful scenery.

I was almost broke with what I have now. How can I possibly afford to buy a canvas?! My head whirled with these thoughts, pushing me down and suffocating me. So I picked my tequila bottle again. I feel a little dizzy.... I stopped drinking. It's time to go home.

At that moment, someone started climbing the stairs.

-Lift him up!

- This fatty is so heavy!

- I told ya! We should have killed him where we were going to bury him!

Kill?! The first stranger again told

- What? Wh-who are you?

I tried hard not to panic.

- I-I'm sorry.... I thought no one was here...

- Get out of here!

- Oh! I'm sorry!

I walked really quick in order to save my life. I tried not to look at the still body.

- Hufff.... Hufff.....!

- Hey miss... Are you okay?

- Ahhhh!

- Miss... Please! Calm down!

- Someone... Out there... Murdered!

- What? Calm down and tell me what happened!

- They were trying to get rid of a body...

The man looked straight into my eyes and said:

- That was close.

- Sorry?!

Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of gunfire continued... On and on... And I fainted..

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

- Aaarghhh!

- Jasmine? You're still there right?

Still dazed, I fumbled around looking for a wound in my body. Huh? No wound! Was I... Dreaming?! No no... It felt real... Very real...

- Open up!

It was the landlady asking for the rent, of course. I thought to pretend I'm not in the house, but suddenly, the phone rang...

-Ah! No!....!

I grabbed my phone and looked who was calling. It was Violet, my best friend. I received the call.

- Hello? Jasmine!

- Hey, what's up?

- Didn't you hear the news? It's crazy! You know that rooftop? Where you always go? The one with great view?

- Yeah, what about it?

- The street in front of that is covered in blood...

- What?! Blood?!

Wasn't it a dream?

- Yeah, thank goodness your safe!

- Yes, thanks for checking up on me. But right now it's not the best time to talk. I'll call you later!

These things really did happen.... Why am I suddenly so thirsty? I guess, I drank way too much last night...

- Blargh! This water tastes so strange!

The water tasted strongly like blood.

-.... What's wrong with me?!

- Hey! I know you are still in there! Open up!

Uff! What should I do?! I opened the door slowly.

- Do you think you can get away with it? When are you going to pay your rent?

- I'm sorry... But I am in short of money right now...

- You must have got some inheritance from your mother!

- What? Inheritance? How could you say that?

-Why can't I? You're three months behind on rent. What other choices do you have?

- I have a job...

- You have a job?! Oh, you mean painting all of the worthless drawings of yours? And here I was hoping that your mother left you some money...

- What!?

I grabbed her by the collar.. And I lost it

- Apologise.

- Let me go! How are you so strong?

- I said, apologise!

- Aaarrrggghhhhh!

The next thing I knew was that I was in the police station.

-Huh?!

-(Police) Are you okay?

- Arrgghh! Help.. Help me! This woman is crazy!

(The landlady)Her eyes went red and she wanted to kill me!

- Is it true?

-Is it really true?

The officer's question baffled me. I.... Changed into a different person.... It felt like I don't know myself...

-................ That's not true

- Why, you little...!

- So, what actually happened?

I told everything to the officer in detail. The officer seemed to be on my side.

- Woah, ma'am, that's really inappropriate. But... But, you can't be physical with others just because you were angry.

- I'm sorry...

- You're just letting her go? I told you, she's crazy!

- That's enough, ma'am.

I was released with a warning. But I had to move out immediately. I went back to my apartment. But the worst scenario was about to come.

- Wait! You can't do this!

My luggage was outside the door. The landlady emptied the house without asking me and left all my stuff outside... And a postman was holding my belongings awkwardly.

- Oh! Is that for 3B? Give it to me, please..... It's the plane ticket again..

I was about to throw away the ticket with a sigh. "Is he rich enough to send me a flight ticket everyday?" I though. I opened the envelope. There was a small note in the envelope, with a ticket for a flight departing today. I never realised there was a note. It read:

Yena, When you arrive, my assistant will be there to pick you up.

- An assistant? How rich is he....? He is rich enough to send me a plane ticket every day and have an assistant to assist me? He even has a castle?

The landlady yelled at me from the window..

- Why are you still here?! I told you to leave!

- Fine! I'll leave!

IF you really want me to go, I'll go, and you can be a father for once. I was about to go, when I saw myself in the glass doors of a shop opposite to the apartment. I was a downright mess...

- Umm.... I don't know wether Edmund is living with someone else...

Better I change my outfit. I do have some money to buy a good dress...

I changed my hair and outfit.

This is much better! Better to have more self-confidence!

- I'll be straight forward with him. Let's go!

I boarded the flight and went to Beijing. It was a long and boring flight of 3 hours! Finally now I am at the airport. It's nearly dusk now...

- Ah! I'm so tried.... It was a long fight!

- Ah! You're Miss Jasmine.. Right?

- Yes, and you are?

- My name is Sophia, the maid for the house of Russell! The master sent me here to fetch you.

Master? Maid? I don't think I have heard anyone say those words these days....

- You're so beautiful! I recognised you right away, even from a distance! And your clothes are lovely!

- Thanks. You're really cute too, Miss Sophia.

- Ah! No way!

- Hahaha!

She not used to hearing compliments about her.

- No, I really mean it! You're really cute!

- Oh, Thank you. You don't have to call me miss every time, I'm your maid.

- But I shouldn't..

- Please, I prefer Sophia..

- Hmm, okay.. Sophia..

- Haha, shall we go now?

- En.

Author: Here's a bonus for you...

Jasmine

Sophia

(Leave the landlady and the police beside..)