Chapter one

Luna Winslow

"Are you sure about this?" Freya asks me as I add more coffee powder to the cake we're making.

"It's going to be alright. She's a coffee addict. I saw her getting like five cups a day. A mocha cake is just the thing she needs" I say being confident of my observation.

         We're baking a cake for one of our guest. Her boyfriend has asked us last night to bake a cake for her as it's her birthday. They have been here for last four days. Young couple in their early 20s, probably visiting during their college breaks. For some reason it makes me happy. City people visiting our Wisteria Vale while there're so many better options and not to mention they're staying at this guesthouse. My guesthouse.

         "Wisteria Whispers" is the only thing my parents left me in this world. I grew up in it, this is all I've ever known and I wouldn't change it for anything. I saw my parents managing it while being the happiest ever. Somehow watching them made me dream of that too. Running the guesthouse with my family. And that's exactly what I'm doing right now. Although there were some change of plans thanks to my asshole ex.

"Now what's that serious look for?" Freya asks.

"Oh nothing, just wondering if Daisy has woken up yet"

           Freya Green is my best friend and the main chef of the guesthouse. I occasionally help her with the cooking.

"I saw June going into your room earlier, she's probably gonna wake her up" she says.

"June? I told her my room doesn't need cleaning and I'd do it myself if needed. That girl never listens." I snort.

            June is the girl I picked up. Crazy how that sounds. Specially when I wasn't in any position to take anyone in that time. She was all alone in the world five years ago, just like I was after my divorce. And we found each other. She was also the first person to know about my pregnancy with Daisy.  God knows how I would've survived if it weren't for her. Till this day I call her Daisy's fairy godmother although she's only 21.

"Mommy!" Daisy rushes into the kitchen and hugs my legs. "June won't let me sleep" she whines.

"Good morning, honey." I say without turning as my hands are still busy. "Well as much as I'd like to scold to June, you know what? I'm baking cakes. You better get breakfast real soon if you want some."

She backs way and makes a thinking posture as if she's making a life changing decision. My daughter is adorable.

"I think you're right. I should go get breakfast. Good girls have their breakfasts early anyways" she runs away.

"She's got a sweet tooth" Freya says.

"Nah, she just loves your cooking"

            After I met June and she bringing me back to life, we both started the guesthouse together. It was struggle for first few months, specially me being pregnant. A pregnant lady and a teenager isn't actually the greatest combo for managing a guesthouse out there. Also not to mention the small town people and their forced concerns. Fortunately, soon enough like the soul sisters we are Freya broke up with her city boyfriend and moved back to Wisteria Vale and we started working together.

             For the first year, it was mostly Freya handling everything major, as I was busy with Daisy and June still being too young for everything. But now, everything's perfect. Freya being the chef, June being in charge of cleaning, me being a helping hand for Freya and the manager of the guesthouse. And Daisy being the apple of our eyes.

         Not only us though, Daisy is the apple of eyes of another person, her grandfather, William Blandon. My ex father-in-law, whom I wasn't that close to while I was married to his son, but got close to him after the divorce.

        Jaxon, my infamous ex-husband, wasn't really close to his father. He never talked openly about his father but from what I know their relationship fell apart after his mother died. His father being the town mayor, engulfed himself in work while Jaxon moved out of his parents house right after that. 

        I don't know if Jaxon told him about our divorce, but when we first met in the orphanage with one year old Daisy in my arms, he broke down into tears at the first sight of her. At that moment I realized, It wasn't just me whom Jaxon  abandoned when he left the town. This old man was all alone too. Now he often visits my guesthouse to see his granddaughter. My little girl was already deprived of father's love because of me, I couldn't take her grandfather's love from her too.

"It's done" Rae says as she puts the cake pan inside the oven. "Have you seen Jake yet? What time did he say he needs the cake?"

"After breakfast I guess" I say while leaving the kitchen to her.

        I come back to the join dining room to prepare the breakfast table for the guests. Some of them are already here. Daisy is also eating her breakfast with June's help.

"Where have you been last night?" I ask June.

"What?" She's taken aback.

"I went to your room after dinner to talk to about the clogged pipe of the second floor room but couldn't find you"

"Oh that. I'll look for it after I'm done here"

"You sure you can take care of it? Or should I call the plumber guy?"

"No, I'll handle it" she says dismissing me. I swear to god sometimes I feel like she's the oldest one amongst us.

"Okay" l say as I switch my focus to my daughter "Are you done with your breakfast?"

"No. But when I'm done can I go play outside with Mia?"

"Only if her parents allow it" She's one of the guests daughter around Daisy's age.

        After Daisy goes to play and June starts to clean up the table I notice how June never actually answered my question. Well wherever she goes is not my business, as long as she wasn't in one of the guest's room having a fling. Why am I pretty sure that's exactly what happened? But I decide not to question her further.

"Quite a few people missed breakfast today" I say noticing how most of the breakfast are still on counter.

"Yeah, the friends group was drinking till late they are probably passed out right now and the college couple hasn't come out yet"

"It's the girl's birthday today they're probably sleeping too" I say without needing to explain further.

"Good for her after the shit she pulled on Freya that day" She scoffs. Leave it to June to hold the grudges for all of us.

            Around the same time Jake comes downstairs and starts looking around.

"Good morning. Are you looking for me? Your cake is ready."

"Oh...good morning. Thank you" he says distractedly.

"Are you looking for something?"

"I..I messed up" he sighs looking so defeated.

"What happened?" I ask.

"I forgot to wish Natalie last night. It is her birthday. You already know right? I remember her birthday." He says desperately.

"Is she angry?"

"It's not that. I just.. can't find her. I think she got angry that I fell asleep without wishing her and left." He looks like he's about to cry.

"Have you tried calling her?"

"Yes multiple times. But it won't connect. I think she blocked me."

"Oh.." poor guy I don't know what to tell him.

"When did she leave? Did you see her leave?" June steps in.

"No. I just woke up and she wasn't there. Maybe she left in the morning."

"Morning? But you're the first one to come out of that room since dawn" June says as she usually wakes up the earliest.

"Then maybe she left at night...? Oh god that means I can't find her even if we go out to look for her now. She may already be in city." He panics.

"Maybe you're just overthinking. She may have gone out for a walk before June woke up"

"And still haven't got back?" June looks at me like my statement made no sense.

            There goes my attempt of being positive.

"You calm down. And give me her number. I'll call her." June says.

              After multiple failed phone calls and a few frustrated groans from Jake, we decide to file a missing person report if she doesn't return by noon. Well by we, it's just me and June cause for some reason Jake doesn't want to go to police. Even though he also agrees Natalie disappearing over a late birthday wish seems weird. She could've been angry but switching her phone off and not returning is not normal. Unless she's a complete drama queen.

"Maybe she's lost in the town" he says trying to be hopeful.

"I hope so" I murmur while thinking the places she can go. Before I could come up with something Daisy and Mia comes back from playing around.

             Daisy, missing the tension in the room runs straight to me climbing the seat so she can land herself on my lap.

"Mommy you know there're lots of people around the lake"

"Lake? Why?"

"They said there's something weird in the lake"

"Weird? How so?"

"I don't know. I don't get what those grown ups were talking about. But they send us home saying we shouldn't be around the lake anymore" she pouts as she complians about the unfairness she faced.

"What?"

              The lake is ten minutes walking distance from the guesthouse. It's always been the most beautiful place for tourists to see, specially the ones staying at my guesthouse as it's the nearest place to take a good walk.

"Why would there be a crowd..." before I could take Daisy's words completely in Jake is already gone from his seat.

Fuck

             I immediately stand up. "Baby stay home, okay? No matter what don't go out. Rae!" Freya comes running. "Stay with Daisy, okay? I'll be back soon." I say as I run outside.

It can't be, right?

             Through my whole run, I could see all those known faces murmuring, judging me. I could hear the whispers that already confirmed my worst fear. But still I had to see for myself. This has to be a nightmare.

             I push aside the crowd gathered around the lake and find Jake on his knees, tears streaming down his face while his body frozen on the bank. And then I follow his eyes...

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