Always Been Yours

Chapter 2 Setup

Five years later, Tessa sat in the lounge of a luxurious private yacht treading through the waves of the expansive, glittering blue sea. She had an arm around her mahogany-colored violin as she quietly tuned it.

The other members of the orchestra took up their own space around her, chattering excitedly among themselves about the owner of this very yacht, who happened to be the regaled Little Prince of the Sawyer family.

Rumor had it that the Little Prince was already worth billions even though he was barely over four years old, and his great-grandfather—Old Master Sawyer—did not hold back when it came to celebrating the young boy’s birthday. In fact, this very yacht was his gift to the Little Prince, and he bought it without so much as batting an eyelash.

“Hey, why do you think the Sawyers appointed our orchestra to perform during the Little Prince’s birthday celebration? I mean, there are plenty of other orchestras more famous than ours!”

“Who knows? I only heard that it was the Little Prince who hand-selected us to perform today. It’s only thanks to him that we get to perform on a glamorous yacht like this one, and our fee practically quadrupled for this event!”

At the mention of this, the other members of the orchestra began to sound off their envy. “We should all be so lucky to have only one-tenth of the Little Prince’s riches. Think about how easy our lives would be then!”

“Destiny favors some over others, and the Little Prince seems to have taken almost all the favor! Our jealousy of the little boy is all we have to our name.”

……

Upon hearing this, Tessa felt the corners of her lips curl up in a bitter, humorless smile. Indeed, she thought darkly, there are those whom destiny favored and granted them victory from the moment they were born, just like the Little Prince of the Sawyer Family.

Then there were those like her, who had fallen behind before the umpire could even shoot the blank and start the race. Tessa’s father was a piece of scum who fooled around behind his wife’s back and ignored all the things she had done for him, abandoning her and forgetting their past struggles together as soon as his business peaked in its success.

and Timothy had no one else

sell her own flesh and blood just to get the money for Timothy’s medical treatment. I never even got to see my baby… she thought ruefully. Every time she was reminded of this, a searing pain tore through her heart, threatening

same age as the Little Prince. I don’t even know if it’s a dashing baby boy

grew misty, and she couldn’t help the

then, a shrill cry pulled Tessa out of her

cleared as she turned in the direction of the voice, only to see someone whom she wished she never had to see for

an elegant evening dress, and her face was delicately made-up. There was a haughty tilt to

of Sophia, for she didn’t expect to see

the lounge was Tessa, Sophia crossed over to her, the sound of her stilettos clicking against the floor echoing throughout the room. When she came to a stop in front of Tessa, she sneered arrogantly, “I didn’t think you’d still be alive. Why, I was under the impression that you and that useless brother of

mother, Lauren, hadn’t so brutally cut off Timothy’s medical funds, Tessa would never have needed to give birth to that man’s

mother-and-daughter duo is responsible

and kicking, then of course, Timothy and I are perfectly fine as well. We’re just

she remembered, Tessa had always been too timid and unsure of herself to fight back. “It’s only been a few years since

vicious as you and your mother,” Tessa replied

now, her priority was to make sure the performance went on without a hitch, and this was not the time to be bringing up the past. With that in mind, she rose to her feet so she could seek out a quiet place to practice, not

She couldn’t help but recall how hard she had worked alongside her mother

won. But for some reason, she still felt as if she was beneath Tessa

the looks or the grace, Tessa was the true winner between the both of