My tangled fate

Beep! beep! beep!

I awoke to the sound of my alarm, realizing it was yet another Monday morning.

I got out of bed and knelt down to say my daily prayer before searching for my small diary. This diary has been my faithful companion ever since my parents passed away when I was only seven years old. As I opened it up to record my weekend's events, tears welled up in my eyes.

I wanted to skip ahead, but I couldn't resist lingering on the first page, which served as a stark reminder of my parents' untimely death.

Despite my reluctance, I began to read it anyway.

I woke up to the enticing aroma of my mother's chicken fried steak on a beautiful Sunday morning when I was just seven years old. Eagerly, I made my way to the kitchen to see this delicious meal.

"I bet you're salivating by now, Ashley," my mother said, as though she could read my mind. I was surprised she knew I was in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mom," I replied, and she greeted me with a warm hug and a peck on my cheek.

I loved this woman so much, I thought to myself, to which she replied, "I love you too, darling." I wondered if I had said it out loud. Then, I urged her to hurry up with breakfast and went to find my father. My mother smiled and promised to be done in just a few more minutes.

I knocked on my father's door and entered, only to find him engaged in a heated argument with someone on the phone. I had never seen my father this angry before, and I was both surprised and frightened.

As soon as he noticed me, his expression softened, and he smiled at me. He gestured for me to come closer.

In a tone of voice that was completely unfamiliar to me, he spoke sternly into the phone, saying, "Resolve this issue or you'll lose your job!" Without saying another word, he ended the call.

My father smiled at me and wrapped me in a warm embrace, wishing me a good morning and planting kisses on my cheek. As he looked at me, he must have seen the concern in my expression.

"Ashley, my dear," he said. "It's just a business matter. I have to be firm with these people to protect our company."

I furrowed my brow and asked, "Our company? What do you mean?" He smiled again and replied, "Don't you know that you're the future owner of my company? When you're old enough to take charge, I'll retire and hand over the reins to you, my precious jewel."

When I was seven years old, I aspired to be like my father, even though I didn't fully comprehend the responsibilities of leading a company.

My father, as the only son of his parents, inherited Bright Investment and Co., a multimillion-dollar enterprise.

Despite his success as a businessman, my father remained a kind, intelligent, and loving husband and father. He and my mother had an arranged marriage when they were both twenty years old, but they fell in love along the way, despite the original intentions of their parents.

As I turned the page to continue reading, my phone began to buzz. It was an unknown caller, so I hesitated before answering.

I wiped away my tears and cleared my throat, trying to sound composed.

"Hello?" I answered. A posh-sounding voice on the other end asked, "Good morning, is this Miss Ashley Bright?" I replied, my voice sounding rough, "Yes, it is. How may I assist you?" The voice continued, "I'm calling from Davies Fashion House. You had an interview with us last week, correct?"

I'm pleased to inform you that you have been offered the position of in-house designer at our fashion house.

We expect you to start officially on Monday and report to the HR office to process your employment paperwork," she continued. Hearing the news, I expressed my gratitude and thanked the lady before ending the call.

The joy of getting the job overwhelmed me, and I spoke out loud, "Miss Ashley Bright, an in-house designer at Davies Fashion House." I smiled, feeling proud of myself.

"I have to tell Mr. and Mrs. Coker about this," I said to myself, feeling a glimmer of happiness amidst the sadness. I quickly put my diary back in my locker and jumped into the shower. After my shower, I went through my morning routine and headed to my part-time job at Mr. Coker's cafe.

I chose a blue pencil skirt and a black blouse, and matched them with black heels. I styled my hair in a bun and went for a natural makeup look. I completed the outfit with my black purse and checked myself in the mirror for a final glance.

"Not too bad," I said to myself before opening the door of my one-bedroom apartment.

As I stepped out, I was surprised to see my aunt, Mrs. Patricia Smith, my mother's younger sister, getting out of a taxi. She had a devilish smile on her face as she approached me. I knew I was in for it this morning. This apartment was where I moved after leaving my aunt's house.

It had been a while since I last saw my aunt after I left her house to pursue my career. Her unexpected visit this morning made my day even worse.

It all started with a tragic car accident that took my parents' lives, leaving me barely alive. I spent months recovering from my injuries, both physical and emotional.

During my recovery, I received devastating news that my father's company had gone bankrupt and was liquidated by the authorities. The mortgage my dad took out against our home could not be repaid, and the bank repossessed it.

I still struggle to understand how the company could have gone bankrupt so quickly and why the bank had to take away our family home. The whole situation is still difficult for me to come to terms with.

After my parents' passing, my nanny, Mrs. Stella Andrew, had to take me to my aunt's house because she had nowhere else to stay and no one to pay her salary.

With tears in my eyes, I begged Mrs. Andrew