Chapter 2: Back In Time

Twenty years ago “Father, father. I’d save you. I promise, I will” the ten year old Beth said while running around frantically. She ran to a random man on the beach and pleaded saying, “please, my Dad is drowning. Please, help him” Both the man and Beth ran to the water to save Beth’s father but he was gone very deep. The man threw his phone to the young Beth and instructed her, “Call 911 now!” “Be fast about it!” He reiterated. He dived into the water, hoping to see if he could find the little girl’s father. Beth was scared and utterly devastated, her fingers fumbled while she managed to dial the emergency hotline. “Hello, my dad is drowning at the Stone beach” she said to whoever was on the other line. Few minutes later, the emergency team arrived with their ambulance and tried to rescue young Beth’s dad but all their efforts went down the drain. “No, Dad.” She screamed with so much agony. Now. She woke up restless after the dream and kept repeating “it was a dream” over and over again Beth broke down in tears remembering the death of her father all over again. Ever since the incident happened, she always struggled with nightmares. Her father was her hero, he loved her dearly and she loved him even dearly. She wished she could meet her father at least once for the last time and tell him how much she misses him. “Is it possible to get over the death of Daddy?” She said out loud while she sobbed. She missed her Dad so much, and again blamed herself for the death of her father. “Maybe I shouldn’t have pressured him to take me to the beach that day.” She remembered how she loved to go to the beach when she was younger and how she always went with her dad. When they were returning from their trip to the beach, she would often tell her Dad, “Daddy, you owe me a treat”, with a pout. “I know, my darling. What do you want this time?” Her father would ask while tickling her. “No, Daddy. Don’t tickle me. I’m a big girl now” She would always reply. "But, you would always be my baby girl, Beth" Her Dad would say while ruffling her hair. She remembered how her father used to stroke her long hair and tell her “You are a strong woman, Beth.” She was in dire need of one of those moments. Beth’s mom was an hard worker, her work rarely allowed her to have time for her family. She worked as a maid for Louis’ family. She had been doing that before Beth was born. Whenever she was free from work, she would often join Beth and her father, but her relationship with Beth wasn’t as solid as that of Beth’s and her dad. After Beth’s father passed away, the family was devastated. Life was not the same for Beth anymore, there were no trip to the beach neither were there special treats. After school, she had to revert to Louis' family house where her mother served as a maid. The first time she saw Louis was on his thirteenth birthday, he looked genuinely happy with his cake, he had the brightest eyes she had ever seen. Just watching him smile for pictures, made her crack a smile herself. He noticed Beth standing by the corner and invited her to join his picture. 'Come and take a picture with me." Ever since Louis’ birthday, Beth was curious and secretly wondered what type of person Louis was. One day, in a room bathed in sunlight, she found Louis, the young heir, sprawled on a plush armchair, engrossed in a book. Fear turned to awe as their eyes met. Louis, unlike the adults who saw only the maid's daughter, saw a curious, bright spark in Beth. He offered her a shared cookie, a gesture that bloomed into a forbidden friendship. “Hi, I’m Louis. We took pictures together on my birthday” he said with a smile on. Beth was feeling very nervous because if her mother found her anywhere outside the maid room, she was going to be scolded. Deciding whether to go back or not before her Mother found out was a really hard decision. She wanted to stay in the room and also talk to the boy in the room. Louis noticed her dilemma and said “It’s alright, you can stay.” “I’m Beth Copper” She said shyly. Beth was not a shy girl so she didn’t understand why suddenly being with Louis made her shy. “Hi, Beth. It’s a pleasure to meet you” Louis said. “I’m sorry about your Dad’s death. We can be friends if that would make you happy” Louis continued. Beth was reminded of her daddy, and for a quick moment, she wanted to cry. She didn’t think she could ever get used to not having her father around. With a tear clogged voice she replied, “Yes. I would like that.” Day after day, Louis and Beth would play together. Beth would always sneak out of the maid’s room under the guise of doing her assignment in the garden and returned just in time before her Mother suspected anything. On Beth’s thirteenth birthday, Louis gifted her a necklace with the letter “B” engraved in it. “Awww, it’s very beautiful” Beth cried. “I’m glad you like it, whenever you wear it, I want you to always remember me” Louis told her. “I will, Louis. Thank you so much” “You are welcome, Beth. You are the only true friend I have and I don't wanna leave you” Beth and Louis' friendship began to blossom into something more serious. However, that fragile hope was crushed when Louis' mother intervened. She issued a strict directive to Amelia, Beth’s mother, forbidding her from bringing Beth to the Willers’ house ever again. Louis' mother made it abundantly clear that she would not tolerate any kind of relationship between her son and the daughter of the maid. The weight of Louis' mother disapproval hung heavy. Amelia, Beth's mother, heartbroken explained the situation to Beth, her voice thick with tears. Beth though devastated had no choice to accept the situation, given that Louis' mother threatened to cut Amelia's employment if Beth didn't desist from being friends with Louis. This greatly severed the relationship between Louis and Beth. At some point, they felt they wouldn't be friends anymore. Years after, Beth went to college, where she majored in Business Administration and minored in Law and Music. She graduated as the second-best student. Beth, with a newfound confidence, sought employment at Hallow Enterprises. It was a bold step, a deliberate intrusion into the world that had overshadowed her life. Louis, now a young executive, was surprised but ecstatic. He championed her talent, promoting her to his assistant, a decision met with raised eyebrows from the old guard.