Eva Smith sighed as the bus screeched to a stop. Looking out the window, she saw people waiting for their loved ones. She knew she was not going to be as lucky as them. Nobody would be waiting for her since nobody had wanted to tell since her mother had died in the accident her drug-addicted stepfather had caused. He had gone awol before the police could find him, leaving Eva practically an orphan.

Since she was only seventeen years old, she was still a child in the eyes of the law. That is how she had come to find herself back in the quiet town of Newpark.

Today would be the first time Eva met her biological father after ten years. Eva's parents divorced for reasons her mother never wanted to divulge. Eva had not seen her father since the day he walked out. At first, she received calls and letters, but that did not take long to fizzle out when her father met someone new. Eva could not help but feel worthless and unimportant. Of course, her mother had showered Eva with love. She worked hard to give her a great life. Eva never went without. She missed her mother so much.

Wiping her eyes, she exited the bus and grabbed her small suitcase. It was all her life in one bag. She was exhausted from the long journey and wished someone had come to greet her.

She looked around for a vacant taxi, but there were none. Noticing a blacked-out limousine, she sat at the taxi rank and decided to wait until one became free. She pulled out her mobile phone and texted her dad to tell him she was waiting for a taxi.

No reply.

She sighed and pulled her jacket tighter around her as a gush of wind suddenly blew. It was a cold day in the middle of November. Eva should be at home toasting marshmallows and sipping hot chocolate with her mother. She missed those nights. They often curl up on the sofa under a blanket and watch Netflix.

The night her mother died, Eva stayed at her best friend Lara’s house. The police turned up to inform her that it was the worst of her life, a time that would haunt her forever.

She had no choice but to pack up and move halfway across the world to live with her father since he was her only living parent.

He had sounded happy to have his daughter back, but Eva felt it was all fake. If he had wanted her in his life, why had he not made an effort over all those years? Eva was not the six-year-old little girl he would remember her as.

He had a new life now with his wife and their twins, Eddy and Millie. Eva was confident that she would be nothing more than an inconvenience. That is why she was determined to finish school and return to England. There was nothing for her here.

Eva looked up as the black door of the limousine opened up, and a young man around thirty got out. He was wearing a suit and a matching black tie. His eyes started right across at Eva.

She looked around, thinking perhaps he was waiting for someone else. Nobody was there, and the bus took a long time.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Eva grabbed her phone from her bag and called her best friend. She did not pick up, so Eva decided to call her boyfriend, Dan. Hearing his voice on the other end of the phone made her feel a little better.

“Oh hey, what's up?” He said, not seeming very glad to hear from her. Eva was about to tell him how much she missed him when she heard a familiar voice in the background.

Lara?

What was her best friend doing with Dan? They hated each other's guts. Lara had never approved of their relationship, and Dan often would say she was jealous of their closeness.

“Dan, what's Lara doing there?” Eva mumbled; she noticed the man still staring at her.

The phone went silent for a moment. Eva swore she could hear giggling, and then Dan said he had to go and would call her back later.

Eva could not believe what had just happened.

The tears were falling on her face now, but she did not care. The loss of her mother and the betrayal of her best friend and boyfriend were all too much. She forgot about the stranger until he stood in front of her.

“Excuse me, Miss?” he sat beside her, causing her to jump in fright.

“What do you want? Please don't hurt me.” she wept, becoming hysterical. The man's eyes widened in disbelief as the young woman lost her mind at him.

“I won't hurt you, and I wanted to help.” He explained, pointing to the limousine. “I saw there were no taxis, and it doesn't look like you were getting picked up any time soon. Plus, it's freezing out here.” He gestured to the blanket in his hands, and Eva nodded gratefully.

He draped it around her shoulders, and Eva instantly felt warmer.

“Would you like a lift?”

Eva figured she could at least get out of the cold sooner. She had no idea how long she would wait for a taxi to arrive, and she was already ice cold.

“I don't want to put you out or anything.” Eva didn't want to sound too desperate even though she was.

The man smiled and held out a hand. “Names Mitchell.” Eva blushed and shook his hand.

“Eva,” she replied.

Mitchell helped her up and took her suitcase in his other hand. They walked to the limousine and got in.

Eva buckled herself in while Mitchell stared the engine up.

“My boss is at a meeting, so it will be a while. I'm his driver.” he flashed a toothy grin her way.

Eva looked around and felt amazed at how anyone could afford such a lavish lifestyle. She wondered if his boss was a famous singer or celebrity.

They drove silently, and a few moments passed until Mitchell stopped outside a massive house with a gated driveway. Eva looked surprised and checked the address several times before realising this was the correct place.

Her father must be a millionaire to afford this. Mitchell helped unload new belongings. He smiled when she thanked him, and he hesitated for a moment.

“Please, keep safe.” He said before driving off and leaving her alone on the driveway.

Eva was unsure what to make of it all.

Suddenly, the gate beeped and opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with blonde curly hair standing on the other side. She wore a white blouse, a black knee-length skirt, and high heels. Eva recognised her as her father's wife: her stepmother, Tina.

She looked Eva up and down before inviting her to come on in.

“Eva? Come on in. It will be a pleasure to have you with us at last.” Tina said with such fake excitement it made Eva feel even more slightly awkward.

“Your father will be back soon with the twins,” she said, leading the way. Eva followed and noticed the hundred happy smiling photos hanging on the perfectly white-painted walls.

She took a deep breath and promised to improve this situation.