PROLOGUE

"DAWN SCARLET! How many times do I have to tell you that you need to marry a decent man already? You are already 27 for Pete's sake!" the woman who let me be born into this cruel world angrily said to me over the phone. Honestly, I do not know if I really should be considering her as my mother because of the way that she treats me. I cannot believe that there is someone who would actually treat their child in such way.

"Is the money that I give to our family not enough to the point that you are still pushing me to date and marry someone that I do not know? A guy that is richer? Seriously, I am giving you almost three-fourths of my salary and nothing is left to me are you still not contented with that?!" I coldly said over the phone as I talk to my mother and I know at this moment, that my mother is already fuming mad to the point that she already wants to slap me twice. Well that is because that is who she is - if I do or say something that does not conform to what she wants and needs she always resorts to violence

"I'm tired. Talk to you tomorrow" I added to what I already said and before my so-called mother start to speak again to obviously scold me or talk shit to me, I already put down my phone and ended the call. I place my phone on top of my side table and right after that I immediately threw myself onto my soft bed - my sanctuary. As I lay down, my eyes immediately landed on my room's white ceiling.

I am living far away from my parents - or should is it alright if I address them as my abusive parents because of what they have done and are continuously doing to me? Well, I guess it is not alright since they are still my parents. Just like what I have said, I am living far away from them, in a small apartment because this is all that I can afford due to the fact that I am giving them three-fourths of my salary and that is already plenty.

As I lay down and stare at the ceiling of my room, I cannot help but start reminiscing everything that happened to me right from the moment that I became aware of my surroundings - all the shits that I literally been through in my twenty-seven years of existence.

My name is Dawn Scarlet Johnson, again, twenty-seven years old. Though my name sounds like I am hella rich I am not - I was not really born with a silver spoon in my mouth and I had to endure a lot of things in order to get to the lie that I am in right now. However, if someone would ask me if my life actually improved I would say that it didn't - there is no improvement and I am still the same - struggling in order to live although I have already accomplished a lot of things in my life. I am a doctor and a trained military officer, and even though both profession pays a lot I am still not rich as you think I should be because of a lot of reasons.

I am just an ordinary doctor working in a public hospital because I wasn't able to get a postgraduate degree. I was supposed to but my ex boyfriend needs it the most so I gave it to him. I let the chance slip away from my hands, and later on I found out that the man never loved me and loved my best friend. He just used me and I found that out when I went to America four years ago. Well past is past and I have already moved on from that traumatic experience from then on I really never trusted any man anymore - honestly, I treated all of them as trash. I know, I know - I am making a fallacious claim that all men are trash; hasty generalization as what they call it, however in this time and era, there is really no one that I can trust but myself and a few people that I know.

Other than being a doctor at a public hospital I am also an ordinary military officer. However, I am not like those military officers that go to war and have a serious gunfight with enemies - would you believe if I actually told you that I really never experienced having a gunfight with enemies even though I am a military officer? Well, even if that is the case, I certainly know basic skills because just like other military officers, I also underwent heavy military training for self-defense but when I am on the field, I practice my medical skills.

In short, I am a military officer that specializes in medicine - I am a doctor in the field as well. Well, with my two jobs, literally I am earning enough, enough for me to buy a house for myself, to buy different things, but in the end I can't. Why? The reason is simple and it is because of my family. Both my father and my mother love money. They love it more than I do and more than their own daughter. Again, just like what I have already mentioned, I am giving three-fourths of my salary to them, well there are even times that I have given them all of my money and I know that is something that is already not right but what can I do?

The reason why they love money more than they love me is because of these reasons: My father, likes to gamble - no to be precise he loves to gamble while my mother on the other hand waste it on clothes, make-up, and many other things. Most of the time, I do think that it is only natural because this is the only time that they experience such a thing - they only were able to spend money on their hobbies and leisure recently and they always reason out that it is only right for me to give them money because they too have invested a lot in me. But I do think as well that other people won't think of it that way.

We are poor in the past - well, not really poor but we are in the middle-class family sector. Both of my parents are earning money in order to pay for my tuition fees and other expenses however even if we are in the middle class there are indeed times that really cannot afford to buy anything - not even food. I can remember that we even experienced eating chips partnered with rice, imagining them as meat. And now that I already have a decent job and am earning quite a lot, there is no denying the fact that I am really giving my parents what they want - everything that they want.

Additionally, I also have a younger sister who is currently taking her bachelor's degree, but just like our parents, she also likes to spend money on her wants. Imagine she is asking for an allowance three times a week just for her to buy what she wants or she would go to the bar to drink with her friends. Not to mention that her tuition fee is also quite expensive - the fact that she shifted thrice already says a lot. Really, I am spending a lot on my family so that is enough reason why there is really nothing that is left for me.

And now, I am stressed out because of the fact that my family wants me to get married already to some decent guy that they want. To them, decent means that they must come from a wealthy family and good background. So that they will also benefit from my soon-to-be husband since they are the in-laws. Well, I am not being judgemental or what but I know my family and they are indeed thinking about such a thing.

I then close my eyes and I let out a deep sigh. As I close my eyes, the memories of the past flowed inside my brain - my memories of every time that I decided not to follow what they want to happen and the slap that I always get after from my mother. Well, I guess that is already a given because they have this motto that they shall get what they want in every possible means that are available and that they are not going to stop until they get it. Sometimes - well, most of the time I think that I am really not their daughter and honestly, I can't really see the resemblance of both my parents to my facial features. I tried asking them once but they end up hurting me. Much more reason to doubt my identity right? I always wanted to investigate but every time I tried to ask the hospital where I was born they would tell me nothing. So I decided to stop investigating for a couple of days.

One of the reasons I stopped investigating is that I always feel that somebody is watching me, which creeps the hell out of me.

Well, maybe I should just sleep and everything is just out of my imagination or just because I am just tired from everything that happened today in my job and in my family.

Damn.

I just realized that I am really dealing with a lot of things - I still have work tomorrow and I still have to deal with my family tomorrow. So, I really need all the strength I can get from sleeping.

Third Person's Point of View

Dawn is already sleeping soundly on her bed while she is hugging one of her pillows. Dawn is actually a heavy sleeper and because of the fact that she is already enjoying her rest, she didn't even hear or notice the opening of the door of her small apartment. As the door of her apartment opened, two individuals entered the place and they cannot help but to be shocked because the owner of the apartment wasn't able to notice them.

"I thought this woman has strong senses." one of the people who entered her apartment said.

"Ssh! What if she really woke up? Then we are going to be punished by our boss. You know that we need to finish this woman right? And we need to finish her silently because she is already getting a hunch of her identity - we cannot let her find out who she is" the other one who entered the apartment of Dawn said as the two of them slowly went towards the bed where the latter is sleeping soundly.

The two unknown individuals then wore their gloves and the other one is holding gun on her right hand while the other one is holding a pillow that he got from the other side of the bed of Dawn Scarlett. The pillow is going to be used in order to prevent their target from screaming and that her screams will be heard from the outside.

The one that is holding a gun nod his head and as if on cue the other one immediately put the pillow on the face of the Dawn. He then pressed the pillow harder on the face of Dawn which made it harder for her to breathe, the gun is now placed near her chest, however because it was getting harder for Dawn Scarlett to breathe she immediately woke up and she started to shake her body however it was the same moment that she felt a cold thing pushed through her chest accompanied with a strong pain.

At that moment she knew that she was shot on the chest, however she was lucky enough that it did not directly hit her heart that is why she knows that she can still fight back even if she only has little strength on her body. And so, she forcefully removed the pillow that is on her face at the same time she tried to get up and when she saw that there are two persons inside her home, one is holding the gun, she immediately tried to grab the gun from the person however she was not successful because the person shot her again in the leg making her feel twice the pain that she is experiencing.

"Damn" she hissed and because she is already desperate enough, she did one last push and she grabbed the mask of the nearest individual to her, because of her efforts - she successfully did so and she saw the face of that person. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the person's face - she cannot believe it and even before she can utter another word before her death she saw a bullet went to her stomach which made her collapse and lose all her strength - her breathing even got heavier.

"Tch troublesome girl" - the other man said as he put back the gun behind his back and at the same time he removed his mask which made Dawn Scarlett even more surprised - not only that, her heart is fille with anger right now.

"Your sister is about to die, do you not even feel any pity or remorse, Daphne?" - the man said which is her major in the military and the person beside him is none other than her own sister

"I don't have a sister, David - that woman is not my sister and will never be one" - her sister said which immediately shattered her heart and soul at the same time, anguish and anger filled her whole system for what she had heard. She wants to stand up and kill them both however she knows that she no longer has strength in her body so there is nothing else that she could do. She just closed her eyes and let her soul leave her body.

Dawn Scarlet

My sister and the major? They are the ones who killed me. Who knows if my parents are behind this as well?

Damn. Now as I continue to lose my heartbeat and my breath, I can't help but think of my long imagination of the souls' of the dead being able to be reborn in different bodies. If only that is true. If only I could live a different life. If only I could be reborn into a new Dawn Scarlet. If only that could really happen then I will be able to do everything to be happy in that life. If only I could be reborn without these people in my life...

If only that is possible.