However, she couldn't wake up, something inside her couldn't help but want to see what it would look like, what happiness would feel like. So she looked as James hugged her and kissed her on the forehead as she had always hoped a father would, as Diana and Eliza took her hands and stood by her. She watched as the scene unfolded to show a family that was fulfilled in being together, they didn't have anything but love for each other. She stared as she watched them leave and her legs chased them, following them, wanting to be the girl in her family's warm, comforting arms. However, fate was cruel and vines grasped her body as she could only watch from afar. She screamed in agony, not physical agony, her heart ached to be that girl. That girl with all the love in the world.
"You should move into the main house, Alisha." Her father grinned as he presented a bedroom for her. It was filled with colour yet it looked stylish and modern. Expensive art was on the pale walls and her covers, sheets, everything was filled with all of her favourite colours. It was what she had always wanted contrary to the dull colours she had always received. Though she could have asked for nicer colours, she had always felt unworthy of nice things. Thus, her style was always minimalistic and monotone.
"I love it! Thank you, dad." She smiled, and Alisha knew that it was genuine, it was a smile like no other she had ever seen. She felt it in her heart as tears fell from her eyes, happiness was so easy when she saw it. Unfortunately, her imaginary father and family were nothing like this in reality, except Eliza, she would only feel pain by Diana and James. There was never an option for them to love her. It wasn't ever her choice.
Alisha stopped fighting the vines that held her body back as it slumped, she was out of life. Her hopes, her dreams, they were all fake when compared to the pureness she felt when staring at the scene in front of her. She stopped staring at the scene of hope and happiness and curled her body into a ball as the vines slithered away. She cried and cried, screaming as she hoped she would wake up and when she jolted awake, all she could do was cry more. Helplessness and hopelessness left her fuel empty and she had lost the energy to do anything.
She didn't sleep after that, she couldn't, she was too afraid. Why was it that dreams caused her more agony than nightmares ever could, or perhaps she had never dreamt at all. Perhaps her nighttimes consisted only of nightmares that left her crippled in heart-ache. Perhaps her nights were doomed forever.
After hours of self-pity, Alisha felt the warmth of the sun touch her skin and slowly rose like a sunflower. Her hair was messy on her head, the curls falling over her shoulders, her face was pale and striped with dried tears, her clothes crumpled on her body. She hadn't ever been so hurt by her own dreams, perhaps it was because her dreams could no longer be her own. Her sleep was no longer amounting to peace, rather than peaceful darkness her consciousness had been invaded by a higher power and it was forcing her to change her life and the lives of those around her.
She decided that there was no point in focusing on the sadness anymore, there wasn't any use in hoping for love from people like James and Gwen. She stared at the sunlight, it wasn't bright but it comforted her like a heat pack, making her pain less obvious. Time would never stop passing her by and her pain would never leave her, the best she could do was ignore it until it became too much to handle. Thus, she closed another door and locked it, afraid of every opening it to someone.
Perhaps she was no longer the protagonist fate had anticipated, she would have to become the antagonist of other people's stories in order to protect those around her. However, for now she hadn't fallen down the pithole of violence, she had held onto her sanity and she planned on fighting for her life until it was stolen from her again. First, she had to make Bryan obedient, she could no longer let him have any control over her life, however in order for that to happen she had to get rid of the power James held over her life.
She called the project manager of her jewellery business, she had found him after searching for months, His name was Herman Montague, he had been the backbone of their business in her last life and he would do so in this life too. He wasn't particularly brilliant however he had more connections with diamond dealers, whether they were smugglers or legitimate, than anyone else in the industry. Luckily, he had kept his identity hidden and would come forward in a few months, since Alisha had this information she was able to hire him quickly and take advantage of his expertise and gain his trust. She had placed herself into a powerful position because only someone exceptionally powerful could have found out his identity, even James hadn't been able to.
"Herb, how are the diamonds?" She flipped on her stomach and ran her fingers through her knotty hair. They stuck to some strands and she pulled them through roughly as she sighed.
"We've made a lot of progress madam. We have many ready to go and I have buyers available too. The only issue is that this idiot keeps lurking around my office and bothering me." Her brows crinkled at the news, she knew that there was a spy but an obvious ploy like this one wasn't the work of her father.
"I'll take care of it, are there any other trusted individuals around you?"
"I do have some…"
"Get rid of them. Not firing, but get rid of your trust in them. You're the only person I can trust and you must make sure that no one sabotages our plans. Got it?"
"Yes ma'am. I'll make sure of it." He felt shaken by the power in her voice, she looked like such an innocent girl but there was a powerful woman behind it. Femininity wasn't something that should be underestimated, even if she looked like a little girl, she clearly wasn't.
"Well, it's time so make some money now." He chuckled before dialling his underground contact.