Chapter 1 The departure

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In a dimly lit room, two individuals, an eighteen-year-old boy and a fifteen-year-old girl, were seated on the floor. The atmosphere was tense and heavy, filled with sorrow.

"I do not want you to go, Richard. What am I going to do without you around?" Gabriella said.

"Please stay," she pleaded with tears in her eyes. She had thought she would be strong, but she realized that she needed him as the fear of him leaving overwhelmed her.

Richard sighed deeply, feeling the same way about his departure as Gabriella.

Then he said to her, holding her in his arms, "I also do not want to leave, but my mom doesn't want me to stay, and she has convinced my dad to send me to London, and there is no way I can go against his decision. You know how my father is."

Gabriella sniffed, wiping away her tears and nodded in agreement as she realized, Richard was right that his father was the one who had the final say in their family, and once he made a decision, it was difficult to change it.

"She doesn't like me, and that's why she is sending you away," she pointed out.

Richard couldn't deny that fact. Because he was aware that his mother didn't approve of Gabriella and constantly tried to turn him against her.

Simply because Gabriella came from a lower-class background, and his mother believed she wasn't suitable for him. However, Gabriella needed the assurance that Richard would always stand by her, regardless of what his mother or anyone else said.

With that he held her hands and gazed deeply into her eyes as he declared "No matter what my mom does, I will never forget you, my sweet Gabriella,"

Saying that, he leaned in and passionately kissed her, conveying his every emotion in that moment. Breaking the kiss, he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Promise me you'll wait for me," Richard requested. Though, he knew he didn't have to ask Gabriella that. Because he knew she would always wait for him, no matter how long it took for him to return to her.

"Richard! I promise I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes for you to come back. I'll wait for you," Gabriella promised. Richard smiled, comforted by Gabriella's words.

"I love you, Gabriella."

"I love you, Richard," she replied and kissed him.

****

Gabriella and Richard grew up together as best friends since they were children. Richard was the son of a billionaire, who shared everything with Gabriella.

They played together and did everything together. However, as time went on, romantic feelings began to develop between them.

The way he stared at her and how she responded to his advances made their feelings obvious.

Despite the three-year age difference, Gabriella couldn't help but love him. She cared for him deeply, and he was willing to risk everything for her, even going against his mother's wishes.

Richard's mother, Rosella, detested Gabriella because her mother worked as a helper for Richard's family. And Rosella considered associating with the daughter of a helper to be unacceptable.

She attempted to separate them several times, even going as far as trying to fire Gabriella's mother. However, her husband refused to allow it, which left Rosella frustrated. Every effort to come between them failed, and this made her increasingly agitated.

When Rosella witnessed Richard and Gabriella kissing, her suspicions were confirmed and her anger reached its peak. She stormed into the room filled with rage, and the other helpers quickly fled. Concerned, Roberto, Richard's father, left his bedroom and approached Rosella. He tried to calm her down and find out what had upset her so much. However, Rosella remained silent.

Roberto persisted, asking if she wanted to talk about it. Out of nowhere, Rosella demanded that Richard be sent to London. Confused, Roberto questioned her sudden request and asked if their son had done something wrong. Rosella explained that she had caught him being romantic with Gabriella, whom she viewed as beneath their social status.

Roberto disagreed, believing that one mistake should not result in their only child being sent away. Rosella stubbornly threatened to take matters into her own hands if he didn't comply. With that, she stormed out of the room, leaving Roberto feeling defeated and sighing heavily.

The following morning arrived, Roberto called Richard into the study room, and they both sat down. "Hey dad, do you want to talk?" Richard asked.

"Yes! Can you tell me about your true relationship with your best friend?" Roberto asked, getting straight to the point. "You mean Gabriella?" Richard asked.

"Yes, Gabriella," Roberto responded. "She is my girlfriend," Richard answered honestly. There was no point in hiding it. The truth would come out sooner or later.

Roberto sighed deeply. It seemed like his wife was right all along. Richard was in a romantic relationship with Gabriella. "Your girlfriend! Alright then, get ready to leave for London soon," Roberto said.

"But dad!" Richard exclaimed. "Do not argue, Richard. You are going, and that's final," Roberto said with command laced in his tone, leaving no room for arguments.

"Fine, DAD. I know this is all mom's doing," Richard said as he stormed out in anger leaving his dad on seat.

As the sun rose on the day of his departure, the villa was filled with silence. Then he woke up by the sound of his alarm, which he obviously hated. So he stood up to take his bath as he reluctantly prepared for his forced journey to London.

Meanwhile, Rosella was in the sitting room, getting everything ready for Richard's departure.

A few minutes later, Richard was fully prepared and he descended the stairs to find everything ready. This made him sad, as he had to leave behind everything he loved and go to a place where he knew no one.

But above all, he had no choice than to obey his parents. He gathered his bags and took one last look at the villa, reminiscing on the memories he had there. Thoughts of Gabriella flashed through his mind.

Taking a deep breath, he hugged his parents tightly, as he wiped his tears, and got into the car. Knowing that one day he would return and make Gabriella his wife, but for now, he had to fulfill his parents' wishes.