They say love is a beautiful thing filled with hope and adventure, but with hope and adventure love also comes with pain and heartache. No one in any lifetime would go unscathed; it is the inevitable.

I was falling down into the abyss, not being able to feel or do anything. It was difficult to even breathe, the never ending fall into this pitch black pit of hell.

What was happening? Where am I going? How do I get out of here? Questions just swarmed around my head. Soon enough my memories of what happened just before I came here appeared.

I was panting heavily, feeling a sharp pain coursing through my body. I soon saw a familiar face. ‘Azalea’ I couldn’t speak because my tongue was missing. My mind went blank as I watched the woman named Azalea look down at me with a menacing smile. She leaned over, taking hold of my chin. I was caught in her grasp, being forced to look at her. She then held up her other hand and ****** it across my cheek. In that moment I saw something shimmer and then I felt a sharp pain, she slapped me. I howled in pain looking back at her hand. I saw a ring on her finger. I thought to myself ‘don’t tell me’ The expression on my face showed off how astonished I was to see the ring Seth gave to me on our wedding day. I thought I had lost it many years ago and atlast in appeared in the hands of my sister..

“What?” She smiled softly. “Cat got your tongue?” she giggled softly, and then in a calm manner she said, “Oh wait a cat doesn’t have your tongue,” she then pulled out a small jar from her purse and showed me my tongue and I began to tremble. She cackled as she then showed me the ring on her finger once more as she then said, “I’m going to be the future Mrs. Nolan in two days' time and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Everyone has already forgotten about you. Our parents, Seth,” She paused for a second as she stared at me with that wicked smile of hers painted across her face. “Even your children have forgotten who you are, they only see me as their only true mother after all.” She whispered down to me, making all that I heard hurt more. I lunged at her no matter how much pain.

As I lunged at her I was stopped due to the chains tying me down. I looked back at her. I wanted to get her, now realizing that all the horrible things that have happened to me, all the pain I went through was because of her. From the start I thought I was unlucky, but it wasn’t bad luck that sent me down this path, it was blind loyalty from others, especially my sister Azalea, the one person who stood by my side. I thought she believed me, little did I know she was the main reason they all saw me a certain way.

Throughout my life the man I’ve always loved believed that I was separating him from his one true love, my sister Azalea. I was made to believe so many lies. I was drugged by my sister and my cousin being forced into a bed of a stranger, something that I didn’t know until well after my marriage to Seth had happened. I believed at the time that my children were my Seth’s. But at the end it turned out that they belonged to another man. Seth found out and decided to separate me from my children little by little. I was made to seem like a harlentin, sleeping around with other men, and lying about who the father of my children was. They all believed I was selfish.

The man I loved most of all, betrayed me and took my children, despite having no blood relation with them just to make me suffer. Before he found out about the kids he was already having an affair with Azalea, I didn’t even know for how long they were together. No one believed me about them, they all believe that I was the one to cheat in my marriage and in life. Even now they think I left on my own, with another man. All I wish is for all this pain to just be gone. I was sobbing softly as Azaleathen said “I won, it’s over. You lose big sis.” I was powerless, I had lost.

Then something unexpected happen. Some noise was able to be fired on the other side of the door. The door was knocked down and soon enough the room filled with many men in black suits and police uniforms. Azalea and I were surrounded by the men, she tried to move, but was quickly restrained by one of the men. I was disoriented because of the physical and mental pain that was afflicted on me. A tall man with ebony colored hair and white porcelain skin walked into the room. We made eye contact with each other, his eyes filled with warmth and love towards me, something I never felt from another person. His eyes were green as a jade pendant, he walked over to me not taking his eyes off of me. He seemed broken hearted seeing me in this state, I curled into a ball ashamed of what I became. He took me in his arms hugging me close to his body. Another man stood behind us and whispered the words, “it’s too late, sir. She doesn’t have time.” The man turned in his grip on me, not wanting to let me go.

“Do you have the children?” The ebony man asked with some hope as the other man said, “yes sir.” He sighed in relief, I slowly looked up to feel his tears rub down his face and fall onto mine. “Don’t worry Violet and Watson are in good hands. I just wished I could have saved you sooner, my sweet Iris.” He whispered to me caressing my cheeks. He was trembling. He looked familiar to me, a man I never really met or at this point I couldn’t remember. I didn’t realize how long I was down here, my mind was broken. I couldn’t say anything mostly because my tongue was missing, but it was because I didn’t know what to say. It was almost like I wasn’t there at all. I couldn’t react to what was happening, I was just like a doll. “I was too late to save you. All I have to say is that everyone would pay for what they did to Violet and Watson and most of all what they did to you.” It was a threat, he held me in his arms looking back to Azalea, his look pierced her soul as she began to tremble in place. She began to beg for forgiveness, but soon enough she was dragged away by her hands and feet. He turn back to face me, slowly moving his lips closer to mine. He kissed me slowly and with that I managed to gather enough strength to kiss back wanting to feel what true love is. He pulled away shortly after and said, “I love you Iris, and with this you shall now rest.” Soon enough I drifted off into an endless sleep and again I found myself in the black abyss, the last words giving me some hope.

For the first time since I found myself falling down this endless abyss I felt something wet run down my cheeks. Tears that seem to have been bottled up began to flow. I couldn’t believe what they did to me. I was hurt, I was humiliated, but more so I was angry. I was happy for a split second because of the ebony haired man, him promising that all would pay for what they did, but soon enough my anger took over . All I wanted more than anything was revenge on all who have wronged me. I wished with all my heart to reverse time, to send me back to when their plan became in motion. Soon enough I closed my eyes once more, engulfed in a burning light.

I soon woke up in a pool of my own sweat, panting heavily, I tried to calm myself down curling into a ball, but then I soon realized something. I got up from the bed I was laying in, grabbing the sheets and wrapping it around myself. I made my way to the mirror, nearly tripping over the clothes that were thrown across the room. I glanced at the mirror to see a younger version of myself staring back at myself. No scars, no defects, my long golden hair back on my head. I had let those people destroy everything about me, making me seem like some sort of monster. I gasp bringing my fingers up to my face wanting to know if it was real. ‘I’m 20 years old again.’ looking down at myself, I smiled softly because I managed to turn back to the night seven years ago when my children were conceived, before they made me and them into their little doll. I rubbed my stomach smiling softly, but soon enough the smile disappeared after I heard the shower turn off. I slowly turn my head to face the door, finally being able to meet the man who is the father of my children. Soon enough a man with the ebony colored hair, and skin white as snow appeared before me. I thought to myself, ‘No, it’s that man.’ My heart began to beat fast, skipping beats as I stared at him.

“Hello dear what a pleasure to see you,” he smirked over to me, “Sober that is.” I was never lucky to have met him in my past life, never knowing who he was. Last time I had left the room before we could come face to face again. He was just a stranger to me, though I did know him through the parties my family held, he was even there at my wedding, though only because of business and it was only after all the damage they have done to me. The heavy makeup to cover the scars I received when I returned home, my hair was torn up, I only was shell on that day, despite how happy I was to be with Seth. Other than that I never knew he was the man my children could never call father. The man who tried to save me, but I was too late. Those last words he muttered before I slipped away into the darkness. I try to remember what happened to him in my last life.

Slowly I began to remember he became one of the wealthiest men in the world, over taking his father in two years' time. A bachelor the last time I checked, never marrying, or having kids of his own- or so everyone thought. His name, Gin Baijiu- Soon to be President of the Baijiu Hotel empire. Now that I know who the father of my children and the one who came too late. I began to realize that I changed my future and his with this encounter and the future will continue to change from this moment onward. The question remains, will my future be a better one or would it be worse. I took a step back gulping down my saliva, Gin making his way to my side of the room. I held up the sheets to my body as I took a step back, feeling my back press against the mirror. A smile painted across his face. “I think I just caught myself a little mousling.” he said looking down at me as he then placed his hands on my shoulders leaning down more towards me. His lips nearly touched my own. He then whispered, putting me nearly in a trance uttering the words, “Or are you a serpent?”