Me, Them, and Lies

Perhaps every girl has once had a beautiful dream —— wearing a white wedding dress, marrying the prince who loves her, and then living happily ever after. Emma looked at the lady in the mirror. The wrinkles at the corners of the lady’s eyes did not diminish her radiance. Everyone was drawn to her warm, bright smile, including Emma herself. This lady is her mother. As the daughter of a single mother, just as no one in the world could love her more than her mother, there was no one in the world she loved more than her mother. Her mother’s wedding would be held tomorrow, and Emma was genuinely happy that her mother had found her prince. Just like the passing of love, she hoped that someone would love her mother as much as she did. Emma loves to be lost in her own fantasy. As a child, she once wondered if the 101st person would help her after she helped 100 people. She also thought that if she wrote her crush's name 100 times, maybe her crush would fall in love with her. Although the reality proved that even writing her crush's name 100 times wouldn't get him to invite her to the ball, helping 100 people did result in more than just one person being willing to lend her a hand. Sometimes, Emma thought, even if she were an ordinary girl, she would still want to be a kind warm ordinary girl. Even if she wasn't born with blonde hair, so what? Her own hair suited her just fine. Even if she wasn't the most popular, so what? She still had plenty of friends. She was happy every day and wished that everyone around her, whether she knew them or not, could live happily every day. “Mom, you really are gorgeous!” Emma exclaimed excitedly. Her infectious voice could effortlessly lift the mood of those around her, making them share in her joy and happiness. The sales assistant chimed in as well, "Really gorgeous! You two look like twin sisters. Your wedding is going to be just perfect!" Emma's eyes glistened with tears. "Mom, all I want is for you to be happy.” ** There was still a week left until the wedding, but her mother’s fiance had already arranged for Emma's transfer to a new school. The Wartsons’ School was where Emma would spend the next three years of her high school life. Although she was reluctant to leave her good friends from her current high school, thanks to technology, distance was not a problem, she could still video chat with her friends every night. Emma drove her tiny second-hand car, following the GPS. But it led her far away from the main route. “Shoot, what is this place?” Emma had passed by the same tree stump three times already. The GPS clearly indicated that there should be a bridge here, but she couldn't see it. All she saw around her was grass. “Hey, you alright?” The sudden greeting startled Emma. She turned her head and was nearly blinded by a dazzling patch of gold. The midday sun was shining on a head of golden hair that made her feel dizzy. Emma blinked and met a pair of bright blue eyes. Emma felt like she was having heatstroke; otherwise, why did her breathing suddenly become labored? A scary story from a girls' party suddenly flashed through Emma's mind. It was said that there were lost ghosts that specialized in making travelers lose their way. They would then become the form of something the travelers desired and approach them, causing them to lower their defenses before devouring them. The victim would then become the next lost ghost. God, did she desire a boy? Eww, wasn't she too horny? “Not too bad, just got lost,” Emma shook her head, trying to clear the ridiculous thoughts from her mind. But the "shining" boy in front of her suddenly chuckled. Emma was confused, wondering if she had said something funny. “I’m Joseph,” the boy said with a smile on his face. Emma looked into his eyes. For a moment, something flashed in those blue eyes, something she couldn’t quite grasp, but it was undeniably attractive.