"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Elena, happy birthday to youuu!"

My eyes were watery as I watched the tape from my seventh birthday. My father had filmed the whole day just so I could watch this whenever I was older. He cared so much, he did everything for me and I couldn't even see that when I was that age. How grateful I should be to have a caring father like him.

A knock was heard on my bedroom door, my father came in with a cake and one big candle in the middle. He softly sang 'happy birthday' in Italian to me just like he did in the tape I just watched. I wiped away that tear that was stuck in my eye and smiled because he was so happy for me. I could see it in his eyes. I saw the same emotions I had in mine.

"Grazie Padre for all of this" I kissed him on his cheek. My father asked me to make a wish and just when I made a wish and blew my candle I heard the doorbell from downstairs. "Do you mind?" I first ask before I went downstairs. My father shook his head and let me go open the door to see who it was.

When I opened the door my smile faded by the second. "Fernando what are you doing here? I clearly told you that we're done"

"You've made a mistake Elena, come on give me a second chance"

"You have had your chances Fernando, I told you that it's over. Please don't bother me on this day" I tried to close the door but he stopped me by opening the door even more. He walked in the house without my permission. "Fernando what the fuck are you doing!"

"I'm your boyfriend Elena, I'm allowed to be in your house whenever I want" Fernando growled at me. Damn I knew he was a damn dog. Fernando always had a strong will, I should have known from the start that he was a bad person. We met on a party and he was already flirting with all the girls around there but still I was so attracted to him. Maybe it was the alcohol, it actually was the alcohol but I was too blind to see. Blind to see that he was the worst person to ever come into my life. "Oh please Fernando as if you saw yourself as my boyfriend! You hooked up with more girls then I could count so please don't call yourself my boyfriend ever again!"

"You're just like the rest" he shouted as he began to express himself towards me, "you're a miserable emotionally unstable person with no care for others! When was even the first time you said that you loved me. Never. You never even told me you cared about me"

"Because I didn't!" I spoke against him, "I never loved you because I didn't receive any love from you either! I hoped you would change Fernando I really did but all you were interested in was a fantasy. We both made mistakes in this relationship and I wish that it would never happen again to the both of us when we're settled with someone else" a small tear of regret fell down my cheek. Not the regret of breaking up with him but regret of even starting a relationship with him. He had ruined me from the start, he made me a jealous insecure person because all those girls he hooked up with must have been better then me. That's what I've been telling myself for these months I had been with him. If they weren't he would have changed and stuck with me instead. I was nothing but a side piece in his eyes. And I would never be more then that.

"I can't believe you're actually making this mistake, you're nothing without me!" He stepped forwards towards me but was interrupted by the voice of my father.

"Leave our house this instant Fernando" my father spoke with anger in his voice. Fernando was shocked by that answer and didn't know what to say. He tried to make his way through my father but he had seen enough. With rage in his eyes towards me he left our house with a loud bang. I turned to my father and cried out a bit. My father walked up to me saying, "Mia figilia" and hugged me instantly. His big hand rubbed over the back of my hand as he held me close to him. "What have I done" I cried to him.

"You have done what's best for you Elena" he whispered to me.

__

"We heard what he had done so we immediately came, what happened?" Carlos asked me whilst holding my hand. We sat in the living room which was fully decorated with flags and balloons. Rumors spread fast in towns like these. The second Andrea and Carlos heard about Fernando and I they immediately ran over to my house to ask for the real story. "We heard that you were begging for him to come back with you. Please tell me that's not true. We liked yesterdays drunk Elena" Andrea said.

I shook my head as I explained what happened. They were shocked to hear what he had done. "I told you that you're better off without him, it was now or never and you made the right decision" Andrea smiled at me, "we love you Elena and we're going to make sure you will never be alone. Ever"

I was happy this all was over and that I could start a new life after this. All the disasters, all the pain and all the disappointments were gone. I was a new Elena Russo.

__

We spend the day together, my father, Andrea, Carlos and I. The day started rough but as the hours passed it was a day to never forget. My father never stayed so close to me then this day and I loved this new side of his. The day slowly ended and it a little late. The sun was just about to go down. Andrea and Carlos already left because my father wanted to spend the last few hours of the day with me and only me.

My father and I sat at the porch again where we watched the sun go down. I had leaned my head onto his shoulder embracing this moment we had together. I felt that my fathers breathing was different then before. Like he was nervous for something. He turned towards me and looked me into my eyes, his were all teary and I knew something wasn't right. "Padre?"

"Elena I've kept this for years now and since you have turned twenty this day I think it's finally time to confess what I've kept from you. I never meant to hurt you and you know how much I love you but this specific thing was something I hoped never would happen to you and I, but it did" my father began to say, "I have made mistakes in the past that would affect your life and I tried to put things right again but my hope was lost. Until I made this decision sixteen years ago. I have—"

"Made a deal with the devil" a deep manly voice suddenly appeared. Both of our faces turned to the tall and dark figure standing just a few feet in front of us. "What is happening?" I asked my father as I crawled back a bit.

"Elena please promise not to hate me"

"Padre?" I stood up from the stair and walked back as the tall figure walked forward. Two man came from the car that was parked behind him and followed him from a distance.

A smile came off the man's face as he shook my fathers hand. "It was a pleasure doing this deal with you. You kept your word, surprisingly"

"Padre what does he mean? What have you done?" I was scared, for the first time I couldn't look into my fathers eyes. By seeing this man I knew there was trouble. Especially when he said the word 'deal'. "Elena I'm so sorry"

"She is a beauty Russo, you have done well" the man stepped closer towards me leaning forward, inspecting my whole body. With his filthy hand he grabbed my face inspecting me even closer. "She's not too petite, I like it" he said, I shook his hand off as I turned to look in his eyes. "Don't touch me" I sneered at him.

He smiled as he stepped back, "she's feisty Russo" he nodded to his two men, "take her"

Two men grabbed me by my arms as they tried to pull me away from my house. "Let go of me!" I shouted and screamed my whole body out but it didn't bother them. I didn't know who this man was nor what he wanted or what my father had done but it was bad. "Father who is this man?"

"He'll explain everything to you Elena, I'm so sorry I did this to you" a single tear ran down his face as he couldn't look at me anymore. After all we had been through together he just let me get taken away by a strange man I have never even seen in my life.

"No! You're not doing this!" I shouted as I got my way out of the men's hands, I ran off as tears of fear ran down my face. Never in my life I had to run away from home. From the place I felt safe at. Everything was happening at once. My breakup, my father acting weird, me being taken by men I had never seen before. I couldn't let this happen to myself. When I just passed around the corner I stopped taking a breath for a moment. I closed my eyes and then felt a hand covering my mouth. Screaming didn't help because the person held me tight. The person turned me around, "what's happening Elena?"

"Fernando? What are you doing here?" I asked out of breath.

"I heard screaming from your house and then I saw you running away, what's going on are you okay?"

"You have been at my house this whole time?!"

Fernando shrugged, "maybe, it doesn't matter. What matters is what's going on right now? Why are you screaming?" He asked me again.

I shrugged as I felt the urge to cry again, "this man showed up and he was about to take me. My father even let him and they were talking about a deal or something" I explained to him not even knowing why I should. Fernando was over but still I was here with him explaining everything.

"This man has a name" that same voice came from behind me, freezing my whole body and even Fernando's. I had never seen his eyes grow so big before.

My body slowly turned to the tall man behind me, I started into his dark and cold eyes as mine started to water.

"Capo" a soft word came from Fernando's mouth.

"Ramirez"