A New Life: Sequel to Because of a Death

Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Riley's POV:

The doors opened with a freezing whoosh as we entered the school. Brad was on my right side, holding the door, and Tiana was on my left. Oh, I should probably tell you something about them before we continue. Brad is my real dad, but I only met him three days ago. Tiana is technically my stepmom. I have a complicated past so it would probably be best that I inform you now so you don't have any sudden surprises.

I wouldn't be able to tell you everything about me, so I'll have to recall what others have told me. This is because I was in an accident and lost my memory. But we'll get to that later.

My name is Riley Josephine Spencer. I am seventeen years old and I grew up in an Albertan town. I used to live with Marissa. She was my mom, but I apparently didn't call her that because of her actions towards me. She was a drunk, and she beat me. Not at games, but physical beatings. Great history, hey? Maybe it's best that I don't remember it.

Anyways, one evening after she abused me pretty bad, I fled to my room for the night. When I came out, I found a large pile of bottles beside her (and the doctors assumed she had been popping some pills, too,) and she turned up dead.

On our living room couch.

They said I didn't even cry. Does that make me heartless? A bad daughter? An ungrateful person? I never will know unless I can remember, but trying to recall even the slightest bit of my past is pointless.

So they shipped me to a foster home in southern British Columbia short after her funeral. I lived there for two months. In that time, I apparently made a few enemies, got in trouble, and ate bad cafeteria food. But most importantly, I made a new friend. And as it turns out that girl, Abbey, was pretty important to me because when a lady named Hanna foster me, I wouldn't go unless Abbey came with. So together we were transported to Pounding Hooves (which is Hanna's ranch). She's a well known horse trainer and pretty well off. But how cliche is that, huh? That I, a foster kid, end up at a ranch? But I'm not there anymore so that kind of wrecks the storybook setting.

I've been told that I was pretty cold to Hanna when I first came. I ignored all her hired hands, was snooty to Jake (a client, boarder, and steer rider around my age) And I guess I still am. But one day I was starting to warm up to her when things changed. You see, we had an unexpected guest.

Drake was the man who walked through the door.

He was Hanna's ex.

And he was begging for forgiveness.

And she granted it.

Along with him came a Diamond. Not a ring. Not a pair of earrings or a necklace pendant. But a physical Diamond.

A horse.

Who's name was Diamond in case you didn't catch on.

She was beaten, abused, and had been tossed around like an old sack of potatoes. I did get to meet her again after the accident and I'm mystified by her. You see, she's the reason why I can't remember anything. Apparently I had such a strong vibe toward her when I first saw her, that I crawled in the pen with her. She chose fight over flight and left me unconscious on the dirt ground. I was in a comma for two months. When I woke up, I didn't know a thing about who I was. Crazy, right?

But then to make matters worse, Hanna sprung a surprise attack on me with the truth. That's right, Hanna took me in for a reason. One of her hired hands was here for a mission, and some more secrets came out of hiding.

As it turned out, Hanna is my aunt. She had a daughter, Olivia, with Drake, but she died from cancer at a very young age. When Hanna went to visit Marissa sixteen and a half years ago she saw a picture of me on her phone. Apparently I looked just like Olivia at that age and she made a promise to her self that she would have me. And her wish came true when Marissa died.