Chapter One: The Beginning.
Fifteen Years Ago
"Marissa!" her mother, Lara, yelled. "We’re going to be late, child!"
Today—well, next week—was Marissa’s seventeenth birthday, and her wealthy parents were taking her on a dream trip to Mexico.
"I’m coming, yeah!" a beautiful girl called out, hurrying down the stairs. She was striking, with long, silky blonde hair, fair skin, and bright blue eyes.
Her father, Thomas, watched her with a smile and a shake of his head. "Finally, you’re ready, dear."
They made it to the airport with thirty minutes to spare, boarded their private plane, and arrived in Mexico eight hours later. Marissa was breathless as they stepped off the jet. "We’re here! It’s so beautiful, Daddy, thank you!" she exclaimed dramatically, her heart full of gratitude.
Three days before her birthday, Marissa’s life changed forever. While exploring, she collided with a young man rushing to a concert. He was handsome and carrying a guitar; it was clear he was a solo mariachi.
"Ah, sorry, señorita," the boy said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"No, my apologies..." Marissa’s voice trailed off. She found herself staring into his beautiful brown eyes.
"My name’s Carlos," he said. "And you are...?"
Marissa stumbled over her words, her face heating up. "Uh... your accent, it’s beautiful! I mean—Marissa. I’m Marissa!"
"Hola, señorita Marissa," he said with a smile. They shook hands, neither wanting to let go as they remained locked in each other's gaze. Eventually, they pulled apart.
"I guess we were both in a hurry," she laughed shyly.
"Yeah, I would say so," Carlos replied. "I’m going to perform for a contest."
"Oh, cool! I’m also going there," she said. They walked to the contest grounds together, laughing and blushing. Before he went on stage, they had to split up. That night, Carlos won the contest performing a song he had written just for her: Llorona, meaning "The Weeping Woman." Over the next few days, everyone in the city fell in love with the song—and Marissa fell in love with Carlos.
A week later, just before her birthday, they shared a final night together. But when it came time for Marissa to leave, Carlos never showed up to say goodbye. Marissa waited for hours, her heart breaking. She assumed he had chosen his new fame over her.
In reality, Carlos had been jumped in an alley and left bleeding, unable to reach her.
Her parents watched her with pity. "Darling, I don't think he's coming," Lara said softly.
"No! He promised!" Marissa cried, but as the hours ticked by, she finally gave up. She boarded the plane and returned to America, carrying a heavy mix of hate and love for the boy who "abandoned" her.
Meanwhile, a battered Carlos tried desperately to contact her, but with no way to reach a millionaire's daughter in America, he tried to cross the border to find her. He was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison. During that time, back in the States, Marissa discovered she was pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter and named her after the song that had started it all: Llorona.
