Prologue   Carissa Brandt sat on a hillside in her grandparents back yard with her six month old daughter snuggled in her lap. The family was gathering around, waiting for the fireworks to begin.   It was a family tradition to spend the Fourth of July at her grandparents, and this year was no different. Her parents, brother, sister, aunts, uncles and cousins were all in attendance, and the day had been filled with family, fun and eating.   Carissa sighed as she thought back over the last seventeen months.   She had been a junior in college, making good grades, and working to pay her bills.   Never in her wildest dreams did she ever expect her world to be turned upside down. But that is exactly what had happened to her.   Professor Povich assigned them partners in her Accounting class, and he had paired her up with tall good looking blonde haired and hazel eyed Chris Withers. That had been fine with her, he was good with numbers and they got along well enough. They had a project due, and she had invited him over to her place to study. It wasn't anything new, he'd been over before, but that night would change everything for her.   An hour into studying, Chris started hitting on her. She had politely asked him to stop, but before she could ask him to leave, he had her pinned to the couch, flat on her back.   Not being one to take anything laying down, she had fought him like her very life depended on it. Screaming "No, stop," she  had bit, scratched, hit,and pulled anything she could get her hands on. She managed to get her knee up, but he saw her intent and slapped her hard. The slap split her lip, but it didn't stop her from fighting. Somehow he got her clothes off, and took by force what she was saving for her husband, the man of her dreams, whoever he may be.   When he finished he got dressed and then pressed a kiss to her forehead, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He had gathered his things and quietly left the apartment. In shock, she laid there, unable to move or come to terms with what happened. That's the way her roommate and best friend, Beth had found her.   From what she'd been told, Beth had called 911 and the police had arrived shortly after.   Due to a rash of break-ins in the neighborhood, they had installed a survalence camera only two short days before. The camera had caught everything on tape, and the police assured Beth that with that kind of evidence it was an open and shut case.   Carissa had woke up in the hospital hours later to find her family and Beth in her room. The police had asked her a few questions, and then told them that Chris had been arrested.   With the video and the DNA evidence, the District Attorney quickly put the case together. The trial date had been set for a month later.   The trial had been short and sweet, lasting all of a week. The day the verdict was read, Carissa found out that she was pregnant.   Her family encouraged her to do what she thought was best, and promised to stand by her no matter what decision she made. After deliberating for weeks, Carissa had decided that she couldn't, wouldn't have an abortion. It wasn't the baby's fault. It hadn't asked to be conceived that way, and Carissa couldn't bring herself to end its life.   Nine months later, she had given birth to Mataline Rose. At six pounds eight ounces, Matti had been a beautiful baby. Hair as dark as her mothers, and eyes the color of chocolate.   Now as she sat with Matti curled up in her lap, she was so thankful that she had chosen to have her baby. Matti was the light of her life.   In three weeks she would graduate from the University of Cincinnati with a major in Business Management and a minor in Accounting. She had already been hired by a management company called the Firm. She was due in Orlando, Florida a week after graduation. Things were starting to look up.   Carissa raised her eyes to look at the sky as the first firework burst, spreading its colors of purple and green across the inky blackness.   She kissed her daughter on the top of the head and whispered, "This is our Independece Day Matti. From now on there's no looking back, only forward."