Chapter 1 The Red Rose Castle
**Sissy's POV**
"You are nothing more than a useless and boring woman, Sissy. You are the reason for all my failures. You bring me bad luck. I can't believe that I wasted ten years of my life on you." Shouted he, while I listened to him with wide eyes. I felt shocked by Eric's words,
In the ten years I spent with him, I was the one who supported him. All the money I had ended up in his business, which just went bankrupt.
He convinced me my savings would come back to me multiplied. His words sounded so trustworthy when he said the last step was a commercial that would make their products known worldwide.
I cluelessly gave him all my remaining money to help him, to make his business known, to make him happy, hoping to start a family soon.
"Will you tell me where I am supposed to go now?" I questioned him, as in the lack of rent payment, the landlord gave us three days' notice to leave the property. We got to move today.
Straight after he got home, I reminded him, but instead of solving the situation, he went mad, and while he packed his belongings, he couldn't stop blaming me for everything.
"That is no longer my problem, Sissy. I am done with you." He shouted again at me, then he turned around to walk out the door with his suitcase.
After he slammed the door, I sat down on the carpet and all the emotions got out of me at that moment. I sobbed, hugging my knees.
I sat there for an hour, at least, when my phone's vibrations made me jump. It was the landlord. He let me know he would be here for the keys in an hour.
I took a deep breath, and I exhaled it slowly. I stood up, and I walked to the bedroom to pack.
After I was ready, I looked around to realise there was way more stuff there that I shouldn't leave in the flat as they meant an extra cost for the landlord to remove. I didn't want to argue with him, so I decided to leave before he would show up. I left the keys on the cabinet and I shut the door behind me.
I walked to the park nearby and soon found a bench. I sat down with my suitcase next to me.
As I looked around, I saw happy couples, families or single persons walking their dogs. It hurt me more. I was about to cry again when I heard someone calling my name.
"Sissy! Is that really you? I can't believe that."
As I looked up, I realised my college classmate was approaching me. Her tall, slender figure has changed a lot since I last saw her. She was a stunning beauty, and her wealth was also apparent in her clothing. She wasn't always rich. I heard she got married recently, and her husband came from a wealthy family.
Her nice, obviously expensive perfume scent hit my nose while she sat down next to me, making me feel so embarrassed by my tortured look. I forced myself to smile.
"Miley! Long time no see. You look great." I greeted her.
"How are you? Are you travelling somewhere?" She asked me, glancing at my suitcase.
"Yes." I said suddenly, then I lowered my head. "No. Actually, I am moving."
Her appalled face told me what she was thinking.
"I just broke up with my boyfriend." I added.
"Oh, honey. I am so sorry."
"It's okay." I shrugged my shoulders. "It's just a phase."
I looked away, but I still felt her gaze on me.
"Have you got somewhere to go?"
I sighed.
"Yes." I answered suddenly, then I lowered my head. "No. Everything happened so quickly." I said.
"I think you need a shoulder, and a nice, quiet place to stay, Sissy. What about you coming home with me?"
I looked at her suddenly.
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"I don't want to disturb you and your husband."
She laughed.
"You won't disturb us at all. The house is enormous, and he is out on a business trip, anyway."
Even though I would have loved to disappear for a little while, I was hesitating to accept her offer, but she stood up, and I felt her hand on my arm, pulling me up as well. Her grip was so strong, I couldn't resist it.
"Come on, Sissy. I parked my car next to the park." She said, and holding my hand, she pulled me with her. Actually, I had nowhere to go, and I indeed could use some company, so I had no more excuses.
After she took my suitcase, we sat in the car, and she started the engine. Whilst she drove out of the town, she asked me about the reason my boyfriend and I broke up. There was no point in hiding anything from her, so I told her the entire story.
"What a jerk!" she snapped. "I am sorry Sissy, but if he could do this to you after ten years, it is better you've got free of this toxic relationship. He is just a narcissist as*hole. He doesn't deserve you."
She continued, but as we passed a huge, but beautiful wrought gate, my eyes stuck on the view. We appeared to be in a pinewood forest, where the evergreen trees were neatly trimmed all the way along the road.
The land looked vast, as even if we passed the gate a few minutes earlier, I still couldn't see a house.
The road was winding, which scared me many times, as Miley never hit the brake, but I reassured myself, probably she knew the road well.
Finally, we passed the woods, and my jaw dropped, when I saw a building. The house, she called it, was more like a castle in Europe. Like I was transported into a different world. It looked fabulous, but a little creepy. "Gorgeous, isn't it?" I heard Miley. I turned to look at her. "My husband's ancestors are English nobles."
"Oh." That was all that I could say to that.
She parked the car, and we got out of it. She got my suitcase out of the boot. I held it, but I couldn't take my eyes off the castle.
Following Miley to the entrance, I only looked away from the enormous building when I smelled a scent. The pathway was surrounded by beautiful roses.
"Just make sure you don't touch them. They are thorny. Don't hurt yourself." She advised me.
When we entered, I looked around, appalled again. It was like I travelled back in time. It looked beautiful indeed, but somehow it made me uneasy.
"Come on, Sissy, I will show you your room." Miley stopped me from staring around. I followed her.
My room looked similar to the other parts of the castle. It was vast, and posh, and I had a balcony as well, where I could see the rest of the land. After she spent the entire night with me and we had a good chat, I felt a little better.
Days passed quickly. I spent my time mostly looking for a job. I was grateful to Miley for having me here, but I knew I couldn't stay here forever.
Miley, however, lived a life of a rich and carefree life. In the daytime, she was mostly out shopping, and in the evening, she disappeared in a gorgeous, expensive dress to attend parties and events, returning home late at night, or in the morning, drunk. The first time, I offered her to make a soup which could help her hangover the next day, but since then, she requested me to make it each time she suffered from the next day effect of the alcohol.
Even if that surprised me, it was her life, and I had no right to say a word, but what really made me stunned was her husband's absence, which seemed like it never bothered Miley. All that I got to know about him in the one month I stayed here was his name. His name was William. William wasn't just missing from the house in person, but there wasn't a picture of him either. I found that so weird, but I never dared to ask.
One day, Miley returned early, but even if she wasn't out for long, she still smelled strongly of alcohol.
"Have you found a job yet, Sissy?" She asked me, then she took a bite from an apple.
I shook my head.
"No, not yet." I sighed.
"If you need some help, just let me know. I can talk to my husband, he returns today. There might be a place for you in his company."
"Thank you, Miley." I smiled at her. To be honest, as I had no clue about her husband, about his company, and because of the creepy atmosphere, I didn't want to work there, but I was desperate to find a job, so I felt like I had no other choice at the moment.
To return the favour for Miley, I left in the kitchen to make her hangover soup. I didn't rush with it. When I was ready, I scooped it into the usual antique plate and I headed to the dining room.
However, when I arrived, I nearly dropped the soup on the floor. A man sat at the head of the table. He possessed a strikingly beautiful face, yet was cold. His white shirt was neatly ironed, still it made me assume it covered a muscular upper body. His gaze stuck to me, and as I looked into his eyes, I felt my knees weaken. I would describe him as a beautiful man, but his cold, aloof aura that surrounded him made me feel frightened.