A Rose Without Thorns

Chapter 1

It was just an ordinary day, or so I thought, little did I know this day would change my whole entire existence. Let me go a few months back to my eighteenth birthday. This was the day my whole world had came crashing down, everything I had ever known was lie. August 8, 2016 ,the day the truth finally came out. It was a nice summer day, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, everything was remotely perfect. I knew it was too good to be true, it was only a matter of time before something drastic happened.

I was getting ready for my eighteenth birthday party that my friends and family insisted on having. I was getting ready, but then my mom called for me to go down stairs, and so I went. As I was walking down the stairs I had a feeling in my gut,that something bad was going to happen. I ignored the feeling in my gut and continued my down the stairs. "Hey Mom, you called for me?" "Yeah I did, I need you to go in the attic and get the stack of books for the charity drive for tomorrow." "Okay, no problem"

My mom was the head of our local charity board, she organized everything. I helped her now and then, but she likes to do everything on her own. As I headed to the attic I couldn't shake off the feeling as though my whole world was about to change. I opened the door to the attic, and I went inside to get the stack of books that my mom had asked for. As I was about to leave, something else caught my attention. It was a red and black box with the name Scarlet etched on top. My curiosity got the best of me so I opened the box. 

I slowly opened the box, and what I found inside changed my life forever, I was not who I thought I was, my parents were not who I thought they were. Everything I had ever known has been a lie.I wasn't thinking, I just stood there frozen in time. How could my life turn around so quickly, I didn't know what to do, so I ran. I just ran, I didn't know where I was going, or what I was going to do when I got there, I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to get out of this house.

     How could my parents keep this from me, especially something this big! We told each other all our secrets how could they do this to me? Should I even call them my parents anymore? Everything is different now, nothing will ever be the same. Should I confront them that I know the truth, i feel so lost, so alone, I feel like everything is spinning and I am standing still. I don't know what is real and what is not. Everything is going so fast.

How could they not tell me that I'm not their daughter, how could they keep that from me? How could they keep the fact the my name isn't Alexandra Johnson but I am Scarlet Brier. I am 18 years old. I have glossy dark red hair, long and straight. I have blue piercing eyes. I am pretty as I have been told, and this is who I am now. No more Alexandra Johnson, but Scarlet Brier. No more bright colors, no more social gatherings, no more of anything that I love. No more old me, only new. I'm leaving everything I ever knew behind.

I went home later that day, not really looking forward to talking to my so called "parents". I have so much to ask them, but they could just as well lie to me again as they have before.

   I kept going over and over in my head what I would say to my so called"parents", but how do you even bring the topic up? "Hey I know you are not my real parents, what's up?" Because that's totally how you ask! What do I even say, is there even a correct way to talk about it? I'm still having trouble figuring out why they kept this from me? What are they hiding? 

I had so many questions running through my head I didn't know what to do. For example, why didn't my real parents want me, who are they, will they even want to see me? I had so many questions and not enough answers. I was going to get them one way or another, as I took a step in to the house I found it was difficult to breathe. I took a few deep breaths, and I continued my way into the house.

I saw my "parents" chatting up a storm, I didn't know what to say or do I just stood there still as a statue. "Alexandra? Is everything okay dear? " My mom asked, was I "Okay", no of course I wasn't,  I just found out they aren't my parents, and not even by them. I replied, "I don't know, why don't you ask Scarlet Brier." I ran, I ran as fast as I could, I ran to my room, I didn't do anything, but cry. How could my life that was so perfect go to complete and utter crap just like that, what did I ever do to deserve this?

I heard footsteps approaching the door, it was both my "mother" and "father". "Can we come in Alexandra?" "I guess..." I replied, I didn't really want to talk to them, but at the same time I needed answers.
They approached my bed and sat in the corner of my bed. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you Alexandra, but your parents made us promise not to tell you until it was safe." Safe, safe from what? "What do you mean by safe?" "Your parents are a part of the Russian mafia. It was unsafe for you to stay there, so they hired us to raise you so you wouldn't be found." "This makes no sense, the Russian mafia, unsafe, they hired you?"

"They had us keep this from you to keep you safe if the other mafias found out about you, you would be as good as dead." "Who are my parents?" "Your mother's name is Valentina Volkov, your father's name is Dima Volkov." "Can you please leave, I need sometime alone." "Okay, Alexandra." "Don't call me that, that's not my name." "Okay, Scarlet.

As they left my room I kept wondering, wondering about my parents, wondering what it would've been like if they raised me, what it would be if I met them. My life would be so different, better even. If I just new how to find them, but what would even happen if I did. Would they want to talk, would they shoo me away, I don't know, but I guess I'll find out. I will find out, and that's a promise.