A New Beginning

Chapter 14: Turning Tables

Chapter 14: Turning Tables

Before Rose knew it, she is being led back to their cabin, Sybil still cradled in her arms.

Once her eyes met the bright lights of their illuminated cabin, she swallows hard again as her fiancé holds the door open for her. Cal says nothing to her either, perhaps basking in the glory of his victory and how well his plan has played out. Rose slowly goes the couch and lays Sybil down next to her. The child has settled down enough to be sleeping soundly again. She immediately goes into the mother role, tending to Sybil in any way possible. She takes another blanket from the parlour chair and wraps Sybil up again, making sure she is warm. She also takes a handkerchief and wipes the child's eyes and nose to ensure that the baby is safe and comfortable after her ordeal. Rose could feel a small comfort of putting someone's needs before her own. She feels a little at peace from watching the sleeping child.

That is until she stands up.

Cal strikes her across the face so hard she falls to the floor.

What had been slowly brewing inside of Cal through the entire ordeal comes out in this method of abuse.

"Just like a little slut isn't it" Cal hisses, Rose could hear the venom in his words.

Rose's face stung like never before, but Cal wasn't done with her. He grabs her roughly and pulls her to her feet.

"And look at me when I'm talking to you," he orders. He shakes her shoulders so hard that she falls to the floor again. The entire time, the redhead feels no desire to fight back, she lets Cal treat her like a ragdoll considering the blow to the heart she's felt and losing all that is close to her.

Rose grabs a hold of the fireplace mantle to pull herself back up to face this evil man. She shifts away, back to the couch to prevent Cal from slapping her again. She feels so weak and helpless now that she can't bear it any further. In pure and angered disdain, she snatches Sybil up and runs into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She puts a chair in front of it to prevent anyone else from entering.

The door immediately begins rattling as Cal's voice comes from behind it.

"You little whore!" She can hear Cal yelling all the obscenities he can think of. "Your mother will certainly hear of this... slutty little b-."

Rose sits against the back wall next to the bed, cradling Sybil as best she can. She places the small child on her knees and lets the tears fall freely.

She has never felt so foolish in her life and how betrayed she was by everything. She couldn't decide who to believe and she kicks herself for not speaking up when she had the chance. The chance to save Peter from a crippling wound, save Jack from arrest, and save Emma from the heartache of betrayal from her friend.

She probably hates me now, Rose thinks to herself. Emma will wish my death now and I deserve it.

It shouldn't have mattered if Cal had stabbed her, she should have said something. She had been so confident that she would get that happily ever after of getting off the ship with Jack and finally being free, that she failed to see the trap being sprung on her. She had been blinded by ignorance and the rush of passion and excitement. She realizes that love isn't the happy fairy tale that Emma and Peter had at their wedding on the bow at sunset. There were complications of her controlling mother and her viscous fiancé to think about when it came to her affair with Jack. Emma and Peter made it look so easy to follow. Love was not smooth sailing at all.

She wipes her tears on her arm and looks at Sybil sleeping against her legs, despite the racket that Cal is creating behind the door. Rose cries even harder then, staring at the face of the one who she had let down the most. An innocent child caught in the complex world and used as a catalyst to further such an evil man's plan. The redhead had now managed to get the baby's adopted father shot and her older sister separated from the only family she had left. Emma was also likely in a hateful state of mind considering Rose had not spoken up for Jack or their friends in the heat of the moment.