THE BASEMENT OF THORNS

Rose's POV

Thud!

The door was slammed open, the sound hitting the stone wall with a heavy bang. I was too weak, too thin, too light to tilt my head toward the iron steel doors.

My skin felt like old paper, pulled so tight over my bones that I thought it might just snap. My throat was so dry it felt like I swallowed a handful of sand.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Heels creaked on the floorboards from the stairs. I could tell it was two people. The sound was slow, rhythmic and terrifying. It sounded like music to my ears...that terrifying sound you hear in a horror movie right before a character dies.

I tried to move my hand, and the sound of my fingers scratching the floor was loud in the quiet room. The concrete pavement was freezing, damp with a layer of dust that stuck to my pale skin.

My nails were broken and dirty from trying to claw my way out, and my hands were bruised from constantly hitting on the steel doors. Everytime I shifted, my joints popped and screamed.

My father would be in heaven now, biting his fingers and shaking his head at the disgrace I had become. The daughter of an intelligent textile tycoon, now locked in the basement of his very own house he built, slowly welcoming her long awaited death.

When I die, I would want to go to hell. I didn't think I wanted to see my father's face in heaven, he would be so disappointed. Hot beads of tears streamed down my eyes as I lay flat on the cold, dirty concrete floor.

"Hey," a tiny voice cut through the silence, "To be honest... I love the way you are so eager to live, I didn't think you would still be breathing." She let out a dry, nasty laugh.

I used my last bit of strength and tilted my head to her direction. I was so low on the cold floor, the first thing my blurry eyes met were her red louboutin heels. They were a very expensive brand, and I bet this was bought with my dad's sweat. Her name was Katherine. She was my husband's mistress and my dear best friend.

She looked down at me, her nose wrinkled in total disgust. She pulled her silk dress closer to her body, making sure it didn't touch the filth on the floor which was me. I glanced from the crown of her head to her toe, every expensive thing she had acquired was given to her by me. She was from a poor family and I picked her up from the dirt, now she brought me back to her own dirt.

"Ehem...." A male, husky voice cleared his throat. It was my husband, Richard. "You know you brought this upon yourself. You were always so selfish," he barked.

He looked at me like I was a piece of rotting trash. "Your dad's company went bankrupt, so it turns out he was penniless. I came here to tell you that because I don't want you thinking his money made us all billionaires overnight." His lips curved into a smirk, and Katherine stood beside him, her face glowing with joy. Same expression she had when I paid off her mother's chemotherapy treatment.

My husband and my friend had stolen everything from me. They took my dad, and then his company.

They ripped me off from every penny I had. Now they had locked me up in a basement, their warm hearts now suddenly as cold as ice. Richard didn't even flinch at the thought that I was carrying his own child, I was already six months gone.

Is it so wrong to fall in love? The only crime I committed was falling in love and trusting a friend.

I wondered if it was because I was an only child, and lost my mum very early. I wanted a family, my dad loved me but was too immersed in his business. I craved loved so badly and ended up with thorns. Indeed my name is Rose, and my roses came with thorns.

I fell in love with Richard and married him despite my dad's warning. My dad handed his business over to me and retired. He wanted me to handle his business, he had so much expectations from me.

I should have known Richard's ill intentions when he wanted me to resign and make him CEO. I knew he was having an affair with my best friend but in my twisted mind, I let it slide. She was the only family I had left while my dad was sick. I was too scared to lose everyone, so I swallowed all the bullshit. And I rested my head on thorns for some warmth.

While I was too busy taking care of the company, I never knew my dad was slowly poisoned by my husband. After he died, they took advantage of my sadness and drugged me constantly until I was tagged insane and dropped by the shareholders. They said I wasn't fit for work. Richard used all my business draft to win their hearts over. I was taking to the asylum for a while but suddenly they brought me here, to the basement of my father's mansion.

My husband and Katherine had me locked here for almost a week with nothing but water.

I let out a dry, rattling laugh. "Katherine, one day you will end up worse than I did," I shifted my gaze to Richard, and clutched my already protruding belly. "Nothing stays hidden forever, Richard. My thorns will be yours soon."

"Aish.... Let's just kill this bitch, honey," Katherine whispered, stepping back as if my breath would stain her.

"No, not now. We still need her to thumbprint on the safe remember?" Richard said, his voice cold.

"Oh yeah, the safe. Thank heavens we don't have to pretend to love her anymore. She was always so needy, urghh," Katherine hissed, looking at me with pure hatred.

Richard cut in. "The maid should get her some food for now, after we find the safe and it is open we would kill her."

I moved my eyes softly. The safe they needed was well hidden by me. They wouldn't kill me just yet till I opened it. The safe was the only thing keeping me alive. It was the only weapon I had left.