Chapter 1

Flashback

Scarlet finished her internals today Flashback

It was the school's annual day at St Joseph's.  All the students were eager to know who would get the outstanding student award for the year. 

Scarlet was waiting behind the stage keeping her fingers crossed.  So far she got the highest marks in Science and Maths and has toppled the previous best student marks too.

The announcement stated, "The award for best student in academics goes to Scarlet White."

And that's it! Scarlet jumped high and rushed to receive the gold medal.  After she received the award, people were clapping and she ran to sister Mary with tears of joy and hugged her.  "I did it!" She fisted her hand in the air.

Scarlet was the darling of all the other sisters too at the convent.  They saw her just like their daughter.  Though Scarlet was agitated, all of them knew she would be the student to grab the best student award in academics.  Thus they all came for the awards ceremony and congratulated her on her success.

Like the mother that she is, Sister Mary wiped the tears of joy from Scarlet's eyes with her handkerchief and gave her, her favorite candy. "God favors those who work hard and you deserve what you got today."

The evening all the sisters celebrated her success by baking a cake at the convent and Scarlet was over the moon.  Though she lost both her parents when she was a child Scarlet is lucky for having been bestowed with the affection of so many mothers.

With Godly values, principled and a very good heart imbibed in her, Scarlet turned out to be a beautiful young woman not only outwardly but inwardly too. 

*****

Scarlet White, eighteen years old pursues her final year graduation in home science at the Australian University. She was a brilliant student and through her good grades, she always studied on a scholarship.

Scarlet wants to be a nutritionist one day and loves cooking.

She has had to face her tough life since her childhood. Her father was part of the Russian mafia and died in one of the attacks from enemy sources. Her mother followed him closely, unable to bear the shock of the death of her husband. 

When she was six Scarlet lost both her parents and her relatives who refused to accept her.

Consequently, she was transferred to Mother Theresa's orphanage where she was brought up with love and care by the benevolent sisters. Sister Mary became a mother to her and looked after her every need. 

With a generous heart inscribed with human values, Scarlet grew to be a beautiful woman of sixteen when she got an offer at the Australian University on a scholarship program to pursue her nutrition course.

Nonetheless Scarlet wasn't only a package of love, compassion and benevolence but a complete load of hardships and sorrows.

Scarlet wanted to share the good news with her boyfriend Carl. He had been her life since the day she left the convent. 

With an unstoppable smile on her face, she knocked at the door and waited for Carl to open the door.  But when she found no response even after ten minutes she tiptoed into the house to surprise him. Maybe he was sleeping. Once she tells him the good news he will jump over the loft in happiness.

Scarlett was in seventh heaven just imagining his reaction to her success. He would be very happy. She knew it. With a smile spread on her lips and her eyes twinkling like stars in excitement she sneaked into the front hall of the single-bedroom flat which Carl possessed.

To her shock, she could hear grunts and low moans from the bedroom. The smile on her face vanished and fear and anxiety were replacing her hither to exciting orbs. She just hopes what she was thinking is not true.

Scarlet slightly pushed the door open and the earth shattered under her feet. Her boyfriend Carl was having sex with her best friend, whom she trusted with all her heart and soul. She couldn't believe what she was watching. Her eyes, which were a few minutes ago filled with excitement, now started flowing a river.

"Carl" Scarlet shrieked in pain, inviting his attention. His face went white like a clean sheet of paper but he immediately balanced himself as if what he was doing was nothing wrong. "Get out of here and wait outside, I'm coming." He growled.

The girl who was a disgrace to be called a friend and was under him moved out and sprinted to the washroom carrying clothes that lay abandoned beside the cot at the corner of the bedroom.

Carl came out with his pants on and buttoned up his shirt. "Don't you have the manners to at least knock at the door before you come inside someone's house? What do you want?" He barked at Scarlet like he was seeing a stranger.

Scarlet was astounded at his blowing fusillade upon her. He was the one who cheated on her firsthand. Instead of feeling sorry or at least giving her an explanation, he was shouting at her on the contrary for a mistake she hadn't even made. 

Scarlet had knocked at his door and he did not reply. It was good she walked inside, otherwise, she wouldn't have seen his true color. She understood she had made a blunder by falling in love with the wrong man. He was not worth her time and love. 

"Why did you cheat on me? For heaven's sake, you were my boyfriend. I trusted you. We have been together for a long while. I gave my everything to you. I offered my heart to you on a silver platter. And in return is this what  you give me? You broke my heart by sleeping with another woman. Why did you betray me, Carl?" Scarlet yelled in sobs.

Carl had not even the least bit of culpability in his stance. He shouted at her like a monster. "Enough you talked bitch. I'm a man and I have my needs. I cannot wait for you forever. We did not even kiss properly for fuck's sake." 

Scarlett stared at him in shock with dilated eyes. "So the physical connection is all that you expect from me? We do not have anything more integral between each other than quenching bodily desires. Sex is only a part of life. It is not the other way." 

Carl hooted in annoyance. "Stop giving me lectures from your convent. Sex may only be a part of life but it plays a very important part in a marriage. No matter how many times I ask for sex, you keep bluffing the same dialogue. We will do it after marriage." He mimicked her words teasingly. 

"I am a man with warm blood flowing in my veins and I have my requirements. You are a desperate excuse and an orphaned girl with no beauty, no bank balance, and no people to care about." He pushed his hands into his back pockets and bellowed looking at her with anger.

"Nobody is going to marry a fool like you. So forget everything that you saw and let us continue our relationship as we started. It is not like I'm going to fuck other girls in front of you. So don't worry. Or else....." He stands in front of her glaring daggers in a warning. "You do not know how dangerous I am and you better not wish to see it." He suddenly put the revolver to Scarlet's head and pushed her away from his flat.

Scarlet was flabbergasted at his reaction. He had the least feeling of culpability and had no shame to say he would continue to sleep around but she has to be in a relationship with him.

He had proved it to her he had got no feeling of mortification. But Scarlet is a girl brought up with principles. She expects her life partner to be loyal to her as she would be with him.

Scarlett sprinted out with soft whimpers. Reaching home after work Carl called Scarlet but she wasn't lifting his call.

"Damn girl" he yapped and knocked at her hostel room. Before Scarlet could open the door, he stormed inside and blocked her mouth with his palm so that she wouldn't yell. 

He pulled her out of the residential campus from the back door.

"Bloody witch, how dare you disregard my phone calls?" He slapped her and twisted her ears from the top.

Scarlett cried in pain, pleading with him to leave her ear. "If you do not listen to me, you will learn your lessons the hard way." He bayed on his insensitive words at her with not a trace of sympathy.

Scarlet was seeing the new face of Carl. It puzzled her at the sudden change in his behavior towards her. He was a loving guy till the previous day. Or maybe she was too stupid to fall for him without knowing his actuality.

"We are done Carl, I do not want to continue in this relationship." Scarlet sniffles in agony.

"You have no choice. You are mine until I let you go." While still holding her forcefully in his arms, he pulled a small blue case from his pants pocket and pushed the ring on her finger.

"We are engaged." He declares making Scarlet lose blood on her face.