MY STORY AFTER TITANIC SANK
Chapter One
We arrived in New York on April eighteenth.
It was a cold, rainy night and I was soaked to the bone. I got off the
Carpathia with the rest of the Titanic survivors. There were hundreds of
reporters and journalists trying to get a story about what happened that night
of the sinking. I pushed through them and headed down an empty alley. I was
frightened and lost. I missed Jack so much. Why did fate have to be so cruel? I
walked for what seemed like an eternity and found a bench. I sat down, not
caring about the rain or finding shelter. All I wanted to do was cry. I cried
myself to sleep that night on the bench. The next morning, I woke up and
decided to use the money I had found in Cal's coat pocket and find a room to
rent. The room was not like what I was used to, but it would have to do.
A Month Later
Knock, knock, knock.
"Yes? Come in."
"Rose, you have a visitor," Sarah
said.
"Who?"
"He wouldn't give me his name."
"Okay. I'll be down in a second."
"Okay," she said as she left. I
finished getting ready and headed downstairs.
"Where is he?"
"He's in the lounge."
"Thanks, Sarah," I said, going into
the lounge. He was standing in the corner of the room. I cleared my throat, and
he turned around. He was tall, moderately built, dark hair, maybe in his early
forties. He was wearing a black suit. He looked at me with a smug smile. I knew
Cal had sent him, but I didn't know how Cal had found out I was alive, let
alone where I was living.
"Miss DeWitt Bukater, by the way you're
looking at me, you by now must know that Mr. Hockley has sent me to get
you."
"What does he want?"
"All he wants is a word with you in
private."
"No."
"Why don't we go for a drive?" he
asked, grabbing my arm tightly. "Don't even think about screaming,"
he added, showing me the gun. We went out the back door of the boarding house
and got into the car. We drove to the Hockleys’ New York mansion. The car
stopped in front of the house.
"Whatever Cal wants to say to me, he can
say it out here, because I am not going in there."
"Oh, yes, you are," he said,
pulling me out of the car and putting me over his shoulders. I kicked and
screamed, but he just laughed. He went in and went up the stairs and dropped me
on the bed of the master chamber. He left and locked the door. I got off the
bed and ran to the door. I banged and screamed.
"Let me out! You can't keep me
here!" I cried, as Cal slipped in the room by another door, unnoticed by
me. "Let me out, damn it!"
"No one's going to let you out,
Rose," he said, as I turned around.
"You can't keep me in here."
"Yes, I can, and I will." He
sneered a few inches from my face. "In fact, I'll keep you locked up until
you decide to marry me, and I want my diamond back."
"I'll never marry you, Cal, and I'll never
give you the diamond back. If you remember correctly, you gave it to me."
"Then you'll be locked up forever. I'll
be back later, sweetpea," Cal said, about to kiss me, but my hand struck
his cheek. Cal looked at me, shocked, but something inside of him snapped, and
before I could run he grabbed my arms. He balled his hands into fists and hit
my jaw, causing me to fall to the floor. I started crying. Then, I looked at
him.
"Serves you right, Rose. Trust me, that
was just a warning," he said as I got off the floor. Cal looked at me in
pity. "You know I don't like doing that, Rose. I love you," he said,
kissing my cheek.
He turned around, about to leave, when I
said, "If you truly loved me, you wouldn't beat me."
"What was that?" he asked, turning
around and glaring straight at me. He walked towards me and stood few inches
away from my body. I looked up at him in fear.
"Nothing," I lied. Cal looked at me
and left, making sure the door was locked behind him.
*****
As the weeks went by, the beatings got worse.
I couldn't take it anymore. I was getting beaten because I kept refusing to
marry him. Each night he'd ask me to marry him, and each night I said no. It
was eight o’clock PM when I heard his footsteps down the hall. They stopped at
the door. He unlocked the door and came in. He had a challenging look in his
eyes; they were challenging me to say no. I had no strength left to withstand
another beating from him. Cal was too strong now. In the beginning I had put up
a struggle, but now I was too weak to do that. He walked towards me, smiling.
"Will you marry me, Rose?" he
asked. I just looked at him. I didn't want to marry him, but if I didn't say
yes, I could end up in the hospital.
"Yes," I whispered. Cal pulled me
to him and kissed me forcefully.