When I enter Rosalyn's office, I find Lena sitting in one of the chairs and my back immediately stiffens. I've never been here before, at least not because I got into trouble.

Rosalyn goes around the table and points to the chair next to Lena's. "You can sit down, Gabrielle."

I do so, slowly and nervously. "What's going on?" I manage to ask with a lump in my throat. Lena keeps her head down. Did she tell Rosalyn about this morning? Why would she do that?

"I heard there were some problems happening under this roof and I would like to hear your side now," Rosalyn says, addressing me.

"Problems? My side?" I ask, dumbfounded. My heart is racing like crazy. I turn my head to look at Lena for some clue, but I don't find anything.

"Lena brought to my attention that you two had a fight that made her afraid you won't be able to solve out by yourselves, so she's asked me to intervene."

"I, uhm ..." I clamp my mouth shut. "What?" I ask in a faint voice.

"We're just talking here, Gabrielle. I heard Lena's side of the story and I just want to hear yours now."

"What story exactly?" I ask carefully.

"A fight you two had this morning."

I rub my eyebrow, my breath coming out as shaky when I exhale. "I, uhm ... I was in a bad mood and Lena just said some things that didn't sit well with me," I try to explain without going into too much detail because, honestly, I don't think Rosalyn would know what to do with jealous tantrums. Besides, this would probably all sound childish to her, I think. She shouldn't be bothered with this while she has her own problems.

Rosalyn sighs, placing her forearms on the desk as she studies us both with a straight, stern face. "I know it's unfair to ask that people get along with everyone, trust me, in my profession, that would be pretty ironic. But I don't tolerate that under my roof, especially when it comes to violence."

"Violence?" I ask carefully. Is telling someone to back the hell off and leave my boyfriend and me alone considered as violence?

She presses her lips together. "Yes," Rosalyn says. "I don't know what the fight was about, but I don't tolerate being violent to each other. Hitting and scarring someone is considered a crime, actually."

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about? I just told her to leave Alexander and I's relationship alone because she apparently didn't understand he has a girlfriend."

"I'm talking about Lena's face, Gabrielle," Rosalyn says gently as if she's talking to a small child.

I sit up straighter in the chair, looking at her with wide eyes. "Do you think I did that?" I ask, panicking. "I didn't ..." I shake my head. "It's not me who did that." My voice is shaking. I turn to Lena and plead, "Tell her it wasn't me."

Lena looks at me with a sad look that she's faking. "I told her the truth, Gabrielle," she says softly, staying calm and collected while I'm freaking the hell out.

"What truth? I didn't hit you!" I say, almost hysterically. I turn back to Rosalyn. "Please, I ... I promise I didn't hit her or anything. We just had a misunderstanding this morning, but I would never hit anyone." Tears unwillingly fall from my eyes out of frustration. I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe Lena is doing this. And for what?

"I don't know what happened because I wasn't there. I just ask you two that you refrain from getting violent under my house. I would be immensely happy if you two would get along, but if not, just be civil to each other."

Rosalyn doesn't believe me. I don't know what Lena told her to get her on her side, but she doesn't believe me. I can see it in her eyes. My bottom lip trembles and I hang my head, looking down at my hands. I don't want to burst out crying in front of Lena, but I can't hold back my tears.

"Can you two promise me that something like this will never happen again? I don't want to interfere, but if I have to, I will," she says with that no-nonsense voice.

I nod my head, biting my lip. I can't look at her and I can't answer her because I'm too hurt. I can't believe Lena is doing this. I don't know what I've ever done to her that she's acting like this towards me. She doesn't even know me and it's apparent she doesn't even want to.

"I can say for myself that, on my part, I don't wish to be in conflict with anyone. I'm sorry for bothering you with this, I just didn't know what else to do."

I look at her with such a surprise and hatred in my eyes. I can't believe how evil some people can be.

"It's alright, Lena. I'm glad you told me and we all solved this together. If you experience any problems, you can always come and talk to me. Both of you." I feel Rosalyn looking at me, but I don't return the look. I just want to get out of here because I feel so helpless ... I just want to go to Alexander's room and be alone for a little while to calm myself down and wrap my head around what just happened.

Rosalyn sighs and stands up. "Alright, you can go now, eat some breakfast."

As if I could stomach any food right now. I slowly stand up, feeling my legs shaking. I take a deep breath, wiping the tears away, drying my face. I don't look at either of them as I exit Rosalyn's office. They're walking behind me and I can just feel Lena's smug look on my back.

When I continue walking past the stairs, Rosalyn says, "Aren't you going down with us to eat? They're all waiting on us already."

I shake my head. "I'm not hungry." I lost my appetite once again.

I hurry to Alexander's room before Rosalyn could say anything more to me and as soon as I close the door, I let out a heart-wrenching sob that I was holding in all this time, my tears wildly falling down my face. This seems like my past is kind of repeating itself and I just can't get away. It's haunting me, coming after me and I can't take this again. I can't go through something like that ever again because I know I'm not strong enough to bear that.

I go to the bed and lie face down, silently crying into the pillow. I know what Lena is doing. She's trying to turn everyone against me, starting with Alexander and his whole family. She wants to make me an outsider and an enemy and it's starting to work. I don't know how or why, but she's succeeding.

She's trying to ruin my life or take over it. I don't know what's her agenda, but it doesn't make sense and it's worse that only a few people can see right through her, but she has others eating from her hand.

I don't know how much time has passed since I came here in the bedroom to cry my heart out when Alexander bursts into the room. I have my back turned against the door so he doesn't see my face and there's a pause before he asks, "Gabby, what the hell happened? What's going on and why aren't you down there with all of us?"

I sniff. "I'm not hungry," I say, my voice completely blank and void of any emotion.

Alexander comes around the bed until he's standing before me. I stare at his legs because moving my eyes up to look at him feels just too much work right now. He sits down and puts her hand on my face, pushing my hair back. "What the hell is going on, baby? What was this all about?" His questions make me cry even harder and I push my face into the pillow.

"Gabrielle," Alexander says gently. "Tell me what's going on."

I let out a long sob. "I had a fight with Lena this morning," I say, but my words are muffled by the pillow and they come out unintelligible.

"What?" Alexander says and I feel him shifting on the bed.

I turn my face away from the pillow and calm myself down enough so I'm not full-out sobbing anymore. Alexander's leaning on his forearm, his eyebrows scrunched together, his face confused and worried.

"I had a fight with Lena this morning," I tell him again.

His eyebrows jump up. "When?"

"Before you woke up. I just wanted something to eat and she was there and she was just ... saying things that pushed my buttons. I didn't even raise my voice at her, I just wanted her to back off and put her in her place, letting her know I won't stand what she's trying to do here."

I tell Alexander everything that happened in Rosalyn's office and down in the kitchen before that and that his mother now possibly dislikes me and thinks I'm causing problems because I'm a jealous, possessive girlfriend.

"Fucking hell," Alexander explodes when I finish with my story. "That bitch. What the fuck is she trying to do?" I can see the anger radiating off him.

"Ruin my life, apparently," I murmur sadly.

"Hey, hey," he says, framing my face with his hands. "She's not ruining anyone's life but her own," he assures me. "Come here," he says.

And as soon as he says the words, I pull myself up and just throw my arms around him because he's always the person who can make me feel better. He's my safe place and every time I'm with it, it feels like everything's going to be alright.

The door opens suddenly and I turn my head to look at who it is and see Lena standing there. "Ah, oops. Wrong door, I think." She cocks her head to the side, watching us. I slowly pull back from Alexander, feeling his body tense up.

"You better get the fuck out of here before I personally remove you. I better not see you anywhere near my room ever again because you have nothing to do here. Ya hear me?" Alexander slowly stands up and Lena's eyes get wide, but not because she'd be frightened. No. She's enjoying this.

She gives us both a wry smile before she closes the door. Alexander puts his hands through his hair, cursing to himself. "Goddamn it."

He goes to the door. "Pack up, Gabby. We're not staying at this goddamn place a second longer."

My eyes widen and I put my feet on the floor. "Where are you going?"

"To fuckin' strangle that stupid bitch," he says with venom in his voice.

Oh, no.

I run after him, but he doesn't go to Lena's room. He goes past it, takes the stairs down and enters the dining room where Rosalyn and Alfred are still seated with Amelia and Clara. I know Rosanna must be somewhere around here, too.

Alexander places his hands on the table and gives his mother an angry stare. Oh, no. Oh, no. "Alex –" I start, but he shushes me by extending his arm around him. I give Rosalyn a pleading look.

"Amelia, why don't you take Clara upstairs to play?" Rosalyn asks.

"But, mum –"

"Amelia," Rosalyn says. "I'll come up after you."

Amelia looks at all of us and huffs. "Fine," she mutters.

As soon as they're both out, Rosalyn takes a deep breath, facing her son. "Alexander –"

"You know Gabrielle, mum. You fucking know her! You honestly believed she would do something like this? Come fucking on!"

"Alex, calm down –"

"No, I am not fuckin' calming down because you made a mistake today and you were unfair! Own up to your actions now, mother, because it was shitty of you to accuse her of that."

"Lena's face –"

"Is like that because she's a fucking boyfriend-stealer and she puts her mouth where it's not her business to put it. She got what she deserved and it wasn't by Gabrielle. And even if it was, she would deserve me. Real fucking diamond you brought here, mum. Fucking great role model for your little daughters."

Alfred stands up. "That's enough, Alexander!" he says, his eyes wild.

Alexander gives him a short look. "No. No, it's not enough." He pushes himself off the table and glares at his mother. "What you did today, mum ... siding with that lying bitch and attacking Gabrielle when you know wouldn't hurt a goddamn fly ..." He shakes his head. "We're leaving right now and you better not expect us here any time sooner. You better not call any time soon, either, and when you do, it better be because you'll be apologising to Gabby. And if I have to see that goddamn lying piece of shit again, you rest assured she'll get what she deserves, even if I have to deliver it."

"Alexander, please –"

"I don't want to hear a word from you right now, mother. You've said enough today." He turns to me. "Come, Gabby. We're going," he says softly, taking my hand. I give his parents one last glance before I bit my lip and look away. To say I'm shocked about what just happened is ... putting it mildly. But I'm also grateful Alexander is on my side and he's willing to go out of here.

I don't like him fighting with his mother, though. Especially not because of me. What happened today was something I wasn't expecting, but I understand Rosalyn was put in a weird position. I'm not her daughter, but it's also true she knows me; or at least I thought she did.

I can't think about what's right or wrong any further because I'm just glad to get out of here as soon as I can. I'll deal with consequences later, but I at least know I won't be having to deal with them alone. 

*

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY