Juliet Must Survive | 𝒂𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒉.

Chapter 1

"Yo Trish! You need some more help up there?"

That must have been the twentieth time she's heard that exact same phrase with that exact same annoying voice that day. One might get used to it after the first couple times, but Trish could never get around Maurice's patronizing jabs and lousy attempts to suck up to her. With Mac gone, he wanted to be her dad's new right-hand man, so he had to work extra-hard to please his boss. That included smothering the boss's beloved daughter, much to Trish's displeasure. She was quite ready to kick him and the rest of his lame posse to the curb at this point. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to see them for a while after today.

Packing the rest of the childhood memorabilia she wanted to bring back to her apartment, Trish leaned over to her bedroom door. "Worry about your own business!"

"Oh, my bad princess!" He yelled back from downstairs. "Sorry for trying to be a gentleman. Didn't know you were into jackasses!"

"Didn't know you liked sticking your head up other people's cheeks so much, but I guess we learn something new everyday!"

"You think you're so funny, huh? You can't go two seconds without acting like a spoiled, ungrateful little-"

"You better be loading my stuff into the van right now, otherwise I'll have a few choice words about you with daddy."

After a string of muttered curses, Maurice went silent as his footsteps trailed off.

Trish rolled her eyes. He was always giving her attitude as if she wasn't able to destroy his whole career with a few sentences and a pout. Besides, she had to be built hard in order to survive in her father's world. Many people would think she's spoiled and privileged, but just like her old man, she had to work hard to get what she wanted and especially to keep it. Even though she would never go to the lengths her dad went, she always had to be able to show her ruthlessness and determination to reach her goals. If she came across as a princess, then so be it.

Trish had always disapproved of her father's "career choice", even if it had helped her and her brother to go to college. Where he saw opportunities to expand his influence, she only saw violence and deceit. Even then, she never knew the details of his doings, but it remained sinister enough for her to strongly show distain towards her dad's decisions. While she tried her best to stay away from her dad's "business", she knew that it would always be connected to her and her family. Letting her guard down would be too dangerous, she would surely pay the price for it, like Colin...

Her hands fumbled as she reached for the framed family picture that was sitting on her bedside table. In it, her father was holding her then five-year-old self's hand as her big brother Colin cuddled next to their mother. They stood in front of a blue lake, dressed all ready for a day of fishing, all smiling.

Trish gasped quietly as she held back tears. She remembered those times so vividly, back when everything seemed so simpler, when her dad looked happier, when her mom and her brother were alive. Even though Colin's was more recent, their deaths were still both fresh in Trish's mind and heart.

Some days were better than others. If either were brought up, Trish usually did her best to speak of them with positive memories and funny stories they had shared together. But when she was left all alone with her thoughts for too long, the hurt would come back. She didn't have that much time to grieve her brother due to having been highly endangered by her father's activities. His absence seemed to only get stronger the more she thought of him...

Suddenly, a series of loud knocks on her patio door pulled Trish out of her thoughts. She almost dropped the family picture before safely putting it on top of her box.

Slightly startled, she made her way to the door and pushed back its curtains to see who was through the glass.

To her relief, she quickly recognized the smiling face that waved excitedly at her.