Thomas POV

I got back to the mansion in my normal clothes. I passed my head butler, Marcus, who tried to tell me something, but I passed right by him. He suddenly ran over to me as I was about to enter my room, "Sir! Sir!" He tried to get me attention, I sighed and looked at him. "Yes, Marcus?" I asked. What he wanted to tell me obviously important. He smiled, "Great news Sir! In only a few hours, that idea you donated to had skyrocketed!" He said, giving me a bright smiled. I stiffened a bit. "What..." I gasped. That annoying woman that came to me that morning, a successful person? In only a few hours? One day? My mind started to ache as I tried to wrap my head around this.

"Yes! They've rescued around 257 children from the ages of 3 to 16!" He continued. "They have..." I gasped again, my heart in my throat. "And they're asking you to come for a speech tomorrow evening! They thank you for it!" He finished. I was still completely breathless. "T-tell them I'll do it." I gasped, my hand grasped onto my doorknob. Markus smiled. "I'll tell them, Sir!"   Then he walked off. I turned the knob of my bedroom door and stumbled in. "O-oh God... What... H-how..." I pondered aloud and closed the door. I quickly changed into my pajamas and had a thought flash into my mind. I quickly walked out, over to Markus. "Where's Rosa?" I asked. Something about Rosa's presence had always made me feel better, even on my worst days. Markus was clearing some dishes. He looked over to me. "Oh, she was feeling ill, so she went home. She hoped you wouldn't mind." I felt a rush of disappointment fill my heart. "Oh..." I sighed. He looked at me curiously and set down a dish. "Is everything alright, Sir?" Markus asked. I nodded and requested for him to bring a glass of wine to my room. I went back to my bedroom and sat down on my desk. I worked on a special project I'd been working on for years.

I put it away when I heard a knock on my door. I stood up and opened it. Markus handed my a glass of wine. I nodded in thanks and closed the door. I sat down on my bed and drank my wine, thinking about what I would say. I finished my wine and went to my desk. I wrote for a few minutes, and finished my speech. I was a quick, persuasive, and powerful speaker and writer. I stood up, but accidentally knocked the wine glass off my desk. It shattered and I was met with a flood a memories.

Broken glass...

Screaming and yelling...

Betrayal and harm...

My mother crying...

My father begging...

It all came back in such a rush that I fell back. I shook my head, my breathing heavy, my heart pounding, and my head aching. I stood up, shaking. I better get to bed. I need to be ready for the speech... I thought.