From the book of Sissitrix — Page 15, Paragraph 1:
Plan an industrial laundry as a submarine: overcrowded space, labyrinth of tubes, strong smell of disinfectant, unbearable steam temperatures and a very lively team.
I woke alone, with the sun streaming through my bedroom window and splashing annoyingly on my face. I knew Hannah was already gone, but I sensed someone else was stalking around my home.
It was too late in the day to be Bliss, so I leaped silently out of my bed and stretched enough to be ready for a fight.
Whoever it was made no attempt at stealth, moaning painfully, dragging their feet, and bouncing off walls while breathing heavily. By the time footsteps reached the topmost landing on the third floor of my Mansion home, I had a knife in my hand and was poised, ready to use it, skulking behind the bedroom door.
“Rex?”
“What the fuck?”
“It’s me, Isla. Can I come in, please?”
“You are already in.”
“I meant inside your bedroom.”
“Come.”
When Isla stepped through the bedroom door, I saw she was in a complete mess. Her bridal gown was a blood-stained rag, torn to pieces in what looked to be a very nasty fight. Her face was battered and bruised, with a thick bottom lip cleaved in the middle and clad in congealed blood.
Isla limped as painfully as she breathed, and I knew her apparent injuries would be far worse on the inside. Her condition was severe, but I couldn’t make that evident to her, or she would deteriorate quickly.
“Sit down on my bed, Isla.”
“Thank you.”
“I take it Sean was dumped at the altar?”
“Yep… I’m not marrying that kiddie fiddling cunt.”
“Good for you.”
“Can I stay here and rest up, please?”
She began slumping sideways, blinking into unconsciousness, so I grabbed and lifted her gently, propping my one-time lover against a headboard piled with pillows.
“Don’t fall asleep. You might not wake up.”
“Am I really that bad?”
“Possibly. I can’t tell. You have internal injuries, babe.”
“Can I stay here, please, honey? Do you have a bedroom for a poor, battered woman?”
“Yeah. I have twenty, maybe twenty-five rooms. If you survive, stay as long as you like.”
“Eventually, Sean will come here looking for me. I’ll clear out in a few days to avoid trouble for you.”
“And go where Isla?”