Bang!
The sound of the gun cut through the air as Alana pulled the trigger. The bullet barely passed by Roy's head and hit the door behind him.
"You crazy bitch," Roy spat, making an attempt to move closer to her.
"A foolish idea, don't you think," Alana muttered, pointing the gun directly at his face. "One more step and you'll find the next bullet in your face."
Roy stilled, gulping nervously when he saw the seriousness in her eyes.
And he was right to fear. After years of abuse, Alana was ready to leave this hell. And even as her hands shook with both anger and fear, she stilled her resolve. This was no time to show weakness.
She had no intention of actually pulling the trigger, but she needed to make Roy believe that she would.
With the fresh cut on her lower lip from being slapped by the man that same morning, and the plasters on both wrists from her sister's twisted attempt at entertaining herself, Alana's resolve was clear.
She had been living with monsters and it was time to end her suffering.
"Baby, Alana dear, please put the gun down," Stephanie, Alana's mother, pleaded.
"I am not your baby. I never was and I never will be. Now tell your husband to move if you do not want to become a widow again," she said coldly, not even bothering to glance at her way.
Her mother gasped at the cold words.
"Alana, what has gotten into you?" Lilith, Alana's stepsister, asked from behind her mother. She was intentionally using the woman as a shield just in case a bullet came flying her way while she spoke.
"Move, Roy. I will not repeat myself," Alana warned for the last time, completely ignoring the words of her mother and stepsister.
The two women were of no importance to her.
With a clenched jaw, Roy finally stepped away from the door, clearing her path. Alana grabbed her roller bag, dragging it behind her as she walked toward the door, still keeping the gun pointed at Roy, until she stepped out.
"You will regret this," Roy yelled from the door.
Alana halted for a moment before bursting into a chuckle. She faced him, still laughing.
"Me, regret leaving?" she said, her laugh fading. "The only thing I will regret today is not putting a bullet in your head and frankly," she paused, her tone turning dark. "I am still considering the idea, so keep talking, Roy. Just keep talking."
Roy fell silent.
This entire scene was a complete shock to him. He never believed a day would come when Alana would stand up to him and even put fear in him.
"I thought as much," Alana scoffed as she turned, striding toward the gates.
At last, she had severed half of her ties to this family. Her flight to New York was already booked, her new life waiting for her.
...
Taking a deep breath, Alana reached out and rang the bell. Within seconds, she spotted the butler, a middle-aged man, making his way toward the gate.
The man stopped in his tracks, confusion and surprise mixed on his face when he saw Alana, but he quickly resumed walking and opened the gate.
"Young miss," the man exclaimed. "You have grown so much," he added as he eyed her from head to toe.
Alana smiled at his expression. "Mr Brandon," she greeted.
The man quickly retrieved her bag and gestured for her to go in.
Her eyes scanned the compound as they walked. Things were still the same as she remembered.
"We were not expecting you until next week, young miss," Brandon said as he unlocked the door to the room she normally stayed in whenever she visited.
"I wanted to settle in sooner than later. I would have called my aunt to inform her, but I just got a new phone a few days ago and I don't have her contact yet," Alana explained, and Mr Brandon nodded in understanding.
"Your aunt is at work now. I will inform her of your arrival immediately," Brandon said as he set her luggage by the side of the bed.
"If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me." Alana nodded before he left the room.
After the man left, she unpacked a few of her things before deciding to freshen up.
The butler came back an hour later to inform her of her aunt's return.
Alana dressed properly, wearing a long-sleeved shirt to cover her wrists, so her aunt wouldn't start asking questions about her injury, before heading downstairs.
"Oh my God," Rosalind exclaimed when her eyes met Alana descending the stairs.
Alana smiled warmly at her aunt, who was overwhelmed with excitement.
Rosalind could not control her joy as she squeezed her niece in a tight hug.
"I cannot breathe," Alana complained when her aunt tightened the hug too tightly.
"Oh, sorry." Rosalind immediately pulled away. "You must be starving. Come, I asked the cook to make your favorite," she said as she pulled her toward the dining table.
"Where is Ryan, Aunt?" Alana asked after looking around for her cousin.
"He is probably out partying with his friends. He never comes home on weekends," Rosalind replied, a hint of sadness in her voice.
Alana nodded.
"Have you called your mom since you arrived?" Rosalind asked in the middle of their conversation.
Alana paused for some seconds.
"No," she replied tightly.
"Okay." Rosalind did not push further as she noticed Alana's stiffness.
"If you need anything, dear, please tell me. I will always be here for you, okay?" Rosalind said softly, and Alana nodded with a tight smile.
Her mood was already ruined by the mention of her mother. She subconsciously placed her hand on her wrist, something Rosalind noticed.
Alana only saw her aunt during breakfast and dinner, and most of the time, the woman kept giving her pitiful looks, which she found uncomfortable.
...
Monday finally arrived, and Alana eagerly prepared for her morning class. The butler dropped her off at school, and she felt fortunate that the university had accepted her transfer despite it being the middle of the semester.
After her last class, Alana stopped by a cafe to grab something for lunch. She placed her order and received it within a few minutes.
As she grabbed her food and prepared to leave, her phone buzzed with a notification. Just as she reached for her phone, she accidentally bumped into someone, spilling her drink on the stranger.
Alana gasped when she saw the mess on the man's trousers.
"I am so sorry," Alana immediately apologized, her voice filled with genuine remorse.
"Are you stupid or just blind?" the man's cold voice thundered, causing her to flinch.
"I did not mean to. It was an accident..." Alana's words stopped in her throat as she raised her head to look at the man's angry face.