Alaina's POV
"Stepdad?" I spoke with a low voice that was barely audible.
My eyes widened as I crept into the living room. My gaze was fixed on the phone in my stepfather's hand. He was slumped on the couch like a sack of rotten potatoes, his mouth agape, a soft snore escaping his lips. But my attention was far from noticing how his posture was or how he snored, my attention was on the phone he held; my phone.
The screen of the phone glowed in the dim light. I felt a chill run down my spine as I realised the phone was open to my banking app. My heart raced as I gently took the phone from my stepfather's dangling hand, my eyes scanning the screen.
My breath got caught in my throat when I saw the balance: $0.00. The room seemed to bend and I felt like I was staring into a void. I scrolled through the transactions, my eyes scanned the screen in a rush of time. Tears pricked at each corner of my eyes and I blinked hard to hold them back. But it was of no use. They spilled over, hot and salty and I felt I was drowning in a sea of nothingness.
A scream tore from my throat, echoing through the room. My stepfather jolted awake, his eyes disoriented. "Damn, girl, what's it?"
"Stepdad…" I eventually managed to say. My voice was hoarse from the single scream I let it out. When I found my voice, it was more precise. "What did you do with my money?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.
My step father looked up, his eyes bleary from sleep. He muttered something incoherent, his words slurred together. I felt a surge of frustration course through my veins and my patience wore thin.
He stood up and began to walk away. I reacted instinctively, reaching out to grab his arm. "Wait!" I said, my voice firm. "What did you do with my money?! I asked a question, sir!"
He looked at me, his expression was confused. "What money?" he mumbled.
I felt a cold dread creeping up my spine. I checked the phone again to read the transaction history. The money I had, all the money I had, had been transferred to a betting app. I felt a wave of anger wash over me. How could he do this?
I looked up at my stepfather, my eyes blazing with accusation. "How did you get the money out? You used my fingerprint to access my account, didn't you? You did that while I was sleeping, didn't you?" I spat, my voice venomous.
He didn't look at me, but his face looked guilty. He didn't need to say anything. I knew that I had caught him red-handed. I took a step back, trying to process my emotions. I felt angry, hurt, and betrayed. I didn't know what to say or do.
"It was for an investment, I will get back your money with time. You will see." He said with a small smile, as if I was supposed to take his explanation hook, line, and sinker.
I looked at him, my eyes were cold. "Are you insane!?" I repeated, my voice incredulous. I knew I could not contain the rage and hurt that boiled inside me. My stepfather's words were pathetic, and his explanation only ignited a fire within me that made my face twist in anger, and my eyes blaze with fury.
And before I knew it, I had pounced on him, my teeth sank into his left ear. I bit it down hard, feeling a surge of satisfaction as he cried out in pain. Blood began to flow, warm and sticky.
"What are you doing?" I heard a loud cry of help after that question.
I released my grip on my stepfather and he stumbled backward, clutching his ear. I stood there, panting, my chest heaving with exertion. The person who had screamed was the woman I had earlier seen my stepfather with when I came home.
She stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock and horror. She took one look at me, at the blood in my mouth and on my shirt and left out another scream.
And then she turned and ran back into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. The next I heard was her frantically dialing numbers, her high pitched voice rode as she spoke to someone on the phone.
"Come here, now! She might kill me too."
When I heard her say that, I didn't care. I didn't care that she was calling for help, that she was going to get me in trouble. All I cared about was the pain and anger that still burned within me.
I looked down at my stepfather, who was still clutching his ear. He looked up at me, his eyes filled were with a mixture of fear and pain.
I couldn't believe all my money was gone. I had money in my account before I collected the money from the hotel receptionist this morning. Everything is gone now. Everything.
I sat there and cried. I didn't know how long I sat there but I cried although soon enough, I heard the sound of sirens in the distance, growing louder with each passing moment. I knew I was in trouble, that I had crossed the line.
"She is in there! She killed him!" The woman who had called the police said as she emerged from her room. She looked at me with a mixture of fear and disgust.
The police arrived soon after, their lights flashed as they pulled up to the house. I stood there, frozen, as they rushed into the house, their guns drawn.
One of the officers approached me and his eyes narrowed. "Ma'am, I need you to step away from the victim," he said, his voice firm.
There were also paramedics around. They got the stretcher and placed my stepfather on it before wheeling it away. I stared as they took him away. I should have completely removed his left ear from his face.
"Move, ma'am." The officer said authoritatively.
I moved, but I knew I had lost it all. And to top it all, I was going to jail...