SOFIAThe voices from Lana's minions all around me were starting to get louder. I couldn't care any less, but the words cut through me like a knife. I was never the one to ignore what people said. It prickled my skin and made me sweat horribly. Especially if it were a lie.That was the main problem here. Everything the women said were blatant lies. Maybe I'd have been better off at a bar. Although the men would pick on me anyways, it was better than having to sit with cowards who could only talk. I hated words sometimes.I was bullied in high school and even if I knew the right way to stand up for myself, I was never able to. People called me a weakling and a bore head for letting my parents' death affect everything else that I did. They compared me everyday with my sister.It caused enmity between us, and it made me a low lifer. Burying myself in books and the few loser friends I had, I thought I was living the life. I convinced myself that it was true happiness but I was never reall
SOFIAWas this a movie?When he called, "Sofia, Sofia..." He called out in hushed tones as if he knew this was the end for me. He then approached me slowly, with a glint in his eye."Can I get you anything?" I was starting to shiver, completely unaware of his intentions. Was I going to die?"Of course. You pretty thing. Do you know, you have such a great ass?" Anger rose within me. He approached me without caution, snatching my hand and dropping me on the table. He began to unbutton his shirt, and then I knew, there was trouble looming.I was scared. I was so scared and my eyes flashed right in front of me. I began to think of the things I haven't achieved, I began to think of how I didn't get to spend quality time with my twin sister, I began to think of how I haven't lived life to the fullest, I began to think of so many other things even at this stage.I've heard of so many homicide cases. In these cases, the victims who want to save themselves end up being brutally beaten or die i
SOFIA I didn't know why I was doing this. But I had to prove myself somehow. I felt empathy, but empathy was weakness so I just deceived myself with the idea of pretending. I was pretending outside, but inside I was filled with rage. Everything had been going on smoothly and I was almost having enough fun, to forget about my real plan.She appeared more beautiful everyday and I was getting too used to her company. I used the best agents for her everytime, and whenever we found new clues together, we would share a drink. I had to admit, I didn't want it to end so soon.I also wasn't letting my guard down. She was smarter than she looked always looking for hidden meanings to things, and asking me questions out of the blue. So where are you from? Your family? I always managed to find my way around it, but it was getting more difficult each time.I couldn't let her get to me though. And following up on every part of her life, I was one step ahead of her. I had asked my private investigat
ALEXOne thing was on my mind as I gave this asshole a punch, I didn't stop hitting him until that thing was off my mind. No one dares hurt Sofia, I was the only one who had the right too. So, that alone got me angry.What if I hadn't come here?Earlier, I was in my car, I was hungry. I must have spent about thirty minutes waiting for Sofa to come out but it doesn't seem like she would be out anytime soon. I decided to park my car a few blocks away from her company. I saw a restaurant around and stepped out onto the bustling street, workers were trooping out from their various workplace.My stomach grumbled in protest. I had skipped lunch, wanting to drive here so that I could get to meet Sofia immediately after she closed. And now, I was regretting it as hunger gnawed at my insides. A small restaurant caught my eye just across the road, and with no other plans for the evening, I decided to step inside and grab a meal.Who doesn't like good food, huh? The warm and inviting aroma of fo
ALEXI refused to stop. There was a loud ringing in my ears, like a thousand bells were shaken at the same time. I couldn't project my next step, but my body was in swift motion. My heart beat ten times faster and sweat dripped from my palms. I had no idea where I was headed. But I didn't stop. I could not stop. I kept moving even if it meant that I was endangering my life.My breathing ragged, and I started panting. I paused because of nature, denying my fear from suffocating my organs. My hand were shaky and my mind was not stable. I was weak. I was as weak as a rat in a cheese trap in the middle of a forest. I had no idea where I was, but I kept running.As just as I thought that I was free, I heard another gun shot. My brain was trying to push me into the illusion that none of it was real. But the gunshot brought me back. How I wished I were not alone. I wanted to hug my mom and tell her I had a bad dream. My mum was dead. It was my fault. Everything was my fault. I didn't want to
ALEX"He'll get better, Dad." Anthony's deep voice kept replaying in my head, the more I heard it, the more I was forced to increase the amount of punch I gave this man.The memories of that day flooded my mind as I punched him. And it helped me. Because I never wanted to stop, and I did not.To me, it felt like I was punching Anthony, giving him exactly what he deserved for lying, for bullying me, for allowing his friends to beat me. I felt like he was the one here, and two punches weren't enough to punish him, four wasn't enough, not even ten was enough.That day, I felt like my whole childhood days were crumbling, and all I wanted to do was coil in a bun and sleep away my sorrows. I knew if my mother was there, I would have hugged her, sought comfort in her arms, but she was gone.Every other maltreatment I ever went through from both my father and Anthony came flooding into my mind. Suddenly, I was living in those days again, suddenly I was in that dark room Anthony called 'Devil'
ALEXThe sight of her slumbering form tugged at something deep inside me and I was angry for no reason, still I knew she was safe at least.She was safe in my hands. She looked so small. It was like she had no care in the world since I was with her, since there was no one to harm her again. It became clear to me that she trusted me, if not, she wouldn't easily fall into my arms like this. For some reason, I was glad she trusted me.It made me know that soon, I was going to make her fall deeply in love with me, then, I'd break her heart.I smiled and drove onto another road, then I carefully pulled the car over to the side of the road, making sure it's a safe place to stop. When I looked at her again, she was curled up in the passenger seat, her head now resting on the window. I reached over to gently place her head against the car's cushion, trying not to wake her. As I did, she let out a soft sniffle, and for a moment, my heart stopped. Was she awake? Has she been pretending to sleep
ALEXI placed my hands on her face caressing her cheeks. Amidst all my pride, I really felt bad for her. I couldn't imagine what she must have gone through trying to fight for herself, to wriggle out of that position that bastard out her in. I removed the revenge from my mind. Afterall, I was still human.I didn't have a sister so I didn't know what it felt like. Most of the girls I'd been with wanted to be with me. They liked my position and the money. There were times I thought I was in love but it turns out, I wasn't. But I always felt like a protector. I wanted them to be safe. I could kill women but I never stood for molesting them.I swore to find that bastard. What made him feel so entitled. Who was he anyways? Her boss? A co worker? Was that how he treated all the women in that place? Sofia must have been hiding these underneath because she wouldn't want me worried. She knows being a private investigator means I'd dig in anyways.Not that I cared but this was an actual case. A
ALEX Manchester was different…Manchester was blissful…The air in Manchester was very clear; till I could feel it suffocate me. But then I knew one day, I would put an end to all of this. I was living the life that I wanted here. Away from Blake and his Cartel, his mob and the killers and the snare and everything. I had used the money I had to start up something and I would be going back to hockey soon. It was what gave me utmost confidence. And I wouldn’t toss it away. She still didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I took it upon myself to stalk her in a healthy manner. I was there when she left for work and I was there when she was back. It was one thing that gave me joy, it gave me this push. I knew that one day, she would hear me out and would forgive me. I made a conscious effort to respect her space. It was hard to process that fact and I wanted to give her time but then one day, I would make sure I walk up to her again. Everyday, I couldn’t deny the pull she had o
SOFIA Manchester…I got dressed and sighed when I was done dressing. This used to be worn with a happy smile, now, my heart was filled with sadness, regret and disappointment. It wasn’t anger anymore. It was something else. I left the house, the crisp autumn air nipping at my cheeks as I made my way down the street. The familiar sights and sounds of my neighbourhood seemed to fade into the background as I focused on the task at hand: preparing for my move to Manchester.I came back home to prepare. It was now or never. Another day here and I would commit suicide. This was the place my parents were killed, this was the place Olivia had been arrested. Too many bad memories and damn, I can’t stay here any longer. I brought out my clothes and the new bags I bought when I went out. It was now or never at all. I packed my clothes into the bag, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of sadness and nervousness as I did this. I was going to England, leaving behind everything that had once been fami
SOFIAI could still dream. This time, I was dreaming about being alone in a field of roses, where everything was filled with tranquillity and warmth. I found myself standing in a vast field of roses, their sweet fragrance filling the air and soothing my mind. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The vibrant colours of the flowers seemed to stretch on endlessly, creating a mesmerising sea of reds, pinks, and whites.It felt so good to be here. So damn good. I forgot all I was thinking about. I forget the sorrows that were now in my life. I forgot how things had been so bad. I was calm. I was content. I was enough. As I walked through the field, I felt a sense of peace and tranquillity washing over me. It made me feel like I was in heaven. This was a pleasure. Absolute pleasure. Amidst the sea of roses, I caught sight of a figure in the distance. This was supposed to be my world, my dream. As I approached the figure, I realised it was my mother, wear
SOFIABut then I had so many what ifs left in me…What if everything had not been like this? What if I had just not found out about the cottage and all? I guess Olivia would have killed me. She would surely win this time around and then she would put an end to the existence of the Griffins.If only Olivia hadn’t found out what really happened, if she didn’t know who our parents were and if nothing had ever even happened before. I sighed heavily. What would have become of my life and that of Olivia’s? I kept thinking about this and it kept playing in my head till I could no longer imagine what life would have been if everything hadn’t started from Olivia finding out that our parents were bloody murderers. I wanted to look up and gaze out the window at the world outside, but Alex was right beside me. He had this look of remorse and that was the last thing I needed right now. In that instant, I couldn’t help but ponder the age-old adage, “ignorance is bliss.” How true those words seeme
SOFIASomehow, a sad song came into my mind. I was humming the song and somehow, it made me feel so good. I then began to ask myself some questions. What if my parents were still alive? What if Jake hadn’t cheated on me? What if Olivia grew up nice and well groomed? What if? The answer was that I wouldn’t have met Alex. And before that, I wouldn’t know who Ronaldo was and my parents wouldn’t have been divorced. It was a whole lot to take in but I knew that I would heal. No matter how hard and difficult it was, I would heal. Nice and steady. I went back inside and saw Alex with the inspector. They were talking and I just went to my room. I needed some time alone, some time to sink all this in and know what next to do with my life right now. I could hear Alex talking with the inspector. “I will come by later. If you need anything, let me know.”“All right. Take care of her.” The inspector told him. “Yes.”‘Take care of her?’ I scoffed. How can I be fine with the devil? The real d
SOFIAI hadn’t wanted to keep crying when the police came but each word, sentence and action of Olivia kept replying in my head like a broken tape and the tears just wouldn’t stop. I then asked myself, how did we come to this? Olivia was a happy child, she was loved by happy parents, it got to the point of being jealous because of the way our parents favoured her over me. But then when I grew up and tried to relive those days, I saw that our parents loved us equally. Yes, they were murderers, and yes they were members of a notorious mafia mob that had killed a lot of people and destroyed so many lives. In that sense, they should be ruthless, in that sense they should have raised us with a knife taped to the tip of their tongues.With them, we were fed love on a silver spoon in a golden plate, we weren’t made to get love by licking it off knives. Not just any knife, a knife that wasn’t embroidered and was just insignificant to mankind. No, our parents fed us love and overfilled us
OLIVIAI watched them panic when I had reached for the only weapon I think could put an end to my misery. I planned to kill to myself and then kill Sofia and her boyfriend. She was asking too many questions that reminded me of the past. It reminded me of the faces of the murderers I referred to as my parents. Particularly seeing her. I haven’t looked at myself in the mirror in a while. I couldn’t dare to do that. I knew I would see the reflection of those terrible people in me, I hated them so much that if I saw them in my face, I would surely scar myself. It was better to die than to live with their imprint visible on my body. And then Sofia? She had everything good coming her way. Even though Ronaldo didn’t treat her well, he still thought about her and even went as far as wanting her to be married to a rich son of the mafia. No matter the maltreatment, I knew she would enjoy her married life. Ronaldo didn’t think of me when the son of the mafia came. He didn’t at all and damn,
ALEXI watched the two sisters battle words. All this while I was just looking at them, it felt like I wasn’t even in the room. They kept throwing words at each other and made me feel completely invisible. And thinking about this, I just couldn’t see Anthony and I having the same batter and swearing at each other like this. It was something I couldn’t ever picture. Not that I was scared, I stopped being afraid of Anthony when I left home and since then, there was nothing that would make me scared of him ever again. Anthony and I can’t even have a physical conversation, the last time we had talked, it was during a family dinner. That was the day my father had announced that he was giving the cartel to Anthony. I remembered that day like I was in it. I hadn’t wanted to come but I had no choice, I just had too. Ever since I left home, I just cut ties with them but then I had too. The dinner was scheduled a few days before my mother’s birthday. I just had to go. I told myself I would f
SOFIA “Why did everything change?”Tears continued to cascade down my cheeks, a testament to the shattered dreams and broken promises that plagued our relationship. The person I once knew had morphed into a stranger, driven by darkness and pain.Olivia had become a woman I used to know. She scared me now. Everything she had said was surprising, it made me feel stupid. I had thought she changed because of the death of our parents. Then she was withdrawn, she threw herself to Ronaldo like he was her saviour. And to me, she treated me like trash. I had thought she wanted to take away all the grief in her by being mean to me, but I was wrong, she had just been thinking of ways to extinguish me from the world she was creating. “When did everything change, Olivia?”“It will further change if you disappear.” She answered. “And then the very day I found out about what our parents were, I knew I couldn’t tell you, I just knew I had to carry out this mission myself.”I just looked at her, it