Lost ✔️

Chapter 13

A year later, Stephanie's parents had to go abroad to seal some important deal. Sadly they never returned. They had gone for only two weeks but a month later of absence, Stephanie felt something was not right. She had no contact with them and they were apparently unreachable.

The police got involved after another month. Mrs. Bats had to eventually report their disappearance lest fingers be pointed at her. 

Obviously, after nearly a year, our unskilled police declared them dead. Without any evidence or bodies. They figured they had been killed as there was no sign of them being held hostages. No contact with their company OR their family. There was no indication of them being held as leverage. 

Stephanie never showed any remorse of losing her parents in front of anyone and held her emotions in the deepest corners of her heart. 

She was suffering alone and God knows what her aunt was making her go through. I couldn't reach out to her. My mom forced me to stay away from her.

Anyway, her lack of emotions led the MIND-BLOWING district detective to doubt her. On looking through their family documents, the police learnt that Stephanie was to inherit the entire property after her parents and Brian a quarter from it. 

The will said so too.

The worst part was this drew suspicion on her and she was called in to be investigated. Our media sniffed this information out and copy-pasted the entire story in the newspapers. At these times, all the losers started reading them newspapers. Everyone in school read it.

The rumor spread faster than a fart smell!

Eventually, Stephanie was cleared of all the charges imposed on her. She found it very hard to deal with the truth and all going around her. 

All this while what happened to Brian, you ask?

He was never hurt by aunt and he didn't even know about his sister's abuse. Mainly he was not going to inherit his parents major property and Stephanie always protected him. He was never a variable in anyone's way. Stephanie was. So she suffered mentally and physically.

After a lot of paperwork, Mrs. Bats became their guardian She was not going to inherit any of the property. According to the rules, Stephanie was to own all deemed hers after she became 18.

This put a standstill to her aunt's follies.

Stephanie you see as now was not like this before. She was not strong at all. I was stronger than her. At home she was beaten up for the smallest of mistakes. At school the students bullied her and turned their backs on. Called her 'murderer' ,'miserly' and 'crook'.

Simple words seem to hurt the most. 

I couldn't always protect her but I tried my best.

This happened after the summer break. The winter came and went at the speed of light. I seldom saw her during the break. But when we returned after the winter break, her personality had changed completely. Covered in bruises and bandaids, she didn't even care. 

Smirked at the insults and went psycho on the assholes who challenged her. Her grades dropped as low as the Great Depression. That's when I knew that I had lost my girl. My bestfriend.

Then just before the year ended, her brother Brian ran away. It confused all of us. Brian was never touched. His sister saw to that. He was not mistreated at home . Always timid and sweet. Yet he ran away and never looked back. 

Stephanie was distraught and hid herself in the dark. She became absolutely dead. There were some who tried who tried to get closer to her but her attitude was as dangerous as a newly bought knife. She was very angry at Brian for leaving her alone. 

There is this reason why she never reported her aunt or hasn't fled with her money. She fears what her aunt might do to the only family she has left. 

Stephanie still doesn't tell me the entire truth but I can read her like an open book. 

Everything that she went through has changed her completely. The sweet hopeful girl became strong and dead.

This is her story.

*

Marilene wiped her tears away. 

Chris just sat there too stunned to speak. Processing stuff. He thought about what he had suffered and became embarrassed of himself. He could not even imagine what Stephanie had gone through and probably was going through. His life seemed so much better now.

I sent her back to that house. Safe I thought. Ha!

The hallroom was silent. Suddenly they saw Stephanie walk past the empty classroom. He checked his watch. There were still five minutes for the school to get over. 

Chris got up immediately and was about to leave when Marilene spoke up.

"I hope you don't misuse anything or her. If you do, I will personally come to you and strangle you with your own intestines until you choke on yourself"

There was a devilish smile that wrinkled up her eyes.

Chris gulped. Never had he thought he would be scared of a girl. Especially of one who looked like she could fly if he gave her a hard push. He nodded as fast as he could.

Then he ran after his girl.

*****

OKAY BABOONS! SEE YA MORROW!! 
(And yeah did you or did you not notice the 'his' before the girl in that last sentence huh?)