THE LIFE I MADE FOR MYSELF

"Is she involved in my father's death?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Sophia's expression turned somber, and she hesitated before speaking. "I'm afraid that's a very real possibility," she said. "From what I've uncovered, it looks like your stepmom may have had a hand in your father's death."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. My stepmom, involved in my father's death? It was unthinkable. Sophia's voice was gentle, but firm.

"I know this is a lot to take in," she said. "But I have to tell you the truth. Your stepmom's alibi for the time of your father's death doesn't check out, and there are some suspicious transactions on her bank statements around that time."

I felt a wave of anger and grief wash over me. How could my stepmom do this to us? And why? Sophia's expression was grim.

"I think she was after your father's wealth and business," she said. "And she was willing to do whatever it took to get it."

As Sophia finished speaking, I felt a chill run down my spine. The thought of my stepmom being involved in my father's death was almost too much to bear. Suddenly, I heard a noise coming from outside my room. It sounded like footsteps, light and cautious as if someone was trying not to be heard.

Sophia's head snapped up, her eyes locked on the door. "What was that?" she whispered.

I shook my head, my heart racing. "I don't know," I whispered back.

Sophia quickly got up and moved to the door, her ear pressed against it. After a moment, she turned back to me, her expression grim.

"I think someone is at your window," she whispered. "Someone is outside your window, listening in on our conversation."

I felt a surge of fear at Sophia's words. What was my stepmom planning? And how was I going to protect myself? Sophia's eyes locked on mine, a fierce determination burning in them.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I've got a plan. We'll get out of here, and we'll make sure your stepmom pays for what she's done."

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. I knew I could trust Sophia to help me. But as we stood there, frozen in silence, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were running out of time. My stepmom was getting closer and closer, and I knew that she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

Sophia's eyes never left mine as she slowly backed away from the door. "We need to get out of here, now," she whispered.

I nodded, my heart racing with fear. I knew that we had to move fast before my stepmom made her next move. Sophia quickly grabbed her bag and motioned for me to follow her.

As we moved quietly out of the room, I couldn't help but wonder what lay ahead. Would we be able to escape my stepmom's clutches? Or would she catch up to us, and make us pay for trying to uncover the truth?

I pushed the thoughts aside and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I knew that I had to trust Sophia and follow her lead. Together, we might just be able to bring my stepmom to justice, and finally find some peace.

But as we reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard a noise that made my blood run cold. The front door creaked open, and I saw my stepmom standing in the doorway, a sly smile spreading across her face.

"Welcome, dear," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "I've been waiting for you."

As Sophia and I tried to come up with a plan to deal with my stepmom, I suddenly remembered that my uncle was supposed to be home soon. He had told me earlier that he had a meeting at work, but he should be back by now. I turned to Sophia. "My uncle will be home soon," I said. "He'll know what to do." Sophia nodded, looking relieved. "That's good," she said. "We can trust your uncle to help us."

Just then, we heard the sound of the front door opening. My uncle was home. Sophia and I exchanged a cautious glance, and then she moved quietly to the door. She pressed her ear against it, listening for any sounds on the other side. After a moment, she turned back to me and nodded. "It's your uncle," she whispered. "I can hear his voice."

I felt a surge of relief and hope. My uncle was here, and he would protect me. Sophia carefully opened the door, and my uncle slipped inside. He looked around the room, his eyes scanning the space until they landed on me. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said. My uncle's eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking to Sophia. "What's going on here?" he asked.

Sophia stepped forward, her expression serious. "We need to talk," she said. "It's about your sister-in-law." My uncle's expression turned grim, and he nodded. "I'm listening," he said.

"I think she is in the window. We need to call the police," Sophia said, her voice firm.

My uncle's expression turned serious, and he quickly pulled out his phone. "I'll call the police," he said. "You two stay away from the window." Sophia nodded, and she quickly moved to stand in front of me, shielding me from the window.

My uncle dialed 911 and quickly explained the situation to the dispatcher. "We need an officer to come to our house right away," he said. "We have a suspicious person trying to break in."

As my uncle spoke, I heard a loud crash from the window. My stepmom had broken the glass and was now trying to climb inside. Sophia's eyes locked on mine, and she pulled me closer to her. "Don't worry," she whispered. "The police will be here soon."

But as we waited, I couldn't shake off the feeling that my stepmom was not going to give up easily. She was determined to get to me, no matter what it took.

Suddenly, we heard the sound of sirens outside. The police had arrived.

"Officers, did you get her?" my uncle asked, his voice firm.

The officer's expression turned serious. "I'm afraid we didn't," he said. "The person who was trying to break in escaped before we could apprehend them. But don't worry, we'll do everything we can to catch them and bring them to justice."

I felt a surge of disappointment and fear. My stepmom had escaped, and now she could be anywhere. The officer noticed my concern and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We'll increase patrols in the area and do everything we can to keep you safe," he said. "But I have to ask, do you have any idea where your stepmom might have gone?"

"How could we know? You people are prolonging this. Why is it so difficult to find out where that witch is?" my uncle fired at the police.

I shook my head, feeling a sense of uncertainty. Where could my stepmom have gone? And what would she do next?

Sophia spoke up, her voice firm. "We need to get out of here," she said. "Now. We can't stay in this house, not with your stepmom on the loose."

I nodded, feeling a sense of agreement. We needed to get out of there, and fast.