Daddy Dearest

Chapter Seventy Two

ALEX

I can feel the cold steel of the barrel pressing against my temple, sending shivers down my spine. Violet's eyes are wild, brimming with fury and something else - obsession. The girl I once knew, Melody's former friend, is a stranger to me now.

"Violet, please," I plead, trying to keep my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest. "You don't want to do this."

"Shut up!" she snarls, her grip on the gun tightening. Her gaze flickers between me and the mouth of the alley, as if Melody might walk through it any second. The thought both terrifies and comforts me; the last thing I want is for Melody to see this, but I know she'd be able to talk some sense into Violet.

"Violet, listen to me." My words come out slow and deliberate, as if speaking to a frightened animal. "This isn't you. You're not a killer." I think back to the days when Melody would speak fondly of her friendship with Violet, before it all went downhill. Before the stalking began.

"Ha! You don't know anything about me!" Violet's expression twists into a sneer. "And you have no idea what I'm capable of. All because of that... that..." She searches for the right word, her lips curling into a snarl. "That bitch!"

"Melody?" I ask gently, trying to understand her convoluted reasoning. "She never wanted any of this, you know. She's been nothing but kind to you."

"Kind?!" Violet's laugh is harsh and brittle. "She stole everything from me! And now she's stolen you too!" The bitterness in her words could curdle milk.

"Stolen me? Violet, I chose Melody. It wasn't some nefarious plot." I reach out a tentative hand towards the gun, hoping she'll see reason. "I care about her, and I know you do too. That's why you need to put the gun down."

"Your choice doesn't matter!" Violet practically spits the words out, her eyes blazing with unyielding fury. "You were supposed to be mine! And if I can't have you, then neither will she!"

"Violet, please," I try one last time, swallowing hard against the fear that threatens to choke me. My thoughts race, grasping for a way to defuse this ticking time bomb. "It doesn't have to be like this. We can fix it. We can help you."

"Help me?" Her laughter is deranged, sending chills down my spine. "You really think you can help me now?"

"Y-yes," I stammer, my confidence wavering for a moment.

"Too late for that, Alex." She presses the barrel harder against my temple, her finger twitching on the trigger. The world seems to slow down around me, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

"Violet..." My voice is barely a whisper, choked with desperation. But deep down, I know there's no reasoning with her now; the girl who was once Melody's friend is gone, consumed by her obsession and rage. And all that's left is a monster, ready to destroy everything in its path.

"Fine!" I shout, my voice cracking as I gather every ounce of courage within me. "You want me gone? Then do it! Shoot me and prove to everyone just how far gone you really are!" My heart hammers against my ribcage, threatening to burst out of my chest at any moment. But I refuse to let Violet see the terror etched into every fibre of my being.

Violet's eyes widen in shock, her grip on the gun faltering ever so slightly. For a moment, the world stands still, our breaths suspended in the stale air between us.

"Go on," I taunt her, ice lacing my words. "Do it."

"Shut up!" she screams, tears streaming down her face. With a growl of frustration, she hurls the gun away from her, the metallic clang echoing through the silence. And then, like a wild animal cornered by its predators, she turns and bolts, disappearing into the night.