The Life Changing Trip

Chapter 26 - "What did I say, Eva? About useless things."

Chapter 26

"Where's Stella?" Gavin demanded before any of us could even blink.

"Oh?" Richard said sickenly. He looked stupid, he sounded stupid, and everything about him was stupid.

I looked up at Gavin to see his teeth clenched tightly. I could see we were all walking on egg shells here. Everyone trying to stay put. Everyone trying to avoid that one wrong word that would send us all to hell with a postcard.

"You'll see her. Soon." Richard said, smirking at him with that disgusting knowing smirk. The smirk that said you can't defy me. 

A dangerous silence swept over the place. That calm before the storm. Everyone stopped breathing, or maybe that was just me. Time seemed to stop as everyone waited for what would happen next. Let me explain how it's like to be standing here. It's like you are waiting for someone to say whether you will die or not. Everything is left to that one person. You can't run away, you can't even fight back. You're bubbling with anger that isn't allowed to reach the surface. You're hoping that you can channel all the hatred you feel for that sick person through your eyes. Hoping that that would be enough to make the person leave you alone. But it's not enough. It's never enough. Because that person knows that you despise them with a burning passion, but they don't care. In fact, they probably feel satisfied. And that sick person is the one who will decide whether to kill you or not.

"You know, I've been thinking," Richard began, examining the back of his nails dramatically. I froze, straightening my spine. "After all I've been through, I don't think you've been of any use, Eva."

I felt my heart stop. I didn't like the way this was going. It was annoyingly quiet around me, too quiet that I feared my thoughts were loud enough to be heard. I felt Gavin stiffen, glaring at Richard with a fierceness I've never seen before.

"And you know, when things aren't useful to me, I don't really see the point of them staying. They only make things more complicated," he continued like he was talking about the weather.

He looked to his side and gave a look to one of his men. Just like that, the man walked away, receiving the silent order. His footsteps faintly thudding on the marble floor as he left.

"What do you want?" I spat out. Already feeling my body shaking with rage at how this man could take charge of my life like that. 

"Oh me? Nothing really, darling. Nothing from you at least." he said.

What felt like hours passed before the man came back, dragging something behind him. Not something, someone. I froze, feeling the colour drain from my face as I looked at the man I barely recognized as my father. His face hollow and pale, and the shadows under his eyes told a story of pain and exhaustion and someone desperately waiting for it all to end. It broke my heart to see him like that. My father. The one that used to take me out after school when I was child to get me ice-cream. The one who would take me to the park when I would have a bad day at school.

Something deep beyond fear boiled through my veins. A mixture of immense anger, humiliation and fierce disapproval of this whole situation. What right did Richard have to manipulate my father like that? He didn't deserve this. My father never meant anyone harm and I know I was realising this too late, but my father did care about us. He risked his life for me, after all.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I screeched, taking a step closer to the sick bastard. 

The man let go of my father on Richard's command, and I stood there, in shock as my own dad struggled to stand straight. 

"Oh, Eva! I'm so, so sorry! I never meant for you to get involved in this. Please - "

"Boo. Shut up. No body cares," Richard interupted in his annoying voice. How dare he!