Confession

Wait, what did Miranda mean by that? Surprises?

Storm had a feeling that the surprises her stepsister was talking about were not the normal fluffy balloons and cake.

What the hell was going on?

 Storm knew that asking about her father's death from her stepmother was a waste, but perhaps, if she could bait Miranda, the latter might tell her something she wanted to hear, or would aid her in her next course to take. 

She looked up and Miranda was right at the door, about to turn the knob to go away.

She had no choice but to call her name, calmly but firmly. 

"Miranda...come back here. We are not done talking.." She stated, maintaining her cool when Miranda turned around, a smirk on her lips, and her arms folded across her chest. 

"You want to talk now…sister…? Well, sorry, I doubt that I would want to ruin the surprises that mama has planned for you? You think that she has ever forgiven you for what you had done to my brother, Manuel?" Miranda asked, before breaking into an outburst of sinister laughter which troubled Storm no small deal.

"No.. she never did. Wait for your doom…sister.." Miranda added, employing the same tone Storm had used when mocking her.

Storm guessed it was her turn now, but the information she had been given was not yet satisfying. 

Manuel. 

Did the surprise involve him? 

After she had carved the relic on his arm, he had never returned home again. Could it have been part of their plans? Had they conspired to get her father out of the way so that she would be easier for them to take away or maltreat?

What was happening? Storm wondered, biting her lips subtly.

 "Oh, Manuel.. You say. Yeah right, how is he doing? I hope he likes his tattoo well. You know he has never paid me well for drawing such perfect artwork on his arms." Storm finally said with a haughty look, snickering when she saw Miranda's calm facade beginning to break.

"Although it had hurt, I strongly believed that it was the best gift anyone could ever give him. Didn't you think so sister…? Or are you happy that your brother is a rapist? I guess his university professors would want to know that.." Storm continued, cocking her head to the side, expertly brandishing the phone in her hand to Miranda's face.

"How many followers do I have on instagram, five thousand or was it six thousand the other time? Oh, I really have forgotten. And wasn't his friend and coursemate asking me out the other time? I doubt the handsome dude knows who his friend really is. I'm sure he would be delighted to know the Manuel behind the Manuel. Don't you agree…sister…?" She mentioned coyly, clucking her tongue when Miranda heaved in and out, fury brandishing her nostrils.

Episode two of Miranda's fuming is about to start. Storm thought, dodging the next second when the maddened Miranda launched for her with two hands.

Oh! how she loved baiting and then predicting her stepsister.

"Bitch! You will be the next one to die. Just wait. Mom will dish you yours soon! Just so you wait, Manuel will wreck his revenge soon! You think he has forgotten? You are going nowhere until we are done with you." Miranda screamed, grasping Storm's pillow strongly, and punching it madly.

Her sister was really psycho. Storm thought, watching the latter punch the pillow aggressively such that the pillow seams began to tear away.

"Hey! You are spoiling my sweet pillow!" She said, moving closer to her. With caution though.

"Are you sure that Jess shouldn't enroll you in a psych ward." She asked, her lips twitching at the probability of laughing at any moment, especially when Miranda turned to her the next moment, looking like some kind of aggressive goat. The latter's hair was disheveled, with some pints of pillow hair on her head.

 "Do you think this is funny? Don't worry sister, by the time we are done with you, the last thing that would be on your mind would be your comfy pillows. You will also be the one spending your whole life in a psych ward, any day from now, that's if you aren't dead by then.. And yes, we killed your father. Deal with it!" Miranda stated angrily, before stomping out of the room. 

This time, Storm didn't call her back. She already heard what she wanted to hear.

They had killed her father? But why? Why had they done it?

She don't think she was a big enough reason for them to get rid of her father; after all he didn't care about who or what she was doing.

 So why would they remove him? 

Something was going on, something huge, but it irked her that she didn't know what that was.

Storm slumped down on the bed, and sighed tiredly, her eyes staying on the pillow that Miranda had just used as her punching bag to let out some steam.

"...sorry pillow, my sister is a psycho. I would sew you back.'' She muttered, opening up her drawer which was close by, and bringing out a needle and thread to close up the open seams which had occurred because of Miranda's incessant beating.

After she was done in a few minutes, she put the pillow under her head, and laid properly on the bed, her eyes stuck to the ceiling thinking of the next step to take.

 If her step family had killed her father, then there was no doubt that they would be coming for her. She had to leave the house before they did that.

But if I do, where will I go? I have little savings but I doubt it will be enough to live off for a month. 

What could I do?

Storm wondered, biting her lips at intervals, her brain cells screeching to a halt when she thought of Kaden.

Would he take me in?

She took up her phone. Perhaps, she should tell him what had happened today. But first, she needed to ask him if he had a fiancee or girlfriend that would break her head if the latter saw her around.