Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm
Sheila sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the door Roy had locked behind Betheul.
Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Roy sat beside her, his expression unreadable.
"Do you think he'll actually leave us alone?" she asked in a whisper.
Roy exhaled, rubbing his chin. "Betheul is like a snake, Sheila. Just because he slithered away tonight doesn't mean he's gone for good."
Sheila swallowed hard. She had hoped that the evidence Donovan had given them would be enough. But Betheul's smirk before he left haunted her.
"Then what do we do?"
Roy turned to her, his gaze firm. "We stay prepared. We don't let our guard down."
Sheila nodded, but deep inside, she felt uneasy.
Something wasn't right.
And she had a terrible feeling they hadn't seen the last of Betheul.
---
A Shadow in the Night
Hours passed, but sleep refused to come.
Sheila lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. Roy's steady breathing beside her should have been comforting, but her heart wouldn't stop racing.
Every creak of the apartment made her flinch. Every shadow felt like a threat.
Then—
A sound.
Soft. Barely there.
But Sheila heard it.
A light scrape against the window.
Her breath hitched.
Slowly, she turned her head.
The curtains were drawn, but she could see the faint outline of something—or someone—lurking outside.
Her blood ran cold.
She reached out, shaking Roy's arm. "Roy," she whispered urgently.
He stirred. "Hmm?"
"Someone's outside."
That woke him up.
Roy sat up instantly, his eyes darting toward the window.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then—another scrape.
Roy swung his legs off the bed, reaching for the baseball bat he kept beside the door.
Sheila's heart pounded.
Then—
A loud bang.
Someone was trying to break in.
Roy was on his feet in seconds. He grabbed Sheila's hand and pulled her toward the bathroom.
"Lock the door," he ordered.
"But—"
"Now, Sheila!"
Sheila obeyed, shutting herself inside as Roy crept toward the window.
Her breath came in short gasps as she pressed her ear against the door.
Silence.
Then—
CRASH.
Glass shattered.
Sheila stifled a scream.
Her heart pounded wildly. Was Roy okay?
She clenched her fists, debating whether to go out and help him.
Then, a deep voice echoed from the other room.
"Roy… come out and talk like a man."
Sheila's blood turned to ice.
It was Betheul.
---
Face to Face with the Devil
Roy didn't respond immediately.
Sheila could only imagine him standing there, gripping the bat tightly, his body tense and ready.
"Betheul," Roy finally said, his voice cold. "I warned you to stay away."
A chuckle. "And I warned you that this wasn't over."
Sheila pressed her hand against her mouth to keep from gasping.
Betheul had broken into their home.
He was here.
Roy's voice was calm but firm. "You made your point. Now get out."
Betheul tsked. "Come on, Roy. Don't act so tough. We both know how this ends."
Silence.
Then, Roy's voice—sharp and controlled.
"How does this end, Betheul?"
Betheul chuckled. "Simple. Sheila comes with me."
Sheila's breath hitched.
Her fingers curled around the doorknob.
No.
She wasn't going anywhere.
Not again.
Roy's voice was like steel. "That's not happening."
Betheul sighed. "Roy, Roy, Roy… you really think you can keep her from me? That video won't protect you forever."
"Maybe not," Roy said. "But the police will."
A beat of silence.
Then—laughter.
Cold. Cruel.
"The police?" Betheul scoffed. "You think they can touch me? You're more naive than I thought."
Sheila's stomach twisted.
Betheul wasn't afraid.
Not of the law. Not of consequences.
Not of anyone.
She needed to do something.
Before it was too late.
---
A Desperate Move
Sheila took a deep breath and pushed open the bathroom door.
Roy turned sharply, eyes widening. "Sheila—"
She stepped forward, her gaze locked onto Betheul.
"No more games," she said firmly.
Betheul smirked. "Now that's the Sheila I remember."
She clenched her fists. "I'm not the same woman you used to control."
Betheul tilted his head. "Aren't you?"
Sheila's jaw tightened. "I'm not going with you."
Betheul chuckled. "That's cute. You think you have a choice?"
Roy took a step forward, his grip tightening on the bat. "Sheila said no. You need to leave. Now."
Betheul sighed dramatically. "I was hoping to do this the easy way."
Then, in a blur of movement, he pulled out a gun.
Sheila's breath caught.
Roy froze.
The room filled with silence.
"Now," Betheul said smoothly, "why don't we try this again?"
Sheila's pulse pounded in her ears.
This was bad.
Very bad.
Betheul was unpredictable. Dangerous.
And now, he had a weapon.
Roy's eyes darted toward Sheila. He was searching for a plan—any plan.
But Sheila already knew what she had to do.
Her fingers curled around the edge of the side table.
She moved quickly.
With all her strength, she swung the lamp from the table straight at Betheul's head.
CRASH.
The lamp shattered against his skull.
Betheul let out a sharp cry, stumbling backward.
Roy moved instantly, slamming his bat into Betheul's wrist.
The gun clattered to the ground.
Sheila dove for it.
Betheul snarled, clutching his bleeding forehead. "You—!"
Sheila gripped the gun, raising it with shaking hands.
"Don't move," she whispered.
Betheul's eyes darkened.
Roy stepped beside her, breathing heavily.
"You lost," Roy said.
Betheul's lips curled into a smirk—even as blood dripped down his face. "This isn't over, sweetheart."
Sheila's hands trembled, but she held her ground.
"It is for you."
Then—
Sirens.
Loud. Blazing.
The police.
Roy had called them.
Betheul's smirk finally faded.
In the next second, officers burst through the door, guns drawn.
"DROP THE WEAPON!"
Betheul raised his hands slowly, his face unreadable.
But as the police handcuffed him and dragged him away, Sheila caught the last thing he whispered.
"This isn't over, darling."
A chill ran down her spine.
Roy wrapped an arm around her. "It's over, Sheila. He's gone."
Sheila leaned into him, letting out a shaky breath.
But deep inside, she knew…
Betheul wasn't the type to stay locked away forever.
And when he came back—
They would have to be ready.