The guests and everybody had left by the time Alanna finished changing out of her wedding gown. Her family hadn't even bothered to wait for her, seeing as the car they had all arrived in wasn't parked anymore. "You will be fine won't you," Sienna came to stand beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She smiled, even though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thank you Sia and you really don't have to worry, I'll be alright," the words sounded fake even to her own ears but at this point her best friend looked like she needed to hear it more than her. "Let me drop you off at your house then," she offered but Alanna shook her head, refusing the offer. "I can go on my own and I already know how busy you are so I won't be selfish in taking your time," she said, her voice a little strained from all the crying she had done earlier. Sienna looked sceptical about the whole arrangement but Alanna managed to convince her, promising to give her a call as soon as she got home.
The smile she had been keeping up faltered the moment Sia's car sped out of the place, the brave appearance dissolving like salt in water. She had nowhere to go and she knew for a fact that her uncle wasn't going to accept her back at his house in the midst of all these accusations. Regardless, she couldn't just rely on what ifs and made up her mind to go back to that house. She took a cab home and the drive was devastating because all she could think of was the many scenarios that could happen once she got to the house. And the more she thought, the worser it got every time. They finally arrived and she got out of the car, staring at the huge mansion before her. This house had never given her any comfort, and looking at it now it brought nothing but dread in the pit of her stomach. Willing herself she took a step forward and then another and before long she was making her way into the house. She was greeted by the security and she nodded in response, lacking the strength to even open her mouth. Entering the living room, five pair of eyes stared back at her and it had her on edge. "What are you doing here?" The question was cold, unfeeling as if telling her this wasn't a place she belonged so she better leave. Her uncle's daughter Britney, was the one who asked the question. She wasn't at the wedding but guess she had already been briefed on what had happened already. "I didn't know you were back Britney," she tried ignoring her earlier question, walking in further into the house with a little smile on her lips. "That wasn't the response to my question," Britney took a decisive stance, narrowing her eyes at her.
Alanna pursed her lips, the answer to the question stuck in her throat. "I don't understand," she managed to say instead.
"You're suspected of murder Alanna and if we entertain you in this house you'll sully our reputation. We don't want to be deemed as your accomplices," her uncle said casually as if he was reading a piece of writing. "So what you're trying to say is...that I'm no longer welcomed in this house?" Her tone was in denial, her light green eyes staring incredulously at the people in the room. They all averted their gaze, not wanting to meet her eyes and there wasn't a single person among them who was ready to refute her uncle's words. "Grandfather, even you?" If Alanna was disappointed in anyone it wasn't her uncle or aunt but her grandfather. The man who was supposed to be her father's father. He hadn't spoken up for her when the marriage was arranged, didn't find it degrading and an insult that his granddaughter was going to marry a man who was the same age as him. Either way, she had decided to not take it to heart but now these people were abandoning her and the one person she thought had a little care in him for her refused to look at her for more than 5 seconds. Alanna burst into laughter, the others in the room staring at her like she was losing her mind. "I'm no longer useful to you so I'm no longer allowed to live in this house?" Nobody said anything to this and Alanna received the message clear and square. For someone who was being sacked from her only place of shelter she looked eerily calm and it had chills running down their spine at the silent dead look in her eyes. It was unnerving. "Do I need your permission to pack my things too?" None of them spoke and she made her way upstairs to her room. Opening the door, she looked around the small space she had considered her safe heaven, tears glistening in her eyes at the nostalgia the room held. Sniffing away her tears, she made her way to the closest to pack her things. She didn't have a lot of clothes so it was easier to stuff everything in one bag. She opened the drawer beside her bed, taking out the picture she had held onto all these years. It was a picture of her parents, smiling at each other with nothing but love in their gazes. She held it to her chest and hugged it, hoping for it to give her the needed courage she needed at this point. She put the picture in her bag and zipped it. Looking at the room one last time, she slowly made her way out. The people downstairs hadn't dispersed and they all stared at her like she had grown a third eye. She didn't bother saying anything to them as whatever relationship they had had already been broken. Before she could walk out of the house, she felt the bag she was holding being snatched away and she turned to find Britney, unzipping the bag and hurling the things in it on the floor. "What are you doing?" Alanna shouted, looking at her clothes strewn all and about on the floor. "Making sure you didn't steal anything," Britney said, using her stilettos to search through her things. It was degrading. "I didn't steal anything," Alanna had had enough, bending down and gathering her clothes to be put back in her bag. "From here onwards you're no longer my family. I don't know any of you and I hope it stays like that forever no matter what," she declared, making sure everyone heard her crisp and clear. "As if you'd ever be good enough to come back to this family," her aunt sneered and the mother and daughter pair both burst into laughter.
"If you're found guilty of the old man's death, do not compromise this family. We won't go down with you," the words hurt more than it was supposed to because they weren't coming from a stranger but an uncle who was directly related to her father. A man she had been entrusted to by her parents who thought they had left her in good hands. She didn't reply to his statement and rather turned to leave. To think this was actually her parents house and she couldn't even fight for it. She felt disappointed in her own self but there was nothing she could do. She wondered if her parents could see what was happening from wherever they were. She had nowhere to go, nobody to call and nothing she could do. She walked the streets, her bag strung on her shoulder with no destination in mind. It was dark and the coldness of the night made her shiver. The weather wasn't looking very good either and she had to find a safe place. She could call Sienna but she really didn't want to be a bother. As she continued to contemplate what to do, she felt a teardrop of rain fall on her eye and another and then another and before long it was raining down on her. She had to find shelter for the mean time. Looking around her, she spotted a convenience store that had already been closed and she ran to shield herself from the rain. Her clothes were wet and clung to her like a second skin. She rummaged through her bag and found a hoodie that was usable at the moment and wore it on her clothes. The rain was intense and if it continued she could well and probably stand in front of the convenient store till morning. She took out her phone, going through her contacts to see if there was anyone she could call but there wasn't. With a dejected sigh, she sunk to the floor and sat on her heels, tears pooling in her eyes.
She wished she could just scream her lungs out and let it all out because it felt too suffocating. She was drowning and there wasn't anyone who could help her. She really had to call someone. Taking out her phone again, she stared at the name of the only person she could call. This was the last time she was going to ask her for help because she felt she was being too much of a nuisance. It's not everyday she had to be dependent on others. Within a breath, she tapped on the dial pad and the call went through. "Allie," she heard her voice through the phone and it took everything in her to not cry. "My family has abandoned me," she said, the words weighing between them. "Oh my gosh Allie, where are right now. I'm coming to get you," she sounded panicky over the phone and heard rustling as if she was rushing to get to where she was. She shared her location, with Sienna promising to be there within 10 minutes. It was raining and she also needed to take her time in driving. A car stopped in front of the convenience store after a while and Sienna quickly stepped out of it. "Oh Allie," she felt heartbroken to see her best friend in that state and went over to hug her. Without saying anything, she took her bag and led her to the car, opening her side of the door and helping her sit. Sia sat behind the wheel and drove them out of there.
"Her friend has come for her," a man said, looking behind to the backseat to convey the message. The person the message was relayed to just hummed. He stared out of the car's glass window, looking at the very spot Alanna had been few minutes ago. "How troublesome," he clicked his tongue, his eyes narrowing slightly. The car that had been right across the street from where she had been since the time she stood in front of the convenience store sped away from the scene too, leaving behind no trace of their earlier presence.