The money was gone…
I looked around everywhere—under the bed, in the drawer, in every nook and cranny—but I could not find it.
It felt like my heart had stopped, everything around me started spinning, and I wasn't able to think straight…
I tried remembering everything from the start of the deal to the end, but I wasn't able to remember after I blacked out on the door.
Did I drop it? No, it was in front of me the whole time, but then what happened?
–
The sweat covered the boy's face, and the color started fading from his skin. He grabbed his hair and started pulling it. The anger and frustration mixed with fear clouded his reasoning.
With heavy breaths, he started spinning around, turning everything upside down.
While he was yelling and screaming in his room, there was a pleasant start to the day for the others in the house.
His mother, Elaine, was making breakfast for his younger brother, Cainan, a prodigy who entered university at 16 years old, and now he was getting ready for his university 4th semester exams.
He was the opposite of Daniel; while the average-looking Daniel was just another guy for people, Cainan was a charm in their eyes.
An adorable face and eyes but a thin build made people around him cater to his needs, which got them kindness in return too.
The whole family was proud of him except one…
While his father, Brett, read the newspaper just like every day with a grin on his face looking at Cainan, he was the perfect son for him.
And there was the grandfather, Andrew, who walked out of his room with a pen in his hand.
"Wait, lad! Take this; I just got the ink last night and refilled it for you! Go on and ace it!" The old man smirked, tapping his shoulder.
"You don't need to ask him to do that; he can top his papers without any effort, you know!" The father chuckled with puffed chest; soon the mother brought a plate of eggs and toast with a mug of coffee.
"Now, now, don't jinx it! Let him eat!" She gave another mug to Grandfather and sat down beside Andrew.
Suddenly Andrew's face turned grim, like he remembered something he was trying to avoid.
"So, did he wake up?" His eyes were still stuck on the newspaper.
"If he had, he would've come down to eat. I am doing everything for him, but… but I don't know where we went wrong with him…" She sighed while taking a sip.
"Just give him time; he'll figure it out. If not, then it is bound for kids to learn from their mistakes. I am also done yelling at him; if I do anything more than that, then people will start blaming me for his mental problems."
"Brother doesn't have any mental problems!" Cainan slapped his hands on the table, he glared at his parents with pity, and he knew that they've done everything, at least that's what they think…
He grabbed his bag and left uneaten food on his table.
"Boy! Come back! His grandfather called for him, "How many times do I need to tell you to not talk about him in front of him? That child starts to worry about that loafer more than himself. I don't know where the fuck he was last night. I heard some noise and came out of my room just to see Cainan dragging him to his room. He must've drunk again. In my times I would've cut both his legs, but you—
You both just avoid him like a typhoon. What you did was for his own good, and if he doesn't get that, then he is a dumbass." Andrew talked like a senile old man whenever someone talked about Daniel.
While this was happening, Deniel made a mess of his room.
"Not here, not here, not here, not here, here too. Where is it?"
"Thump!*
Boom!
Whack!
There were loud crashes, but no one gave a damn…
Daniel came running out of his room and stood before the dining table his parents were sitting at.
"Did any of you come into my room and take anything?" He glared at them while panting, but his parents' gaze was indifferent.
"Why would we come to your room? Just to get yelled at by you?" His father didn't move his eyes, and his mother looked at him with pity.
"Are you hungry? Why don't we talk about this while eating?" She stood up, and Daniel slammed the table.
"I don't want your food! Just give me my money!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.
Hearing his voice, Andrew walked to the living room like a charging bull…
"Listen up, brat, the house is still under my name, and if you don't clean up your act, you won't get a single penny!
How fucking dare you ask for money in my house! Living like a leech! You're 18 for fuck's sake; just get a job if you need money, don't yell in my—"
"I don't want your money! I WANT MY MONEY! WHICH ONE OF YOU TOOK IT FROM MY BAG? GIVE IT NOW! GIVE ME MY 1 MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH I EARNED!" Daniel yelled, and the whole room went silent.
"Bahahahahaha!" Andrew burst out laughing, "You earned how much? 1 million dollars! Bahahahha!"
Joining his father, Brett left a giggle. "Son, are you doing drugs now too? There's no way you can have that much money; just stop this and leave us alone."
"Daniel, why don't you take a bath? Maybe then you'll think clearly. Maybe you just had a bad dream." His mother lowered his gaze like she feared what his father said was true.
"You don't believe me? Of course, why will you? You all just want to get rid of me!" Daniel was holding back tears, and then his grandfather slapped him.
Even at 60, as a retired army officer, Andrew had a solid build.
"Get the fuck out of my house! Once you learn to be a good kid, I'll…
// I'll accept you as the member of this family // -Lie-
It was another lie. Daniel ran out of his home calling Jade…
"The number you are trying to call is not in service; please try later."
Pick up!
The number you are trying to call is not in service; please try—"
Pick up! You bastard!
"The number you are trying to call is not in service; please try—"
Daniel ran, searched, asked, and begged everywhere to find Jade…
His room was vacant, like he vanished.
Daniel realized that the culprit was none other than Jade…
His fate was sealed if he didn't give Mali his money…
Only hell awaits him.
Thus he crossed the railings on the bridge and tried to end it all, but somehow he woke up on his bed again.
"Brother, are you okay?" Cainan entered his room with a bowl of soup.
"I am not—" Daniel was still reeling back to reality; everything was like a nightmare for him.
"Thank goodness, the night before yesterday you drank so much I was worried. I took you to the room silently so anyone wouldn't catch you, and last night you were lying on the side of the river, completely wet—"
"Were you the one who took me to my room that night?"