I was trapped in the car, with people slamming on the car door and window outside. The sounds of their cursing and questioning sent me down into a spiral, It was a suffocating feeling. Slowly, the noises from the outside began to fade away, and I could only hear my own heartbeat and breathing.
A loud crash pierced through my ears. Someone had smashed the car windows on purpose, and shards of glass scraped past my cheeks. The metallic scent of blood wafted through the air, and I could feel someone yanking at me.
âRun, Stephie! Donât worry about me!â
âRun, Stephie!â
Sounds of barking were mixed among the clamoring and curses.
âYou have been naughty, Stephanie. You are too ruthless. Everyone has someone that they care about.
How would you feel if something you cared for died in front of your eyes?â
âYou lack empathy, so you canât understand other peopleâs pain. Thatâs not right.â
âYou liked Georgie very much, right? Kill it, Stephanie. Kill it, and feel the pain of a normal person.â
âHow does it feel to have your beloved dog die in front of you, Stephanie?*
I yelled, âDonât touch me! Donât touch me! Leave!â
Everyone seemed to hold their breaths suddenly, and the clamoring noises around soon died down.
When I came back to my senses, I found myself standing outside of the car and my hands covered in / blood.
I was probably dragged out by someone else. Did I get hurt? I did not. The blood covering my face, body, and my hands were not mine. Everyone around me was shocked to silence as they looked at me.
Only then did I realize that there was a man lying on the ground, covered in blood. It was the man from earlierâthe one who had clamored the loudest, and was looking for a chance to kill the baby inside me.
âStephie!â Michael punched a man to the ground on the other side. His breath was quick as he looked at 1. me.
*She killed him!â Chaos erupted immediately after a moment of silence. The woman from earlier was screaming at the top of her lungs as she accused me of murder.
Ewan and Joel pushed away those who were blocking their way and ran over.
âWhere did the knife come from?â I asked anxiously as my heartbeat quickened.
âIt was his knife. He wanted to stab you amidst the chaos,â Michael replied, nervously holding onto my shoulders. âBut Stephie-
272 âYouâre so cruel! You were stabbing him repeatedly, you devil!â the woman from earlier screamed.
The surrounding crowd started calling the police and dialed 911.
âThat man wanted to kill you!â One of the selfâmedia photographers had been live streaming the entire time.
She said, âI saw it! He dragged you out of the car and was about to stab you with the knife amidst the chaos. You took his knife over and stabbed him back!â
âSheâs right! He was the one who wanted to kill you first!â
People started to stand up for me. I looked at them blankly. I suspected that all these media reporters were arranged by Steven and Ewan. It was impossible for them to be taking my side otherwise.
âCome with me, Stephie, I will bail you out- Michael said as he looked at me nervously. âYou went a little too far even if it was for justifiable selfâdefense.â
I knew that Michael was afraid and thought that I had gone overboard. The man was only planning to stab me once, but I had taken over his knife and stabbed him repeatedly for over ten times.
âI will sue you and send you to prison! You wretched devil! You need to pay with your life!â The woman from before and the other relatives were crying and screaming on the ground. It was as if the man was already dead.
I looked at the convulsing man who was covered in blood. I said hoarsely, âHeâs not dead yet.â