Larry wants Sharra to take control over Bethany now, realizing that staying with Bethany was the biggest mistake he ever made. read more
The late afternoon sun sliced through the blinds, casting long shadows across the room. Larry sat on the edge of the couch, his fingers tugging at his hair, trying to hold himself together. His thoughts churned—Brooke… Sharra… fragments of memories of her mother, his ex-wife, crashing together like waves. He had always loved Brooke, but now, strangely, remnants of old feelings for her mother—his ex—were clawing at his mind.
Bethany, sitting across the room, scrolled on her phone, her lips tight, eyes sharp. She was like a predator, always on the hunt for anything that might give her control. She didn’t just dislike Larry; she had never liked him. And it wasn’t just because of him—it was because of Sharra and Brooke. Bethany always found a way to make them feel small, to remind them that she was the one in charge.
Sharra, however, was a force of nature. She paced the room, her energy fierce, her eyes set on something beyond the walls of this small, claustrophobic apartment. “Brooke, we can’t wait any longer. Chicago isn’t going to wait for us,” she snapped, the words cutting through the air like a knife.
Brooke, clutching her bag, shifted uncomfortably. “I know, Sharra… but every time we try, Bethany…” She trailed off, her voice barely above a whisper, laden with frustration. “She ruins everything.”
Sharra stopped pacing, her eyes burning with resolve. “Let her try. I’m not letting anyone stop me. Not her, not anyone.”
Larry watched them from the corner of the room, his chest tightening. A storm was brewing, one that he couldn’t control. “Maybe… maybe I should tell her how I feel,” he muttered under his breath, his words heavy with uncertainty. “Maybe then she’d understand. Maybe I could help…” But the thought died before it could take root. Bethany’s sharp words echoed in his mind, mocking his every impulse.
Earlier that morning, Larry had left a stack of cash on the bed. Just enough to cover their trip to Chicago. A silent gesture of help, something he hoped Bethany wouldn’t notice. But Bethany had a way of noticing everything.
Brooke had been the first to find it. Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face. “Sharra… Larry left this? Is this… for us?”
Sharra’s frown deepened, though there was a flicker of hesitation. “Take it, Brooke. We need it if we’re going to make this trip worth it. But be careful… Bethany can’t find out.”
Brooke nodded, her excitement fighting with a knot of anxiety. “Okay… okay, we can do this. But… what if Larry finds out we took it?”
Sharra gave her a wry, almost mischievous smile. “He won’t. Trust me.”
Larry paced near the window, feeling the walls close in. “If Bethany finds out… everything will explode,” he muttered, his mind racing with terrifying scenarios. “I can’t let that happen.”
Bethany’s instincts were sharp. She could feel something was shifting, though she couldn’t yet put her finger on it. Her phone buzzed, and her gaze shot to it, the storm inside her eyes intensifying. Something was coming. She could feel it.
Meanwhile, Brooke and Sharra whispered in hurried, urgent tones. “Do you think Larry knows we took the money?” Brooke’s voice trembled with uncertainty.
Sharra shook her head, her voice low, but firm. “No. He doesn’t. But we can’t afford to be careless now. Not with her watching.”
The tension in the room thickened, a momentary silence hanging in the air like a string pulled too tight. Larry’s heart ached, caught between wanting to warn them, to help them, and knowing that stepping in might only make things worse. Sharra had always been fiercely independent. And with Bethany always lurking like a shadow, Larry felt his own sense of helplessness growing.
Brooke clutched the money like a lifeline, eyes bright with a mixture of hope and fear. “Sharra… we actually might pull this off. Chicago… here we come.”
Sharra’s eyes softened for a moment, but the worry never fully left her. “Yes… but remember, this isn’t just about fun. Every step we take, Bethany is watching. One mistake, and everything could fall apart.”
Larry paused, a cold realization settling in: he wanted Sharra. Not just as Brooke’s protector, not just as a friend, but in a way that terrified him. The thought was a knot in his stomach. He had made his choice years ago—he had married Bethany. And now, with every passing moment, he was beginning to see just how badly he had screwed up.
He had left Sharra behind, her independence, her strength. He had allowed Bethany’s control to cage him. He regretted it, deeply. But what could he do now? His marriage to Bethany, for all its faults, had seemed the safe choice. Now, with Sharra and Brooke slipping through his fingers, he was beginning to see the truth. He had never wanted Bethany. He had wanted to feel safe. And now that safety felt like a prison.
Bethany’s phone buzzed again. Her eyes snapped to it, suspicion etched deep into her face. Something was changing. She didn’t know what, but she felt it. She stood up abruptly, scanning the room like a hawk.
Brooke leaned in to Sharra, her voice barely above a whisper. “Are we ready? Do you think we can pull this off?”
Sharra nodded. Her gaze, sharp and calculating, locked on the door. “No matter what happens… we stick together.”
Larry stood by the door now, his voice low, strained. “Sharra… Brooke… be careful.”
Sharra met his gaze, her eyes holding a brief moment of vulnerability. For a heartbeat, everything paused. A thousand unspoken words seemed to hover in the space between them—feelings Larry had never dared express, desires that might never be realized. “We will,” she said softly, her mind already racing toward Chicago, freedom, and the unknown.
Brooke clutched her bag tighter, feeling the weight of the money. It wasn’t just cash. It was hope. Freedom. The first step toward a life they could claim as their own. Yet, even as they prepared to leave, the shadows of Bethany’s control, and Larry’s unspoken regrets, hung over them like an impending storm.
As the car pulled away, Sharra glanced at Brooke, her voice low but resolute. “No matter what, we face it together.”
Brooke nodded, her own resolve settling in. “Always.”
Inside the apartment, Larry stood frozen, watching them disappear into the distance. A thousand questions gnawed at him: Would Bethany find out about the money? Would Sharra and Brooke be safe? Could he still confess his feelings before it was too late?
The answers were uncertain. Like distant thunder, the storm was coming. And no one knew how—or when—it would strike.