Chapter 9 - The Unraveling
Sterling’s facade finally shattered. The smooth, charming prince disappeared, replaced by a cornered predator.
"You went through my room," he snarled, stepping away from the counter and balling his fists. "You touched the floorboards, didn't you?"
Bernice looked back and forth between us, confusion clouding her faded eyes. "What floorboards? Sterling, what is she talking about?"
"Shut up, old woman!" Sterling roared, turning on our mother with a ferocity that made her physically recoil into her chair.
Bernice gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Never in forty years had Sterling raised his voice to her in that tone. He had always been her gentle, misunderstood angel. The sheer venom in his voice struck her like an open-handed slap across the face.
"Sterling...?" she whimpered, her voice trembling. "What did you say?"
"I said shut your mouth!" Sterling screamed, his veins bulging against his neck. He turned back toward me, his face twisted in rage. "You think you're clever, Elaine? You think you can ruin this for me? I lost two hundred grand to Sal's crew! They're coming for my kneecaps on Friday! If I don't get that insurance payout by the end of the month, I am a dead man!"
The confession hung in the air, echoing off the stained kitchen tiles and the yellowed wallpaper.
Bernice’s face drained of every remaining drop of color. She slumped back into the armchair, her eyes wide with uncomprehending horror. "Insurance payout...? Sterling... what insurance?"
"The policy on your miserable, useless life!" Sterling shouted, completely out of control now. "You were going to die of a heart attack in a year or two anyway! What difference does a couple of months make? You ruined my life! You gave me everything, but it was never enough to keep up with the people I ran with! You owe me this house, and you owe me that money!"
He lunged forward, grabbing the mason jar from the counter and attempting to smash it against the cast-iron radiator to destroy the evidence.
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"Warren! Stop him!" I screamed.
Warren moved like lightning. He tackled Sterling around the waist, slamming him against the kitchen table with a resounding crash of breaking porcelain.
