MTLNOVEL Chapter 1: chapter one: I did what I had to do
Laila sat in the cold, sterile interrogation room, her wrists cuffed to the metal table. Her face was a mask of anger and frustration.
Investigator Jameson leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers. "You tried to murder your sister's boyfriend, David Harley. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Laila's expression didn't waver. "I wish he had died," she said, her voice cold and detached.
The investigator's eyes narrowed. "You're not even sorry? You're not feeling any guilt?"
Laila's anger simmered just below the surface. "He should have died. He deserves to die."
Investigator Jameson's face darkened. "What is wrong with you? Don't you have any empathy?"
Laila's gaze never wavered. "I did what I had to do. And I'd do it again if I had the chance."
Investigator Jameson's expression turned stern. "I have to charge you with attempted murder. You're being charged as an adult, which means you're facing felony charges. Do you realize you're sixteen and do you realize the gravity of what you've done?"
He paused, his eyes boring into mine. "You tried to kill somebody. It's life or death. Your sister's boyfriend. Do you realize the gravity of your offense?"
His voice rose, emphasizing the severity of the situation. "You could be charged with a crime punishable by death."
Investigator Jameson slammed his hand on the table, his face red with anger. "How can you be so unmoved and confident?" he demanded. "You should be crying and begging for mercy, saying you didn't mean to hurt him."
Leila's expression didn't waver.
"No matter what anybody might have done to you, it's wrong to take the law into your own hands," Investigator Jameson lectured. "You could have reported him to the police or told your family."
He shook his head, disgust etched on his face. "I'm not buying this bullshit," he muttered, storming out of the room.
As he left, he barked orders to his team. "Get her a good lawyer and assign a female investigator to the case. I'm done with this."
The female investigator assigned to the case walked in, her eyes fixed on Leila's face. She placed her hand on the table, her expression a mask of calmness.
"Oh, so you're the psychopath they've been talking about," she said, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity.
Leila's smile faltered, and her eyes flashed with anger. "How could you call me a psychopath? I'm only sixteen!"
The investigator's expression remained unreadable. "I've seen worse at your age," she said, her voice firm but measured.
Leila's confidence began to crumble, and her voice trembled. "You can't call me a psychopath! You're a human being! Would you call your own children psychopaths?"
The investigator's expression softened slightly, but her eyes remained piercing. "My children can remember this conversation," she said, her voice low and even.
Leila's face contorted in anguish, and she burst into tears. Her confident facade crumbled, revealing a vulnerable and scared teenager.
"I'm not the psychopath!" Leila sobbed, her body shaking with emotion. "David is the psychopath! He's a monster, a devil in sheep's clothing!"
The investigator's voice was laced with a mix of shock and concern. "And you decided to take the law into your hands, to kill him? What made you think of such a thing at your age? Was it a movie, was it friends? How can you be so cold, baby girl?" She leaned forward, her eyes locked intensely on Leila's face.
Leila's voice trembled as she spoke, her words barely above a whisper. "People made me cold," she said, tears streaming down her face. "David pushed me to such an extent, and I had to do it. If not me, who would? He's a devil, but he roams freely, disguised as an innocent person." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"My older sister, Soraya, won't believe anything I say because she's so in love with him. She's blind to his true nature, and I've tried to warn her so many times. But she just won't listen." Leila's voice cracked with emotion.
The investigator's expression softened slightly, but she remained silent, allowing Leila to continue.
"And I hate the police!" Leila shouted, her tears turning to sobs. "Why is the guy who killed my parents released on parole? Why? He killed two people! He took away my family, my sense of security. And yet, he gets to walk free?"
Leila's body shook with rage and grief. "When my second sister, Vanessa, was victimized and committed suicide, what did the police do? Nothing worthy of justice! They just swept it under the rug, ignored our cries for help. And now, I'm supposed to trust them to protect my family from David?" Leila's voice was laced with venom and disgust.
The investigator leaned forward, her eyes locked intensely on Leila's face. "So, why did you do it?"