Chapter 5

~Tamara~

I sighed as I stared at my phone, reading the rejection message repeatedly. It was a message from all the companies I had applied to and short and direct rejections.

“Miss Tamara, sorry, we are not hiring, but when we do, we will contact you.”

It had been almost a week since I last met the alpha king, and it felt like someone was watching me. He had told me he was watching, and he didn’t lie, because I thought the men in black suits in front of the restaurant, close to my house, were all from him. I had thought I could reject him if I could get a job, but that wasn’t the case. Instead of finding a job, everything got worse, and the morning sickness also affected me.

“Are you all right?” Mr. Lan asked me that morning when I started work. “You have been throwing up a lot lately, and if you’re sick, Tamara, you should stay home. Lydia and I can manage, and I’ll also hire more people to join us.”

I shook my head in response. There was no way I could give up yet, not when I had my brother to save and also needed to find a way to reject the king’s proposal. I didn’t want to be someone who was used as a baby-making machine to pay my bills.

What should I do?

There was no one to turn to, and even the banks were unwilling to lend me money since I was already in debt to loan sharks. I had to do something: find a way to get out of debt. I just wished things would work out for me, but it seemed as if fate didn’t like me.

After serving one of the customers that afternoon, I took off my apron and went into the staff resting room, laying my head on the bed. I felt weak from the morning sickness and from working overtime. Since we were past our rush hour, I decided to take a nap, and as I closed my eyes, I fell asleep without realizing how long I had been out until I heard someone yelling my name.

“Tamara!” The voice was so loud that it made me jerk awake from my sleep and jump from the bed, thinking that something terrible had happened. Indeed, something had. “There are people here for you, Tamara!” Lydia shouted. “They are destroying everything!”

I jumped to my feet and rushed out of the room. When I walked into the restaurant, I gasped at the damage. The chairs and doors were broken, too. Everything was scattered, and food was spilled on the ground. Who could have done this? My first thought was the alpha king, but I quickly dismissed the idea; he wouldn’t stoop so low. He was the alpha king and would never do something like this.

Just then, my phone beeped in my pocket. I took it out and saw a message from the loan shark I was owing.

“Hope you like the pleasant surprise. The next thing we will be coming for is your heart.”

My eyes widened as I read the message. They even added an axe emoji to the message; I knew they meant business. I had no idea what I was supposed to do at that moment.

I looked at Mr. Lan, and he was staring back at me. I could see the sadness in his eyes, all because of me. He was a kind man and didn’t deserve any of this. He had always treasured his restaurant; none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been there.

“Let’s clean up!” Mr. Lan instructed, and Lydia and I acted as we cleaned the restaurant. After we finished cleaning, the sky had turned dark, and it was time to close.

“Goodnight, everyone,” Lydia waved as she left the restaurant. Just as I was about to walk out, Mr. Lan called me.

“Tamara,” he said, handing me an envelope. “It is sad to see you go,” he told me, and I heaved a deep sigh, knowing this was bound to happen. I had been a burden, and on top of that, I had caused great damage to his restaurant. “You are just like a daughter to me, and I know that you are facing many problems so that I won’t be charging you for the damages done to the restaurant. That’s also why I am giving you this,” he pushed the envelope into my hands. “We have come a long way, but this restaurant is my life, and if anything happens to it, there will be no way to feed my family, and you know how important they are to me,” he said, and I nodded in response. “You are always welcome to return once you have resolved your problems, but for now, you must leave, Tamara.”

I lowered my head as I felt tears streaming down my face. The only job I had to survive was finally gone, and now I was left with nothing. There was no way for me to pay my brother’s bill. I was alone again, with no one to rely on. “Mr. Lan, thank you for this and everything you have done for me,” I sniffled. “I will never forget you for everything you have done for me, and I am sorry I put your restaurant in trouble,” I told him, smiling at him before leaving. “Thank you once again, Mr. Lan,” I said, leaving the restaurant with that. Once outside, I burst into tears. I walked to a corner where I wouldn’t be seen and let out all my sorrow as I cried.

Why me? I had to face all of this because my parents had died, my boyfriend put me in debt, and my brother was sick. I had never known rest, and even when I thought I might find happiness, I was proven wrong. Life has become even more complicated with a baby on the way.

I had no idea what to do. I was at my wit’s end. My phone started ringing in my pocket, and I quickly answered without checking the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Tamara,” said the doctor. “There is a heart ready for your brother, but we’re waiting for the surgery payment. We must operate soon,” he told me.

I took a deep breath and tried not to scream. This was yet another problem. My brother could die if I didn’t act fast. “Alright, doctor, I’ll take care of it,” I told him, though I knew I could do nothing. I ended the call and walked toward my house, which was only a few blocks away.

As I walked, I observed the people around me. A child happily jumped as her mother held her hand, a couple kissed on a bench along the walkway, and a girl entered her car while on the phone, smiling at whoever she was speaking to. They all seemed to have perfect lives, making me wonder if I was the only one with problems.

I stared at the sky and frowned. The sky was dark, yet the stars shone brightly, illuminating the night. All I wished for was my life to be a little brighter, just like the stars in the sky.

When I got to my house, I was met with another surprise—far worse than I imagined. All my belongings were outside my apartment. I rushed toward my apartment and noticed the door was open. That was when I heard the landlord’s voice.

“Get her things out of my house!” he yelled at the men removing my belongings.

“What are you doing?” I shouted as I walked in.

“Oh, she’s here,” the landlord laughed. “Since you ignored my texts, I believe it’s time for you to leave. Also...” He paused when he noticed the envelope in my hand. I hadn’t put it inside my bag because it was a treasure.

“So, you have money,” the landlord exclaimed as he snatched the envelope from my hand. “How dare you hoard your money while you owe me rent!” He shoved me backward against the wall and pulled out the money.

“Please don’t!” I shouted as I tried to retrieve the money, but the men restrained me. I was helpless as I watched the landlord count my hard-earned money and then laugh.

“This will cover my rent and the damages you’ve caused me,” he chuckled before ordering the men, “Throw her out of here!”

The men grabbed my hands and began to drag me out as I screamed for my money.

“I will pay you, but not that much money! I worked hard for it!” I shouted.

The landlord pointed at himself. “I also worked hard to build this house and was patient enough to let you stay here. But this is the end!”

I growled and struggled against the men holding my arms. “Let me go!” I screamed, on the verge of shifting to my wolf form. I couldn’t allow the landlord to take my hard-earned money so quickly, but the men holding me were stronger than I expected.

They threw me out of the house, and I fell to the ground, my arms instinctively wrapping around my stomach. I groaned in pain and managed to stand up, then shouted at the landlord, “Give me back my money!” I walked towards the house again, determined not to give up.

The landlord laughed. “I’ll break your bones if you come any closer,” he warned, but I ignored him and continued. Just as I was about to reach him, a man appeared out of nowhere and stepped in front of me.

I gasped in surprise as he faced me. “Please step back, my lady. The alpha king has sent me to bring you to him.”

“The al...pha...,” I stammered, looking around and spotting the black car parked across from the house. He had been watching me. I felt embarrassed, not wanting him or anyone else to see me in this state.

“But...”

“I will take care of this, my lady,” the man said while another man in a suit approached me, bowing his head. “The alpha king is waiting for you,” he informed me. I nodded, and he led me to the car. As we walked, my heart raced. I knew it was because of him—the alpha king. He was the one making me feel this way.

“Please,” the man said as he opened the car door. I bowed my head and entered.

“Your—” I began to greet him, but he interrupted me.

“What is your decision, Tamara?” he asked, his face illuminated by the car light. “What decision have you made? Will you suffer or agree to my terms?”

I lowered my head, tears filling my eyes. I sniffled and looked back at my old apartment, watching the landlord being confronted by the king’s men. My belongings were scattered outside. There was nothing else for me again. I took a deep breath. This was the only option. I had no other means of making money for my brother. I had to agree to become his surrogate.

“Yes, Your Highness, I agree,” I muttered. This was the only choice I had to set things right.