"My husband hits me." Ellen said suddenly while we were all out having dinner."I am sorry, but did I get that right? Did you say that your husband hits you?" I asked, already feeling anger take a hold of me."He hits me, Girls! He hits me hard." Ellen repeated, breaking into tears as Mila and Martha held her."How long has this been going on for, Ellen?" Sophia asked, sounding irredeemably angry. She and I were both teh protectors of our friendship group. We were the ones ready at any time to fight to the death for our other friends."From the first day. He said something funny and I laughed, and he hit me hard in the belly for daring to laugh to his face." Ellen narrated painfully. "I have had three miscarriages since we got married, and I am afraid that he will beat my womb out of my body someday soon. Please, help me, girls, help me!" Ellen shouted, as her te
The Alpha King started complaining about my incessant outings with the girls. He was feeling abandoned and left out. I laughed at his complaints and good-naturedly reassured him of my love and promised to do better. But he did not seem to take my word for it."If Xavier is not cheating on me already, he soon will." I said to the girls after yet another successful meeting and they looked over at me with pity in their eyes.The Alpha King's complaints continued to weigh heavily on my mind, and I found myself constantly thinking of ways to make it up to him. I cancelled plans with the girls and spent more time with him, hoping to quell his fears and reassure him of my love.But despite my efforts, he still seemed distant and withdrawn. One night, as we lay in bed together, I finally worked up the courage to confront him."Xavier, what's wrong? Why do you seem so u
Imagine the shock on my face when Becky reached out to see that my parents wanted to speak with me. I was almost certain that it was a trap, except that I decided that I wanted it to be over and done with, so I took a chance and I went for this emergency sit-down in the home where I grew up.My parents looked way older than I expected them to be in just seven years. My mother shook uncontrollably as she stood in front of me, crying bitterly. I felt my heart break in pity of her because I knew all that she had to endure for staying married to my father."Clara…" My father called out, and I looked away from him. Looking at him brought back some very painful and ugly memories."I am so sorry," he said, and I could feel his belt landing on my face, my belly, my legs. "I was wrong for what I did to you." I relived his dragging my mother along for my hasty burial.
The Queen mother approached me for a conversation she said she felt needed to be had. I was tired and not in the mood for a conversation, but I honored her invitation to her room and we talked."There is nit even one pup running around here ever since you have been married to my son, Xavier. Attus moved out, and has since gotten some pups in his name. You know that his position as Alpha King is greatly threatened by the fact that he does not have an heir right? What is really going on?" She said, and I felt myself run back into my shell, as I sat looking at her."I don't know what to say, Queen mother. Xavier and I have been trying, and I believe that the moon goddess would bless us with a pup when she is ready for us to have one." I said soberly, looking down at my hands clasped in my laps."Have you at least seen a fertility doctor to ensure that all is well with you?" She pried,
Motherhood was very different from everything that I Baby pected it to be. I loved Orion and Luna with all my heart, body and soul, but the endlessness of motherhood soon started to weigh on me."I am always eBaby hausted recently, Baby . I really don't know if I can continue with this for much longer. I never eBaby pected motherhood to be so utterly draining." I said to the Alpha King in bed as I heard Orion crying from the nursery. The nanny would take care of it, but jsut hearing the cry always seemed to tear at my heart strings."Motherhood is indeed endless, my darling. And you can take breaks, but you always have to return to it for your children's sake." The Alpha King replied, while scrolling through his iPad, not even looking at me."Oh really? And fatherhood is what eBaby actly?" I asked, getting angry again at how he seemed to leave most of the parenting to me, eBa
"Mummy!" was all I heard before I woke up sharply with my chest heaving. Something was wrong with one of my babies."What is it?" I kept asking over and over again as I woke up and looked around the dark room in fear."It's alright, Baby. It's jsut a bad dream…" The Alpha King kept saying, patting my back soothingly and kissing my head until I relaxed into his arms and my breathing normalized.I was almost falling back asleep when there was a heavy pounding on the room door. I sat up quickly and ran to the door, opening it up feverishly while the Alpha King stood solidly behind me, ready to defend me if he had to."Luna! It's Orion!" The nanny said simply, and I looked down at the limo child in her hands. My nightmare had crawled into my reality."Doctor! Is he okay?" I kept asking our family doctor after he
I met up with Attus on his request at a hidden restaurant, where we talked about so many different things."Why did you ever hit Martha?" I asked suddenly, trying to understand why someone who was so sweet to me would have ever raised his hands on a woman. "Was all teh sweetness you showed just a facade? Was it all just fake? How did you change so much in so short a time?"Attus looked straight at me for a long time, and I waited for him to say something to me. I saw the tears flood his eyes and then drop down his face freely. Why was he crying?"Why are you crying, Attus? Talk to me please. Do you need to see a therapist?" I asked, becoming very concerned about him."Martha told everyone that I… That I hit her. Of course, everyone believes her. But I… I just did not expect that you would believe her too." Attus said in serious difficu
"I didn't lie," she said softly. "I just… I thought that if I told you the truth, you wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore. I was afraid of losing you."I felt a pang of sympathy for her, but at the same time, I couldn't just ignore the lies. "Martha, I can't continue to be friends with you if I can't trust you," I said firmly. "I need some time to think about what I want to do, but for now, I need to take a step back from our friendship."Martha's expression turned to one of hurt and sadness. "Please don't do this," she pleaded. "I need you in my life. You're one of my closest friends."I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision I had just made. "I'm sorry, Martha," I said softly. "But I need to do what's best for me right now."As I left the coffee shop, I felt a sense of sadness wash over me. It wasn't easy to end a friendship, but I knew tha
I nodded, feeling grateful for her words. "I know, but I just don't know what to do. I feel so trapped."Becky leaned in, her voice soft and reassuring. "You're not trapped, sis. You always have options, even if they're not immediately clear. And remember, the only way to move forward is one step at a time."I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of clarity wash over me. "You're right. I need to take things one step at a time. And right now, that means figuring out how to make things better for myself."Becky smiled, her eyes filled with pride. "That's the spirit. We'll figure it out together. And if you need to stay here for a while, that's perfectly fine. You're always welcome here."I nodded, feeling a sense of relief. "Thank you, Becky. I don't know what I would do without you."We spent the rest of the day talking, laughing, and reminiscing about old times. And as the sun began to set, I felt a sense of hope, of optimism for the future. I knew that I still had a long road ahead of
As I continued on my way, I realized that this was one of the most fulfilling experiences I had had in a long time. Helping to bring people together and create a sense of unity was truly rewarding.But my work was not yet done. There were still external threats to the castle, and we needed to be prepared for anything that might come our way.One day, as I was walking through the castle, I heard the sound of horns in the distance. I immediately ran to the walls to see what was happening.In the distance, I could see a group of raiders approaching the castle, their banners waving in the wind. The guards on the walls were scrambling to prepare for the attack.I knew that we had to act quickly. I raced to the queen's chambers to inform her of the impending attack. She quickly assembled her advisors and knights, and we began to prepare for the defense of the castle.The knights were ready and eager for battle, and the peasants were doing their part as well. They had been trained in basic c
I'm thinking of leaving Xavier again."I said at the nail salon with Mila and Ellen, and they looked over at me with pity in their eyes." Don't look at me like I said I'll drink acid, girls!" I said, and they blinked."The Irene problem, huh?" Mila asked, and I nodded sadly."I don't want to resort to making her life miserable," I replied. "But I just can't take it anymore. She's always making snide remarks and trying to one-up me. And don't even get me started on the baby. It's like Xavier has completely forgotten about me and everything we had."Mila and Ellen exchanged a knowing glance. "Look, we get it," Ellen said. "But have you considered giving Xavier another chance? Maybe he just needs some time to come around and realize how much he's hurting you.""I've given him plenty of chances," I retorted. "But it's like he doesn't care. And as for Irene, I don't
Attus put a comforting arm around me. "I'm sorry you've been going through all of that," he said. "But you're not alone. I'm here for you, and so are your friends and family."I leaned into him, feeling grateful for his support. "I know," I said. "But sometimes it feels like that's not enough. I feel like I'm trapped here, with no escape."Attus was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. Then he spoke."I know we can't change everything that's going on in the castle," he said. "But we can try to make things better, in our own small way. We can spend more time together, and with our friends. We can support each other, and be there for each other."I looked up at him, feeling hopeful for the first time in a while. "You're right," I said. "We can do that. And maybe, in time, things will get better."Attus smiled at me, his brown eyes warm and reassuring. "I believe they will," he said. "We just have to take things one day at a time, and be there for each other along the way."I nodded, fee
Months flew past like seconds and one night, Irene's loud screams woke the entire castle. She was in labour. Withy how dramatic she was, hse made life a living hell even for the Alpha King who'd had two children with me and never had to suffer so much with me. "I am dying!" She screamed, scratching, punching and kicking everyone and everything in her way. The midwife and nurses quickly arrived at Irene's chambers, trying their best to calm her down and carry her to the delivery room. It was a difficult task, as Irene continued to thrash around, screaming and cursing everyone in sight.Finally, they managed to get her to the delivery room, where she was immediately immersed in a large basin of warm water. Irene had insisted on a water birth, as she claimed it was the most natural and pain-free way to give birth. But as the contractions intensified, she began to regret her decision.The midwife and nurses did their best to support her through the labor, but it soon became clear that th
Irene sneered down at the little girl. "I don't care what you meant. Just stay out of my way from now on, or you'll regret it."Luna ran off, sobbing uncontrollably, and Orion soon found her and asked her what had happened. When Luna told him, he became upset and ran off to find me. When he found me, he told me what had happened and I immediately went to find Irene."Irene, we need to talk," I said firmly, my eyes blazing with anger."What do you want?" Irene snapped, her hand resting protectively on her pregnant belly."I want to know why you slapped my daughter," I replied, trying to keep my voice calm."She got in my way, and I warned her to stay out of it," Irene replied, her voice dripping with disdain."That's not an excuse to hit a child," I said, my voice rising. "You could have hurt her. She's just a little girl.""She should know better than to get in my way," Irene said coldly. "I don't have time for her childish games.""She's just a child!" I exclaimed, my anger getting t
"I'm sorry," I said again, my voice breaking. "I never meant to hurt you. I love you both so much."Luna and Orion clung to me tightly, their tears soaking my hospital gown. I could feel the warmth of their bodies, the beating of their hearts, and I knew that I never wanted to lose them again.As we sat there, huddled together in my hospital bed, I realized just how much I had to be grateful for. Despite my struggles, I still had the love and support of my children, my family, and my friends. And as I looked at Luna and Orion's tear-streaked faces, I knew that I had to do everything in my power to make things right."I promise to do better," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I promise to fight my addiction and be the best mother I can be."Luna looked up at me, her eyes wide with hope. "You mean it, Mommy?""I do," I replied firmly. "I'm going to get better for you and your brother. I want to be here for all the good moments, to watch you grow up and become the amazing people I kn
I lay in the hospital bed, feeling alone and ashamed, and I knew that I had to face my husband and own up to my mistakes. I couldn't continue to hide from him, couldn't continue to avoid the consequences of my actions.As he walked into the room, I could see the anger in his eyes, the disappointment etched on his face. He stood beside my bed, his arms crossed over his chest, and I knew that I was in for a stern lecture.He spoke to me in a voice that was both stern and compassionate, reminding me of my responsibilities as his wife and as the Queen of our kingdom. He told me that my actions had consequences, not just for myself but for our entire kingdom, and that I needed to take responsibility for my mistakes.I listened to his words, feeling the weight of his disappointment bearing down on me. I knew that I had let him down, that I had failed in my duties as his wife and as a leader in our kingdom.But even as he spoke, I could see the love and concern in his eyes, and I knew that h
As I awaken in the hospital room, I am greeted by the sight of white walls and fluorescent lights. The room was small, with a single bed in the center, and medical equipment scattered throughout the space. I felt groggy, my head aching, and my stomach churning. The events leading up to my hospitalization were hazy, but a dull ache in my chest reminded me of the intense emotions that I was experiencing.As I looked around the room, my eyes caught a glimpse of the ashtray sitting on the bedside table. I reached out and picked up the ashtray, examining the contents. It was filled with cigarette butts, and the stench of smoke filled the air. I realized that I must have smoked an entire pack of cigarettes, one after the other, in an attempt to drown out my thoughts and emotions.I remembered taking swigs from a bottle of vodka, the warmth of the liquid filling my stomach as the alcohol took effect. I felt numb and detached from my surroundings, lost in a sea of self-pity and despair.Tears