Chapter One: Mallory's Misfortune

Mallory’s POV

I’m not sure when or how it started, but every now and then, I’ve been thinking about death. To me, I don’t really care when my time ends. Whether it ends now or tomorrow…

…a week, a month, a year.

I don’t really care.

Because no matter what, every single damn day, I’ve been living in this hellhole you called “life”.

So, I’m just waiting for the moment to die when the right time comes.

Little did I know that my time comes sooner than I thought.

===========

“W-What?” I couldn’t believe what I’m hearing. My face turns pale as a cold sweat drops from the corner of my jaw. 

“That’s right, poppet. Yer mum disappeared without a trace.” A man wearing the most ridiculous suit suddenly announces this after dragging me from my work. 

We are now at the office behind the bar I work in. My boss called me to end my shift earlier to greet this gentleman before I leave.

“I—” Normally I have something to say yet this time, I’m rendered speechless beyond my capability to process. 

Because I know where this is going.

“Yer mom owes us money. Huge money,” he says, his tone akin to mockery. 

I glare at him, my defiance returning to hide the shame and anger of that woman. “I am not going to pay for her mess.” I stand up, turning as my attention goes to the door. “Excuse me.”

Yet, his grubby hand yanks my arm back to the ground before I could make my exit. I struggle to get away as I yell, “She is the one you should be looking for, not me!”

“Oh, ye’ve mistaken, dearie.” He chuckles as he unlatches his brown suitcase which has been already placed on the coffee table. His grip never loosens up while rummaging his belongings. “According to the contract, she signed ye up to be her guarantor.”

“I didn’t agree with such a thing!” I pull my arm away, freeing from his grasp. But when he shoves the paper in front of me, my eyes widen after seeing my name and my signature on it.

Without hesitation, I grab the contract as I skim the details. “This is clearly a forgery from my mother!”

“Forgery or not, I don’t give a bloody damn!” Grabbing my collar and pulling me up, I am faced with his intimidating look. “Find ways to get me money! Whore yourself like yer mother, sell all you’ve got and pay back the two million she owes me!”

Then his eyes flicker before he grins. “I’ve remembered somethin'. Yer mum has two daughters. Rumor has it that the youngest isn’t exactly human.”

My hand clenched tight, suppressing the emotions I feel right now—anger and fear. “My sister isn’t a werewolf.”

“Oh, she is. Yer young’ers didn’t know but it’s illegal to raise a hybrid within these borders. We can either report it to the wolves and have her killed or sell her off and pay me back. Pick your poison.”

I shoot him a glare and in return, this sonnabitch gives me a knowing smirk.

“Ye weren’t even that close to yer sister, ‘innit? Don’ ye think it’s the best option for both of us to just send that creature off to the black market?”

“You know a lot of things, huh?” I grumble as I repeatedly clench and unclench my fists. My heart races in a brink of my emotions welling up to my core.

He pats on my shoulder as he grins. A golden tooth flashes within my view. “If yer in dis industry, ye bound to snoop some intel.”

“Lilian is five years old.” I don’t like the look on his face when I declare it. I can feel the blood on my face draining while I grip on my trembling right arm.

Why did my mom have to leave her youngest as well? Did she finally find a partner to play “mother” while abandoning her two biggest mistakes?

While my mind is wandering around, I couldn’t help but stare at the rustic vintage lamp on the table which is conveniently at my arm’s reach.

“Well, there are a lot of sickos out there, poppet. It is just like they’ve said. If her age is on the clock, she is ready for the co—”

Before he could finish his sentence, like a flash of lightning, my hand shoots out to grab the lamp, my fingers curling around its handle. It is probably a dread of adrenaline rush if I could carry the heavy object with one hand and with a swift, almost primal motion, I swing directly to the back of his head.

The metallic echo reverberates through the room followed by a sickening thud. What comes after is the deafening silence with a loud pant coming from me. 

 When I come back to my senses, I’m finally greeted with the reality before me: this asshole who was just enjoying the pleasure of seeing me in despair is now face planted on the ground, unmoving as blood slowly flows out from his head.

My dominant arm feels numb from the burden of carrying the now bloodied shattered lamp in my hand and as my eyes shift to its attention, I immediately drop it on the floor. 

“S-Shit…” I stammer as I step back, my whole body tremble from head to foot.

You don’t need Einstein to decipher what’s going on here.

My legs move on their own, leaving my boss’s office room as they quicken their pace on each stride.

Speaking of the devil, my boss is in the hallway when I pass by. “Oh, is everything sorted out?”

I nod my head, without a single glance at him.

“Mallory, wait up!”

Apparently, my body has already jolted to a sprint as I exit the bar through the back alley, his calls are all in deaf ears as I reach the familiar road I haven’t been to for so, so long.

==============

Fuck…fuck…fuck…FUCK!

I continue biting my nail until it bleeds yet I couldn’t care less as my body heads straight to my mother’s house in auto-pilot. I haven’t been in this run-down house for two years yet I couldn’t waste my time being sentimental about it. 

The door is unlocked as soon as I turn the knob and I grit my teeth for her lack of decency to keep her toddler safe.

As soon as I open the door, I am greeted by the mess inside and in this one room tiny apartment, there lies Lilian sprawling on the floor.

My eyes grow wide as a cold sweat drops from my cheeks, tears streaming from my eyes with despair.

“LILIAN!”

If there was one regret I have when I left the house—it is to abandon my half-sister with that woman.