01: Blackmailing

My body was pushed against the wall, my bones cracking hard. Once again, I know I will be getting a cut from it. “I told you, she can take it.” The girl who had pushed me said.

“Please.” I croaked out.

I can’t just keep on taking it. My body doesn’t seem to be keeping up with all the abuse I have been getting lately. “Please what?” She asked, laughing loudly.

The other girl who had followed her also joined in laughing at me. “She doesn’t sound scared. I think we should do more to her.”

I froze. I knew what they meant by that and it would never get any better.

Before the girls could go on as they had wanted, I fought my way out, running and I didn’t stop until I was in the open.

I panted heavily, hoping they wouldn’t come for me. “Get out of the way.” A voice said behind me.

I quickly shifted, my eyes facing the floor. I couldn’t get to see the person that passed but from the voice, I knew it was someone really important.

The footsteps faded and I heaved a sigh. Only Goddess knows what could have happened if I had raised my face and looked directly at the person.

I had thought being the ugliest around the pack would favor me but it was all a lie that I had told myself.

Because if I was hated all around the pack, no one wants anything to do with me and my mother left me. That is the worst that can probably happen as I had thought.

But no, working in the pack house is the worst. My stomach twisted when I heard more footsteps coming toward me.

Either the Alpha was passing or the Beta. It has to be one of them. I scurried back, not sure of where I should run to.

I turned my back, preparing to take my chance now before it is late when I was stopped. “Where do you think you are going without greeting the Alpha?” Beta Phineas asked.

It has to be him because of the way his voice sounds masculine yet petite. I swallowed hard, I was getting a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I might get pushed if the Alpha sees me and especially when he is in a very bad mood. Goodness, it can’t be all the time that I will be getting punished.

I turned. “Good morning Alpha Ryan.” I gasped when the name left my mouth.

I wasn’t supposed to say his name. It has been forbidden to all maids to say his name and now, he has more reason to punish me.

A hissing sound came out of the crowd and without a word again, they left. I had no idea when I left out a breath that I had been holding in.

The Alpha seemed to be in a very good mood, hence it saved me from getting punished. I am yet to recover from the push earlier.

I dragged my feet away from the place I stood. If I don’t leave now, I don’t know who I will come across and I doubt, I will end up liking it.

Instead of going back to the kitchen where I was meant to get my breakfast, I walked straight to the maid’s station.

Luckily for me, I didn’t get to see anyone on my way there. I fished out the room key from my side pocket, unlocking the room.

I winced, closing the door and taking off my shirt. Yes, I did get a cut, adding to the numerous cut I had gotten from being bullied.

I sat on the bed, lifting my pillow and bringing out something I had considered my best friend. The ointment which I always use to treat my cut.

I gently rub the ointment on my back, feeling the heat. Until I was sure that it wouldn’t get infected, I closed back the ointment, returning it under the pillow. I can’t risk anyone finding it there or else.

Then, I lay my body on the bed, finding the peace I had lost since I left this room in the morning.

The fact that I stay alone made it more peaceful. No one wants to share an open space with me not to talk of them sharing the same bed with me. To them, it is an abomination and they always laugh at my face for that.

I have been called names, being bullied into almost taking my own life but it never worked. I would have eradicated my trace from the pack house or the world.

But the moment I try to my plan into motion, something will pull me back from executing it. It is as if life has something in store for me.

My eyes began to close, sleeping trying to take over me but I knew I couldn’t sleep at an hour like that.

Heck, I will have my head removed if someone is to meet me there. So I forced my body up from the bed, wiping my eyes until I wasn’t feeling sleepy.

I left the room, heading towards the kitchen. I had no intention of going back there but to avoid any issues, I had and then, I will get assigned for my labor work there.

I licked the side of my lips when the kitchen came into view. Then I sucked in a deep breath, before walking inside.

The kitchen wasn’t full yet it wasn’t empty. I looked around the crowd until my eyes settled on that one person that I have to go to.

The girls crunched their noses as I passed, some even pushed me, making me stumble on my feet but I didn’t stop until I had reached the person.

“Amy, where have you been?” She questioned upon seeing.

Christi is the chief head of the maids. Unlike the rest, she doesn’t bully me all the time but when she does, I always end up fainting. It always ends up that way. “I had eaten something that turned my stomach up.” I lied.

I couldn’t tell her what the other girls did to me, for fear that they would come back and do more. They always do. “I don’t care.” She gritted out.

“You are cleaning the gardens out of the pack house.” She assigned.

If I could remember, there is only one garden outside the pack house and it is filled with horns and insects that are poisonous.

I see a way in which she had result to punish me without touching me. I opened my mouth to ask if she could give me a change of work but I stopped, going against it.

It will only cause more problems for me and I already have a lot to handle. I bowed as she always wanted before turning on my heels and I left the kitchen.

I didn’t stop until I found myself outside the pack house. The wind howled, and the leaves rustled making me wince at the cold.

My skin prickled at the cold, this should be something I should have gotten used to by now.

Just like how the world continues to get too cruel, that is how my body fails to adapt to the way I always work. “What are you doing here?” The guard standing outside the garden asked.

I swallowed hard. “I. I have to get rid of the weeds in the garden.” I stammered.

He nodded his head, before opening the door. I walked in, thanking the Goddess that he didn’t do anything like squeeze the life out of me for going out of the pack house.

Maids like us are meant to be staying inside the pack house and are never to step their foot out unless it was an emergency. I guess this is also an emergency.

I began by carefully getting rid of the horn. And no matter how I had wanted to avoid them from prickling my skin, it seemed very much impossible.

I ended up with tons of holes in my fingers gotten from the horns. I’d only wipe out the blood on my gown and then continue to work around until I was almost done. “Amy.” A voice called out.

I lifted my head to see the guard who I had passed outside calling. I hastened my walk to his side. “You called me?” I asked with a shaky voice to be sure that he was the one that called me.

“Yes, Miss Laura is here to see you.” He informed me before going out again. I have always heard about her, being one of the most beautiful girls in the pack so I was very scared and anxious to meet her.

I began to dust my gown so that I would look very neat to her. Miss Laura is Alpha’s fiancée.

They will be having their final wedding ceremony tomorrow which is one of the reasons why the pack is sort of busy.

Most things have been prepared a week before yet, the garden wasn’t attended to for a reason best known to them.

The enclosure was opened, and Miss Laura majestically walked towards me. Her nose was crunched up as she walked. “Amy right?” She asked.

“Yes,” I answered. I have learned that it is better to use words in answering those higher up than using body gestures.

She stopped when she came extremely closer and I could feel her burning gaze on my body. “I want you to stand in my place and marry Ryan.”

My body went rigid and cold. I couldn’t think straight for a damn minute, trying to understand if she is sure about what she had just said to me or if she made a mistake. As I finally gathered the words to say, she beat me to it.

“It is either you stand in my place and marry him or I make your life more miserable than it can be. The choice is yours.”