Chapter 11. Life

11. Life 

This Chapter is dedicated to BAG LUNA. Thank you for you support.

One year has gone by since the incident, and I have been forced to serve my superiors ever since.

Every day, I had to look at Edward and Charolette and see how happy they were. Mom had forced me to work as a maid in the packhouse after that day, and I had even accepted the room they had provided me in our house. My mother ordered me to sleep under the stairs, telling me it was where I belonged.

Nothing strange happened after that, and despite Mom's promise to take me to a seer, she forgot about the day after since she was late for work.

It was seven o'clock in the morning, and I ran late for the packhouse. I have to make everyone's breakfast, clean the entire house, and then go to college. I'll be graduating in a few months, and after that, I intend to leave this werewolf world behind. Even if I were branded a traitor, I was determined to escape and start a new life among humans. There, I could live anonymously.

I was able to save some money thanks to the services provided by Packhouse. I was barred from working as a waiter because my mother didn't want me to be near guys in particular.

Whatever pay is handed to me here, Mom takes everything away except for the tuition fee, which I had saved.

As I hurried along, I stumbled and almost fell when a little paw prevented me from hitting the ground. Startled, I looked down to find a wolf with a bag tied to its leg. These children were getting more spoiled by the day. They shouldn't be transforming into wolves unless their parents are present to guide them, yet this one was left unsupervised.

He returned to his human form and put on his clothing. After that, he turned to face me and smiled.

I was taken aback since this was the first time in a year that a child had smiled at me despite being informed that I was something evil and that they should be scared of me.

I returned his gesture and smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you for not punishing me; I played with my friends, but I'm not sure where they are now," he added sweetly. He appeared to be 5–6 years old, and the fact that he was not terrified of me made me happy.

"It's OK. What's your name?" I asked. I adore children, and the fact that they are petrified of me has bothered me for a long time.

He was about to respond when his sight was drawn to someone behind me.

"Ian, to whom are you speaking?" I'm guessing it was his mother who asked.

"Mommy, look, isn't she beautiful?" Ian replied as he took her hand in his.

 It was the first compliment I had received in years. His mother, on the other hand, looked at me with a mixture of concern and distress.

"Ian, don't go close to her. She's bad." His mother yanked him away from me.

"No, Mommy, she is not." He struggled to break his hand free from her firm grip, but she wouldn't let him go.

"Ian, You should not go to her because she will take you away and give you to the beasts." His mother spoke to him as if I didn't exist in the same space as them.

It was excruciatingly painful to hear all of the negative preconceptions that people had formed about me. They are scaring children by using my name.

When his mother told him that, Ian shivered. He was clearly afraid of me at this point. I smiled at him as he looked at me, but he quickly averted his attention and began walking away with his mother. I don't think these little angels will ever like me.

When I arrived at the Packhouse, I quickly completed my chores. I had tests to study for, and my responsibilities were dragging on. It wasn't until after midnight that I finally finished doing the dishes for the entire house. There were other laborers, but no one showed me any leniency, and they never allowed me a day off. They seemed to relish my exhaustion.

While I appreciated that my studies and work kept my mind occupied, they were taking a toll on my physical health and grabbing all of my mental attention and not allowing my thoughts to wander to Edward, I wouldn't lie if I said that my physical health is at risk. I'm not thinking about the fact that I'm not getting enough rest, and Mom thinks I'm just making excuses.

I finished my tests the next day and returned to the packhouse, where I was assigned to clean the bathrooms today.

I did it, and when I sat down on a chair to take a break from work, I fell asleep without realizing it. 

"Astrid, what are you doing sleeping here at work?" The head maid, who is in charge of everything and despises me to the core, arrived to disrupt the brief respite I was enjoying.

"Sorry, Ms. Jane, I did notice when I fell asleep." I quickly sprang up from my seat and began cleaning. Thankfully, the little bit of powernap I had sprinkled a small amount of energy to help me do my work fast.

II was released early, but I had unfinished business at home. I didn't feel like going home, so I headed to the nearby jungle to find some peace among the animals.

I had built a small treehouse big enough to house me and the items I had purchased for the occasional stay I had over here. Nobody knows about this place except for me. I leaned my back against the house's thin wall, and then I burst into tears.

I keep myself from breaking down, but once I'm alone, I revert to my sensitive self, who notices everything and is hurt by even the little things.

I hate to admit it, but I am terrified of everything. I am scared of my life, and I am frightened of people who will harm me. Every day, I worry for my life because I know that someone is going to come and kill me since everyone is afraid of me. Each day brought new worries and hardships, and I longed for someone to trust, to understand me, and to be a friend, someone who can console and understand me, someone who can pick me up when I'm down and tell me that I'm worth it.

I don't demand emotional support from something romantic, but I do want someone to be my friend and listen to me.

My brothers, who had been there for me when everyone else turned away, seemed to be drifting from me. They avoided talking to me, and Skylar, in particular, appeared to be seeing someone but kept it a secret from me. I knew he was trying to spare my feelings because I hadn't found anyone yet.

I try to convince myself that I've moved on, but seeing Edward disturbs me every day.

Maybe if I find my second chance mate, which is an uncommon sight, I'll be able to get out of everything.

I stay here, convincing myself that this is all temporary, that it will all end one day, and that when it does, I will never return to this place again.

Finding my second chance is my last hope, and even if I don't, I'll flee from here and start living among humans on my own.

As I glanced at my wristwatch, I realized I didn't have much time at home. I collected my belongings, but just as I was about to climb down from the treehouse, intense pain surged through my chest.

"Ah!" I cried out and sank back into my seat. This pain surpassed everything I had felt when Edward rejected me or when he was with Charlotte. It had been a year since I had felt this kind of anguish.

I called out for help, and as the pain overwhelmed me, a vision began to materialize in front of my eyes.

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