The morning was cold, but I wasn’t even aware of it. My mind was heavy, my body weak. I had no choice but to leave with Bella and the guards. It wasn’t like I wanted to, but what else could I do?
I sat still. Bella kept muttering some insultive words. My lips pressed tight together. I didn’t even have the energy to answer back. What was the point? If I spoke, she would only throw harsher words. If I stayed quiet, at least I could save myself from hearing more.
I leaned my head back against the wood of the carriage and closed my eyes. My father’s face came into my mind. His smile. His voice when he used to tell me bedtime stories. The way he always told me I was strong, even when I didn’t feel like it.
Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them away quickly. I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
I whispered softly to myself, so low they wouldn’t hear.
"I miss you, Papa. I wish you were here. You’d know what to do. You’d protect me."
The carriage rolled on and I just shut down inside.
When we finally reached the palace, I stepped out quietly. My legs felt heavy, but I forced myself to walk straight. No one was going to see me broken, not now.
I headed straight to my room. The moment I opened the door, I froze.
My breath caught. The room... it wasn’t the same.
The walls had been decorated beautifully, soft curtains falling perfectly, fresh flowers on the table, new sheets on the bed that looked clean and warm. Even the floor gleamed like someone had put real effort into it.
I just stood there for a moment, staring. My chest tightened.
"This... who did this?" I whispered. But I already knew. Damon.
Of course, it was him. Who else would bother?
For a second, my lips curved into a small smile. It was beautiful. It really was. But almost immediately, the smile faded.
I shook my head. No. Don’t be fooled.
His sudden niceness could mean something else. People didn’t just change overnight. I knew better. Niceness usually came with a price.
And I didn’t want another price to pay. I didn’t want more bullies in my life because of him. The others already despised me enough. If they thought Damon was being nice to me, they’d only hate me more.
I sat on the edge of the bed and sighed.
"I didn’t ask for this," I muttered under my breath. "I don’t need this."
I bent down to arrange the last of my small bundle of clothes into the drawer. The room smelled faintly of roses, the curtains were clean, the bedspread soft, the walls brighter than I remembered. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who had done all this. It had Damon written all over it.
I should have been glad, maybe even thankful, but instead a heavy knot sat in my chest. His sudden kindness didn’t make sense. What if it brought more trouble my way? More whispers? More stares? More bullying? I didn’t want to owe him anything.
Just as I set the folded cloth into place, the door opened behind me.
I froze. His voice. Damon’s.
I straightened. "Please... leave," I said firmly, though my voice trembled a little.
For a moment, he didn’t move, just stared at me like he was trying to figure out if I really meant it. Then his jaw tightened, and he gave a small nod. Without another word, he stepped back and closed the door.
I let out a long breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My heart hammered. Why did he always have this effect on me?
Shaking it off, I quickly changed into the plain dress meant for kitchen duty. I tied my hair back, washed my hands, and left the room.
The corridor was quiet, but as I entered the kitchen, the air shifted. Every maid’s eyes turned toward me. Their chatter hushed for a heartbeat, then burst again, louder this time.
"There she is," one of them whispered, loud enough for me to hear.
"She thinks she’s better than us now," another added.
I kept my head down, walking to my corner. But their words followed me like shadows.
"Do you know why her room looks like a queen’s now?" one asked with a sneer.
"Oh, I know," another replied, smirking. "She used her body to please Alpha Damon. That’s why. Men don’t do anything for free."
Laughter rippled through them.
I gripped the edge of the wooden counter, my knuckles turning white.
"Imagine...so desperate she had to spread her legs to be noticed," someone said.
"She’s pitiful," another hissed. "But I suppose it worked. Alpha Damon fixed her room, didn’t he?"
"Envious much?" a voice teased. "You wish he’d look at you like that. At least she knows how to get what she wants."
They all laughed again, the sound sharp and cruel.
I closed my eyes, pressing my lips together. I could argue. I could scream. I could tell them they were wrong. But what was the point? Words wouldn’t change their minds. And I didn’t have the strength to fight them today.
Instead, I breathed deeply and picked up the knife on the counter, focusing on chopping vegetables.
Their whispers didn’t stop.
"She’s pretending she can’t hear us."
"Of course she can hear us. She just knows it’s true."
"She’ll fall soon. Just watch. Damon will get bored, and then she’ll be nothing again."
Each word was like a knife, but I forced myself to keep chopping. One slice at a time.
I bent over the bucket, my hands raw from the scrubbing. The smell of soap and wet stone clung to me, but I kept going. If I just focused on the work, maybe I could push the whispers out of my head.
"She thinks she’s better than us now," one of the maids muttered behind me.
I clenched my teeth and kept scrubbing.
"Damon gave her that room. We all know why," another said, snickering.
Heat rose in my cheeks, but I refused to turn around. Let them talk. If I looked at them, they’d see how much it hurt.
I dipped the rag again and squeezed it tight, watching the dirty water drip down my arms. I told myself it didn’t matter. I told myself I didn’t care. But the truth was, it burned.
Then heavy boots clicked against the floor. I froze. A guard stepped into the room, his shadow stretching over us. All the maids went quiet immediately.
His eyes locked on me. "You. Come with me."
My chest tightened. "Me?" I asked, stupidly, as if maybe I’d misheard.
"Yes, you," he snapped. "The triplets want to see you. Now."
My stomach dropped so hard it hurt. The maids broke into quiet giggles behind me, trying to hide them from the guard but loud enough that I heard.