Chapter 12
Evelynne:
The silence in the room enveloped me, and for a while, I stood by the window, absentmindedly tapping the windowsill.
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Heavy smell of antiseptic infiltrated my nostrils and I’m reminded that I was still in my mom’s hospital room, waiting for her to open her eyes.
The Doctor said she’ll be okay, and I really hoped so too – but I knew she wouldn’t, she have never been okay.
My gaze lowered down to my phone that was still clutched in my palms, and I read through the text I had sent close to thirty minutes ago.
I had no choice, and was forced to take action.
Not for anyone or anything but for my selfish desires. Today was meant to be a happy day for me, I was meant to be mated to Desmond, who was my mate but I’ll be making the same mistake twice if I had let the ceremony go on.
–
Realizing my actions had forced my mom into one of her episodic anxiety attacks what I do from now onward.
–
meant I had to be more careful with
Elli had stepped out close to twenty minutes ago to get some fruits, and he still hasn’t returned yet. I pressed my lips into a thin line when I recalled the last time I had visited a hospital.
I’ve never had a good memory with one.
My eyes flicked to the bed when I heard a gentle creak.
Mom glanced around her with furrowed brows, and then she stared down at the hospital gown on her, it seemed to finally dawn on her where she was cause she sat upright and the first thing she searched for was the cigarette burn marks on her thighs- as if to make sure no one saw it.
After that, she closed her thigh with her cloth before pulling the duvet to cover herself.
“You’re awake,” I mumbled before walking over to where she was, and then sitting on the low bench beside her bed.
Her brows squinted to a frown, “Where are we? a hospital,” she asked and then answered herself, “What are we doing at a hospital?”
“You fainted, mom,” I reached out for the glass cup on the table and poured warm water from the water dispenser, before handing it over to her.
She recit with shaky hands and muttered, “thank you,” before bringing it to her lips, her eyes never left mine for once
as she drank from the cup.
“I fainted?” she asked, and I nodded. A sudden urge to step out of the room engulfed me, but then again, I couldn’t leave my vulnerable mother alone in the room.
“Where’s Elli?”
“He stepped out to get some food and fruits.” There was silence for a while, “The cigarette burns,” I started.
Mom’s gaze flicked to me before she stared away, as if in guilt, but it was cleanly masked by her fears.
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08:23 Mon, 10 Feb S.
Chapter 12
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“What happened? you promised us you wouldn’t burn cigarette butts on your skin anymore.” My heart hammered in my chest, and my voice cracked due to the wave of emotions crashing in my chest.
I loved my mother dearly- but I was tired of her.
Minutes went by and she made no attempt to say anything, “Say something, mom.” I reached out for her hand to grab it but she pushed my hands away.
“Mom, answer me.” I demanded and yet she paid no heed to my words.
A huge part of me knew very well that if Elli was in my shoes right now, mom would have turned to him and spoke to him, yet she found it hard to look me in the eyes.
She heaved a breath, and a sad smile crossed her lips, “What do you intended to do now that you’ve rejected your mate?” Her words took a drastic dive from what I was talking about about.
“Huh?”
She asked me again, and it was my turn to remain mute.
“Mates come once in a life, Evie. And you rejected yours cause he was cheating on you.” She turned to look at me, and I watched as her expression turned from sorrow to anger.
What was she angry about?
Her blonde hair which was in contrast to my brown was beginning to grow strands of white hair, perhaps cause of aging or suffering.
Her brown eyes seemed like it could see through my soul, and at that point I was unable to come up with any words to answer her question.
“You expected me to still accept him that way?” I asked, my brows furrowed in her direction and my heart sank into its depth as she slowly nodded.
“Desmond is the Alpha. He is a good man, and I’m sure he would have changed after the ceremony.” He wouldn’t, he never changed, mom, I wanted to tell her but I couldn’t.
I’m tired of people shoving Desmond’s position on my face.
He is an Alpha, so he could get anything he wanted.
He is an Alpha, and I should have appreciated the mere fact that I was his mate.
He is an Alpha this, he is an Alpha that.
Every. Single. Time.
“Changed after the ceremony?” I squinted my brows at her.
“Yes,” she nodded, reaching for my palms and squeezing them into hers, “Men tend to explore before marriage, but that doesn’t mean he wouldnt treat you right after the mating ceremony,” She paused.
And then continued after a while, “Besides, he is the Alpha, and he has the option to have as many concubines that he wants, but at the end of the day you are still his mate and the only one blessed to him.” Every single thing she said engraved into my mind and a load of puke climbed up my throat.
08:23 Mon, 10 Feb S.
Chapter 12
“He was sleeping with my only best friend, mom!” My shoulders trembled in anger at her words.
“You won’t be the first woman who would have had to share her mate with her best friend.” Mom said with a shrug and I stared at her in disbelief.
How do I explain to her that he never changed and that his actions led to my death?
Rage fueled inside me, and my next words were out before I could hold them back, “Says the woman who couldn’t bear the thought of her husband’s infidelity, yet expects me to accept Desmond’s. Your double standards are staggering, mom.”
I didn’t realize how sharp my words were until mom’s sharp brown eyes met my eyes and her mouth dropped to say something but she closed them back.
“How could you say that?” her lips wavered and my heart shattered in my chest when I watched her teeth bite into her bottom lip.
My words did more than I had intended them.
She stared away from me and glanced down, “You can leave.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line, and without words to console her and with no intention of asking for forgiveness, I stood up and head towards the door.
As I stepped out of the ward and shut the door behind me, I felt absolutely nothing, not even regret.
I said what I said, and I couldn’t take them back even as I heard my mom’s sobs from inside the ward along with her thrashing the room.
Without waiting for Elli to arrive, I swiped my phone and sent him a text before I stepped out of the hospital after talking with the receptionist to check on my mom.
As I stepped out of the large Lakeville hospital, my eyes lowered down to my maroon dress which was now coated with sweat and wrinkles. I need to change.
I heard a ping sound on my phone and swiped it up to read the new text I had received which was from the newly saved number in my phone which I had gotten from the business card.
After more than thirty minutes since I sent a text to him, he finally replied.
Alpha Rhys: 8AM PROMPT.
I had until 8AM tomorrow to think of the most convincing offer ever for this man and I did well to think through it as I hauled a taxi that drove me straight to my apartment.
Soon as I sat in the taxi, my phone vibrated in my hand and I glanced down to check who the caller was, expecting it to be Elli but frowning when I realized it was from Desmond.
Without thinking much of it, I pressed decline.
He called again, and I pressed decline. It went on till the tenth call before I switched off my phone and slipped it into my
purse.
I wasn’t interested in listening to what he had to say, and no amount of convincing would make me listen to whatever he wanted to say.
Especially not since I had something better to burn my time on.
My eyes slowly closed, and my thoughts drifted back to the intense eyes that had engraved its existence in my mind since earlier.
And then I remembered how he had stared longingly at me in my past life when I lay soaked in my own blood.
