Betrayed

Annabelle

I had lost a lot of blood, leaving me feeling weak and drained. By the time I awoke, it was already morning, and a worried–looking Derek was staring right at me.

“Good morning,” he greeted, making a weak smile stretch across my face.

“Good morning. I’m sorry for stressing you out last night,” I apologized.

“That’s alright.” He smiled at me, making my heart thump at the sight of his smile. “Are you okay now?” he inquired.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I think…”

“You think?” He chuckled. “C’mon, let me help you up.”

www.

“No, no worries. I can do it myself,” I stopped him from helping me and did so myself. “I’m much better now. Let’s head back to the mansion–I mean, castle,” I corrected myself.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t think so, considering the amount of blood you lost last night.”

“I am. Trust me. Please, let’s go. I hate the sight of hospitals,” I whispered the last part, and he smiled weakly.

Even though I was a bit unconscious yesterday, I was aware of how he carried my bloody self even though he had a fear of blood.

“Thank you,” I appreciated, noting the countless times I’d thanked him. He’d done a lot for me even though I had misinterpreted him most of the time.

“Thank you too, for being alive.” He took my hand and pecked it, his eyes not leaving

mine.

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, making me blush, but as I remembered Lady Emily, his supposed fiancée, I came back to my senses. I shouldn’t be getting affected by him because he has someone he was already betrothed to.

I cleared my threat and quickly scrambled out of the hospital bed, shocking him in the

“Hey. You should have told me you wanted to get up.”

my

“Uhm… Please, let go. Thanks again for bringing me here. I’m grateful.” I bowed head slightly, just like how the servants in the castle bowed, and the expression on his face changed into a confused look. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Yeah, let’s go. I’ll have my chauffeur take care of the discharge process while I drive you. Come on.” He tried holding my waist, but I brushed his hands off. I wasn’t comfortable with it, and I definitely didn’t want to steal Lady Emily’s man from her.

I never intended to anyway.

The drive back to the castle was in awkward silence as neither of us was willing to break it. While in the car. I kept on clearing my throat, and when I couldn’t bear the silence anymore, I reached for the stereo to play some music to reduce the awkward silence hovering among us.

It took about twenty–three minutes until we reached the castle, and the moment we arrived, we were greeted by the servants awaiting our arrival.

My heart felt like it was being torn in half when I saw Luna Sandra, his mother, shooting daggers my way with her eyes.

I shuddered in fear because the look on her face wasn’t welcoming at all; instead, it was filled with hatred for me. Lady Emily was beside her, her hands folded below her breasts as she gave me an evil smile.

I followed behind Derek until we reached where they stood, and the moment I got there, I was given a resounding slap on my face.

“Mother!”

I was shocked and pained.

What the heck was happening to me all of a sudden?

Was being slapped my new greeting from now on?

Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but I held them back, still holding my face while looking at the Luna, who looked like she could give me another if I cried.

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“Mother, what was that for?!” Derek yelled at his mother while he pushed me behind him, trying to protect me from his mother’s fery temper.

“Son, I can’t believe this!”

“Mother, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“How dare you, son? How dare you!”

“Mom!”

She shot me a deadly look, making me shake in fear. “You, you haven’t even spent a whole day in my home, and you’re already trying to break it?”

I whimpered in fear at the intense anger and displeasure in her eyes.

“Head Omega Amanda!”

“Yes, Luna.”

“Take this thing to the slave’s quarter. She’s nothing but a slave, and she should be treated like one. I don’t want to see her shadow nor her silhouette in this palace. Am I understood?!”

“Yes, yes, Luna.” The head omega shuddered in fear as she bowed her head.

The Luna was a scary woman whose presence made the air feel thick and heavy.

“Mom!”

“Oh, you shut it!” She faced her son and shook her head disappointingly before dashing her gaze towards me.

“What are you still doing here? Guards, take her out of here this instant!” the Luna commanded, and before I knew it, I was being dragged out of the premises. My body, which was still a little bit weak, was dragged forcefully to the slave’s quarter and thrown inside a room.

This room was nothing like the room in the castle. It was tight and cramped with walls that seemed to close in around me.

The bed was small and rustic, looking like it might collapse at any moment.

I panicked as something creepy crawled up my leg, its tiny legs tickling my skin. I

B

wrapped my arms tightly around myself, treibbling with fear in the dark, cramped room. The air was thick with the scent of decay and rot, and the shadows cast by the old furniture and mysterious objects seemed to dose in around me.

I collapsed to the floor, overcome with tears. In just 48 hours, my world had been turned upside down. I couldn’t help but hold Dylan responsible for my downfall. He had ruined my life, getting me pregnant and then abandoning me, leaving me to face the consequences alone. His betrayal and rejection had turned my world into a living nightmare.

Not only Dylan but also Mira, my most trusted person. I still can’t believe the two. people I’d known almost all my life had successfully turned my life upside down.

Aug 15