“But can you commit? The caf? requires workers to be here from nine to five,” she said, folding her arms as I looked off into the distance.
“Um, is there any way I could do shorter shifts?” I asked, and she shrugged before shaking her head.
“You know what–actually, it’s fine. We’re not hiring right now. But I’ll let you know if we have any openings in the future.” Her tone had changed abruptly. She was now on her phone, acting as though she hadn’t just invited me behind the counter a moment ago.
“Um, is this about the admission fee?” I ventured, trying to understand what had triggered her sudden disinterest.
“You know where you got the money from,” she replied coldly. “A girl wearing an old dress, looking like she hasn’t been eating well, somehow pays for a pricey academy and then comes here looking for a job for rogues?” I noticed her expression and realized what she was implying.
“We don’t really hire *those* kinds of girls. You should stick to whatever job paid you that admission fee,” she said, outright accusing me. Before I could defend myself, she added, “I remember seeing you on a bike with some guy a few weeks ago. You were headed to your job.”
The way she said it made my face go pale. My cheeks flushed as I recalled that night.
She must have seen me with Lamar. That’s why she thinks I’m some sort of escort, assuming that’s how I paid for my admission.
“And you’re probably wondering how I remember you?” she continued, her eyes narrowing. “When a girl who looks like a porcelain doll, with long light ash blonde hair and gorgeous eyes, heads to a place like that, trust me, we remember. I remember thinking, *Wow! That guy’s getting a huge commission for bringing in such a doll.*”
I didn’t know whether to feel flattered by her “compliment” or mortified that she recognized me from that night.
It was sad that anyone who got to know me seemed to think of me as some girl who was either sleeping around or doing whatever she could to get a man’s help.
“Okay, thank you for the assumption, but I don’t work there, and I’ve never worked there,” I said, and then I left. I couldn’t keep dealing with people judging me.
I was desperate for money, but not that desperate anymore. When I initially agreed to work for Lamar, it was because I was devastated and lost. Even now, as lost as I feel, I know that if I try, I can do anything. And I will.
I walked out and returned to the hotel. Sitting down, I held the pen in my hand and looked at the papers in front of me.
Why hadn’t I signed them already?
Was it because I was hesitant to accept my mate as my stepbrother?
And what about Kaye? He hadn’t checked on me since that last time.
With a heavy heart, realizing that my life isn’t like everyone else’s and that I need to focus on my goals first, I signed the papers.
Helanie:
“Thank you so much for taking care of my needs all this time,” I said, expressing my gratitude to the warrior as I bid him farewell. He had just dropped me off at the entrance of the academy. It was my first day in the hostel, and a mix of excitement and apprehension bubbled within me as I wondered who my roommates might be.
“It was a pleasure. Let me know if you ever need anything,” he replied with a warm smile. His kind green eyes stood out, and I noticed the streaks of gray in his hair-likely a testament to years of hard work. He appeared to be in his late forties.
“I will, Mr. Henderson.” The moment his name left my lips, he froze, his expression flickering between surprise and gratitude.
“You’re the first person to remember my name. Most people don’t bother,” he said, visibly moved by the acknowledgement. It was actually like that. People like him and I appreciated smaller gestures.
“Best of luck,” he added before walking away. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face the huge entrance.
The academy’s entrance loomed large, flanked by two identical buildings. I stepped inside to complete the formalities, clutching the signed paperwork I needed to submit. Around me, other students milled about, many wearing wristbands of different colors. I could barely see any red.
I entered the office and spotted Maximus, Norman, and Emmet managing the registration process. Or rather, Maximus and Norman were handling the paperwork, while Emmet stood behind them, holding a register with an air of disinterest.
The moment I stepped in, Maximus cleared his throat, and Norman’s attention shifted from the documents to me. Their reactions struck me as peculiar, almost as if they were concealing something.
Avoiding their curious gazes, I gave Emmet a polite nod. He responded with a sweet smile, immediately setting the register down to take a seat.
It felt oddly flattering. He had remained uninterested while others submitted their forms, but the moment I arrived, he chose to sit and relax.
“Hello, Helanie. How are you feeling?” Emmet asked, stretching his legs out and resting them on the table. As he crossed them nonchalantly, his two brothers exchanged a disapproving glance. The energy they emitted reminded me of petty cliques.
“I’m fine,” I replied with a polite smile and extended my papers to Norman.
He snatched the forms from my hand, his harshness prompting Emmet to shake his head disapprovingly. I was kind of trying my best to forget about Norman being in my hotel room and seeing me in that state. However, he must have taken it more seriously because his mood looked worse today.
“So, you’ve signed everything. I assume you’ve purchased your uniform and supplies too?” Norman asked, skimming through the pages without meeting my gaze. It was his way of mocking my living condition and also the fact that I was jobless. That was another issue. I had nothing.
While other parents came with their kids to the academy’s hostel, I came by myself. Not even a wolf by my side.
Maximus, meanwhile, kept his eyes fixed on me. His rigid posture and piercing stare made me feel uneasy.
“I forgot. You don’t do anything yourself, do you?” Norman added, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “You just have other people pay for your things. So, has one of your sugar daddies bought everything for you?”
His words landed like a slap across my face, stinging far more than I cared to admit.
I despised the way Norman spoke to me. He always found a way to belittle me, treating me like some kind of gold digger. I badly wanted to give him back the way he was trusting me. But then I remembered I will have to face him everyday in the training ground. So I just didn’t say a word.
“Maybe you convinced someone’s mate or a rich-” Norman continued, his tone sharp and mocking. I swear, when he noticed the tears welling up in my eyes, a fleeting smirk of triumph flashed across his face.
I immediately dropped my gaze, biting my tongue to stop myself from reacting. This was my academy now. If enduring their cruelty would mean they’d tire of it sooner, I was willing to play along. I just wanted to live here peacefully, without any trouble.
“Actually-” Emmet’s voice cut through, interrupting his brother, “I’m glad you brought that up. I’ve actually bought her some stuff.”
My head snapped up in disbelief as Emmet rose from his chair and walked to the locked cupboard.
“You did what?” Maximus spoke for the first time, his voice low and incredulous.
“Stuff,” Emmet shrugged, nonchalantly opening the cupboard and retrieving a black bag.
“You can’t be serious, Emmet,” Norman said, his tone thick with disappointment.
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