ONE NIGHT WITH MY EX'S FATHER

LUPITA OR EVIL?

MALIA'S POV

I ran as fast as my weak legs could carry me all the way to the house before anyone would notice I'd come down from the Alpha's very distinct car.

He was making things really hard for me and I couldn't blame him because he didn't understand the height of problems I faced daily, just by being my mother's daughter.

He saw me as a project he could fix and make life better and he didn't even realize it.

I just wanted to be left alone until I could somehow successfully escape the haunting stigma that had towered over me for most of my miserable life.

I was successful enough to work at Kurt's company where most of the employees were from out of town and barely knew me.

Now I was jobless and I wasn't going to meet my goal of moving out of Lowe's house by the end of the year because no one else would hire me and risk ruining their reputation.

When I arrived at the house, no one was home.

I got in with my spare key and found a note on the refrigerator which read ‘I’m out visiting friends and my father is out of town. Help yourself to whatever you can find in the kitchen’.

I tossed the note on the floor and walked into my room with some of the bags I'd picked up from Alpha Alaric's car.

“Hopefully nothing tipped over while I was running” I muttered to myself.

I checked the bags and the foods were intact.

If there was one thing I was grateful for, it was that I had enough food to last me till Lowe would return.

When I was a bit younger, he went on short trips to another town for business from time to time. At least it was what Lupita would tell me.

During that time,he made sure we had enough food to last us throughout.

After a while, it became different.

He gave Lupita some cash for whatever we would want.

But I didn't want to face Lupita, not after what she'd done to me.

However, I wanted to handle the situation in the most subtle way possible.

So I was happy for the food I had.

I hid the note Alpha Alaric had given to me and set up a planner for the rest of my week.

Even if I already knew the outcome, I was going job hunting.

I did some chores around the house because I knew Lowe would not want to return to a messy house.

Then I started on some laundry for the fits I would be wearing for my job hunt, before putting my documents together.

By the time I was done, it was near sunset and i decided to take a nap.

I drifted off to sleep immediately.

Being worn out from all the stress and ordeal of the day,I didn't wake up till morning.

I found Lupita in her own room and I assumed she had come in later in the night because she was still in the heels and strapless dress she'd apparently worn out the day before.

I walked past her room to the bathroom we shared and took a shower. Then I tried to bring my curly hair to life and make it as presentable as possible.

After a few minutes of struggling with my hair, I gave up and left the bathroom with my hair down.

When I walked past her room again, she was awake.

“Hey” she muttered awkwardly.

“Hi stranger. How was the party?” I responded, trying not to let my feelings get the better of me.

“Uhh…it was great” she answered, realizing that I'd assumed she was at a party because of her clothes.

She was such a bad liar.

“Where are you going?” She probed.

“Oh, job hunting”.

“Oh, okay. When will you be back?”.

I was taken back by that question because it was unlike her.

Usually, she would ask something similar to ‘so soon?’ or try convincing me to stay home and watch a movie with her whenever I didn't get a job I was close to getting and I hopped out again the same week to try again.

I guess times had changed and she couldn't hide her desire to see me walk out of her life.

“By sunset. I'm trying out a new block of businesses on the other side of town” I told her.

“Okay, call me if you get any luck and decide to come home earlier” she answered.

“Yeah, I will”.

I walked out of the house with my bag containing my documents intact.

I just wanted to be away from her, the pretense was killing me.

…

After a long day of subtle insults and disappointments, I was ready to go home.

The last place I had been at, a renowned restaurant where I'd applied to be a server, the owner's daughter had accused me of being a beggar and a thief because I had mistaken her as the owner and tried to speak with her.

Apparently I was not worthy to speak with her and the owner sent me away threatening to press charges if I ever showed my face at the restaurant again.

It was my last stop and the last business establishment on the block, so I stormed home, too annoyed to even care about anything else.

It was a few hours before sunset.

I opened the door to the wildest surprise.

Kurt and Lupita in a cuddle position on the couch in the living room.

I tried to sneak past the both of them, but my bag left my tired hands and slipped to the floor, making a thud sound.

“What's that?” Kurt got up, standing face to face with me.

“What are you doing here?” Kurt asked me.

“I live here?” I responded, picking up my bag.

He turned to Lupita in disbelief.

“I thought she was just your friend. Don't tell me she's actually your sister” he demanded to know.

“Cousin, actually. But it doesn't really make a difference, Kurt I promise. She barely even lives here, right Malia?” She said, returning her gaze to me.

I nodded to avoid any problems.

Kurt however, was not having it.

“I can't deal with the lies. Who knows if you both were working together this whole time? Plus what will people say when they see me with the cousin of the harlot's daughter?”.

I swallowed, taking deep breaths so I wouldn't pounce on him.

Kurt stormed out and Lupita ran after him.

I could smell real trouble. The same trouble I had managed to avoid for a while.

Lupita returned after a few minutes without Kurt and her eyes held fury.

She matched up to me in anger.

“Why do you always have to ruin things?!”.

I remained silent.

“You won't even let me have him in peace, you f*****g witch!” She screamed at me.

“Believe me Lupita, I don't want him. I never did” I responded calmly.

“That's a bloody lie, Malia! Your goal is to waltz into people's lives and ruin them over and over again and then act like the victim when you face backlash. How do you think I feel when people address me as the cousin to the harlot's daughter?!” She raged on.

I remained silent.

My eyes moved to the food on the bed which I had brought out of the refrigerator to eat after a long day.

“Please Lupita, I'm sorry for all my presence has caused you. I will text Kurt and tell him I don't live here. Whatever you want me to say, I'll say it” I surrendered.

Lupita burst into laughter.

“You think this is a joke?!”.

“Can we please talk about this tomorrow, I have to eat and map out a plan for tomorrow?” I pleaded with her.

“No! You don't get to ruin my life and just eat afterwards” Lupita snapped.

She picked up the plate of food and threw it across the room.

“What is wrong with you?!” I screamed at her.

“I'm not done with you yet, Malia. I'll make you suffer until you'd wish you never met me and my father” Lupita threatened, walking out of the room.

I sat on the bed, tired and hungry.

I dragged myself back to the kitchen to ravage for whatever was left but I discovered Lupita had fed Kurt most of the food I had brought home with me the other day.

I found a half-eaten plate of food and dug into it before returning to my room.

I tried to think about what Lupita had said, but I was too tired.

I drifted off to sleep after a while.

I woke up the next morning again, cursing myself for sleeping too much recently.

The smell of something burning caught my nose and I followed the scent out to the backyard where Lupita stood burning some papers.

“Good morning Malia” she greeted cheerily.

It was almost as if no fight had happened the day before.

“What are you burning?” I asked her.

“Oh, those are your precious little documents. They're all burnt to a crisp but if you can pick anything out, then good luck to you” she answered, walking away.

I was too stunned to speak.

I dashed to the fire and quenched it with water from the reservoir.

Just like she'd said, everything was burnt to a crisp.

The documents I had suffered to get after years of bullying, stigmatization and pure hatred from professors and fellow students at the local college.

The sleepless nights I'd spent reading after my shifts at a local cafe which I balanced with my school life.

Not to mention, the college years I'd paid for by myself after Lowe had blatantly refused to, telling me it would be a waste since I would not end up with a job.

It took everything within me including my wolf, not to run after Lupita and tackle her to the ground.

I couldn't display a single emotion and all I wanted in that moment was to either run away or hang myself on a tree.