Melissa.
The shame was unbearable.
It clung to me like a second skin, heavy and suffocating, pressing down on my chest until each breath felt like punishment. As I stepped down from the podium, the weight of the crown bore into my scalp, no longer a symbol of honor but a constant reminder of my disgrace. Every step I took echoed too loudly in my ears, each one announcing my humiliation to the entire pack.
I could feel their eyes on me.
Hundreds of them.
Watching. Judging. Whispering.
Some didn’t even bother to hide it. Their gazes burned into my back, sharp and invasive, stripping me bare in ways no physical act ever could. My shoulders curled inward instinctively, but I kept walking, my spine rigid, my head held high only because I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing me
