CHAOS BEFORE DEPARTURE
872 Words
Chapter 4
This was the beginning of her only chance.
The next morning in the Voss house was full of tension and activity. Elena woke up very early, even before the sun rose fully in the sky. The room was still dark. She got out of bed slowly because her body was tired from all the crying she did the night before. Her cheek still hurt from the bruise. She washed her face with cold water to reduce the swelling, then started her usual morning chores.
She swept the floors carefully, making sure not to miss any corner. She cleaned the kitchen counters until they shined. She made breakfast for the family — eggs, bacon, toast, and fresh coffee. She prepared tea exactly the way her stepfather liked it. Every movement she made was careful. She did not want to give her mother any reason to shout at her today.
Her small suitcase was already packed and standing near the front door. It was small and simple, just like her clothes inside it. Every time she looked at it, her heart beat faster. She knew Damien Blackthorn was coming today to discuss the arrangements for her move. The thought made her nervous and excited at the same time.
She was in the kitchen washing some cups when she heard the sound of a car stopping outside the house. Her hands started shaking. She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and stayed hidden in the hallway so she could listen without being seen. Her breathing was fast and nervous. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest.
Damien Blackthorn entered the house. His presence filled the entire room. He looked tall, strong, and very handsome in his dark shirt that showed his broad shoulders and muscular arms. His silver eyes looked around the room calmly and seriously. Sophia greeted him with a fake sweet smile on her face.
“Damien, thank you so much for coming on such short notice,” Sophia said. “Please sit down and have some tea. I prepared it myself.”
They sat down in the living room. Elena stayed hidden in the hallway but she could hear every single word clearly. She pressed her back against the wall and listened.
Sophia started speaking in a loud and cruel voice. “I must be honest with you, Damien. Taking Elena will not be easy for you. She is useless. She has no strong wolf inside her. She is weak, clumsy, and very slow at everything. She cannot do simple things right. She is always making mistakes in the house. She is ungrateful and she dreams too much instead of working hard. You will have a lot of trouble with her. I don’t know why my late husband asked you to watch over her all these years. She is a burden to everyone around her. She will only cause problems for you and your pack. She is not like Lucas. She is not strong. She is not useful.”
Elena stood frozen in the hallway. Her body felt cold. Tears filled her eyes and started falling down her cheeks quickly. The cruel words hurt so much. Her own mother was calling her useless and a burden in front of the man she secretly loved. She felt ashamed, small, and worthless. Her chest felt tight and painful. She wanted to run away but she could not move.
Damien’s voice came next. It was calm but strong and firm. “Sophia, she is Marcus’s daughter. That is enough for me. I gave my word to my friend before he died. I will take care of her as I promised. You do not need to worry.”
Even though Damien defended her, the damage was already done. Elena could not stay there any longer. She ran upstairs quietly to her room. She closed the door behind her and sat on her bed. She cried hard for a long time. The words “useless” and “burden” kept repeating in her head again and again. She felt like her heart was breaking into small pieces. She felt like she was nothing.
She thought about her steamy and beautiful dreams of Damien. She thought about how much she loved him in secret. She thought about how she had repressed her forbidden feelings for many years. Even after her mother’s cruel words, her love for him did not disappear. It only became more painful and stronger at the same time. She imagined him holding her in his arms. She imagined his silver eyes looking at her with love instead of pity.
She stayed in her room for a long time until her tears stopped. When she finally came down, Damien had already left the house. Her mother looked at her with cold eyes but did not say anything more. Elena finished her remaining chores with a heavy heart and red eyes. She moved like a ghost through the house.
The next morning, the day of the move finally arrived. Elena waited in the living room with her small suitcase beside her. Her heart was full of fear, sadness, pain, and a small hope for the future.
Her only chance was truly beginning.
- Writer
