3: Twenty Strokes
1373 Words
What? Wash the toilet?
That was something Andromeda had never done in her life. There were certain things she had never even thought of doing, given the fact that she was a princess, and scrubbing toilets was definitely one of them. But this was what she had signed up for when she decided to become a spy, to see firsthand what was happening in the lowest part of the pack.
The guards arrived almost immediately after Calantha called for them. Without a single question, they grabbed Andromeda by the arms and dragged her out of the room. She didn’t struggle, she didn’t fight, she let them take her. Because what could she do? If she fought back, if she used her strength, she would expose herself. And that was something she could not afford.
As she was being led away, she turned her head slightly, her gaze locking onto Thorold as he stood there, watching and not saying a word.
Instead, he held Calantha in his arms like she was something precious, something fragile. But Andromeda? She was being tossed away like she was nothing.
Her chest tightened painfully. This was the same man who had once promised to love her. The same man her father wanted her to marry. But here he was, standing beside another woman, not even lifting a finger to stop what was happening.
So this was what heartbreak felt like. It was deep, like a knife carving through her chest. It twisted in her stomach, made her throat tight, made her whole body feel like it was sinking into something dark and endless.
She blinked, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill.
No. She would not cry. Not here. Not in front of them.
The walk to the toilets was long, and with every step, the guards' grip on her arms tightened, as if they expected her to run. As if she had anywhere to go. The deeper they went, the darker the halls became. A foul stench filled her nose long before they even reached the door.
By the time they arrived, the smell was overwhelming.
Without warning, the guards shoved the door open and pushed her inside. She stumbled forward, barely catching herself before she hit the filthy ground.
The moment she stepped in, the full force of the stench hit her. It was putrid, a mix of rot, waste, and something far worse that she couldn’t even name. Her stomach churned, and she pressed her lips together, breathing through her mouth to keep herself from gagging.
The toilets were disgustingly filthy beyond words. The walls were stained with grime, the floors wet with things she didn’t even want to think about.
She had grown up in a palace, where everything was spotless, where servants ensured she never had to lift a finger. And now… this.
One of the guards sneered at her. “Let’s see how well you clean, omega.”
She didn’t answer. She couldn’t.
A dirty rag landed at her feet, tossed carelessly in her direction.
Another guard smirked. “Make sure you finish washing the toilets.”
And with that, they turned and left, slamming the door shut behind them.
Andromeda groaned as she scrubbed the filthy toilet, her arms aching with every movement. The smell clung to her, making her gag, but she forced herself to keep going. She had never done anything like this before, not in all her years as a princess, not even once. Servants had always done everything for her, but now, here she was, on her hands and knees, cleaning the filth of others.
Her mind was a mess. No matter how hard she tried to focus on the task at hand, she couldn’t stop thinking about what she had just witnessed.
Calantha and Thorold… Together. The image burned in her head like a brand.
How? How had this happened? They weren’t even friends. At least, that was what she had always believed. Calantha had always acted like Thorold meant nothing to her, and Thorold had never once mentioned Calantha as someone important in his life.
And yet… here they were, sleeping together in secret.
She clenched her jaw, scrubbing harder, as if she could erase the betrayal with sheer force. It had all been pretense, lies. They had been pretending to be strangers when people were around, but behind closed doors, they were lovers. Her grip on the rag tightened.
She had been blind and stupid. She had trusted Thorold, had believed that they were meant to be. And Calantha, she had always thought of her as someone fair and just. But now she knew the truth. They weren’t just betraying her. They were a part of the discrimination going on.
The way Calantha had looked at her, the way she had sneered at her and called her a worthless omega, it made Andromeda sick to her stomach. It wasn’t just personal. This was bigger than her.
The discrimination against omegas was real, and Calantha and Thorold were part of it.
Andromeda vowed then and there that she would expose them. Not just for what they had done to her, but for the way they treated omegas like they were nothing.
She would make sure they paid, she just had to endure.
When she was done scrubbing the toilets, her hands raw from the effort, she stepped outside, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The stench still clung to her, but she ignored it. She needed to get out of here.
She left The Upper Den, managing to find her way back toward the omega territory. The moment she got close, she sensed something was wrong.
A commotion… A small crowd had gathered, murmuring amongst themselves.
Andromeda frowned, making her way through the crowd to see what was going on.
Her heart clenched at the sight before her.
A fragile-looking girl who was obviously an omega was on the ground, her knees scraped, her hands trembling as she begged.
“Please,” the girl whispered, her voice desperate.
And then, before Andromeda could react, Calantha lifted her foot and kicked the girl’s head.
Gasps filled the air and Andromeda’s breath caught in her throat.
Calantha’s voice rang out, sharp and filled with disdain. “This omega dared to steal. She claims she was starving.” She looked around, her lips curling in disgust. “I need to show all of you that you don’t get to eat the same food as your superiors. You don’t even get to eat three times a day.”
She turned her gaze back to the trembling omega, her eyes cold. “Because omegas are not on the same level as the rest of us.”
Andromeda clenched her fists, her body trembling with rage.
“You guys are weak,” Calantha continued, sneering. “What do you even need food for?”
The omega girl burst into tears. “Please… have mercy,” she sobbed. “My little sister is hungry. I didn’t mean to steal, it was just leftovers from a plate.”
Andromeda’s stomach twisted. Leftovers?
This girl had taken something that was already discarded, and yet, here she was, being treated like the lowest of the low.
Calantha’s hand moved so fast Andromeda barely had time to react…. Then slap!
The omega girl crumpled further, clutching her cheek.
Calantha glared down at her. “Even leftovers…” she spat, “you lowly omegas don’t deserve them.”
That was it. Andromeda couldn’t hold herself back anymore and before she knew it, she was pushing through the crowd, her voice ringing out.
“Stop it!”
The crowd went silent.
Calantha turned, her eyes narrowing at whoever dared to speak against her. And when she saw who it was, her lips curled in amusement.
“Oh?” she mused. “Look who it is. The same omega I punished with toilet duty.”
Andromeda stood her ground, her hands shaking, but not with fear but with fury.
Calantha scoffed. “Another omega thinking she has a voice.” She waved a hand, and the guards immediately stepped forward.
She pointed at Andromeda. “Make sure you flog this one. Twenty strokes on her back.”
- Writer
