Chapter 6
1211 Words
Chapter 6
Emilia's POV
Maximilian's jaw tensed, but he tried to conceal it by turning his face away. Almost as if he didn't want to, his fingers twitched as he removed the lilies from my face. I quickly withdrew and covered my nose. I was itching like crazy from the dumb flowers.
I remained silent and breathed through my lips. I had a constricted chest. The allergy, or perhaps more than that, caused my eyes to water.
A piercing sound broke the silence.
Maximilian laughed. His voice was rough as he yelled, "These flowers aren't for you."
I glanced up, catching a fleeting glimpse of him. He must have brought them for me; I was positive. For a brief, desperate moment, the answer was indeed yes.
What prompted him to come here at all?
"So, for whom?" My voice broke. I detested my weakness.
He laughed, chilly and cruel. “For Lena, obviously." You stated it yourself—you’ve never gained anything from me. Did you really expect me to begin right away?
Something emptied inside of me.
Naturally.
Of course it wasn’t for me.
A wobbly, bitter smile extended across my cheeks. My hands curled into fists by my side.
Why did I even expect anything else?
Why did I keep hoping?
I hope that he'd look at me.
I hope that he'd forget about Lena.
I hope he'll be pleased with our child.
I hoped he would at least hold my hand at the funeral for my grandmother.
Hope always brought me to tears.
I briefly closed my eyes. I decided to stop wishing. There will be no more illusions.
Even though it was painful to breathe, I forced a pleasant tone as I said, "Good." "I wouldn't change my mind about the divorce, even if you begged and showered me with flowers."
Maximilian's jaw dropped. He let his hand, which was still clutching the lilies, fall slightly.
Perhaps he expected me to cry. Perhaps he feared that I might collapse once more.
This time, though, it's different.
No more.
I said, turning to his mother and giving her a stern look, "Give me my bracelet." "I've left this place."
His mother, Garcia, grinned as if she were witnessing a child's tantrum. She turned to Maximilian while holding the bracelet between two fingers.
"Maximo, tell me. Does the property truly belong to her? Her voice was filled with fake worry as she posed this question.
He frowned as he inched closer to get a better look. His black eyebrows furrowed. He ran his fingers over the bracelet as if he were looking for something.
The seconds passed.
Garcia lost patience. "All right? Does it belong to her?
Maximilian blinked as if he had lost his sense of location. “It’s hers,” he continued, voice low but forceful.
Garcia's mouth fell open.
“That can’t be!” she yelled. "A lowly omega like her could never possess something so valuable." She must have stolen it.
I clenched my teeth. My fingernails sank into my hands.
He thus learned it from this source. He experienced the brutality and the sneer firsthand. He received it straight from his mother.
Maximilian remarked stiffly, "Mother, watch what you say." It is hers. I handed it to her.
I blinked.
What?
I assumed he had forgotten.
Garcia's nose widened. She looked at him instead of me, as if I were dirt beneath her foot.
"You give her this kind of thing? Do you have a mental illness?
Maximilian remained silent. He maintained a stern expression.
Garcia's wristband was now hanging freely and swaying slightly. Without a second look, she threw it at me. It was easy for me to catch.
With a chilly tone, she responded, "Take your trash and go."
Trash.
The word had a profound impact on me. I kept it to myself. I turned toward the door after shoving the bracelet inside my pocket.
Footsteps echoed behind me.
I continued.
"Wait, Emilia."
For half a second, I froze. I shook my head and continued walking after that.
His voice trailed after me.
"You are expecting a child."
My breathing stopped.
Slowly, I turned.
"What just did you say?"
Maximilian's face nearly fell apart as he gazed at me. Nearly.
He answered, "I am aware of the baby."
I felt my chest heave. My heart struck my ribs hard.
"I told you not to talk about the baby."
He took a step toward her. He raised his hand slightly, seemingly preparing to grab me, but ultimately decided against it.
"I never intended to cause you harm."
I chuckled. Out loud. bitter. Horrible.
"Is that meant to resolve the issue?" I raised my voice. If Garcia heard, it didn't matter to me. I didn't care if the whole Nightwolf Pack heard.
"You didn't intend to harm me? Is that the reason you made fun of me? Did you leave me alone at Grandmother's funeral for that reason? Is that why you spent our anniversary with her?”
His mouth opened. Closed.
No words.
I chuckled once more. My mouth tasted like blood.
"You're not even brave enough to deny it."
It seems as though he could collapse there. I didn't care, though.
No more.
“Stay away from me,” I said. "Avoid contact with our child."
I pivoted on my heel. left the house in a march. I slammed the door so firmly behind me that the windows shook.
The cold air outside pricked my skin. Each breath burned all the way down my throat when I inhaled.
In my pocket, the bracelet felt weighty.
Foolish.
I had been so foolish.
I kept walking, not caring where my feet took me. My thoughts were a jumble of anguish and rage.
He is not necessary for me.
No one is necessary for me.
I will raise my child by myself.
I'll make a life for myself without him.
I'll be resilient.
The phrases recurred in my mind like a chant.
Beside me, a car came up. I tensed up.
The window rolled down.
Antonio lifted his eyebrows and leaned out.
"Require a ride?"
I paused.
I said, "No thanks," without glancing at him.
He chuckled. "Come on. It's freezing. You are going to get a cold.
I continued to walk.
He called after me and said, "You know, I'm not the enemy."
I paused.
The enemy is not the adversary.
Slowly, I turned back to him.
"What are you looking for?" I inquired.
He gave a shrug. "Nothin'. I thought you might benefit from a friend.
I almost burst into laughter again.
A companion.
I had forgotten the meaning of that word.
When I remained silent, Antonio said, "Suit yourself." His tires grinded on the gravel as he withdrew.
Down the road, I saw the automobile vanish.
The fear of snow weighed down the gloomy sky above.
Maximilian was probably still standing somewhere in the Nightwolf Pack house, wondering how it had gone so wrong.
Let him wonder.
I continued walking.
It's just one step.
One more.
I continued despite the cold seeping through my bones.
The lands of the Nightwolf Pack remained a blur in the distance.
Not until the future sprawled out in front of me—empty, terrible, yet mine.
- Writer
