Running on Empty

Heartless B*tch!

Darlene

Jillian, wearing an air of authority, warned the mansion's servants with a cold edge in her voice. "Listen up, everyone. Darlene is now a servant like you. I don't want any of you helping her. My words carry the same weight as Alpha Victor's. Disobeying me means consequences, not just for you but for the entire pack. I have the power to fire you, not just from the mansion but from the pack itself. Remember that."

The servants nodded in silent agreement, their eyes avoiding mine. I felt the weight of their compliance, the reality of my diminished status sinking in. The once-familiar faces turned away, leaving me to grapple with the harsh truth of my new role.

Unable to contain my frustration, I muttered under my breath, "Jillian, you're a heartless b***h!"

Jillian's response was swift and brutal. Her hand struck my face with a force that reverberated through the room. "Watch your mouth, Darlene. You're no different from the other servants now. Don't forget your place."

Before I could react, Jillian grabbed a bucket of water and flung it in my direction. The cold water drenched me, shock and humiliation washing over me like a tidal wave. "Clean this mess," she commanded, her tone dripping with disdain.

I stood there, stunned, water dripping from my hair and clothes. The mop lay at my feet, a cruel reminder of the new reality I faced. With a deep breath, I picked up the mop and began to clean the water I had been forced to spill.

As I mopped, Jillian watched with a satisfied smirk. "This is your life now, Darlene. A servant who cleans up after others. Get used to it."

The transition from a privileged daughter to a lowly servant within the Golden Claws Pack mansion was swift and brutal. The weight of the mop in my hands felt like a mockery of the authority I had once held. As I scrubbed the floor, my resentment grew with each stroke, but I knew there was little I could do in the face of Jillian's unchecked power.

The rhythmic sound of the mop against the floor echoed through the room as I scrubbed with a determination born of resentment. The water from the bucket glistened on the tiles, and I tried to focus on the task at hand, blocking out the smirking presence of Jillian who loomed over me like a vulture.

Jillian's critical eyes scanned my every move, and I could feel the weight of her scrutiny bearing down on me. It wasn't long before her dissatisfaction erupted into another harsh slap across my face. The sting was sharp, and I winced, my cheek throbbing with pain.

"What the hell, Darlene? Can't even clean properly?" Jillian sneered, her tone dripping with disdain.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. The mop clutched tightly in my hands became a symbol of my resistance.

Jillian, undeterred by my patience, delivered another punishing slap. The force of the blow reverberated through my face, and I could feel the numbing sensation spreading. My jaw tightened, but I bit back the retort that threatened to escape.

"You're utterly useless, Darlene. Can't even follow simple instructions," Jillian spat, her eyes filled with a cold malice.

With each slap, the room seemed to spin, and I struggled to maintain my composure. The humiliation of being physically punished like a wayward child fueled my anger, but I knew any resistance would only escalate the abuse.

"You were never fit to be part of this pack. A worthless daughter of the alpha," Jillian taunted, relishing the power she wielded.

I clenched my jaw, summoning every ounce of strength to endure the assault. The numbness in my face spread, masking the pain beneath a layer of detachment. Jillian's relentless barrage, however, left an indelible mark on my psyche.

Through gritted teeth, I finally spoke, my voice carrying a quiet determination. "I won't break, Jillian. No matter what you do."

Jillian laughed, a cruel and mocking sound. "We'll see about that, Darlene. This is just the beginning."

The room fell into a tense silence, the mop still in my hands, and Jillian's disdain hanging heavy in the air.

The second day as a servant felt like an eternity, As I diligently cleaned the floor, the laughter of Margaret and her mean-spirited friends—Isabel, Amy, and Vicky blended with the sound of their heels on the tiles. The remains of their snacks and discarded trash littered the area I was working on. Margaret, with a malicious grin, pointed at the mess and taunted, "Clean it up, servant. Isn't that what you're here for?"

Isabel, Amy, and Vicky erupted into laughter, reveling in the degradation. I bit my lip, suppressing the rage that threatened to consume me as I stooped to pick up their discarded trash.

Margaret, clearly relishing the spectacle, turned to her friends with a conspiratorial smirk. "You know, my father, Alpha Victor, lost affection for his former wife, Cathy, Darlene's mother. I mean, who wouldn't? Jillian, my mother, is so much prettier and more worthy of the throne than Cathy, the loser."

The words stung like a knife, and I felt a surge of anger coursing through me. Unable to contain the frustration, I lunged towards Margaret, my hands instinctively reaching for her throat. The trash in my hands scattered in the commotion.

Before I could make contact, Jillian intervened with a ferocity that matched her daughter's cruelty. She grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me backward, the force causing me to stumble. The room spun, and I winced at the pain shooting through my scalp.

Jillian's voice, cold and authoritative, cut through the chaos. "Don't you dare lay a hand on my daughter, Darlene. Know your place."

With a swift motion, Jillian's hand struck my face in a resounding slap. The force of the blow reverberated, and my cheek throbbed in tandem with the pain from the previous day. Margaret, recovering from the momentary shock, grinned triumphantly.

"See, Mother? Darlene is just a lowly servant now. She can't defy us," Margaret declared, a triumphant glint in her eyes.

The friends, still giggling at the spectacle, continued to mock and jeer. I clenched my fists, my anger now compounded by the humiliation of being overpowered and degraded.

Jillian, her grip still tight on my hair, hissed, "Throw her into the basement, and make sure she gets neither food nor water. Let her feel the weight of her defiance."

The servants, their expressions betraying a mixture of reluctance and obedience, hesitated for a moment before nodding in compliance. Jillian's orders were callous, a cruel sentence that awaited me in the depths of the dark basement.

As the servants approached, I met Jillian's gaze with a mixture of anger and defiance. "You won't break me, Jillian. No matter what you do," I declared, my voice carrying a quiet determination.

Jillian, unyielding in her authority, smirked. "We'll see about that, Darlene. It's time you learn your place."

Before I could react, Margaret, fueled by a malicious satisfaction, stepped forward. "You think you can choke me and get away with it, Darlene? Tonight, you pay for your actions."

Margaret's slap landed sharply across my face, the force of it leaving a burning sensation. Anger surged within me, but I restrained myself, knowing that any retaliation would only escalate the situation further.

With a defiant glare, Margaret declared, "I'll make you regret ever defying us, step by step."

Despite the humiliation, I managed to pull away as the servants closed in, ready to escort me to the dreaded confinement of the basement. The weight of the impending darkness felt like a physical force, but I steeled myself against the fear.

"You might control the pack, Jillian, but you can't erase my spirit," I retorted, my words a whispered vow.

Jillian, undeterred by my defiance, motioned for the servants to proceed with their orders. As they guided me toward the foreboding door, I shot one last glance at Jillian and Margaret, my eyes filled with a defiance that even the looming darkness couldn't extinguish.

The door to the basement swung open, revealing the pitch-black void that awaited. With a forceful push, the servants cast me into the shadows, and the heavy door sealed my fate.