The Wolfless Omega: The Alpha's Runaway Bride

Chapter 14

Raine's Perspective

Helena told me that from the moment I disappeared, my parents never gave up searching for me. They spent everything they had, traveling endlessly. Then, a year ago, they both died in a car accident.

In the cemetery, my parents were buried together. Weeds had grown over their grave. Beside them stood an empty tomb carved with my name.

I knelt before my parents' grave, my hands pressed against the earth, so cold it stung. My whole body went limp, and I sobbed uncontrollably.

"Why..."

My tears fell like crystals, soaking the ground.

I still didn't understand. I didn't understand why heaven had given me hope, only to give me despair.

I had thought that once I escaped Ashgrave, everything would be a new beginning. Those five years of torment—I had survived only by dreaming of our reunion.

Helena came over and gently patted my shoulder.

I wiped my tears and gave her a bitter smile. "I'm sorry, Helena. I can't talk today. I need some time alone."

She crouched down and hugged me, patting my back. "I hope you can stay strong. Being alive matters more than anything."

She left.

The wind blew in from afar, rustling the grass before the headstones.

I knelt there for a long time. Finally, I forced my exhausted body up and returned in silence to the home we once shared.

The house was empty. Dust covered the windowsills. Spiderwebs hung in the corners. Weeds had overtaken the yard.

I stood in the center of the living room, staring at the dust-covered family portrait—three people smiling, leaning into each other. Now only I remained.

To numb myself, I cleaned relentlessly, tidied everything. I moved mechanically, refusing to think. It felt as though the moment I stopped, I would collapse.

When I finally cleaned my parents' bedroom, my stomach began to cramp. I realized I hadn't eaten all day.

I didn't know how I would survive tonight. Or the days after. The house was so large. I sat slumped on the floor, and the faintest sound echoed.

I rested my hand on my belly and suddenly remembered there was still a tiny life inside me.

Silently, it was keeping me company.

I wept softly. "I'm sorry... for bringing you into a family like this. You probably didn't want to come either, did you?"

No one answered.

I went through my parents' wardrobe and drawers.

Opening a drawer, my hand found a hardcover notebook. The cover was worn pale, as if its owner had caressed it countless times.

I opened to the first page. It was my mother's handwriting.

[Dear daughter: No matter what it takes, Mom and Dad will never give up looking for you. We believe you are still alive.]

My fingers gripped the edge of the page, knuckles white. I turned to the next entry.

[Dear daughter: Mom looked in the mirror today and saw so many wrinkles. I thought, if you were here, you would comfort me—"Mom, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. Wrinkles don't mean anything. We'll always be together." I'm sorry. Mom rambles too much. I just miss you so much.]

[Dear daughter: Your father and I are setting off again to look for you. I hope life will be on our side.]

A long gap followed. The dates jumped to the third year.

[Dear daughter: Your father fell seriously ill. We almost gave up. But while cleaning today, I found your favorite pressed bellflower from when you were little. Mom remembered telling you back then—bellflowers represent sincerity and steadfastness, so you must always be strong and sincere. Perhaps fate works in mysterious ways. At our lowest moment, we found this and found hope again. We will never give up.]

The final page.

[Dear daughter: We firmly believe that one day we will be reunited. So no matter what happens, never give up. Life is beautiful.]

I held the diary to my chest and wept on my parents' bed.

After crying until I was nearly dehydrated, a strange clarity washed over me, as if I had been reborn.

My parents had never given up searching for me, even until their deaths. They said no matter what happens, never give up.

So I had to live well.

I still had the baby in my belly. I had to stay strong!

After cleaning the house, I immediately made myself a bowl of noodles. My stomach finally felt a little better, and I fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, I used the little money I had left to buy some gifts and visited a few old friends in town.

They were the ones who had helped arrange the funeral back then.

I soon discovered I had been too optimistic.

My old friends were both surprised and happy to see me, but their interest in where I had been and how I had lived for the past five years quickly faded.

Everyone had moved on. They had their own things to do, their own concerns. Social circles had shifted. No one had kept a place for me.

I couldn't deny it—after five years of absence, the closeness we once shared was gone.

Helena had also married and had children. She had wed a wealthy merchant in town. Wedding photos hung on the living room wall.

We talked for half an hour, during which she got up no fewer than five times to comfort her baby or feed it.

Her sharp-tongued mother-in-law kept urging her along, glaring at me like I was some country bumpkin.

Helena apologized.

"I'm sorry—I haven't been a good host today."

I could see her embarrassment, and I was smiling just as awkwardly myself.

She poured me a cup of tea, but before we could exchange a few casual words, a baby's cry came from the bedroom.

Watching her retreating figure, all the things I had wanted to say stuck in my throat.

"I'll need to start preparing lunch soon. Will you stay and eat, Raine?" Helena emerged from the bedroom again.

"No, thank you, Helena. It's good enough just to see you. I still have some things to do, so I'll be going."

"Alright. Let me walk you out."

"It's fine. You're busy. I can see myself out."

After saying goodbye, I wandered aimlessly down the street. The wind blew in my face, and I wrapped my coat tighter.

My heart felt heavy with melancholy, but I didn't blame them.

I had vanished from their lives for five years. It was only natural that I couldn't fit back in.

After everything that happened yesterday, nothing could break me anymore.

What mattered most now was earning a living and becoming an independent single mother.

Luckily, I found a short-term part-time job in town that barely covered my daily expenses.

During a break, I sat on the steps outside a convenience store scrolling through my phone. Suddenly, my hand stopped.

[Local hospital emergency department is hiring nursing staff. No education requirements. No age limit. Emergency nursing certification required. Join us today!]

My eyes lit up!