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Chapter 5
Nathan, hearing about Sophie’s condition, withdrew his hand. Downstairs, he saw Sophie’s flushed face, clearly feverish. “I’ll get the car. First Quarter Pack hospital, now!.” He and Brandon rushed Sophie to the Pack Hospital.
Upstairs in my room, I lay in bed, flushed and sweating. I was plagued by nightmares all night. My wolf and I were howling while trapped in the endless nightmares, hopeless and terrified. Just like the reality.
The next morning, my phone buzzed incessantly. Irritated, I opened it to find a flood of messages from a social media app- full of insults. I was familiar with this; the video of me supposedly pushing Sophie into the pool had been posted on the campus forum. Sophie was popular; these people were furious. Her supporters were enrages to send insult messages.
My head felt like it was about to explode from the pain. I lashed out, unleashing a torrent of insults. The forum exploded with thousands of messages; the administrators panicked, thinking it had been hacked. Then, I tossed the phone aside and went back to sleep. I didn’t need to please the Ashford Family nor care about my reputation anymore. I didn’t have my family in the Pack, they were all Sophie’s. I was done with this suffocating existence.
Soon, a maid knocked.“Miss Lina, it’s time to school; you’ll be late.”
Oh, right. School.
I splashed cold water on my face to clear my head. To escape the Ashford Family, I needed to finish school and get into Harvard University, far away from this Pack.
After changing into my uniform, I went downstairs, encountering Nathan and Brandon entering the house. Nathan noticed my flushed cheeks and instinctively reached out to touch my forehead. I stepped back, avoiding his touch, and sat at the dining table. I needed to eat to recover and study for the WAT. His hand hung in the air, then awkwardly dropped.
Brandon sneered. “I told you she’s an ungrateful wretch! She’s as strong as an alpha. Unlike Sophie, who’s always been frail, she caught a cold and fever from last night’s incident. Lina never gets sick!”
Nathan remained silent; Lina was always healthy since child. He approached the table.“Sophie is sick. While she’s in the hospital, you’ll take care of her until she recovers. Understand?” He felt she was becoming increasingly spoiled. Since she didn’t understand how to be grateful, he would force her to learn.
Brandon added, “Lina, Sophy’s father saved your life, but you almost killed her. You must care for Sophie to pay back!”
I ate my breakfast, forcing myself despite my lack of appetite. Less than a hundred days until the WAT–after which I could leave the Ashfords and the Pack.
Brandon, displeased by my indifference, snatched my chopsticks.“I’m talking to I looked up, my eyes clear, speaking no words.
you, you
deaf?”
He commanded, “When Sophie takes her pills, you go get her warm water. At lunch time, go get her food from the cafeteria. Remember to be hurry, don’t let the food get cold. When she goes to the bathroom and needs help, you should go with her! Her father saved your life. So, this is what you should do. Understand?”
My voice was cold.“Understood.”
But I didn’t promise to obey.
I left the villa, tears welling but quickly suppressed. My wolf teared inside, too. I thought after all these years, I would have gotten used to it and wouldn’t feel sad anymore. I thought this rebirth would be different, but his words were like needles piercing my heart. I remembered when I was sick as a child; Nathan stayed up all night with me, and Brandon told jokes to coax me to take pills. But because Sophie was frail, they always focused on her when she was ill. Later, even with a fever, I had to endure it alone.
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