Leilani.
The days went by so fast, you would think that the Heavenly bodies were watching us all from a big screen with a x2 speed.
On this day, which is the last day of work this week, I stepped out of the elevator leading to the parking lot, only to pause in my tracks when I found someone casually leaning against my car.
My first reaction was indifference… that is until the person spun around. My eyes widened when I saw…
Beta Malakai Blackthorne.
Aka my father.
When I saw him, my heart first plummeted into the deepest parts of my stomach, causing me to suddenly begin to feel nauseous. A strange surge of panic rushed through my veins. Sweat from nowhere spread across my skin, and I realized to my horror that I still dreaded this man.
A little too much.
I could still remember how growing up, he would hit me mercilessly for the most unreasonable things— sometimes it was because I 'hurt' Chalice. Other times, it was because I stared at Chalice for a moment too long. Or because I looked too different from the rest of them.
One time, he smashed my skull against a concrete pavement because my dress looked too shabby, even though he never provided for the money needed to change my clothes.
I shivered at the thought, steeled my back and raised my head to meet his gaze without faltering—even though I knew I was thiss close to faltering— and I asked; "What are you doing by my car?"
No pleasantries. No smiles. Just coldness.
The kind of coldness I have gotten so used to. The kind of coldness that almost made me tremble.
He tilted his head to the side as if contemplating on acknowledging me or not, but then he flashed me a smile—or snarl— I couldn't quite figure out what it was. "So this is your car, Leilani?" He drawled, but I didn't respond. I simply watched him, ensuring that the space between us remained as large as an empty parking lot.
"How did you manage to afford it? You and I know that you have no skills, no talents. Even something as basic as having a wolf… you don't have it, so how can you afford to buy an Audi?"
The insult sliced deeper than I wanted it to. It hurt more than I would've expected, seeing as I should be used to it by now; But for some reason, it hurt too much… so damn much. I balled my hands into fists and smiled.
"Are you done?"
Father stilled. His eyes widened ever so slightly before he looked away, scoffing. And when he raised his head back up moments later, I didn't miss the embarrassed flush on his face or how he couldn't seem to look me in the eye anymore.
"You left home and began to sleep around, right?" He asked suddenly, shocking me. My shock soon morphed into rage when his words finally dawned on me. I gritted my teeth.
"You're a whore. And maybe I used to hate you for being so weak, but now, I hate you more for tainting our family's name in this way. I hate you for being a slut. I seriously don't know why you couldn't be as sophisticated as Chalice!"
Wow.
I tightened my fists so much I feared my bones would pop. But that was better than crying out. That was better than showing emotions… better than allowing this man to see how much his words hurt me.
Again, I smiled, shrugging indifferently. "Don't worry about your shitty family name, I made sure to protect it by not using it in the first place," and then crossing my arms over my chest, I asked; "So tell me, Mr Blackthorne, why are you here? Because I am very sure you didn't drive all the way here just to remind me of how insecure you get whenever you look at me."
Father blanched. His face burned a bright red color. He yelled; "You-!"
"I take that as you don't have anything to say. So now, would you please step away from my car? I'd like to go home now."
I watched him open his mouth and close it several times like a drowning fish. Didn't miss the spread of his flush, and didn't miss how he now seemed so uncomfortable, he looked like he was suffering from constipation.
"Chalice applied for a job here some days ago!" He spat so quickly, you would think the words burned his throat.
I cocked my eyebrows. "I heard."
At that, he lifted his head quickly and rushed over to stand so close, I immediately caught a whiff of his cologne. It smelled extremely familiar… extremely musky with a hint of bad memories.
"So that means you've… you've seen it right?"
"No, I haven't. She told me about it. I don't know why you have to come all this way just to tell me what I already know."
"She needs the job!" He snapped quickly, interrupting me. "And she wants you to do something!"
Of course, she does. Everything about them was centred around Chalice.
Gosh, he wouldn't even be here if she didn't need the job, and I was the only inside person they could think of contacting.
Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes at the thought but then I shrugged. "I cannot help. I tried to but I don't work in that department."
As soon as my words left my mouth, father frowned deeply. My heart began to race when he started pacing agitatedly around me. Then he snapped; "Aren't you fucking Frostclaw?! How can you say you cannot help when you literally share semens with the CEO!"
I froze. "What?"
"Oh, don't act dumb, runt!" He growled so loudly, I trembled. "Everyone knows you and Alpha Frostclaw are a couple, and truthfully, that's the only thing you've ever done that I've been proud of!"
Oh, that stung.
That stung like a damn bitch.
I chewed on my lower lip and dropped my head. And after performing about a minute worth of breathing exercises, I raised my gaze and muttered; "I cannot help Chalice, not right now. She should wait like the others that applied!"
"Sam, Mr Brown's youngest son also applied here, just three days ago! He's been contracted!"
"And did it ever occur to you that he may be very talented? That perhaps he was quickly considered due to his skills and not because he had a pretty face and his father loves him?"
"Leilani!" Father growled, grabbing my arm and instinctively, I flinched in fear.
It felt like I had suddenly returned to several years ago, several years before the incident four years ago.
I could see myself standing in front of my father with a sobbing Chalice hiding behind him. She had a bleeding cut on her forehead— one that I had watched her acquire from falling down when she had tried to push me into a muddy water.
But when I told him that, he didn't believe me.
He believed Chalice who told him I had pushed her because her backpack was changed into the color I wanted—Lavender.
That day, father beat me mercilessly, but because he was not satisfied, he dragged me by my long hair through the pack's field under the pouring rain.
The sharp grasses and rocks bit into my skin, drawing blood, but he didn't care. All he cared about was hurting me a million times over for what I'd done to his favorite daughter.
Dispelling this memory from my head, I shrugged off my arm from his hold and bowed. "It's not in my power to help her, and trust me, even if it was, I wouldn't."
"Leilani!"
"Henceforth, don't contact me again, Mr Blackthorne."
"Oh, bitch, you think you can have the last laugh now, right? You think you can ever win against my Chalice, right? I'll let all your colleagues know you're a fucking murderer, including that Frostclaw boy too… Let's see if you'll still be able to act so smug when they all find out!"
I didn't miss the way he said the words; 'My Chalice' like I belonged to a stranger, nor the hostility bursting from him in waves so strong, I was nearly floored.
I shook my head. "And I'd like to see you do that." I said, and with that, I walked away from him whilst shaking violently from the very dark, very twisted memories now swarming around my head.
I thought I'd moved on from them but I was wrong. I hadn't. I couldn't.
And now, I was drowning in the same ocean that had almost taken my life four years ago.