Chapter 17 Getting Ignored Hasn't Hurt This Bad
"Did you see the way Alpha Calhoun went after his stepdaughter?
"Pst! Something's definitely going on between those two because he stopped several other guys from touching her while he carried her in his arms."
"And he married Natalie the previous day. Who even acts like that around their wife's daughter?"
"It's clear he fancies Kristen. Natalie is 37, while he's just 31, six age gaps. So don't blame him if he's attracted to the young and youthful daughter."
Having four women gossip about me, Alpha Calhoun and my mom is doing no justice to my mind. It's hair rising and scary because mom is hearing every single little thing and these women don't even know we're here.
How can they gossip so loudly? Calling my mom old because she's ahead of her husband by a few years?
On the other hand, I hate that I'm the center of the topic.
Worse, Mom's face is calm but she's gripping onto the chairs so hard that I can see her nails digging into it. No one, not even her stylist can see this except me.
Picking up the scissors in front of her, she throws it into the wall at their section and they break out in a squeal of horror. With my heart slamming against my ribcage, I remain unmoving in my seat as I watch mom stand up and approach them. "How dare you!?" She roars and her wolf very nearly surfaces.
"My Luna!" They are afraid to see her.
"How dare you insult me?" Her shoulders rise and fall, giving out how upset she is.
"Calm down, Natalie.." A deep masculine voice stops Mom from lashing out even more.
And the goosebumps in my pores signify he's here.
Alpha Calhoun is here. Standing in the doorway with his eyes on his wife.
"Calhoun?" Mom is confused to see him. She leaves the frightened-looking women and dashes towards Calhoun but he catches up with her before she could reach him.
Their bodies join into a bone-crushing hug and as Calhoun buried his face in the crook of my mom's neck, my throat tightens with jealousy.
I ought to be mad at him for making me wait at the council hall.
His disappearance for two days.
But I cannot.
The way he's holding my mom doesn't settle well with me.
He truly loves her and it's just me standing in the way.
The women who were gossiping can't help but stare at their Alpha and Luna hugging each other.
I wait for his eyes to meet mine but they don't.
"Why did you leave like that?" Mom asks Calhoun when they break off from the hug. She's pouting right now.
"I'm sorry, it was hard dealing with you avoiding me," Calhoun puts his hands on her shoulder as he stares at her with so much affection.
I gulp down my jealousy and look away from the two. Completely fed up with everything. The guilt, fear, jealousy, and frustration. How is it possible for one person to feel these emotions at a time?
"Let's get out of here, shall we?" I hear him make this offer.
"Just a moment," Mom replies and nears my side, "I'm leaving with your stepfather, so just drive yourself home," with that, she pushes her car keys into my hand.
Again, I wait for Calhoun to look at me as he leaves with my mom.
He only turns halfway and stops before his head can snap in my direction, then he throws his arm around Mom's shoulder before staring straight ahead of him.
When they eventually leave, I puff out low breaths to calm the storm of frustration within me.
How dare he skip the rejection only to show up after two days and be all over my mom, when he's still mated to me? He didn't even throw a swift glance in my way.
"Aren't you Alpha Calhoun's Stepdaughter?" Mr. Rob, the diner's manager, questions with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, I am," I curl my hands on top of the table.
While Mr. Rob just glances around before returning his gaze to me.
"Is this a joke or something?" He asks.
"No, I mean it. I want to work here." I body maintains eye contact, so he'll know I mean no jokes.
"Why would you ever want to work in a place like this?" Mr. Rob raises his hands to emphasize. The diner is quite empty because it's noon. Just two tables are occupied. A couple and then an elderly man.
"Because I want to keep myself busy until I return to school in seventeen days," I make this known to Mr. Rob after staring around the diner once more.
And Mr. Rob shakes his head in disapproval. Because people don't even get hired to work for a month, speak more of a week and three days.
"I'm afraid I cannot give you this job, you're from a family that swims in wealth already." He tells me without
"I just want to be away from home, okay?" I can't believe that I just said that, called Calhoun's estate my home when it's not. Mr. Robb stares deeply at me as if trying to figure out if I'm here to mock him or something. When it's true that I really do want to work here. After I got done with my hair, I took a walk around because I didn't want to return home so fast. That was how I ended up here.
"Just give her the job, Mr. Rob," someone else speaks up. A boy with a buzz cut. He's one of the waiters here, tall and skinny.
"I stopped hiring females a long time ago, after firing the rest." Mr. Rob's voice is hard. Indeed, he doesn't have any waitresses.
I wasn't even thinking straight when I came here. My wolf and I are sad that we got ignored. If only Alpha Calhoun had shown up for the rejection that night...
"C'mon, she doesn't look like those sneaky types." Buzz-hair urges his boss.
"Fine, you're hired." Mr. Rob reluctantly accepts.
"Thank you." My shoulders visibly relax as relief washes over me.
"You start by two and close by eight." His voice is stern but I'm not even moved by it.
"Actually, I'd like to work full-time." This is me wanting to avoid Mom and Calhoun. Mostly Calhoun. He stood me up at the council hall and now that he's back, I'll give him the same treatment.
How dare he treat me as he wants after putting me through so much hell? Four nights ago, he was inside me under the rain and today, he showed up after being AWOL for two days, only to completely ignore me like I'm a ghost.
"Did she just say full-time?" Buzz-hair drawn my attention to him.
"Why full-time?" Mr. Robb asks after letting a minute run by.
"I already gave my reasons, sir. And don't worry about the payment. I'm working for free."
My response has both Mr. Rob and Buzz-hair staring at each other, perplexed.
If only they knew how badly I wanted to stay away from my mate and my mother who're married to eachother, they would be more than willing to let me work for free.