Chapter 156 CHAPTER 156
Rosaleen’s POV
I let my head sink deeper underneath the water as my head struck water, fearing that the longer I stayed down there, the more my mask would wash away. And believing it was already gone and I just needed to hide my face.
I heard the noise of them above me, giggling and urging me on. I held my breath, terrified of raising my head up and meeting the surprise and shocks on their faces.
“Come out, Rosaleen,” I heard Megan say. “Don’t let me spend my life in jail for murder.”
“Manslaughter,” Lara corrected her.
“Whatever,” she said. “I’m going in.”
She jumped into the pool and swam towards me. Before she could get to me, I raised my head out of the water. The others cheered. My heart pulsed as I tried to turn away from everyone.
“I don’t feel good,” I said, getting out of the water.
I didn’t wait for any comments as I walked as fast as I could away from the crowd. I felt chills in my body and I wrapped my arms around my wet body. I felt intense anger in my chest.
I heard footsteps walking slowly behind me as I marched on.
“Rosaleen.”
It was Anna.
I stopped.
Just as I got out of the pool, I caught her face again. There was this smug satisfaction on it. I didn’t turn around. I stood there, waiting for her to catch up.
When she eventually did, she giggled gently. “Megan can be too much sometimes,” she said, examining my face. I wasn't sure what she saw there.
I gritted my teeth. “You think this is funny?”
She frowned. “I’m sorry, at one point, I had to laugh. You are getting yourself worked up because of a scar…”
“An ugly fucking scar!”
I’d always been careful not to get any injuries on my skin or my face. When I was younger, I scraped my knee and the scar grew bigger and bigger. The doctor said I had a condition where I'd get very ugly scars from cuts.
“Maybe you should just get over it,” she said. “Afterall, you’re already married and my brother doesn't seem to care about it.”
I stepped closer. I felt anger burn in my chest. “You are just a damn nitwit. You have no sense. Do you think you can talk to me in that way?”
She scoffed. “Who do you think you are? I can easily talk to my father to get you out of the way. We have to endure enough with you and your ugly face tainting our name.”
It was my turn to laugh. I stared towards the end of the corridor to ensure no one was coming or standing there. Then I leaned close. “Alpha Raymond isn't your father,” I said. “Your mother was a whore.”
Her face turned red. “How dare you!”
She raised her hand to hit me. “It hurts, doesn’t it? The only reason you are here, wearing fancy clothes and keeping friends with the big kids is because I begged him to take you as his. So before you start talking about your family's name, you'd better start looking for your real family."
It felt good to see her eyes cloud up. I let go of her hand and walked away.
I returned to the bathroom again and locked the door. I was scared to approach the mirror. When I eventually did, I realised that I had panicked for no reason. My mask was still intact. I raised my shoulder up and smiled at my reflection. I was done allowing the likes of Anna and Roman ruin my day.
—
I took the jet back home after dropping a text to Lara that I was unwell. The last few days i had spent on the ‘vacation’was hell. I couldn’t stand the sight of Roman’s face or Anna’s mocking laughter or Megan’s ceaseless talk about getting all the hot men. The spot for the bully was mine. I wasn’t to be bullied.
It was evening when I arrived at the mansion and I felt the quietness around me send chills to my bones. Since that day when Philly had attacked me, I'd been scared to stay in the mansion when we were alone. She lived in the other wing but it didn’t stop me imagining scenarios where she’d transform into a ferocious fox, break down my door and attack me again.
I called Alpha Michael. I listened to the dialing tone for seconds before the call stopped. I tried three more times with no luck.
The housekeeper saw me waiting outside and walked up to me.
“You are back, ma’am,” she said.
I knew she didn't like me. I had heard the news that she was quite fond of Evelyn Moon. She was also once Tamara’s nanny. She had good reasons to hate me. I didn’t like her either.
“Yes,” I said, watching as she beckoned on the staff to pack my things in. “Where is Alpha Michael?”
“Oh, he’s not returned since he went to visit Evelyn Moon. I think it’s her birthday today,” she said.
I felt tiny sparks turn to roaring flames in my head.
Evelyn Moon?
“She’s celebrating a birthday in a coma,” I laughed. “How ridiculous.”
She smiled. “Miss Evelyn already woke up, ma’am. Didn't you hear the news?”
She was not joking.
“Since when?” I asked.
“About a week ago.”
I said nothing for a while. The vacation had been planned. He didn’t suggest it because he cared for me. He wanted to get rid of me so he could spend more time with her.
My phone beeped and expecting that it was a message from Alpha Michael, I picked it. It was from an unknown contact. I should have ignored it, but my mind was numb from the news I'd just received. There was an attachment in the message. I clicked it open and a video played.
Sounds of loud moans and flesh hitting sound filled the air. I realised a second too late what I had just opened as I fumbled with my phone, trying to stop the video.