Chapter 23
CHARLOTTE’S POV
My eyes kept trying to open, then closing again. My head felt heavy, like I was half asleep and half awake. The world shifted, slow and blurry, and then I saw her.
A young girl. A teenager. She looked like me. She had had a round dark round mark on her cheek, the exact one I hard on my face when I woke up six years ago. I remembered how it slowly faded with time until it was gone.
The younger version of me walked quietly down a narrow stairway and into a small basement. The place was almost empty. A small bed sat against the wall, the mattress was thin and old. A few clothes were folded neatly beside it, they were worn and faded. The walls were rough and bare. There was a big gift box on the bed.
I stopped for a moment then walked closer and opened the box. Inside it was a blue Cinderella dress. A pair of shoes sat beneath it. My young eyes lit up in excitement. That look on my face said everything. It was something I had always wanted Something I never thought I’d have.
I quickly put on the dress and slipped into the shoes, then stood in front of my broken mirror. The glass was cracked, but the girl staring back at me looked different. The blue dress hugged my slim body just right, showing the soft curves I always hid under baggy jeans. The fabric clung to my waist and fell gently around my legs. For the first time, I didn’t look invisible. I couldn’t stop staring at myself.
I heard footsteps and turned around. Another girl stood by the door, her face blurry, like a shadow I couldn’t fully see.
“Oh my gosh,” she gasped, clapping her hands. “You look breathtaking in that dress. It fits you perfectly. It looks so expensive. Happy seventeenth birthday, Char.” Her voice bounced with excitement.
My eyes widened.
“Why do you look so surprised? You bought this for me.” My heart raced as I looked down at the dress again. “How did you know I always wanted this exact shade of blue, with the soft shine and tiny details on the bodice, and the shoes too?”
I didn’t wait for her answer. I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around her.
“I love you so much, best,” I breathed into her shoulder. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me since I came to this pack.”
She looked like she wanted to tell me something, then she changed her mind.
“Let’s just say the fairy godmother knew your birthday wish and decided to send you a surprise.”
I rolled my eyes. “If the fairy godmother was that kind, she wouldn’t have let my mother die. Then I wouldn’t be stuck in this pack where I’m unwanted.”
She gasped loudly, slapping a hand to her chest. “Wow. So if your mom was alive, I wouldn’t exist in your life? Just erase me like that?” She sniffed dramatically. “I see how it is.”
I shook my head. “You’re unbelievable.” I stepped closer, my voice softening. “You know you’re the only thing keeping me going in this pack. I couldn’t have asked for a better best friend.”
Her lips curved into that knowing smile. She tilted her head, eyes shining.
“We both know that’s not true. There’s one more person keeping you going. You run around the pack every day just to steal glances at him.”
1/3
44 pm
Chapter 23.
Heat rushed to my cheeks and I looked away. “Why don’t you just tell him you like him?” she teased. “He might like you too.”
1 scoffed softly. “If only. He doesn’t even look my way. It’s like I’m invisible.” I shrugged “Have you seen the girls around him? I don’t stand a chance.”
“You think too low of yourself.” She checked the time, already stepping back. I have to return to my father’s office. I just came to wish you a happy birthday.” Her eyes sparkled. “Tonight, you dress up. We’ll sneak out and have some fun.”
I glanced toward the door, my voice dropping lower. “We’re not eighteen yet, remember? No bar in this pack would let us in.*
She smirked. “I have my ways.”
Before I could say another word, she darted out, laughing.
When I was done packing the dress back into the box, I opened the door to leave.
A woman stood right in front of me.
She looked only a few years older than me, and just like the girl who had left earlier, I couldn’t see her face no matter how hard I stared, it stayed blurred, like a storm was covering it.
“Where are you going?” she snapped, her voice harsh. “Are you done cleaning the house? We’re having an important guest tonight and I want the house sparkling.”
My fingers tightened around the door.
“I can’t clean the whole mansion by myself,” I said carefully. “It’s too big. I’ve cleaned the living rooms, the hallways, the dining area, the guest bathrooms, and the stairs. Please, can you let the cleaners help me?”
The words had barely left my mouth when pain exploded across my cheek. My head snapped to the side. Before I could understand what happened, another sharp sting landed on my other cheek. My ears rang.
She roughly shoved her palm hard into my chest, pushing me back into the basement room. I stumbled backward, my feet slipping, and I fell inside the room, hitting the floor. My face burned in severe pain.
“You’ll do whatever I ask you to do in this house without questions. Do you understand?” I nodded, tears flowing down my cheeks, tiny whimpers escaping as I tried not to cry.
She stomped to where I had kept the box and yanked out the dress and the shoes. “I see you got a birthday present, ugly duckling. Who gave you this?” She asked in an iced tone.
“My best friend,” I managed to let out, struggling to swallow the pain.
She crouched down and examined the dress closely. “No way she could afford this… This is Arivelle. The designer only makes one piece per person, and it’s never sold twice. You’re wearing Arivelle? Do you know how rare this is? How much this costs?”
I stared at her in confusion. I didn’t even realize the dress was from that famous brand. How could my best friend have managed to buy it?
“This dress costs nothing less than forty thousand dollars,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. I couldn’t see her face but I could hear the anger and jealousy in her voice.“You can’t get this anywhere else in the world. He couldn’t have… there’s no way he could have bought this…”
Before I could react, she lunged at me. Her hands were wild, clawing at my arms and legs. I stumbled, trying to dodge, but she kicked me, shoved me, scratching at my cheeks and shoulders with her nails.
2/3
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ぎ様 se sarled, delivering one last kick to my ribe before
And the destroyed it. My chest tightened in uncontrollable pain, my stomach twisted. I wanted to scream, but no sound wrry harris. My dress, the most beautiful gif arryone had ever given me
My vision blurred with tears, and I stumbled blindly through the mansion. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. and before I could stop myself. I crashed into a hard chest. My head snapped up, and for a moment, all I could feel was
“Why are you crying?” His voice was low and deep. I haven’t heard that voice in months. My face was swollen from crying. and before I could answer, he gently lifted my chin, his eyes scanning every inch of my face. I was too exhausted to even focus, too tired to recognize him clearly.
“Who did this to you?” His voice became angrier.
Everything around me wobbled and blurred, like the world itself was unstable. It seemed as if he disappeared. I couldn’t see him anymore and suddenly I felt myself holding a vacuum cleaner, trying to clean the stairs, when suddenly someone shoved me from behind. I stumbled, tumbling down the stairs, my body twisting and hitting the steps. I heard someone screaming my name as everything became blank.
“Charlotte!”
I woke up gasping for breath, my chest was heaving. My shirt was drenched with sweat, and my heart was pounding like it wanted to break free. My breaths came fast and shallow. Did I have a dream about my past? Or was my memory finally starting to come back?
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
