Chapter 19: Cruelty

Lucille and Ophelia stood silently in their wolf forms, the cool night breeze brushing their fur as they listened to the quiet footsteps approaching. The sound grew louder, and Ophelia’s ears twitched.

Before Lucille could react, Ophelia turned and disappeared into the shadows, her paws silent against the ground.

Lucille hesitated for a moment, her heart thudding in her chest. She looked down at her torn dress lying beside her. She couldn't shift back yet, not here, not where someone might see her naked.

She picked up the dress with her mouth, gently dragging it along the ground as she trotted back to her room.

Her legs ached, but she moved quickly, afraid of being seen. Once inside the room, she locked the door with shaky hands before letting the shift take her.

Pain rippled through her body as her bones reshaped. When it was over, she lay on the cold floor, breathing hard.

Her strength had returned a little, but her heart still hurt. The pains from earlier, the cruel task, they made her heart bleed more. She slowly got to her feet, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

She sat on the cold floor for a moment, chest heaving, eyes glassy with tears. She pulled the wet dress over her skin and tied it as best as she could with trembling fingers.

Just a little longer, she told herself. Just survive this night.

She returned to the pool, walking slowly. The man who had been assigned to watch her was already there. The woman she had insulted earlier was standing beside him, arms folded and an ugly smirk on her lips.

Luckily, they didn't bump into her wolf and Ophelia's. It would have been terrible for her.

“There she is,” the man said sharply, turning his gaze on her. “Where have you been?”

Lucille stood still, trying to steady her breath. “I needed to use the restroom.” she lied smoothly.

The woman raised a brow. “Do you think we’re fools? Liar!" 

“I only went to the restroom,” Lucille said firmly, not even bothering to look at the woman.

“You left your duty just to wander around, pretending you needed the restroom!” the woman snapped.

Lucille finally looked up, her eyes sharp. “And how is that your business?” she asked coldly.

“Do you enjoy sticking your nose into other people’s lives?” she added, her voice filled with boldness.

The man nearby blinked in shock. So the rumors were true. Lucille did have a sharp tongue.

He glanced at the two arguing women, both low-ranked omegas, and shook his head. 

His job was to make sure the pool was clean and filled. Looking over, he saw it was nearly full. That meant he was done here. He turned and walked away, not wanting to get involved in their drama.

The woman clenched her teeth in anger, veins popping on her forehead. “You—!”

“I feel sorry for your wolf,” Lucille scoffed.

“It must look like a sphynx cat from all the bitterness you carry,” she added, refusing to be pushed around.

They were both omegas. The woman wasn’t better than her.

The woman’s face turned red with rage. She was shaking with anger.

“You’re just an omega like me! You’ll never rise above me! You’re a servant, just like I am! Once Edward is done with you, he’ll throw you away like trash, just like they always do to omegas!”

Lucille’s jaw tightened, but she wasn’t done yet. She stepped forward, eyes blazing.

“Yes, I’m an omega. And I’ll serve my five years. Then I’ll be free. I’ll use my certificate to get a real job. But you—” she looked the woman up and down with pity, “you’ll be a servant forever.”

“How dare you!” the woman shouted, lifting her hand to strike.

But Lucille’s deadly glare froze her in place.

“Next time you raise your hand to hit me, I'll make sure I hit you first,” Lucille said, her voice sharp like blade.

Her body still ached from the harsh work she had been forced to do, yet this cruel woman wanted to add more pain. Lucille wasn’t going to let that happen.

The woman lowered her hand slowly, then gave a proud smirk. “You’re thirty minutes late finishing this task,” she said, lifting her chin.

“That means punishment,” she added with a cruel grin.

Lucille let out a bitter laugh. “Do you think I’m as foolish as you? Clearly, your job description doesn't include making decisions. That’s why your master typed the schedule and the punishments.” She stepped closer, her voice low and fearless.

“So, Madam Omega, I know the rules well enough. Now get your stinking self out of my sight.”

The woman’s face twisted with rage. Her eyes darkened, her chest heaved, but she couldn’t speak.

“The way your heart is pounding,” Lucille sneered, “you might just drop dead.”

“I’ll deal with you,” the woman hissed and turned to storm away.

“What else can you do? Stop me from eating?” Lucille’s voice rang out, halting her.

“The world, the future generations, even the Goddess we serve, none of them will forgive you for turning against your own kind!”

Her voice grew louder, fiercer. “Your life will be full of misery, woman!”

The woman froze. Her fingers began to tremble. Her eyelids fluttered.

Lucille took a shaky breath, her heart breaking under the weight of it all. “For every omega who died in service, whose spirits still roam, they will take away your peace.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. The pain inside was too heavy. Just two days in this place felt like a lifetime.

“For every time you deny me food,” she whispered, voice cracking, “your wolf will be denied essence.”

The tears rolled down her cheeks now, but she wiped them quickly. Her body burned with exhaustion, but she moved to the pool, now full.

Slowly, she turned off the tap with her sore hand, removed the hose, and packed up the buckets and basin.

She turned around. The woman was still there, frozen in place, facing away like someone struck by lightning.

Without saying another word, Lucille picked up the tools and dragged her tired body out of the pool. She didn’t spare the woman another glance as she made her way to the store room to return the cleaning equipment.

From there, she walked to the kitchen, and was greeted by a mountain of dirty dishes.

She let out a bitter smile. If I survived cleaning that pool, I can survive this too, she told herself.

Even though her whole body screamed with pain and exhaustion, she got to work. One dish at a time, she scrubbed, rinsed, and cleaned. Eventually, she finished.

She returned to her room, took a cold shower, and lay on the bed, her limbs heavy with fatigue. Her thoughts drifted to home. Her mother, her elder brother, and suddenly, tears began to fall.

Sitting up slowly, she reached for her cloth bag, opened it, and pulled out the small phone her brother had secretly given her. Should I call? she wondered. What if someone finds out?

Her fingers hovered over the screen, but she couldn’t risk it. Quietly, she slipped the phone back into the bag and hid it deep inside.

She returned to bed, buried her sorrow deep inside, and let the exhaustion of the day drag her into a heavy, dreamless sleep.