Chapter 27: Spoke to family

Just as Lucille expected, she was soon summoned to face Edward. She stood in the grand sitting room, her hands behind her back, wearing a calm and uncaring expression.

"What did you tell her?" Edward’s voice was cold, almost icy.

"I said a lot of things," Lucille replied flatly.

Mark, clearly angered by her tone, snapped, "Do you even understand that the Tribunal gave a sentence against you?"

Lucille’s eyes narrowed. "Are you part of the Tribunal? Were you even there that day?" she shot back sharply.

Mark froze, stunned. His mouth fell open, unsure of what to say. "You do know you can be reported to them for going against your punishment, right?"

Lucille scoffed loudly, the sound mocking. "Then what are you waiting for?"

Mark’s anger deepened, but he stayed quiet, glancing at Edward, who looked tired and drained from it all.

"You’re not afraid of the Tribunal?" Mark asked again.

"What more can they do? Throw me in jail? Drag me to court in a black Maria? Decide to Inject me with silver suppressant to weaken my wolf?"  she said, her eyes locked on Mark in boldness.

Edward spoke again, his voice tight with control. "I’m asking one more time, what did you tell her?"

Lucille shifted her weight and looked him in the eyes. "I told her I would never want you. That my omega lovers were better than you in bed. That you couldn’t satisfy me and never will. That you crave me, but I don’t want you. That you once let me see your manhood, which is too small for an alpha werewolf. That..."

"Enough!" Edward roared, cutting the rest of her words off. His voice thunderous. His eyes burned with fury.

Her words had struck deep, wounding his pride, his ego, his manhood.

Mark’s mouth hung open. His eyes flicked between Lucille and Edward in shock. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

Slowly, he turned to Edward, watching the tight line of his jaw and the storm in his eyes.

Mabel stood frozen, speechless. Doubt crept into her heart. Maybe Lucille was telling the truth.

Maybe Edward really did want her, and she had simply turned him down. The way Lucille spoke to him, with boldness and zero fear, said it all.

“Wow,” Mark whispered. He had never seen anyone, especially an omega, speak to an elite like that.

“Drain the pool. Clean it. Then refill it,” Edward barked, his voice shaking with rage.

Lucille chuckled softly. Her eyes flicked to Mabel, sharp and mocking. “Told you,” she said with a smirk dancing on her lips.

“Even before he reacts, I know,” she added before turning and walking out of the room.

But once outside, her smile faded. Her heart turned cold. Cleaning the pool again meant another day of pain. Her lips curved into a bitter smile, and her eyes filled with unshed tears.

Inside that sitting room, she had worn a mask. Calm. Unbothered. But the truth was, she felt crushed. Deeply, brutally crushed.

Maybe if she acted more polite, he would stop the punishments. The thought came and went just as quickly. No. She might be broken, beaten down, stepped on, but she would never let Edward see that part of her. 

Dragging her feet, she returned to her room, her chest heavy with sadness. Once inside, she locked the door and leaned against it. Her mind raced in every direction. She sighed after a while, trying to steady herself.

She walked to her small bag of clothes, opened it, and slowly took things out, one after the other. Then her fingers wrapped around what she had been looking for.

A mobile phone.

She stared at the phone in her hand for a long moment. Then, taking a deep breath, she pressed the power button and turned it on. It was time to hear from her family. Time to remind herself that someone still cared.

Her fingers trembled as she dialed her brother’s number. The phone rang just once before he picked up.

“Lucy!” his joyful voice rang through the speaker. “It took you three months to call!” he added, clearly excited.

“How are you? Are you okay? We’ve been worried,” he asked quickly, his voice filled with love.

“Ophelia said you're doing fine,” he added with a cheerful tone.

“Ophelia?” Lucille whispered, surprised.

“Don’t worry, no one else knows. She told me you were alright. I’ve been holding onto that,” he said, sounding relieved.

Lucille’s throat tightened as tears welled up in her eyes. She wasn’t okay. Not even close. Ophelia had only said what she was told to say, what Lucille asked her to.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she replied softly, forcing her voice to stay steady. She prayed her emotions wouldn’t slip through.

“How are you?” she asked, trying to sound calm while holding back the sob rising in her chest.

“I’m good! Mom’s doing okay too,” he answered, his voice light and happy.

“And work?” she asked again, needing to hear more of his normal life.

“It’s going great! Brian helped me get a better job. The pay is way better. I’ve been saving money for you, Lucy. When you come back, you’ll have enough to start fresh,” he said proudly, as if she were standing right there.

That broke her. The tears she had been holding back finally fell. She wiped them quickly, but her voice had already changed.

“Thank you,” she whispered, trying to sound normal.

“Hey, wait. Are you crying?” he asked gently, sensing the shift in her tone.

“It’s tears of joy, Louis,” Lucille said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’m just happy I have such a thoughtful brother.” It was a lie, but a sweet one.

“You’re my only sister,” he replied with pride. “It’s my job to look after you.”

Lucille smiled faintly. “How’s your mate?” she asked, gently steering the talk away from herself.

“She’s doing well, just a bit worried about you,” he said.

“Tell her I’m fine,” Lucille replied as calmly as she could, hiding the pain twisting inside her. “The years will pass quickly, and then I’ll be free.”

“When Ophelia comes again, I’ll give her some money to send to you,” he added.

She sighed quietly. “Don’t worry about that. What would I even use it for?” She didn’t want him worrying more than he already did.

“Buy a few things for yourself. That idiot doesn’t need to know,” he said firmly. “Ophelia’s smart. She’ll help you.”

A soft, real laugh escaped Lucille’s lips. The way he called Edward an ‘idiot’ pushed away the tears that had been about to fall. Sometimes, she wondered if her hate for Edward could match Louis’s.

“You really hate him, huh?” she said, still laughing.

“Too much, Lucy. That guy’s a fool. A big one. If I ever get the chance to fight him, I swear I’ll beat him up so badly,” Louis growled with a fire in his voice.

Her chest warmed at his words.y

“One day, Lucy,” he continued, “I’ll get revenge for everything he’s done to you. I swear it.”

Her heart felt lighter. His promise wrapped around her like a blanket.

“I’ll hang up now, bro. Take care of mom, and please, don’t tell her I called.”

“I’m not a fool like Edward,” he replied sharply, making them both burst into laughter.

“Bye,” she said between chuckles.

“Take care, baby sis,” he said, then the call ended.

She stared at the phone, the smile still resting softly on her lips. For the first time in weeks, her heart felt warm. 

After a quiet moment, she turned off the phone and tucked it safely beneath her bag. Then, with gentle hands, she folded her clothes and placed them back inside, zipping the bag shut with care.

When she was done, she stood up, took a deep breath, and stepped out of her room.

Despite the cruel punishment waiting for her by the pool, she felt lighter. Happier.

Edward could give all the orders he wanted, but he could never take away her joy.