Four

My parents lived in a distant Pack, with less development and very few members. I arrived here at noon. It was a very long distance and I was already too famished.

The houses were very underdeveloped and the rocky roads made it even harder for me to drag my suitcases along. I couldn't take a cab, I had already exhausted my money.

My dress was drenched with sweat and I was panting so hard. My eyes searched hard for the building that my family was living in.

Knowing they were living in a place this horrible made my stomach churn. They used to live in Brent's pack until he made them leave with the excuse that I'd find it hard adjusting to living with him if they were close.

He also restricted me from visiting them so it's been a good eight years since I last saw my parents and my kid sister. They wrote to me a few times and added their address, hoping I'd come. That was how I knew what address I was looking for.

A couple of aged women stared at me as I walked past them. I mumbled some greetings but they just nodded. It was like they knew who I was. And they were gossiping about it.

I need to brace myself for it though. Because when Brent finally announces his divorce to the Pack, the whole region will be talking about it.

I finally got to the address of my family's residence and my heart dropped at the sight of the building. It was definitely the worst of all the houses I've walked past.

The cracked walls would collapse if a storm dared to happen around here. We had a better house back at Brent's Pack. Why didn't he just let my family live there?

Why throw them down here to suffer like this? And the fact that I never questioned his order makes me feel even worse right now. The fact that I still loved him regardless makes me feel like a sellout.

I rang the old creaky doorbell and in a minute, the door opened. Mother popped out her head and her eyes widened as she saw me.

“Evangeline?”

“Hi, Mother.” I greeted with a sad smile.

She stepped outside, assessing me with happy, teary eyes. “My dear…”

I couldn't hold back my sob as we hugged so tightly. I needed this hug. I've needed it for the past eight years that I lived in misery in Brent's mansion.

Mother helped me with my luggage as we went inside. If I thought the outside of the building was horrible, then the inside was even worse.

It was just a large hall, decorated with curtains. There was a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and only one bedroom. The little space that was tragically a living room had just one couch.

Father stepped out of the kitchen and he was shocked to see me.

“Are my eyes deceiving me or is my Evangeline really standing in front of me?”

“Father…” I cried out loud, hugging him. My kid sister entered the house a minute later and broke into tears as she saw me. We hugged longer than I hugged my parents.

They helped me put out my luggage at the corner of the house. Mother made me sit as she served me a mild porridge. I ate it with so much gratitude and urgency..

When I was done, she was sitting next to me. It was clear she had a million questions for me, as I do for her.

She began first. “What happened, dear? Why are you with your bags?”

“Brent and I are divorced. We're no longer mates.” I announced. They all glanced at each other before Mother pushed another question.

“What happened? What left you with no other choice that you had to agree to divorce him?”

That question made me sob deeply. She knew how much I loved him. She knew I'd never divorce him, regardless of any mess he put me through. She knew I was hopelessly in love with him. So hopelessly that I was willing to throw everything away for him, including my family.

She must have been ashamed of me.

Like to prove me wrong, she pulled me into a hug, letting me cry on her shoulder.

“Whatever happened, Evangeline, I hope you know that we don't hate you. And we don't blame you for whatever hardships you faced.”

“He…never loved me, Mother. Not even a little bit.” I sobbed, clutching her arms even harder.

“But we love you. So don't think about it too much and stay with us. We'll be fine, as long as we're together.”

I pulled away, taking another look at the miserable state of the house.

“The people of this Pack hate us because we're strangers. This is the only building they let us have.” Father explained like he could read my thoughts.

He looked more stricken than the last time I saw him.

“But what about the money Alpha Brent sends monthly? Why couldn't you renovate the house a little bit?”

Mother looked at me weirdly. “ What monthly allowance?”

“Huh?” I looked at Father, and even he looked just as shocked.

“We never got any allowance,” Father affirmed.

That was both shocking and painful. Brent sold off my family's properties. He made them go far away because he claimed it wouldn't be good for our union.

He promised he was always gonna send them money every month to make up for the properties he sold off.

So all this time, he didn't? He lied to me? He planned on starving my family to death?

How cruel could he be?!

And to think I'm carrying his child! Maybe I should get rid of it. What's the point of having the child of a man who was both cold, cruel, and a monster??

*

Nine Months Later

“Push, Ma'am. They're twins. You need to try harder!” The nurses yelled.

Mother held my hands strongly. I was screaming in agony. There was no way I'd survive this.

The piercing cries from my newborn babies filled the room and the yelling from the nurses stopped.

Mother's grip on my hand softened and I could hear her whispering softly to me. But I was drifting away. The darkness was calling.

I said a quick prayer before it completely covered me — please give me another chance. I promise I'll choose myself and my family over any man. Give me the chance to make him regret treating me the way he did.

In this lifetime, give me another chance, please…