Chapter 4: A Peak On Her Past

Ivy’s Point of View

“Ivone! Here, quick!” 

I was pulled out of my own thoughts when I heard Desiree whisper-yelling. From the corner of my eyes, I saw her standing on the doorway of our open room. Since she’s hidden from those people’s view, they weren’t able to see her gesturing to me to run inside our room.

Swallowing nervously, I mentally counted until five while maintaining eye contact with my... with these men in front of me. I’m close to our room— thank Goddess— but these men are fast. I’ve never been able to escape them before no matter my head start, so I have to brace myself for this.

When I reached five, I spun on my heels and dashed inside our room. I heard them growl loudly, it reverberated across the whole floor which made me shudder. Thankfully, Desiree is quick to shut the door. We both flinched when the door banged loudly.

We watched in tensed silence if they’d break the door in their desperation to reach me. But after a few minutes, the banging stopped and their growls slowly dissipated.

Desiree and I sighed in relief. My heart slowly calmed down, knowing our room is safe from those men. For now, at least. If anyone knows how those men think and move, it’s me. 

I’ve been a victim of them, after all.

So I can’t let my guards down here inside our room. I know they have a trick under their sleeves to get what they want, no matter what.

“You’ve got yourself into a heck of a trouble, huh?” Desiree spoke up, breaking the silence between us. “That’s some wild dogs you got there.”

I shook my head, suddenly feeling exhausted at what just transpired. “You have no idea.” I replied.

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Pray tell what’s going on?”

I thought about it for a few moments. I’ve never told anyone about my past— the bullying, the torment, and ‘that’ one thing I wanted so badly to forget. Not even my mother knows all about it. I kept it to myself, not wanting to burden my mother with the knowledge that her only child, her precious daughter, was a victim of extreme bullying.

It was nerve wracking to decide if I should trust something so vulnerable to my roommate whom I just met today. But the ease in which we clicked made me want to confide in her.

After all, bottling things up can be exhausting. I think it’s alright if I just let out a little steam.

“Alright,” I mumbled. “I’ll tell you, but can we eat dinner first? I’m honestly starving, and what happened didn’t help at all.”

Desiree was quick to agree when our stomach growled loudly, as if it was ordered to make itself known to us at the mention of dinner.

“Who do you think lives in that room where the party is happening?” Desiree asked after a few minutes of silence between us.

“I think it’s a friend of those three men,” I responded immediately. “I’m pretty sure they’re staying in their own condo unit. They won’t live in a dorm.”

“It seems you know them well,” Desiree stated.

“I do,” ‘Though I wish I don’t.’ “They were popular way back in high school. Both respected and feared.”

Desiree hummed. “And they’re filthy rich?”

I nodded. “They... they’re bullies. And because they’re filthy rich, they get away with it,” my fist clenched tightly against the spoon I’m currently holding.

Understanding dawned on Desiree’s face, followed by a look of sympathy. “I see...” she mumbled. “You must be feeling awful right now.”

I chuckled bitterly. “Awful is an understatement,” I said.

Silence ensued once again, with only the sound of our slurping and chewing being heard. Once we were done eating and cleaning, we sat on our respective beds, facing each other.

Desiree was just patiently waiting for me to start talking. It was appreciated, because no matter how exhausting it is to keep to myself all the pain and struggles I faced, it was also difficult to share it with someone. Especially because I was never the type to share my problems with someone else, seeing that I never had friends to begin with.

“I don’t know why they targeted me,” I began. “I never recall doing anything wrong to them. They’re at the top of the hierarchy in our school, while I was at the bottom. One moment I was the boring, quiet, forgettable student, then the next thing I knew, these popular students two years my senior suddenly turned their attention to me. For some reason that only the three of them know—and probably their friends—I became the victim of their relentless bullying.”

I took a deep breath as I continued. “There was never a day I wasn’t tormented. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. I became the school’s laughing stock, pushover, slave— whatever it is they wanted to do. All because those three men suddenly started it when I was just minding my own business. I’m just grateful that all the physical bullying they did to me wasn’t visible, or else my mother would’ve known what I was subjected to. That’s the thing I fear the most. I don’t want to subject her to the pain of knowing her only child is getting bullied, not when she’s been working too hard to provide and care for me.”

“That sucks,” Desiree commented, then she winced. “Sorry. I just don’t know what to say...”

That earned a chuckle from me. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to tell you about it, especially now that you’re my roommate. I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t be the last time I’d see them again.”

“Yeah, they’re pretty aggressive on trying to get to you,” she drawled. “And from what you told me, I think it’s only right for me to say they’re assholes as well. Typical Alpha.”

“I’d call them that too if I have the guts,” I said. We laughed for a few moments, before I eventually stopped and sighed deeply. “What am I going to do, Desiree? I know for sure they’ll hunt me down tomorrow.”

And isn’t that terrifying? My past tormentors haunting me down again, for the same reason as before or for a new one, I’m not sure. Regardless, it’s not something I’m looking forward to.

It’s been two years since I last saw them. I transferred to another school when Mom was promoted and transferred to a different branch in another city. I left that horrible place, but the memories I had there stayed with me.

They never left me, even after two years had passed. And as if fate was determined to make my life miserable after the bliss I experienced the past few months, the Moon Goddess thought it reasonable to make them my mates.

My mates who I have dreamt of meeting since I learned about it. My mates who I need for my condition. It made me want to scream and bawl my eyes out.

“Why don’t we clean up and head to sleep for today?” Desiree responded after a while. “Then we’ll wake up earlier than everyone else tomo— or, well, later—and then we’ll tour the whole campus by ourselves. We’re going to eat lunch and dinner somewhere else and go back to our room at midnight. Then, the next day, we’ll have classes. It’ll be easier to avoid them since you said they’re two years your senior. How does that sound?”

Though I was a bit skeptical about her plan to avoid those men, my heart leaped in appreciation that she’d do all those things with me just to help avoid my... those men. To think we just met today... or rather, yesterday.

If this is how it feels to have a friend, then I’m so happy to finally have one.

I smiled brightly at her despite my own worries. “Sounds great!”

Who cares if my mates turned out to be my past tormentors? I have a friend now!