Chapter 2

Early the next morning, I was awakened by some werewolf warriors patrolling pack territory.

I'd been left homeless last night, so I had no choice but to curl up in a secluded clearing for the night.

The burns on my arm throbbed dully. It took me several tries to get to my feet.

One of the warriors asked in surprise, "Where's your family?"

Instead of replying, I dragged myself away on my numb legs.

I'd inhaled too much toxic fumes from that huge fire years ago.

For the past seven years, the toxins had been slowly spreading throughout my body.

By the time I realized what was happening, it had already progressed to a stage where it was difficult to cure.

For the past few days, I'd grown more and more aware that my wolf was on the verge of falling into a deep sleep.

It was likely that my death was also fast approaching.

My phone rang. It was a call from Hans.

"Where are you? Drop by the academy for a bit," he said.

By the time I arrived at the academy, the office was already packed.

My parents, Hans, Hayden, Daisy, and my Alpha mentor, James Geiger, were all present.

A voluntary withdrawal statement was lying on the table.

I'd always performed well at the werewolf academy, sitting at the top of the board whether in hunting competitions or combat simulations. My performance had earned me the opportunity to be recommended as a werewolf warrior.

However, last night's live stream had sparked public outrage.

Other werewolves sent numerous complaints to the academy, pressuring them to take action. They felt that a scummy werewolf who had attempted to burn one of their own to death should never be allowed to become a werewolf warrior.

James gazed at me, his gaze complicated.

Hans tossed me a pen and ordered, "Sign it."

I glanced through the document.

Other than requiring me to voluntarily turn down the opportunity to become a werewolf warrior, I had to publicly admit to my so-called crimes.

I looked up and asked hoarsely, "So, you all intend to ruin my future?"

Dad had a sour expression. "It's what you deserve. Daisy spent the whole night crying because of yesterday's live stream. How much longer do you intend to hurt her? As long as you sign the document, this matter will be settled."

I didn't move.

Mom suddenly slammed her phone down on the table in front of me.

Photos of me participating in academy competitions were displayed on the screen.

The comment section was filled with criticisms.

"A murderer isn't allowed to win awards!"

"Drive her out of the pack!"

"Poor Daisy. She was almost killed by her older sister."

One of the photos was from last year, when I won first place in a hunting competition.

That day, I brought the trophy home only to be greeted by an empty house.

Later, Hans informed me that they'd all gone out to the amusement park with Daisy.

As for me, I hid the trophy under my bed and never took it out again.

When I snapped back to reality, Mom was trembling with rage.

"Take a look. Look at how embarrassing you are."

I stared intently at her and asked, "But what if I really was the one who rescued Daisy?"

Mom slapped me and hissed, "Still putting on an act, I see."

I cupped my face as my heart bled with pain.

A few simple words were enough to completely sever the familial ties between us.

It turned out that when someone had gotten it into their head to condemn you, even the truth would sound like a lie to them.

Just then, Daisy clutched her head and screamed with a look of terror on her face, "Fire! Fire! Katherine, don't lock me up!"

She was having another episode and thought that she was trapped in a sea of flames.

Chaos descended upon the office.

Mom immediately hugged Daisy while Hans ran off to get some medicine.

I reflexively stopped Hans and said, "The medicine shouldn't be taken on an empty stomach."

Hayden shoved me aside and yelled, "Get lost! It's all because of you that Daisy's like this, so stop pretending to be nice!"

I was already weakened, so the hard shove caused me to fall to the floor.

My arm was badly grazed, causing fresh blood to drip onto the floor.

James paled and exclaimed, "Katherine's hurt!"

Dad, who was hovering over Daisy, didn't even glance at me.

"Ignore her. She's playing the victim," he said.

His words made the pain from my wounds intensify, but no physical pain could compare to the despair I’d carried for the past seven years.

Nobody cared about me. Even if I were to bleed out completely, they'd only complain that I was dirtying their floor.

In the end, I still signed the voluntary withdrawal statement, but I refused to publicly confess my guilt.

Seeing this, Hayden tore my werewolf warrior recommendation letter to shreds right then and there.

"Since you don't even have the guts to admit to your own wrongdoings, you don't deserve to become a werewolf warrior," he declared,

I crouched and picked up the pieces of paper, one by one.

The letter was proof of all my sleepless nights spent practicing and the results of my relentless efforts.

I once thought that if I became accomplished enough, my family would eventually grow to love me. But I'd come to understand that people who didn't love you would always find a way to belittle your achievements.

As I walked out of the academy with the scraps of paper in my arms, I received a text message from an unknown number.

"Hello, my name is Ronaldo Alves. I was the safety officer in charge of the rescue operation during the fire at your residence years back. I saw last night's live stream. I simply must have a talk with your parents about the true circumstances behind the fire seven years ago."