Chapter 3

My heart pounded so loudly in my chest that I was sure Mimi could hear it. I stood frozen outside the room, unable to move. Every terrible possibility of what could happen during my stay with her ran through my mind. I felt a lump form in my throat and tears pricking my eyes. I didn't want to be here, not with her.

With shaky legs, I finally stepped into the room, hoping to go unnoticed. Luckily, there was a demarcation between our spaces, which gave me a sense of relief. But just as I was about to reach my side, I felt a sudden push, and I fell to the ground with a thud.

"Hey bitch," Mimi's voice was laced with venom. "What are you doing here?"

My head spun, and I winced in pain. "I...I'm your roommate," I managed to stammer.

She crouched down and grabbed my hair, causing a fresh wave of pain to course through me. "I said, what the fuck are you doing here, bitch?"

I couldn't find my voice, so I just cried quietly. She finally let go of my hair, and I stumbled to my feet.

"My space is over there, Royal," Mimi sneered. "Do well to stay away from me unless you want to make your stay here a living nightmare."

I scurried to my side of the room and locked the door behind me. My hands shook as I dropped my bag and sat on the floor, leaning against the door. I could already tell this was going to be a long and torturous stay.

Tears were streaming down my face and I couldn't control my sobs. The room felt like a prison, trapping me in my misery. I clutched the locket around my neck tightly, feeling the weight of my parents' absence. "Why did you leave me?" I cried out, the pain too much to bear.

I continued to cry, feeling sorry for myself and the situation I was in. The memories of my happy life before coming to this pack came flooding back, and I wished I could go back to that time. "Take me with you, Mom and Dad," I pleaded, feeling the tears flow freely.

I must have cried myself to sleep, as I woke up the next day with a pounding headache and aches all over my body. My eyes were red and puffy, a clear sign of my distress. I dragged myself to the mirror and saw the mess that was my appearance. I took comfort in holding my locket, closing my eyes and whispering a prayer to my parents. "Please help me get through this," I begged.

I decided to take a bath to freshen up, and afterwards, I requested breakfast to be delivered to my room. I spent the day and night inside my room, avoiding Mimi and her bullying. The painkillers and cucumbers helped reduce the swelling around my eyes and ease the pain in my body.

The next day, I woke up feeling better. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw no trace of my swollen red eyes or the physical discomfort from before. I smiled, feeling a glimmer of hope in my heart. Maybe today would be a better day.

I woke up to another day in the pack house and my first instinct was to check if Mimi was still around. I peeked out of my room but didn't see her anywhere. Relief washed over me as I let out a sigh.

I decided to make the most of my remaining days here and explore the pack house. I wore a cute floral green dress, sandals, stud earrings, and my favorite locket necklace. I met a few girls and we explored the pack house together, but I was too shy to lead, so I trailed behind them.

As night approached, we all gathered in the dining area for dinner. I was nervous about eating with everyone, but the lady in the house had taught us proper etiquette, so I blended in easily.

When I returned to my room, I couldn't believe what I saw. Mimi's side was empty! I was overjoyed and couldn't contain my excitement. I jumped around the room like a child who had just received candy. It was like the start of a new journey for me.

I quickly packed my pajamas and headed to the bathroom for my night routine, singing and dancing along the way. I took my time in the tub, enjoying the warm water and relaxation that came with it. It was the first time I was able to relax and enjoy a bath without fear of Mimi coming to hurt me.

As I headed back to my room, I heard a loud crash coming from inside. I opened the door and was shocked at the sight before me. My room was a complete mess. All my things were scattered and broken, and my clothes were torn to pieces. It was as if a wild animal had broken in.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I walked around the room, taking in the damage. I was sobbing uncontrollably, trying to comprehend why Mimi would do something like this. My heart was shattered into a million pieces.

"Mimi," I whispered, knowing she was the only one capable of doing this. But why? I couldn't understand why she would go to such lengths to hurt me.

As I searched for my locket, I heard Mimi's voice behind me. "Looking for this?" she taunted. I froze, unable to move or turn around to face her.

"Answer me, Royal!" Mimi shouted, her tone laced with authority. My heart felt like it was being stabbed with every word she spoke.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I faced Mimi. I could feel the anger building up inside me, but I knew I had to keep calm if I wanted to get my necklace back.

"It's mine, Mimi, give it back. Please," I said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Tell me why I should give it back. I've always seen you wearing this goddamn necklace and I wondered what it contained and why it was so special to you. I guess I finally found it," she said with a snickering laugh as she played with my locket.

I could feel my blood boiling at her words, but I took a deep breath and tried to keep my cool. "I don't have to explain anything to you. It's mine, and I want it back," I said firmly.

But Mimi wasn't about to give up that easily. "I saw the picture of your pathetic parents and I must say, they must have been fed up with you and decided to die rather than take care of you."

That was it. I couldn't take it anymore. "How dare you!" I shouted, my voice shaking with anger. "I can stand any form of insult to myself but not to my parents. Give it back, Mimi. I'm begging you."

But Mimi wasn't about to back down. She squeezed the locket so tight that it broke immediately. I gasped for breath as I watched my most prized possession break into pieces.

And then she did the unthinkable. She walked towards the window. "Royal, you want this?" she said with a devilish smile, toying with the already broken locket.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. I took baby steps, walking closer to her, hoping she'd return my necklace to me. She took some steps forward, acting like she'd return the necklace. I had my back facing the window and her, few feet in front of me with my hands stretched out towards her. "Please," I begged her again.

But then she said something that made my heart sink. "If you want it then go get it," she said with a smirk, and in a blink of an eye, she threw the necklace out of the window and into the open space.

My whole body was numb with shock as I watched my beloved locket shatter into pieces on the hard floor. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Mimi had always been envious of my necklace, but I never imagined she would go to such lengths to hurt me.

"Why did you do that?" I screamed at her, my voice choked with emotion.

"Because I can," she replied nonchalantly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "And besides, it's not like it was worth anything."

I wanted to lunge at her, to hurt her the way she had hurt me, but I couldn't move. The pain of losing my treasured necklace was too overwhelming. Mimi walked over to the window and leaned against the frame, a smug look on her face.

"Such a shame," she said, staring out into the open space. "You know, it's a long way down from here."

I didn't understand what she meant until she turned to me, a sly grin spreading across her lips.

"Care to join your precious necklace?" she taunted, pushing me towards the window.