The Mate I Can't Have

NIYLAH’S POV

"Grun-grun-grun!" The alarm jolted me awake, and I sat up in bed, clutching my chest as hot sweat poured from my body. I glanced at the small portable clock beside me and realized I was three minutes late. I had set the alarm for 6 am, but my lengthy dream caused me to oversleep.

I got up, not paying much attention to the dream I just had. After all, it's not the first time I've dreamt about it. Since I turned 18, I've been having this dream at least three days a week. The dream never changes, always starting and ending the same way. I've tried to see the face of the demon chasing me, but I can't. I stopped keeping track after I had the dream for the 150th time.

I don't want to burden my parents, so I've kept it to myself, not talking about it.

Today should have been the happiest day of my life. Getting admission to the most popular school in New York is a blessing. I was thrilled when they sent me the message, and I've been counting down the days until the start of classes. But then my dad shared some bad news with me.

I know being an omega is tough. If only we were rich, the suffering would be less. Our family is treated as outcasts in the neighborhood. We face unwarranted mistreatment from those around us. They throw insults at us and act like nothing happened.

A week ago, the school administration spoke to my dad about me. I thought they wanted to discuss something positive, but when my dad came back, he shared the most painful news with me.

The school administration granted me admission, but with a twist. They want me to be a maid for one of the richest girls in the city. Not just any maid, but someone to assist with cooking, laundry, and more. My dad told me I could pack out if I'm not interested, but I'm determined to give it a shot. After all, I obtained admission to my dream school, and now that I've been accepted, I don't want to give up.

On top of that, I've been playing the piano since I was 9, and I still love it. One of the reasons I was excited about FCY International College is that they're known for showcasing the best pianist of the year. If they recommend me, I could become quite popular. My goal is to lift my family out of poverty and become one of the most popular pianists in all of New York.

Today is the day I start at school, and I'm feeling ready. I walked out of my room and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. It took me about 30 minutes, but I finally finished

I walk to my room, taking out the last clothes in my luggage. I'm not the kind that has a lot of clothes, and the one I have, I've loaded it in my luggage after coming back from the market yesterday. My parents urged me to resume school yesterday in order to search for my hostel, but I refused. Since today is Monday and the lecture will start by 12pm, I can resume today and find my hostel before noon.

I got dressed in my white gown that hugged my body, bringing out my E shapes. The nature of god shouldn't be denied, we are not rich but I have perfect shape than a rich girl.

I parked my hair in a ponytail style in support of my blue hairband. The band was gifted to me from my younger sister last year. We are not rich but a year can never be seized without us celebrating our birthday but I guess this year will be different.

My birthday is in three days and here I am going to my school. I won't be able to celebrate it with my family, but I hope by then I have a friend that will wish me a happy birthday, even though I know it's totally a dream but I wish.

Right from my childhood, I'm not the type the moon goddess gifted a friend. Throughout my school, I've lived a lonely life, being alone. Some students take advantage of me and bully me. Sometimes I will want to stand for myself, but I know nothing good will come from it.

On the first day I decided to stand up for myself at school, I ended up being falsely accused of stealing a phone I had never even seen before. It was a tough situation, and I ended up getting suspended for a whole term. That's why my progress in school seems a bit slow right now.

As I dragged my luggage out, I couldn't help but wonder how my new school would be. I made a promise to myself to stay quiet and endure whatever challenges come my way, if that's what it takes to graduate with flying colors.

My little sister Nina has always been my rock, my only supportive friend since childhood. She gave me a goodbye hug, wrapping herself tightly around me with laughter in her eyes.

"I'm going to miss you, big sister," she pouted her lips, and I couldn't help but smile, gently rubbing her hair like a baby.

We let go of the hug, and at that moment, Mom and Dad emerged from the house. They looked at me in a way that made my heart ache.

Ever since I first learned the difference between left and right, this would be the first time I'm leaving the comfort of our family home. Without a doubt, I will miss them.

I walked up to them and pulled them into a tight hug. They returned the hug, and I flashed them a smile.

To make sure I had enough time, I let go of the hug and waved goodbye to Nina. She walked towards her school while I headed to where I could catch a taxi.

Once inside the cab, the driver kindly helped me put my luggage in the trunk while I settled into the back seat.

My stomach felt unsettled, like I could have a cramp at any moment. I really didn't want to embarrass myself on my first day at school.

The driver stopped in front of the school, and as I looked at the campus, the words "Oh my gawd" escaped from my mouth. It was absolutely massive and beautiful. Words alone couldn't do justice to describe it. Different classes in different buildings, each with its own unique design.

I walked over to the administration block to inquire about my hostel.

The administrative staff gave me directions to my hostel, and I made my way there. Thankfully, it wasn't too far. I found out my room number was 106. I just hope I'll be paired with some nice roommates.

On my way, I spotted the girl I never want to see again in my life. Alpine, the most troublesome girl I've encountered, has made my school life a nightmare, accusing me of stealing her phone.

She's the daughter of a powerful alpha in the nearby city, which only adds to her ego.

I quickly changed my direction and headed straight to my hostel, making sure she didn't notice me. When I finally arrived, a wave of relief washed over me, and I entered the building, scanning the room numbers. And there it was, room 106.

I knocked on the door a couple of times, but there was no response. So, I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Inside, I found two girls sitting on one bed, while another girl was on her own, each with a pack of cigarettes. They gave me annoyed looks, but I couldn't care less.

The room had four beds, each placed in a different corner, and it was surprisingly spacious and beautifully decorated. It definitely didn't look like those cramped hostel rooms you see in movies. It was big and fancy, with each bed having its own closet.

I walked over to the seemingly empty bed and placed my luggage on it. And that's when I heard laughter coming from my back. It was quite strange, to say the least. I wonder what could be causing it.

I turned back to see what they were laughing at, and I noticed their eyes fixed on my body. Panic surged through me as I rushed to the side mirror to get a glimpse of myself, only to realize that I was covered in blood.

"My period," I murmured quietly, my voice barely audible. I hurriedly made my way to my bed to grab another dress, but the girl who had been sitting alone stopped me.

"Did your mother teach you how to greet at all?" She asked, tapping my head with her index fingers, causing me to fall back onto the bed.

Just as I was trying to regain my composure, one of the two girls who were together approached me. "Let go, there's a meeting in the hall," she said, introducing herself as Hilda and offering a handshake. I stared at her for a moment before finally reciprocating the gesture.

Hilda pulled me up from the bed and started dragging me outside the hostel. I pleaded with her to let me go so I could change into a different outfit, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. I tried to break free, but her grip was tight.

"Don't worry about your stained dress. There's no bully in our school, and no one will notice," Hilda reassured me as we exited the room. The other two girls followed closely behind. I felt humiliated, but I couldn't help but wonder how Hilda knew the lecturer's name and their personalities.

As we walked out of the hostel, I could feel dozens of eyes on me, their faces filled with giggles. I knew they were all laughing at me. Their murmurs echoed in my ears, causing me to nervously bite my nails. I wished I could just run away, but I knew it would only make me look more awkward.

As I took a step into the hall, the girl who had been holding me let go and started clapping, drawing everyone's attention towards her. I didn't know what she was up to, but I could sense that it was all just to humiliate me.

"Here's my new friend," she announced, dragging me towards the other students, who burst into laughter. Tears streamed down my face, and I felt the overwhelming urge to disappear into the floor. Why did my first day at school have to be so embarrassing?

"Please, stop it," I managed to say, yanking her hand away and stepping back. The murmurs around me grew louder, but I couldn't care less. This wasn't the first time I had heard whispers about me, although this time it felt particularly heavy.

Out of nowhere, I felt a jacket being wrapped around my waist from behind. I couldn't see who it was, but the hand that tied the knot felt like a man's hand.

My heart started racing as I locked eyes with the guy who had come to my rescue.

"Umm," I stammered, trying to find the right words to say. It feels like everyone in this world is against me. The girl who pushed me here was a total stranger. I have no idea why she suddenly developed such hatred towards me.

"Just go home and change," he said, and I nodded in understanding. At that moment, another guy walked onto the scene. I can't lie, his face was incredibly handsome. I'm not the type to go crazy over a guy, but the one in front of me was hard to resist. I could tell he would be popular because as soon as he arrived, the girls around me started fixing their hair, trying to show off their pretty faces. Even Hilda who dragged me here was captivated by him. Surprisingly, the boy's eyes were only on the guy who had helped me tie a jacket around my waist.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, focusing his attention on the guy. I couldn't help but admire his voice, he seemed perfect in everything.

"Hi, Henry," Hilda said to the guy, extending a handshake. But he just glared at her hatefully, refusing to accept her handshake.

"The last time I checked, we're not that close," he said, slapping her hand away. Then his gaze shifted to me and quickly looked away. "Let go," he said, dragging the boy who had helped me away.

"My name is Liam, make sure you find me and return the jacket!" He screamed as Henry dragged him away.

"Liam, Henry," I said with a frown, my brows furrowing.

"Don't think he's trying to get close to you, he only rendered your help," one of the girls standing nearby said. Without saying a word, I glared at Hilda before walking out of the hall. I thought she would try to stop me, but she never touched me until I walked out, which showed that she only brought me to the hall to humiliate me.

I walked out of the hall without looking back. It's only my first day and already I have a nickname. Maybe someone took a video and uploaded it because as I walked, whispers from people passing by turned into "red cloth." Their words hit me hard, but I had no choice but to play deaf.