Chapter 2) “I thought you were my sister”.

“What would I have done without you, Kelly?”. I asked, before I stopped hugging her.

“Don't cry anymore, Séraphine. It only makes you look ugly”. Kelly wiped off the tears on my cheeks as she said, before she smiled ever so brightly at me.

The same smile which was enough to melt down my heart.

“Come in with the food. My big sister must be starving”. Kelly said, and just then, an omega maidservant who was holding a tray of food stepped into the prison.

She set the tray on the run-down table, before she was excused by Kelly.

“I know you must be hungry. Come and have a seat. I want you to eat”. Kelly said to me, before she held my hand and led me to sit with her in front of the table.

She grabbed a spoon and gave it to me.

I didn't want to cry, but staring at the food made my eyes teary, to the point I almost could not control my emotions.

I accepted the spoon from her and scooped a big portion of meat soup. As soon as the food touched my tongue, tears streamed down my cheeks.

It had been a long time since I had ever eaten something as hearty as this.

A year ago, I suddenly gained rapid weight and went out of shape. In an attempt to fix myself so Daxter wasn't going to leave me or feel more embarrassed with me, I barely ate.

I suddenly turned vegetarian, but to no avail.

But, what was the point of that? Even if I succeeded in getting out of this place, I knew Daxter wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore.

He would probably take Kelly as his new Luna.

Well… Kelly was a sweet little lady. I am certain if anyone deserved Luna's position, it was her.

“Eat slowly lest you choke”. Kelly patted my back as she said to me.

That was because I coughed.

I nodded at her, before I accepted the cup of water she offered me.

Though I returned the cup to the table and continued to eat the food before me.

It felt as if I had been starving for ages.

Only after I had my fill did I stop eating, and wipe the tears on my face with the back of my hand.

I returned the spoon to the table, before I turned to Kelly and asked her, “What about our father? Has he ever talked about visiting me?”.

“Em…” Kelly tried to say, but she ended up lowering her gaze as she slightly shook her head in disappointment.

Her reaction said it all. Our father did not want to see me.

“I understand... Our father must be embarrassed of me. He must not love me anymore”. I gripped my dress tightly as I said. My heart felt like they had been stabbed with thousands of little nails.

To think that my father did not love me anymore. But I used to be his treasure, especially after my mother died, leaving him no choice but to accept Kelly's Mom into his life.

You see, Kelly was my half sister. It was a long story.

Kelly's mother used to be my mother's best friend. But an accident with my Dad left her pregnant with Kelly.

“Don't say that, Séraphine. There is no way our father hates you. He loves you so much. You just need to give him more time”. Kelly tried to console me, but, why did I feel a deep pain in my chest which led to a small groan?

My brows furrowed, as I held onto my chest out of the blue.

“Wha- what…” Before I could ask what was going on, I coughed out blood on the left palm of my hand.

My eyes widened in shock as I turned to stare at Kelly.

Only that, the innocent look on her face had faded completely and was left with something dark.

Kelly held my shoulder as she leaned close to my ear. “I have been waiting for you to die, bitch”. She whispered to my ear, thus making the hair on my arm stand.

I could not believe what I heard her say, and began to wonder if my ears were playing a trick on me because of the pain I was going through.

But no…

My ears were not playing a trick on me. Neither was I imagining nor hallucinating things.

Kelly's voice came through again, as she continued to grab my shoulder tightly, “Do you have any idea how much I hate you? I lived with that hatred for so long. Why must it be you who was loved by everyone and not me?”.

“Why must it be you that deserves every good thing and not me?”.

“You know what? Let me tell you a secret. That tonic I gave you to strengthen your womb was actually poisoned. It makes you fat and, finally, useless”.

“And by the way, thank you for taking the fall for me. I was never pregnant with Daxter's child. Someone else was actually responsible. I just needed you as a scapegoat so that no one would ever find out about it”.

My heart felt heavy with each word Kelly said to me, to the extent I didn't know what to feel.

Kelly continued to say to me, “Don't blame me, sister. With you alive, there is a risk of my secret being exposed”.

“So, just die as the culprit so that no one is going to investigate further…”

She stopped leaning close to me, and her piercing eyes and bright smile were focused on me as she added, “... Because I had poisoned the food you just ate”.

“Ack”. I fell to the ground and coughed out more blood after Kelly finished talking.

I tried to say something, but I could not even move my lips.

“Someone, please come! My sister…! She isn't feeling too well! I think something is wrong with her!”. Kelly cried out, and I could see the tears which filled her eyes as she looked genuinely concerned for me.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

To think that my own sister would do such a thing to me.

To think that she was the cause of my pain all along. And I thought she was a saint.

I never knew she was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I gritted my teeth as my blood boiled with the betrayal I was feeling.

‘What- what have I done to deserve any of this? What did I do wrong to deserve such a cruel fate, moon goddess?’. I thought, feeling wretched.

“Alpha Daxter? What are you doing here?”. Kelly suddenly turned to the person who entered the cell, but with my vision fading rapidly as I breathed heavily, I could not see the person's face.

‘Da- Daxter? Did she just say Daxter?’. I wondered, and thinking about how he appeared just in time after I was poisoned, it made me understand that he and Kelly must have planned my death.

Did he hate me that much?

Why? I never did anything wrong to him. My only crime was being his fated mate.

Someone held onto me, but I could not tell who the person was.

My vision blurred completely, and I could hear my heart pounding against my chest.

“Get the pack doctor over here!”. Someone screamed. The voice sounded so familiar, but with my mind fixed on so many things, I couldn't tell who the voice belonged to.

My body shook slightly as I felt my spirit leave my body. A drop of tear escaped my eye. ‘De- dear moon goddess, if there is a next life, I wish never to be his mate’.

Everything suddenly turned dark, as if I had been swallowed by a shadow.