Lab Gown

"Nina is that you. You look so beautiful" a guy said. "Have some drink" "No, she is leaving," said the harsh voice, and next thing I know champagne was all over my dress. I gasped as it stained it. Before I could react he grabbed me and dragged me to the pool area. I yanked my hand. "What the hell. You ruined my clothes" I half yelled. "What the fuck you are doing in my party looking like a slut" he yelled angrily while pinning me to the wall. Listening to his words my blood boiled. "Let me guess you came here to ruin my mood by showing your ugly face," he said letting me know his hate. "Stop giving so much importance to yourself. I'm here because of your mom. My face must be ugly but ugly souls like you are not even worth wasting my life's a single second" I said angrily pushed him but he didn't move. "I can hide my ugly soul behind this face but ugly ducklings like you carry their ugliness which can't even be hidden by beautiful dress because they stain everything around them with their ugliness," his words were hurting my soul but I won't cry. With all my power I pushed him making him fall in the pool. "Happy Birthday," I said with a smirk on my face but he didn't let me go. Things he did to me after it still send a shiver to my spine. One thing was clear on that day that I don't want to see his face again in this life. But I don't know what the hell I'm doing standing in front of him in Church wearing a wedding gown and looking at his angry victory smirk on his face with my glassy eyes.

I was in a car accident while saving my brothers. However, instead of gratitude, they urged the doctors to amputate my legs. "Carol, we're sorry," they said through tears. "We're useless… but don't worry. Even if we have to sell our blood or our kidneys, we'll make sure you're taken care of." Right after surgery, they abandoned me in a shabby apartment. Blood seeped through the sheets as they looked at me with teary eyes—then left in a hurry, claiming they needed to earn money for my treatment. I did not want to drag them down anymore. Enduring the pain, I crawled to the rooftop of a tall building, planning to end my life. That's when I saw it—inside a luxury hotel, a grand celebration was taking place. My brothers were there doting on another girl. She was eating an extravagant cake I had never even dreamed of, wearing a designer princess gown worth a fortune, sparkling with jewels. Everyone called her the Smith family's one and only princess. They had even hired a world-class symphony orchestra to play Happy Birthday just for her. While I lay bleeding in a dingy apartment, they would not spend a few dollars on bandages for me. I watched as my eldest brother gently fed her cake, his eyes full of tenderness. "Jasmine, only you deserve to be our one and only little sister." The second brother placed a tiara on her head with care. "Even for the smallest birthday, we won't let you suffer a single moment of disappointment." The third knelt to help her into a pair of crystal shoes. "Jasmine, you're our most precious darling." Then, standing on the stage, Jasmine held up the black credit card they had gifted her and smiled sweetly. "Brothers," she said, "Carol lost her legs saving you. Maybe you should go see how she's doing?" My eldest brother let out a mocking laugh. "She's not worth it. Now that she's crippled, she'll never be able to compete with you again. She got what she deserved."

Living alone was hard for Kestrel being a working student. Kailangan niya ng pera upang masustentuhan ang sariling mga pangangailangan. Kahit mahirap at nahihirapan siya. He wants to live independently. He wants to stand alone by his own feet. Ayaw na niyang umasa sa magulang dahil may mga kanya-kanyang pamilya ang mga ito. Ayaw niyang umasa sa mga ito dahil kung ano-ano ang naririnig niya sa mga anak ng magulang niya. Kestrel was a fruit of a forbidden love kaya ganon na lamang siya kamuhian ng dapat ay pamilya niya. That's why he decided to live alone even if it's hard. One night, after his shift, Kestrel decided to walk his way home pero may mga lalaking nakaitim ang humarang at dinakip siya. Sinubukan niyang magpumiglas at humingi ng tulong sa paraan ng pagsigaw ngunit pinatulog lamang siya ng mga ito at ipinasok sa van. Nagising na lamang siya sa isang hindi pamilyar na lugar at suot ang bagong damit. He's in a lady’s gown and heels. Ang hanggang balikat niyang buhok ay nakalugay na. At ang mga paa't kamay na nakagapos at bibig na may tela. Kaba, takot at gutom ang nararamdaman ni Kest. Nang lumiwanag ang paligid, doon niya nalamang nasa isang auction house siya at pinakilala na siya bilang isang rare item hanggang sa nagsimula ang bidding. Habang pataas ng pataas ang bid ay siyang pagtaas ng kanyang kaba at takot. Napalinga-linga siya at biglang tumama ang paningin niya sa lalaking may gintong maskara na nakaupo sa isang sulok. Nagmamakaawa niya itong tiningnan. Hindi niya alam kung bakit niya ginawa iyon. He's so desperate to get away from that house. Will that guy wearing golden mask help him? Makakaalis kaya siya sa auction? Mababalik pa kaya ang tahimik niyang buhay? Sino ang lalaking may gintong maskara?

My daughter was born with silver poisoning in her blood—passed down from me—which made it hard for her to sense her wolf, and even harder for her to shift. I worked tirelessly, taking on every job I could, to earn enough money to find a cure for her. One night during a late shift, I saw her. My daughter, dressed like a princess in an elegant, Silverlight-woven gown, sat at a table in a high-end restaurant. With her was my mate—supposedly bedridden and paralyzed—wearing a tailored haute couture suit. Across the table sat the famous she-wolf of our pack, the daughter of a respected elder. They had ordered a lavish dinner, the bill totaling over $500,000. After the meal, I overheard my mate ask our daughter, “You remember how to tell the story, right?” She nodded and replied, “Yes. I’ll tell Mom we were working as werewolf junk collectors all night, collecting waste paper crates, and in the end, we only earned enough to buy half a loaf of bread.” My mate smiled, pleased with the answer. The she-wolf then gifted my daughter an entire collection of newly released moonstone jewelry. Before they left, my mate tipped each waitress $5,000. I stood frozen, tears falling as the truth shattered my heart: my mate—and even my beloved daughter—had been lying to me. Even in dormancy, my wolf mourned. A colleague saw me crying and asked what was wrong. I forced a smile and said, “I’m just happy. I got $5,000 tonight. It would’ve been even better… if it hadn’t come from my mate, the one who’s supposed to be paralyzed and lying in bed.” No one knew what I had sacrificed to be his mate. I waited for an apology. But it never came. So I made my decision. I called my father—the one who had been waiting all these years for me to return as his heir. When I disappeared from their lives, just as they had always secretly wished... That’s when they finally began searching for me across the world.

My family hates me for causing my brother's death. From then on, I become a child no one loves. Meanwhile, my cousin, Evelyn Green, who looks like my brother, becomes the apple of my parents' eyes. From the age of ten to 18, my days are a cycle of beatings and forced apologies. On my 18th birthday, Evelyn wears a gorgeous gown and basks in everyone's adoration, while I'm shoved around in a maid's uniform and hit like I'm not even human. In my darkest moment, Morgan Oakley, the mafia boss, saves me. He takes me home, and step by step, wins his way into my heart. Because of him, I learn what love can feel like. He treats me like a treasure and promises me forever. However, on the day we're supposed to register our marriage, he keeps me waiting for a whole day and night. He never shows up. As I'm about to leave, my phone starts buzzing. A text from Morgan pops up. "Jasmine, I'm sorry. I ran into an enemy and couldn't make it to the city hall. A storm's coming, so make sure you get home quick!" My heart clenches in panic. I'm about to text back and ask if he's okay when Evelyn's message comes right after his. "Jasmine, I'm the one he loves. He skipped marrying you today because of me. You must be devastated, right?" Then, she sends a video. In it, Morgan holds her gently, his voice soft as he comforts her. "Evie, don't cry. You once saved my life, so I'll do anything for you. If you don't want me to marry Jasmine, then I won't. I love you. I only took her in so I could keep her close. That way, she'd be right there when you needed blood." My parents were off to the side. They chimed in tenderly, "Don't cry, Evie. Morgan loves you. He only pursued Jasmine because of your condition. You have a coagulation disorder and need transfusions of Rh-negative blood whenever you get hurt." I stagger back when I hear that, dropping my phone to the ground. So, Morgan's sudden passion is laced with poison. He only pretends to love me just so he can turn me into Evelyn's walking blood bank! Everyone goes to so much trouble to hide the truth from me just so Evelyn doesn't need to suffer from her condition! Rain mixes with my tears as they slide down my face. I stare at my phone on the pavement as bitterness floods me. A thought forms—I want to leave them forever. I want to disappear so they'll never find me again.