Agony fell short; she was shattered.
Charlotte, a werewolf, endured relentless abuse, leaving her utterly fractured. Austin, her supposed mate, subjected her to constant mistreatment and even infidelity.
In a daring escape, she fled, only to encount...
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My eyes slowly fluttered open, the piercing brightness tempting me to shut them again. My head throbbed intensely, and my entire body felt numb.
A heavy weight rested on my hand, and I saw Leon sleeping soundly beside me. What had happened?
Then, it all flooded back into my memory—the cuts, the blood, and those haunting pictures. It seemed like a painful memory of his, but I couldn't deny that the jealousy and discomfort it stirred within me were undeniable.
"Hey, you're awake," Leon murmured, helping me sit up. I winced slightly as his cold hands touched my warm skin, and I could see the pain in his expression.
"Charlotte, can you please tell me why you did that?" he implored.
I remained silent, guilt gnawing at me. There was no way I could confess to having invaded his privacy by seeing those pictures.
He let out a sigh and said, "It's okay if you don't want to tell me, but please promise me you won't do it again. You really worried me."
I nodded slowly, and a faint smile graced his lips.
"Can I go back home? I don't want to be here," I softly requested.
"Of course," he agreed, gently lifting me and driving us home.
The house appeared just as pristine as ever. He placed me on the bed and headed for the door. I grabbed his hand and pleaded with him not to leave.
I hoped that one day he could smile at me the way he did in those pictures, and love me as deeply as he had loved her. I wanted to be the replacement that would make him happier than he ever was with her.
He hugged me, stroking my hair, and as my eyelids grew heavy, I felt a sense of warmth and security enveloping me.
"You can't do anything, can you? Why was I so blind to pick you on mating day." Austin shouted.
He slapped me hard on both my cheeks twenty times as the pain rippled through my face.
My face was now red and swollen and the corner of my lips were stained with blood.
But he did not stop. He grabbed my neck and started strangling me. I tried gasping for air as tears formed in the corner of my eyes.
I begged him to stop but his grip only got tighter.
Just when I felt like I was about to die, he released me and I dropped to the floor, gasping for air.
"The house better be clean with not a speck of dust, if not, you're gonna get way worse than what you got just now." He shouted and purposely dropped a glass bottle which shattered on the floor into a million pieces.
I woke up, drenched in sweat, the remnants of another haunting dream about him. Glancing to my left, I saw that Leon was still sound asleep, so I decided not to disturb him.
It was clear that sleep wouldn't reclaim me, so I slipped out of bed, eased open the door, and ventured outside with quiet steps.
Standing by the kitchen window, the chill wind brushed against my face, filling my mind with tumultuous thoughts. I knew it had been a mistake to come out here alone.
Come on, you know Leon doesn't love you. You're nothing but a burden to him.
He's always fretting about you, neglecting his work because of you.
"No, stop it! I'm not a burden," I whispered.
But you are. Why not just disappear? Everyone would be better off without you. Leon could finally find happiness.
"Stop! Stop talking!" I cried out, clasping my hands over my ears, desperate to silence the relentless voices in my head.
Don't be shy, go on, pick up the knife at the kitchen counter.
I found myself slowly picking up the metal knife like I couldn't control my hands at all. I tried my best to put the knife back but my hands had a different mind.
Now, point it to your heart and pierce it in. You will feel so much better.
"No, I'm not doing this! Stop talking!" I screamed as tears slowly flowed out of my eyes.
My hands trembled and the knife slowly moved to my heart. The metal blade touched my shirt and it cut right through it.
