The Mate He Hates

Amanda’s POV

I heard footsteps and, curious to know who it was, I looked and saw my stepmother in front of my cell gate with a guard. My eyes met hers, and she glared at me with hate.

“Give us some privacy,” she said to the guard, who nodded and left. After the guard left, she glared at me from head to toe and then sneered. “If I had my way, I would have killed you right this moment, but then I think Alpha Edward has better plans for you,” she said with hate and disgust.

Slowly, I got up from the cold floor and made my way to the cell gate, so I could be close to her. When I reached the cell gate, I locked eyes with her.

“Why do you hate me so much?” I asked what has been in my heart for a long time. “I have never done anything to you. Despite all the terrible things you have done to me, I still see you as my mother…”

“I’m not your mother!” She spat in my face. “You know who your mother is, and that is not me,” she yelled, and I swallowed my pain.

“You and I know that you are aware that I am not capable of killing anyone, let alone killing my sister. You know I didn’t do it. Why don’t you tell everyone that?” I pleaded in tears, and she chuckled. “Really?” She asked with raised eyebrows, and I gulped. “Does it matter if you did it or not?” She asked, and my eyes widened. I was right; she knew I wasn’t the one who killed Elisa, but she just didn’t want to say it.

“You are going to suffer for the death of my daughter, and that is all that matters. My daughter can’t be dead while you live your life freely. I won’t let that happen,” she confessed.

A strand of tears trickled down my cheek as realization hit me. She knew I didn’t kill Elisa, but she just wanted me to suffer and live in pain. “Why? Why do you hate me so much?” I sobbed in tears.

Suddenly, she grabbed my hair and pulled my face closer to hers. “You want to know why I hate you?” She asked as she tightened her grip on my hair, causing me to exclaim in pain. “You always act like the special child, and my daughter is always behind you. Elisa was always behind you in everything. Your mother proudly showcases your accomplishments and achievements in my face, and you think I will sit down and smile about it? No!” She spat while more tears trickled down my cheek.

So, all this was because of how brilliant I was.

“Now I have lost my daughter, and here you are still alive. How fair is that?” She spat in anger and let go of my hair. I sobbed in pain and took a step away from her.

“You don’t know what has befallen you, Amanda. Alpha Edward will inflict so much pain on you that you will wish for death, but it will be far away from you.”

My heart ached, and I sobbed loudly. She turned to leave but stopped and turned back to me.

“And so you know, your whore of a mother is dead. She died this morning…”

“No, what?” I exclaimed in fear.

“You heard me right. Your mother is dead and gone,” she smiled evilly at me and got closer to me. “This is just the beginning of your misery,” she chuckled before walking away.

Hot tears trickled down my cheek. “No!” I screamed at the top of my voice. “No, no, no!”

I screamed in pain, not wanting to believe what I had just heard. I didn’t want to accept the fact that my mother was gone. I shook my head. “No, she is lying to me,” I tried comforting myself, but I knew it wasn’t helping. I know my stepmother, and I know she will never lie about something like this. If she said my mother was dead, then my mother was dead.

“No, please, No,” I sobbed loudly and fell to the floor. Uncontrollable tears trickled down my cheek as my whole body was filled with pain. I couldn’t imagine that my mother was dead and gone. “No, this can’t be true,” I said, not wanting to accept it. But what if she was dead?

More tears trickled down my cheek as I cried out my heart. I thought of my mother and the pain she had gone through in her illness, an illness I know my stepmother had a hand in. Despite her bedridden condition, I had the hope that one day, she would be healed, but now it seems she had left me without saying goodbye. “Mother!” I yelled as memories of her played in my head. Realizing that my mother was gone, I came to realize I was the only one left in this world. My mother was gone, leaving me all alone in this wicked world. The thought of dying filled my mind; I wished I could die and end this miserable life.

I just wanted all this pain to go away. I cried out for hours until I got exhausted and fell asleep. I woke up when I heard the opening of my cell gate. Two guards walked into my cell room, picked me up from the floor, and carried me out of the cell.

As they dragged me along, I didn’t bother to say a word or ask them where they were taking me. At that moment, nothing else mattered to me, not even death. We reached a familiar door, and they announced our presence before entering. When we got in, I saw Alpha Edward seated on the bed, his anger-glowing eyes staring at me. He sent the men away while I just emotionlessly stood at the door. My eyes fell on the empty bottles of whiskey on the floor; it seemed he had had a lot.

“You!” He pointed a finger drunkenly at me. “Undress!” He demanded, and I swallowed in pain. “Don’t make me repeat myself, undress.” He urged, and this time, I didn’t hesitate; instead, I went for the zip of my gown, unzipped it, and took off the gown, leaving me in my underwear. He glanced at me with disgust and took another sip of his drink.

“Guard, get a maid,” he called out to the guards standing by his door. He disgustingly glared at me and then looked away, taking more sips of his drink.

A maid walked in and bowed. “Get her washed and bring her back to me,” he ordered, and the maid turned to me. I could see the concerned look in her eyes. She picked up my gown from the floor and handed it to me to put on. Slowly, I put back on the dress, and she led me out of the room. I followed her down the hallway while a guard accompanied us. She took me inside a room and then to the washroom.

“Please take off your clothes,” she said politely. I nodded and took off my clothes. “Can you bathe yourself?” She asked, and I nodded.

With heavy feet, I walked towards the shower, turned it on, and began to bathe. As I bathed, tears trickled down my cheeks, mingling with the water cascading over my face. I sobbed quietly in the shower, not caring that the maid was watching me. She didn’t say a word but continued to stare at me.

After I finished, I stepped out of the shower, and she handed me a towel to dry myself. I took the towel and wiped my body.

“Come with me,” she said, leading me back to the room. She gestured for me to sit, then began drying my hair with a hairdryer. After she finished, she tied my hair into a ponytail and handed me clean underwear and a gown.

“I think you are ready to meet the alpha,” she said while I gulped nervously.

“You’ll be fine,” she reassured me, and I nodded, rising to my feet.

She led me out of the room, where we met the guard waiting for us. She guided me back to the familiar door, announced our presence, and we were ordered in.

Upon entering, I noticed that Alpha Edward was still in the exact position I had seen him in before.

“You can go,” he told the maid, who bowed before leaving.

He fixed his gaze on me, scanning me from head to toe, making me feel like a prey standing before him.

“Undress!” His words came as a command.