Chapter 1

• It was raining heavily when I got off work, but I had no time to wait for the rain to stop. I had to go back in time, or there would be severe punishment waiting for me. Last time I was less than five minutes late, and I was beaten so badly that I nearly couldn't lie down on the bed for a week. I didn't want to experience it again.
• When I got home, my clothes were soaked. But I didn't go upstairs to change my clothes. Instead, I walked into the living room directly. Gerardo, Kaylie, and Frida were sitting in the living room.
• Gerardo was my uncle, my father's younger brother. After my father died, he became the Alpha of Oneal. Kaylie was his wife, and Frida was their younger daughter.
• Seeing me come in, Kaylie immediately questioned me with dissatisfaction, "Where have you been? Don't you know the time?"
• I lowered my head. "Sorry. It's raining..."
• "Stop finding excuses," Frida interrupted me. "And don't show that face again, like you are wronged. I'm really tired of it."
• I stopped saying anything. Frida never liked me. No matter what I said or did, she just didn't like me. And so did Kaylie. If it had been a few years ago, I would have explained that I really didn't intend to. But that would irritate them, and eventually, Gerardo would get mad and beat me. And there was still punishment waiting for me after I got beaten.
• So, for years, I had learned not to retort or explain. Silence was the best way to get me out of such circumstances. They would have let me go after the reprimand if I had been lucky.
• It seemed that I was lucky this time. They didn't want to keep me there long.
• "Go wash the dishes. Since you are late home, you don't deserve to have dinner." Kaylie didn't continue but sent me to the kitchen.
• I thanked her and immediately ran into the kitchen. Staying in the living room made me unable to breathe. I didn't have time to think of why Kaylie had been so kind and let me go easily because there were a lot of dishes waiting for me to wash.
• They didn't intend to wait for me for dinner at all. They knew when I got off work. Even if I did my best to rush home after work, I could never catch up with the dinner. But every time, they said it was because I hung around after work that I didn't have dinner. I could only eat some bread after I finished all the cleaning.
• My clothes were still wet, and I shivered. I was hungry, tired, and cold. I was exhausted, but I knew I could not be able to take a warm bath until I finished all the work.
• I began to sing. Every time I felt bad or exhausted, I sang. Singing made me feel good. It pumped me up so that I could hang in there. My mother used to say my voice was kissed by Moon Goddess. She taught me a lot of songs. Her voice was beautiful too, and we always sang together. But after she died, Gerardo and Kaylie didn't like my singing. I got beaten every time they heard me sing. So I rarely sang. But I was too tired to hold on. I couldn't help but sing a song my mother had taught me before. It gave me strength.
• "I knew it. You pretend to be innocent, but this is how you hook up others."
• I was frightened and turned around. Rangel stood next to the door, staring at me with his wretched smile. He sized me up and down.
• I suddenly realized that my t-shirt was semi-transparent because of the rain and stuck on my body. I felt uncomfortable under his gaze.
• "Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." I wished Rangel could leave as soon as possible.
• But he didn't intend to leave. Instead, he walked toward me.
• "I didn't realize you were a big girl now." Rangel was getting closer and closer.
• I was scared and didn't know what to do. He was the last one I wanted to meet in the house. He always looked at me with a strange expression, like he was looking at his prey. I got out to work early in the morning and came back late, trying to dodge him. Just now, I didn't see him in the living room. I thought he was out and was relieved. But I didn't expect him to come to the kitchen.
• "Would you please excuse me? I still have a lot of work to do." I wanted to step backward, but the sink prevented me.
• "Why are you so scared? You will like it." Rangel suddenly reached out his hands and pulled me toward him. He grabbed my wrist so that I couldn't get away. He lowered his head and approached the curl of my neck. I could feel his breath spray on my skin.
• My whole body tightened. I used all my strength to try to push him away but failed. He was very strong.
• "What are you doing?" It was Frida. I swore that I had never been so glad to see her.
• "Mom told you to stay away from her, Rangel. She's a slut." Frida was furious.
• Rangel released me reluctantly and turned to Frida with an I-don't-care expression. "Why are you here?" He was annoyed.
• "Dad wants Cora to his study."
• "Fuck! Now?"
• "Yes. Dad said it was urgent."
• "You are lucky today." Rangel gave me a ferocious stare and walked out of the kitchen.
• I let out a sigh of relief. I had no idea why Gerardo wanted to see me. It was abnormal for him to ask me to go to his study after dinner. But I was still glad that I could get rid of Rangel.
• "Mom is right. You are a slut. But you won't be able to seduce anyone soon." Frida glanced at me with disgust and turned around to leave.
• I didn't understand what she meant, but I didn't ask. I knew she would not tell me anyway. I just followed her to Gerardo's study.