Chapter 4 Problem With Stepmother

• Thankfully, the day ended well, and Ann was more than happy to be ten feet away from Darius and his friends. Being with them for those hours drained her significantly. After the mention of a mate, she noticed his demeanor completely changed. Even though he tried to hide it, it was obvious that it affected him.
• Ann didn’t want to attend the coronation ceremony, but it was compulsory for all the members of the Goldenblade pack to be present. She walked back to her house while listening to her favorite song with her headphones. Music was one of the few things that made her happy. Her mood worsened as she approached the mansion.
• Standing in front of the door, she took a deep breath and opened it. To her relief, nobody was in sight. She made her way to her room but stopped when she heard an odd sound coming from the room next to hers. Ann wanted to ignore it but decided to check. She walked into the corridor and peeped through the open door. Her face was immediately felt with disgust seeing her stepsister, Prudence, making out with her new boyfriend, Damien.
• No wonder she heard those odd sounds. Ann quickly walked away from the room, heading back to her own. Disgust washed over her as the images flashed before her eyes; she needed to wash her eyes and ears with holy water. From now on, she resolved to mind her own business."Ann," she stiffened at the mention of her name, knowing who it belonged to. She would never forget that voice as it haunted her in her dreams and in life. "Yes, stepmother," she turned to look at Margaret, who was standing a few feet away, dressed in a blue knee-length dress tightly wrapped around her. Her black hair was in its usual tight bun, and her makeup was flawless. Margaret used to be a model in her younger days but retired early due to an accident that weakened her left leg. Ann guessed it was one of the reasons Margaret was so bitter, although her bitterness never extended to her beloved daughter and husband.
• "I need you to pick up Prudence's and my dresses from the boutique. We will be wearing them for the ceremony. And I know how clumsy you are; if anything should happen to the dresses, just jump off a bridge," Margaret spoke with eloquence, her hawk eyes holding Ann's scared ones.
• "I understand, stepmother," Ann responded, her eyes leaving her stepmother's to look down.
• "Good," Margaret's gaze lingered on her for a while before she began to walk away.
• Just then, Prudence walked out with her boyfriend, adjusting her hair and skirt. "Hello, Mrs. Collins," Damien greeted her with a smile as he passed them and went out the door.
• Everyone knew Margaret wasn't friendly, especially to those she considered beneath her. She saw them as inferior and found no reason to respect them.
• Prudence, on the other hand, had inherited only her mother's cruelty. She was the opposite of calm and collected, always out at parties, drinking, and making out with different boys. Just like Darius, her boyfriend’s only lasted a month or so. This behavior annoyed Margaret. She couldn't do anything about it as Prudence was her daughter and star.
• "I told you to stay away from that boy. He's poor and will cause trouble for us," Margaret said with a frown.
• "I know, dear mother. I won't see him after today," Prudence responded, flashing her mother a charming smile. Prudence was a beautiful woman, 5'8" with long, silky black hair, blue eyes, and well-defined facial features. She looked like a model ready to walk for Vogue. She knew how beautiful she was and prided herself on it. "Have you gotten the dresses?" she asked.
• "Ann will get them from the shop today," Margaret responded.
• "Oh, I didn't notice you here." Prudence swayed her hips towards Ann, who stood like a statue. Stopping a few feet from Ann, she said, "Dear goodness, seeing you makes me feel so much better about myself. If I were as ugly as you, I would have ended my miserable life." If Margaret's words were harsh, Prudence's were venomous, always managing to strike hard. Ann just stared at her, having learned the hard way that the best she could do was keep her mouth shut.
• Suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her jaw. "You are not my equal, Ann. When I speak to you, you look down, right where you belong, beneath me," Prudence said through her teeth, her nails pressing deeply into Ann's cheek as if she wanted to draw blood.
• "I... I am sorry," Ann immediately apologized. She knew better than to fight back; she had tried before, and it had ended badly.
• "Good. You should be sorry for showing up in this family, burdening us with your shame and disappointment," Prudence spat bitterly before letting go of Ann's jaw. "I have laundry that needs to be taken care of," she added with a smile before walking out, leaving Ann shaking in fear.
• "Don't be late, Ann," Margaret said as she walked away.
• Ann felt the air cut off from her throat, and it took a minute for her breathing to return to normal. Panic attacks were something she frequently suffered from, and she tried to prevent them from happening because they made her feel weaker than she already was.
• Letting out a shaky breath, she made her way into her room, collapsing on her bed as soon as she stepped inside. These were times she felt like crying, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shed a single tear.
• "You will make it out of this," she chanted the mantra for a few minutes, which helped her calm down. Opening her eyes, she sighed. She changed her clothes, grabbed her purse and walked out of the house to the shop where she would pick up her stepmother and sister's dresses.