Ann POV

Chapter one

I sprinted through the stony path with my feet creating some thudding sound.

There was only one spot in my mind at the moment which is the rooftops. I needed to run, I needed to put a stop to all this scandal and ill fate surrounding my life.

"Suicide!"The word resonated in my brain.

While I was on the rooftop, my chest suddenly become heavy because of the hidden pain within it.

"Arrg!" I screamed into the air with the echoes of my voice remixing with the waves.

"This world is cruel!"

"You are not valued or loved unless your parents are influential and powerful in society."

"What wrong have I committed other than the burnt scar on my face? why do they keep mocking me? Why am I ugly Selene?" I cried out. Fighting hard to prevent the trail of salty hot tears which were seeking a path to escape my eyes.

"Selene why did you have to create me to be ugly?"I broke down in tears, sobbing loudly.

The moments of how my mother had passed away gently flooded into my head, playing at a great speed.

I was depressed at the moment, I wanted to die. My plan of coming over to this rooftop was to jump down and kill myself because they keep laughing at me, undermining me, and framing me for things I had not done simply because I was ugly.

But I won't do that now.

"I wanted to kill myself but..."I paused, breathing out at a fast pace. "But I won't, because my mother's death must not be in vain."

I became quiet, staring into the blank space of nature, inhaling the oxygen into my lungs.

Not long after I had spoken, I heard a loud sigh behind me. Someone was clearing his throat, my body became still as my mind trembled around with my body making a 180-degree turn.

My heart stopped voluntarily at the sight of the man at an edge whose whole attention was on a book. It seems like he was sketching some things.

"You have to leave now." My inner wolf whispered.

I reluctantly dragged my body along with my frail feet but stopped when he said, "aren't you dying no more?"

I pursed my lips into a thin line, whirling to check him out.

He raised his head, his hazel eyes clashing with silver, dark curly hair, arched eyebrows, round cheekbones, sharp jaw, and pointed nose. He was handsome!

He squeezed his face, then it dawned on me that I have been checking him out. I darted my gaze elsewhere.

"Your mother's death in vain?"He scowled, arising from his sitting position.

"How does it concern you, sir?" I didn't know where the boldness came from when I said this.

His face flared up, I pinched the bridge of my nose to be certain I hadn't gone nut. There was a few moments of silence that made my skin crawl, and tense. Despite how I had no idea about his identity or what might be done to me.

I mean his physique was like that of the royal family or Noble but I was just a slave sent as tribute.

His feet began proceeding towards me in a slow tiny step until he was right before me.

"What did you just say?" A slight frown settled on his striking features, his voice filled with sarcasm and fury.

At his questions, my lips trembled uncontrollably, as my gaze trailed behind him before connecting with his again. I felt an electrifying wave rushing through my veins.

"Dumb?"He gave a light chuckle.

I felt intimidated by his presence, my wolf succumbed to this. I had to lower my head in defeat as all my boldness all gone down to drain.

"They laughed at you because you're..."He trailed. My eyes widened at his words, my heart thumped under my chest for his unspoken words.

"You're ugly?" "Hmm... Let me check." He paused, taking his time to cross-check me, his long, gracious fingers lifting my chin, after staring to his satisfaction he gave a smirk and retracted his finger.

He used the finger which he had used to lift my chin to scrape against his robe. "Indeed, they weren't lying. You're such an ugly duck. Never cross some path with me or else..." He paused, casting me a belittling look.

As he stomped past me, his rigid shoulders brush against mine. I turned to have a proper view of his back appearance.

He stopped and in a blink, I had to hide my face. He broke the last camel, "go on and kill yourself."

My heart made a sharp ring. I almost fall at his words. It was as if I was hit by a moving carriage.

"Kill me?"

***

Was I going to kill myself just because this man had said to do?

I watched him varnish into the extreme. My once stiffened heart becomes softened at that moment, a mixture of tears and snot streamed through my face in rivulet and there was this kind of feeling burning within me.

I was saddened!

Depressed!

Ten times worse than how I used to be whenever they scorned me. Why do this man's words hurt me so badly?

Why was my heart writhing in pain just because he had told me to go on and kill myself?

Who is he?

I muffled in my catarrh and wiped off the tears on my face. I had to return to the palace to carry on with my task.

*"*"

As I passed through the hallway, a lot of whispering was resounding in my ears. Their gossip, and backbite but those don't freak me anymore. I'm already used to them so I build my heart to be rigid.

"She's a fuckin bitch!"

"Yes, she looks ugly. How dare she try to acquaint herself with lady Elena that they are family! Elena is so beautiful and clear like the vibrant sky."

I nipped toward the direction of the voice but then, they pretends as if they were busy. I turned back to walk when someone bumped into me.

I raised my head in a bid to know whom it was.