Desperation

Cassie’s POV

Sage was excited to hear about this from her brother; she did not care that I was a few feet away from her on the cold floor, bleeding. She did not care that the stains of blood on the marble tiles were evident. She only cared about herself. 

But again, why would she care about me? 

“Oh my god, Leon,” She said to the guy. “What if…what if I’m not the King’s mate?” She asked. I could hear the excitement and anxiousness in her voice. I could tell that she was nervous…scared that she might not be chosen. 

Her brother replied, flashing a smile at her indulgently, “You don’t have to be worried about that, dear. Only you deserve that title. You’re the perfect fit.” 

A few maids arrived at the same time, and they started to clean up the mess. One of them looked at me sadly, and I could tell that she wanted to help me, but she did not want to get in trouble. I also did not want her to get in trouble, so I just shook my head. 

I quietly pulled a piece of broken glass out of my wound, cursing under my breath because of the pain. I was used to treating my injuries this way. In prison, no one cared whether I was hurt. The only thing that I could do was deal with it myself as quickly as possible. 

And almost as if a spell had worn off the guy, he looked over at me. “When did you get hurt?” He asked as he walked over to her, leaving his sister by herself. Maybe he had just noticed that I was hurt, or maybe he knew at first but had been way too concerned with his actual flesh and blood. “ Do you want to go to a healer?” He towered over me.

I brushed him off. “It’s just a small wound,” I replied calmly. “I got used to treating myself in prison, anyway.” I sighed, adjusting myself a bit on the hard, cold floor. 

His expression changed. And in that moment, I could see that he really wanted to help me…that maybe he still cared. But then, of course, the blonde girl who goes by the name of Sage had to start crying. 

“It’s all my fault!” She wailed as if she were a child. “My sister has suffered so much because of me…” She continued crying. 

And just like that, Leon was back to comforting her. Afraid that Sage would keep blaming herself, he locked eyes with me and said coldly, “Stop trying to make yourself look so pitiful. It’s just a cut. Get over it. You either go to a healer or stop whining about it.” He proceeded next to dismiss everyone.

As I tried to make my way to my room, he warned me, “Do not try any tricks, Cass. Stay in your room and don’t wander around.”

I nodded and left. 

I just wanted to be alone at this point. I was so tired. Plus, I was still starving. The food that I was supposed to eat had been spilled all over the tiles. I would either have to go to bed hungry tonight or maybe creep out to make something later. 

But nevertheless, it was not like I was not used to not eating. 

As I headed to the room, I started to notice something. Something that was not really a big deal, but it was to me. I could tell that almost every trace of me had disappeared from the house. 

Sage’s handmade decorations. Her favorite colors and flowers. Her photos. Everything that once belonged to me had been replaced. It stung deeply, but I tried my best to ignore the sh*tty feeling. 

I pushed open the door to my room, and I gasped. It…it now looked like a storage room. “What the hell?” I could not help but say, my voice breaking when the words escaped my mouth. I walked inside, and none of my personal belongings were there. “This can’t be real,” I said to myself in disbelief. 

They were all gone. 

A knot sat in my throat, and it felt like I was continuously being stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife. 

With nowhere else to go, I decided to find an empty guest room to rest. Even though it had been years, I could still remember the layout of the house. While on my way, I happened to run into Leon. I frowned, my emotions raw.

“I told you, right?” He said, folding his arms on his chest. “Why are you wandering around?” He asked. “You know your room. It’s on the third floor.” 

“You mean the storage room now?” I asked him bravely. I was hurt, so forgive me if I was confronting him about this. I was just so hurt by this. It was not like I had died. I had been sent to prison…for them! 

I did not have to do it, yet I had done it! For them!

And this was my pay? This was how they remembered me? I guess they could not wait to get me out of their lives. 

For the first time, a look of guilt crossed his face, and he nodded weakly. He sniffled dryly and tried to brush it off. “I will have your things moved back as soon as possible. As for now, stay in one of the guest rooms,” He informed me. “And oh, I also hired a healer for you.” 

Seeing that he was guilty, and the talk about the healer…that tiny bit of concern for me warmed my heart, pushing aside some of my anger. It made me happy for a few long seconds. 

And that made me hate myself for it. Was I this desperate to be loved and seen? Apparently, I was. 

He turned to leave, but I stopped him. I could not help but ask, “Why did you do that? Why did you hire a healer? They are expensive.” I silently begged for a response that would remind me that maybe I was not forgotten all along. “You had promised to come for me, Leon. And it took what? Three freaking years. Do you know how lonely it was? Do you know how much I’ve suffered? Didn’t you promise you’d get me out as soon as possible?” 

Silence hung in the air, and he did not turn around. He just remained frozen. Gosh, I wish I could see his face to be able to at least try to tell what he was thinking. After a long pause, without turning, he replied, “Three years. That’s all. Get over yourself.” 

I closed my eyes, and pain flooded my heart. I could already feel my eyes tearing up. “Wow…” My voice was shaky when my eyelids opened. 

“You took away years from Sage’s happy life when we thought that you were her,” He continued. “Don’t be so selfish now, dear.”