Chapter 63


    JASON


    My beta is staring at me and his mouth will twitch every so often like he wants to say something but is


    thinking better of it.


    Gone is my normal drawn back ponytail and in its ce areyers that while still maintaining some


    length, are short enough to frame my face. Grace managed to trim the sides and underneath stylishly


    short and to keep my hair longer on top. I’m rather pleased with the cut. It might take a little getting


    used to, but I’m not that concerned with my appearance, so it’ll do.


    Terrence can’t seem to get past the new look. “I don’t remember scheduling an appointment with a


    hairstylist for you, sir.”


    “Oh?”


    Terrence tilts his head. “Do you want me to arrange an appointment with the stylist?”


    "There''s no need. Grace helped trim my hairst night."


    “So it had been Grace!”


    I meet his knowing gaze. “Yes, T.”


    “Huh.”


    I know he wants to say more, but there are some lines my beta won’t cross. I respect him more for it.


    “I like it. The trim isn''t too bad, huh?" I fiddle with the bangs, pushing my hair back and letting it fall


    back into ce.


    The corner of Terrence''s mouth twitches. “I like it.”


    * * * * * * * * * *


    GRACE


    At noon, Lina took time off to meet up with me.


    We found a small restaurant near the Sanitation Service Center to eat at.


    "Lily made things difficult for you that day and asked you to go through the garbage for a long time.


    Why didn''t you tell me?" Linains. As a good friend, she had only found out about this matter


    through the news.


    "It''s not a big deal," I reassure her.


    As a good friend, Lina knows I’m lying.


    “It’s not fair to you, Grace. You’ve been through enough!”


    Back in the earlier days of our friendship, I seemed to have been blessed by luck. I made great strides


    in my studies and had always been the top student in school. Once out in society, I got into the bestw


    firm in the city and even began a rtionship with Sean—the most eligible alpha around.


    Almost everyone envied me. If I’m really honest with myself, it’s moments like this one, right now, with


    Lina, where someone’s looking at me with pity and embarrassment that make the physical horrors of


    the past pale to the emotional ones.


    “Stop feeling sorry for me, Lina. I said it wasn’t a big deal. Don’t make it one.”


    “Grace… it’s not okay.”


    I sigh. “Hey, I''m fine. Really. It’s just some garbage.” A small smile yed on my mouth. “Besides, if the


    social media sites are anything to go by, Lily is the one to pay the price for it. People hate her for what


    she’s done. It’s an affront onmon people, it seems.”


    “It’s not enough, Grace. Lily has gone overboard. It is one thing for her family to find someone to deal


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    with you in prison. However, they continue to create such difficulties even after you''ve been released.”


    Lina huffs indignantly.


    "In the Atkinson family''s opinion, I was the one who caused Jennifer’s death," I say after a long time.


    “I’d expected them to resent me. It was a tragedy.”


    It was just that before Lily had given the order to pull out her nails in prison, she had never known that


    people could be so vicious!


    "In my opinion, I think she wanted you to die in that crash!" Lina''s furious expression has yet to fade.


    "When you were sentenced back then, it wasn''t even a month before Lily and Sean got together. With


    that speed, I don''t believe that Lily didn''t have any feelings for Sean in the past."


    "This shows that the rtionship between Sean and me was insignificant. I know that now. And so


    does the whole world. When I needed him most, he abandoned me and sided with the people trying to


    persecute me.”


    “It was an ident!”


    “I know,” I allow. “But you were there in the courtroom. The evidence. The way they painted me. It didn’t


    matter that what they said wasn’t true. In reality, Lily did me a favor.”


    “How’s that?” Lina’s incredulous.


    “By showing me who my true friends really are.”


    Lina’s eyes mist with tears.


    I sp her hand and squeeze. “You’ve been a good friend to me. I hope you know how much I love and


    appreciate you.”


    “Stop! You’re going to make me cry! It’s what any person would’ve done.”


    Iugh bitterly. “Any person, like say, my parents and half-sister? Or my other friends and work


    colleagues? Or, I know, what about Sean? The man who’d vowed to love me forever.”


    Lina whistles. “Wow. Okay, when you put it like that…I am a superior.”


    “Yes. Like I said.”


    “Soo,” Lina allows. “We’ve established the shitty people in your life. Let’s talk about the good ones.”


    She steeples her hands and rests her chin on them. “How are you getting along with that new younger


    brother? Do you really intend to live with him like this forever?"


    “Mm.” Now, that’s an idea. A delusional one, but it would be nice. "If Jay is willing to stay with me, I


    would be very content with the arrangement."


    "If it were someone who didn''t know, they would think that you two were dating and living together."


    Lina asks worriedly, “So you know you need to be careful, right? This might be all tonic for you, but


    what about him? He doesn''t have any improper intentions toward you, does he?"


    "No," I say. However, for some reason, when I think of his dark eyes and strong body, my heart seems


    to beat faster once more.


    "Hey, you..." Lina’s eyes widen. "Don''t tell me that you''re interested in him!”


    "No," I deny. "Lina, you know, I''ve experienced so many things. Even when I was in prison, I... I don''t


    intend to be interested in anyone. Those things aren’t in the cards for me.”


    When the matter of prison is brought up, Lina''s face darkens. “Hey, maybe we can consult a doctor


    again, maybe—“


    "No, since I don''t intend to get married, there''s no point in consulting one," I say.


    Between the ident and miscarriage, my uterus was damaged. And, I’ve not been able to shift since


    that fateful night, so it’s doubtful that it would have healed. Then, while in prison, there were numerous


    beatings, often resulting in bruising and bleeding along my abdomen. Children are not in my future. If I


    could conceive at all.


    Even the doctor at the human hospital had advised her not to get pregnant in the future. The


    But I have no intention of bringing a baby into this world. What kind of life could I provide for my child?


    A simple existence in a shitty little apartment? And what of the stigma my baby would bear as the child


    of ‘an ex-convict’? As the outcast of her pack? As a wolf…who no longer had a wolf.


    I know how cruel people can be and I would never do that to an innocent baby.


    "By the way, that younger brother of yours—after all, he was a stranger before. And I’m not saying this


    to take away from your happiness—you deserve only the best things!—but when you talk about Sean


    and your dad and our friends… they all knew you. We knew them. This guy is a total stranger. Who’s to


    say he won’t someday change? Just be careful. Ok?”


    "I will. But, even if I don''t know much about Jay, there''s one thing I''m certain of. No matter what, he will


    not harm me."


    Lina takes my hands. “I hope you’re right, Grace. I really do.”


    Something in her tonepels me to ask, “Why?”


    “Because if Jay were to hurt you… I’m not sure you would survive it.”