"Get some more wine, Evelyn," Grace, Evelyn's stepmother, sat at the table and smiled falsely at Evelyn, "and move fast so we don't have to wait too long."
A row of candlesticks stood in front of her, the warm yellow light reflecting on her face, making her look like a wicked witch. Grace had a wicked heart, comparing to her beautiful face. She had been tormenting Evelyn since she married her father, treating her like the family maid.
Evelyn had worked hard all day and was tired of preparing dinner for her stepmother and sister Ashley. They tell her that they have distinguished guests coming to their home tonight and ask Evelyn to prepare a big meal.
She has no choice but to do as they ask, no one in the family cares about her, and if Evelyn disobeys her stepmother and sister, they will take it out on her and beat her up.
Grace once locked the seven-year-old in the basement, where Evelyn spent half a month in the dark, wet cellar with rats. It was the most terrifying experience of Evelyn's life, and she wanted to die right then and there rather than suffer Grace's torture day after day.
After Evelyn came out of the basement, she no longer dared to disobey her stepmother Grace, and dutifully played the role of maid and "good girl", wearing a gray and tattered dress and living in a small stairwell. Her sister Ashley often makes things difficult for Evelyn, making her do the laundry, polish her shoes, and clean her room, mocking Evelyn for being a parasite in the house and useless as a beggar.
"What are you still standing here for?" Ashley glanced at Evelyn in disgust, "Didn't you hear what Mom said?"
Evelyn saw some contempt on Grace's beautiful face and instinctively felt scared. Even though Evelyn was so tired that she could hardly stand, she bent down and curtsied to her.
"Yes." Evelyn said hurriedly, "I'll bring it over right away."
A white light suddenly illuminated the spacious and luxurious dining room as lightning flashed outside the window.Evelyn's father was the Alpha of their pack, and he lived in the highest class mansion. But Grace had dismissed all the servants to make things difficult for his ex-wife's daughter, Evelyn. The entire mansion is taken care of by Evelyn alone, and she has to work day and night, spinning like a gyroscope.
"You are too slow to react," Grace said mercilessly, "now that you are no longer needed to get the wine, then go into the garden and pick some flowers to decorate the table."
Evelyn looked out over the dreary garden. Rain was streaming through the tall glass windows like little rivers.
"But it is pouring ...... outside," said Evelyn coyly, hoping for a little mercy, "and if I go out now, I am sure to catch cold and be sick at night."
Grace suddenly stared at her angrily, like a wide-eyed lioness. She was wearing bright lipstick and snarled at her with her bloodied mouth wide open.
"You do not disobey what I say!" She jumped up, picked up a silver fork, and threw it at Evelyn's head, "Stupid thing! Get your ass out into the garden right now and pick that damn flower!"
Evelyn took a few steps back, but couldn't dodge the silver fork that came flying at her. The fork hit her forehead, and almost instantly, blood dripped down, spilling over her right eye and falling in drops to the floor, wetting the expensive carpet.
Evelyn covered the burning wound and shrank back, shouting, "I'm sorry mom! I'll be right there!"
Evelyn has no other choice, tears welling up in her eyes. Grace has never shown her any mercy, and if she is still standing here, Evelyn fears she will punch and kick her.
Ashley said sarcastically, "Mom, look at her face pretending to be pathetic, it's disgusting. But you can't forget the deal you made with Daddy ...... not to scratch her face."
Deal?Evelyn looked at them confused.Ashley seemed to be saying that Grace and her father had a deal about her and what they wanted to do to her?
Evelyn hadn't had any hope for her father since her mother had left her forever. He watched coldly as Grace and Ashley bullied Evelyn and watched as his own daughter sat endlessly through the maid's menial work without a care in the world. He would even take Grace's bad advice and teach Evelyn a lesson himself.
"Come on," Grace stared at Evelyn haughtily, her amber eyes glinting with malice like a hissing viper, "I don't expect a stupid girl like her to be of any value."
Evelyn endured her blunt mockery and ran dejectedly into the garden. The rain poured down on her head, and soon her dress and skirt were soaked through, becoming cold and heavy and sticking to her body. The blood on her forehead became sticky in the rain, clinging to her hair and skin.
Years of enduring life had long changed her. Once upon a time Evelyn was the apple of her mother's eye, her parents pampered her immensely, and she lived like a princess, going to many places and learning all kinds of skills. But now Evelyn is only worthy of being a maid, doing simple and heavy chores around the house all day long, and her mind is becoming more and more empty, and perhaps she has really become the stupid girl Grace said she was.
The garden is filled with flowers that Evelyn's mother planted when she was alive, and as Evelyn steps into the muddy flowerbeds in the pouring rain, stretching out her skinny arms to pick the flowers, she heard a few car horns honking from the front of the house.
She knew it was her father coming back. Evelyn put the flowers she picked in her apron and watched the direction of the restaurant, and within a moment, she saw Evelyn's father walking slowly from the parking lot, holding a black umbrella.
He was followed by a young man, Grace's nasty, stupid son. As they talked, they walked into the dining room. Through the glass window, she saw Grace and Ashley rise from their chairs and greet them both with smiles in the warm candlelight, looking like the most harmonious family ever.
A thunderclap exploded above Evelyn's head and she shivered violently, raising her hand to wipe away the wet hair clinging to her cheek and gathering her courage to walk toward the dining room.
"Before they come, Evelyn makes sure all the dishes are ready ......" Grace took Evelyn's father's arm and smiled fawningly, "So, have you negotiated a price, dear? ?"
Evelyn, shivering from the rain, huddled carefully under the eaves, separated from them only by a floor-to-ceiling window. No one noticed Evelyn's arrival, as if Evelyn were a transparent person.
"We've been on the phone and everything's going well," Evelyn's father said grimly, "he's even willing to pay a heavy sum. As soon as we get through the night, Alpha Damon will pay, and that money will help us with all our financial problems."
Evelyn covered her lips in horror and winced when she heard the name spilled from his mouth. damon was the leader of the largest wolf pack in the west, but also a murderous tyrant. He had waged countless wars, and people's hearts would tremble at the mere mention of his name.
Grace's gaze shot up to Evelyn like a viper, and a tingling laugh escaped her bright red lips: "My goodness, Tyrone. did you see, Evelyn was there eavesdropping on us, she's a rude girl."
Anger appeared on her father's face and he snarled at Evelyn: "What did you hear?"
Evelyn shuddered at the roughness of his voice and moved slowly into the glass door, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just wanted to get out of the rain."
"Don't get too upset honey, she's going to accept her destiny sooner or later anyway." Grace covered her lips and laughed lightly, climbing affectionately on Evelyn's father's shoulders, "Her destiny is--to marry that murderous tyrant Damon."
"What?!" Evelyn recoiled in horror, her body slamming against the glass, "No, don't! I don't want to!"
Grace said sarcastically, "Dear daughter, who do you think you are?You have no right to refuse it. Our family has raised you for so many years, you are obligated to pay something back."
Evelyn's mind was in turmoil and her fear of Damon was almost overwhelming her.
"No, I can't, I don't want to marry Damon!" Evelyn looked desperately at her father, but his face was cold and unfeeling, "You can't give me to him, please, I'm part of this family, I'm your daughter!"
Ashley frowned and deflated her mouth to mock Evelyn, "If you are your father's daughter, then why can't you even make some contribution? Our pack lost a battle with Damon not too long ago, and Damon wants your father's daughter to marry him and be the link of peace between the two packs."
"That's a great thing," Grace smiled maliciously, "you should feel honored, Evelyn ."
"Daughter?" Evelyn covered her face helplessly, "Why me! Ashley, why don't you go?"
Ashley jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and yelled at Evelyn, "Because you're a loser, no one will care even if you're killed by Damon!"
Evelyn looked at each of their gloating faces, whimpered sadly, and turned to her father, "Father, is this what you meant? Are you the one who wants to marry me to Damon?"
"Not to marry him, exactly," Carl, the stepbrother who had been watching the show, spoke up, his greedy eyes kept straying to her rain-soaked body, "Damon just wants to pay for a maid, don't think of yourself as too noble. "
Carl had been harassing her from early on, often trying to harass Evelyn when she was alone, and it took Evelyn threatening him to tell her father for him to relent a bit, but at this moment, his desire for her was written so plainly on his face that it made her stomach lurch.
Her father, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up: "You will not have a wedding with Damon. This is the best ending for you, Evelyn ."
Evelyn understood the whole thing at once. They had lost, and as the winner, Damon wanted to claim her father's daughter as a trophy, to be his maid. But her father didn't want to be looked down by others and declared that he would "marry" his daughter to him.
"The best end for me is to die in the hands of that Blood Thirsty pack tyrant?" Evelyn softly asked him back, crying, "Dad, you weren't like this before, you forget how happy we used to be with Mom? Ever since you married Grace ......"
Grace screamed and roared, "What are you talking about? Are you accusing me?"
