Chapter 4 Public Humiliation

Aurora's POV

I watched Alpha Keith's back as he stepped into the house. His stride was fast, his shoulders stiff, and I followed him indifferently, my face showing nothing.

I stepped inside, the familiar halls looking more like a stranger's house than my own.

Inside the living room, I saw them.

Mom, Luna Melissa stood to the side, watching with her calm expression, though her eyes darted between Dad, Alpha Frank and Helen.

Helen sat close to Frank, laughing softly, her voice filled with warmth. Frank leaned toward her, his tone gentle, responding with smiles that I had never once received from him.

The room glowed with their comfort, but it was comfort that had no space for me.

Luna Melissa's eyes shifted and landed on me. She blinked, surprise softening her face, and then she came forward quickly.

Her arms opened wide, reaching for me with an expression that said she wanted to welcome me home.

She tried to pull me into a bear hug.

I stepped back, dodging her touch. My voice was calm and polite, I said, "Luna."

The word cut the space between us. I did not call her "Mother." I did not let her pretend.

Alpha Keith's voice came sharp from the side. "Aurora, stop this tantrum. Don't act moody. She's your mother. Show respect."

Luna Melissa looked hurt her eyes soft and wet. Before she could say anything, Helen jumped up, clutching her chest as tears streamed down her face.

"It's my fault!" she cried. "Don't blame Mom! Please. I should be the one you're angry at."

She sobbed, looking at me as if she was the victim.

Keith's eyes hardened. "Aurora. Apologize to your mother. Now."

I turned my gaze slowly to him. My voice was steady. ".You haven't wronged me."

"After all, you've always believed I was stronger than Helen. You thought I could handle the psychiatric hospital, better than she ever could."

"Do you remember, Mother?" I continued, my voice growing colder. "You once knelt in front of me. You begged me to take the blame for Helen.

Melissa's eyes filled with panic. Her lips trembled, but no words came.

The room froze.

I didn't stop. I stared directly at Alpha Keith, my eyes locked on his. "Mr. Donald is still unaware, isn't he? The surveillance footage of Helen poisoning Vicky was promptly deleted by Luna Mellisa.

This so-called 'loving mother' made sure Helen remained silent in court while pushing me, the 'adopted one,' into a wolf psychiatric hospital."

The room was silent. No one spoke. Even Helen stopped her sobbing.

Keith's face flushed with anger. He shouted "You poisoned Vicky yourself and tried to frame her! Do you think you can stand here and accuse anyone? How dare you?"

Luna Melissa stepped in quickly, her voice soft and urgent. "Aurora has suffered in the psychiatric hospital. She endured abuse there. Please, go upstairs, take a shower, and rest. That will help."

Of course, my mother knew where I was living. She always knew. She simply chose to ignore it. Just like she ignored everything else when it came to me.

But I had long stopped hoping for warmth from this family. The truth was simple. If you hold no expectations, you will never be hurt.

Their hypocrisy didn't even surprise me anymore. I was simply tired.

I let out a snort. "No need." With that, I turned around and walked away.

I stood in the living room for a moment, taking in the house that was supposed to be my home. But it never was.

It never had that warmth. I was brought here eight years ago, thinking I was being welcomed back into my family.

But everything that followed proved I was nothing more than an outsider.

My feet led me down to the place where I had been forced to live for three years.

Not a bedroom. No, not even close. It was the basement. The place I had to share with Helen's dog after she took over my rightful room upstairs.

The air down here was always damp. The bed small, the walls cold. But I was used to it.

My wolf tightened as I sat down on the old mattress, staring at the space where I had once dreamed of being accepted.

Clothes had been laid out neatly on the bed, folded and waiting. But when I looked at them, my stomach turned.

They were clothes Helen had worn years ago, clothes she had outgrown and passed down.

These clothes were not chosen for me.

They were leftovers became a quiet reminder of my place here.

The gap between us had never been clearer. She lived as the precious daughter. I lived as something they simply tolerated.

I walked into the bathroom and showered. The hot water ran down my back, washing away the dirt and blood from the hospital, but it could not wash away the weight pressing inside my chest.

I refused to wear them.Instead, I put my original clothes back on, the ones I had brought with me, still rough and worn from the hospital. Then I walked downstairs.

The dining room was already full when I arrived. The long table was crowded, but no one had saved me a seat. No one had waited for me.

Every chair was taken. Every plate was set. And all eyes, all hands, were turned toward Helen.

Luna Melissa leaned close to her, placing food on her plate. Alpha Frank watched her with approval. Helen laughed softly, thanked them, and basked in their attention.

I walked in quietly and sat at the edge of the table, unnoticed for a moment until Luna Melissa looked up. Her gaze swept over me, and she frowned.

"You haven't changed your clothes," she said. "Were they the wrong size?"

I lifted my chin. "I grew taller in the wolf mental hospital."

The words were plain, but they dropped heavy in the room.

The dining room fell silent.

Helen's hand shook. Her chopsticks slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. The sound echoed, sharp in the quiet space.

Alpha Keith's face darkened. His voice was low. "Don't mention the wolf mental hospital. That place is filled with dark witches. You know Helen is terrified of them. Do you want to scare her?"

Helen shivered, her face pale, fear flickering in her eyes. Her shoulders hunched as if even the word itself might reach out and grab her.

I stood there, watching her. She was afraid of the idea. Just a rumor was enough to make her tremble.Yet no one cared about how I endured those years when I was tortured by that witch in the mental asylum.

Most of the dishes had already been passed around, each plate sitting full in front of Helen while the others served her with care.

No one had set anything aside for me. I pulled out a chair at the edge of the table and sat down quietly.

The scrape of the chair against the floor drew a brief glance from Luna Melissa, but no one else moved.

I kept eating.

Alpha Keith's voice broke through the silence. His tone was firm and authoritative. "Tomorrow we will hold a banquet. It is a welcome banquet for you.

Important guests will attend, including Alpha Gray of the Red Moon Wolf Clan. You need to prepare yourself properly Aurora."

I nodded slightly.

His words sounded like an announcement rather than a gesture of care. It was not for me. It was for appearances.

The next day came quickly. The banquet was more lavish than I had expected.

The hall sparkled with golden chandeliers, the floor polished until it reflected every light. Tables were draped with heavy fabric, and every plate gleamed.

My thoughts pulled me backward.

The Donald family couple grand eighteenth birthday banquet for Helen. That night was unforgettable.

The party was massive. The Alpha families from every corner of the country were invited.

Celebrities, politicians, high-ranking pack members, all gathered under the glittering lights to praise Donald Helen.

I still remember her standing on that stage, wearing a delicate crown on her head, smiling sweetly as she stood between Alpha Frank and Luna Melissa. Like a princess receiving her kingdom.

And me? I wasn't even allowed to stay long enough to see the celebration end. I was the ugly duckling of the family.

That night, I was taken away by the police in front of all their guests.

I still saw their shocked faces as I was handcuffed, as the whispers spread like wildfire.

Instead of starting my college life, I spent the next five years of what should have been my brightest years locked inside a psychiatric hospital.

Now, here I was again, standing under the same bright lights as the Donald family hosted yet another banquet.

Only this time, I wasn't an Alpha's daughter with big dreams. I was the broken daughter they tried to hide.