NATALIE'S POV
My shoulder sagged as I couldn't help but sigh heavily, overwhelmed by a sense of despair. I had already accepted the fact that my father had abandoned me as his daughter and had never once acknowledged me as his own.
I wasn't expecting anything from him, let alone that he would recognize me and want to be my father.
Suddenly, I felt a pain in my shoulder, causing my brows to twitch as I looked at the person who had purposefully bumped into my shoulder even though there was plenty of space in the yard.
"Natalie, can't you see me?"
Jennifer, Alpha Locker's daughter, was the one who was particularly hostile toward me. She enjoys bullying and taunting me in any way she can. She was also the second person who despised me. The person who cannot bear my presence.
However, I don't want to waste too much time dealing with Jennifer.
Just when I was about to turn my back to continue my way towards my room without giving her attention, because Jennifer was a natural attention-seeker, she grabbed my hair and pulled it tightly before she pulled the necklace that I had been wearing on my neck.
"I'm talking to you!" She screamed at the top of her lungs
This time, I snapped. My patience had snapped.
“What the hell are you doing?!” I yelled angrily at her, “Return my necklace!”
However, Jennifer didn't easily give back the necklace she just took on my neck. Instead, she looked at me with those mocking eyes.
“Heh, who do you think you are? So what if I would take your necklace? I have much more authority than you and even if you are stronger than me, you can't hurt me nor touch me.” Jennifer said while smirking, raising her head arrogantly and openly taunting me.
I let out a heavy sigh as I massage my temples. “Jennifer, I have already told you so many times that I won't compete for the attention of Alpha Locker. I just want to rest so please leave me alone.”
Jennifer let out a mocking laugh, as she snickered at me. “So what about it? I am telling you, Natalie, I will make your life like a living hell for as long as you are here.”
A cold snicker appeared on my lips as I looked at her sharply. “Are you suggesting I become a rogue? I'm going to marry Alpha Alexander soon, what makes you think you and your cold-blooded father can still order me around?"
I slowly walk in her direction and deliberately let out my aura to pressure her. I laughed at her as I softly whispered in her ears, “Besides, I belong to Alpha Alexander starting from now on and he already claimed me as his. Even if I kill you, he will defend me, do you want to try?"
I saw her eyes tremble slightly when she heard my words, but she still managed to squeeze out her confidence and looked me straight in the eyes despite that she was shaken.
“Do you think that Alpha Alexander that you were talking about would protect you? He only likes you for now because he finds you interesting, but what about now, tomorrow, and the other day?” Jennifer boldly stated with a provocative smile plastered on her face.
Even if she doesn't say those words, I already know. After all, I trust no one other than myself and I can't easily give my trust to someone, especially that I only meet that perverted bastard once plus my impression of him is negative. In my eyes, he is a playboy and a man like him doesn't have any place in my heart.
However, I can use Alpha Alexander's name and use his status to rise my power and build my foundation.
If he was planning to play with me, then I could also use his attention to get what I want.
Jennifer had a bad idea about the emotions that I let out on the surface. She laughed at me, “You don't deserve to be loved at all. You wouldn't dare to do anything to me, in that case, your mother..."
"You better shut up." I had her by the throat and was ready to teach her a lesson, and she sure knew how to piss me off
“Natalie! Stop!” She loudly called out our name while she was rushing in our direction.
But when suddenly my mother, Emily, called out my name which made me halt from my spot.
But before mother could reach our direction when Jennifer down on my ears as she softly whispered. “You see, I was right, coward. If I were you, you should start becoming more obedient and do what you're told if you don't want to be abandoned.”
After that, she let out a soft chuckle as she patted my shoulder before she left the place before Emily could arrive.
I clenched my fists, but couldn't do anything about it.
I glanced at my mother who had this guilty expression plastered on her face as she hugged me while her hand was gently patting my back.
“Honey, don't do that. I'm sorry... I wasn't able to protect you.” Mother Emily weakly said as tears started to fall down her cheeks.
Seeing her weak appearance, I let out a soft sigh. I hugged her back.
“It's fine. Don't think too much about it.” I softly said while patting her back.
Mother wiped her tears from her cheeks as she looked at me and softly said, “It will be alright if we don't mess with them okay? Just let them do what they wanted to do and don't mind them. I'm sure that they won't mess with you if you don't start to mess with them.”
Hearing what she said, my brows furrowed as I couldn't help but disagreed in my heart.
Just let them do what they wanted? If I won't defend myself and let them treat me like an animal, who would defend me if it's not me?
I couldn't help but glance at my mother who kept on saying that I should just let them do what they wanted and that I should be more obedient so that they won't mess with me.
However, I wanted to disagree with her words. Even if I won't mess with them, they would find ways to mess with me. Just like what Jennifer had done to me.
“I know. I won't mess with them. I promise.” I softly said with a heavy sigh as I glanced at my mother who seemed to want to cry if I won't agree with her.
Anyway, if they won't mess with me, then I won't mess with them too.
Although I love my mother very much and respected her as my mother, it doesn't mean that I want to be like her in the future who is more dependent on men and fears men especially if they have statuses or titles.
I don't want to become a woman like her who would just bow down and be like an obedient dog in front of a man.
I don't want to become a woman who was born to serve men.
Rather, I want to be a woman who is well-respected, independent, strong, and someone who can be looked up to.