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Chapter 1 The Tragic Fate

Ella's POV:

I was once again locked in the dark, narrow attic.

My foster mother, Sophia Carter, was yelling outside the door, "You clumsy, ugly idiot! You can't even sweep the floor! We should have left you in the forest for the wild beasts to eat!"

Hearing these sharp and hurtful words, I silently cried in the darkness, feeling that my entire life was just like my current situation, deeply trapped in darkness with no light in sight.

And all of this stemmed from me just breaking a glass while cleaning the living room.

It wasn't even an expensive glass, just an ordinary one. There were a dozen more like it in the kitchen that no one ever paid attention to.

However, Sophia took the opportunity to slap me a few times and locked me in the attic filled with clutter.

There wasn't even a window here, the place was covered in dust, and it reeked of decay.

After a while, I cried myself out and squatted on the ground.

Hunger caused sharp pains in my stomach, making my lips pale and sweat drip from my forehead.

This was just a glimpse of my miserable life over the past nineteen years.

Since birth, I had never seen my biological parents. I didn't know who they were or why they abandoned me in a forest surrounded by wild beasts.

Later, my foster father, Michael Carter, found me and brought me to the Stormcrest Pack, naming me Ella Carter.

But this was the beginning of another nightmare.

I didn't live happily ever after like a fairy tale princess; instead, I became a Cinderella oppressed by my foster parents, always dressed like a servant in old clothes, with a pile of chores waiting for me in the kitchen.

From a young age, I knew my foster parents didn't love me.

They didn't take me in out of kindness; they just wanted a free servant.

I worked from dawn till dusk every day and wasn't even allowed to sit at the dining table with them.

I could only hide in the kitchen, gnawing on dry, hard bread. If my foster parents were in a good mood, they might give me an extra bowl of hot soup, but there was never any meat in it.

When I finally struggled to reach nineteen, I still couldn't escape this miserable situation.

I didn't have stunning beauty, a captivating body, or a clever mind, making me invisible in the Stormcrest Pack.

No one showed me any kindness, let alone stood up to protect me from my foster parents' abuse.

What made it even more heartbreaking was that, even after I became an Omega, I still didn't have my own wolf.

Because of this, despite having countless thoughts of escaping this suffocating environment, I never dared to act on them.

As an Omega without a wolf, I wouldn't even make it out of the Stormcrest Pack before being torn apart by other pack members.

And even if I were lucky enough to escape, I would immediately be caught and raped by some lurking evil werewolves.

Staying in the Stormcrest Pack, it meant enduring abuse from my foster parents, at least ensured my safety.

After all, although the Stormcrest Pack wasn't a big pack, it still had the ability to protect its members.

By the time I finished reflecting on my miserable life, I didn't know how much time had passed.

I was so hungry that I was about to lose consciousness. My body was so weak that I could faint at any moment.

At this point, all I could do was pray that Sophia would have a change of heart and open the attic door to let me out.

I don't know if my prayers worked, but after a while, Sophia really opened the attic door, let me back into the kitchen, and gave me two pieces of bread.

I devoured the bread, and washed it down with water as I savoured the satisfaction of my empty stomach gradually filled up.

While I was eating, Sophia watched me with a strange smile on her face.

Even as I gobbled down the food, she poured me a glass of water. "Eat slowly. Don't rush."

It took quite a while for the shock of her sudden advances to sink in.

My experience told me that Sophia's kindness always came with a price.

This time was no exception.

I heard Sophia say, "Ella, you're not young anymore. It's time to think about your future."

Her words instantly made me wary. I stared at her closely. "What do you mean by that?"

With a fake smile on her face, Sophia said harshly, "You know, you're not good-looking, and you don't have big boobs or a nice butt. No one in the pack would want a mate without a wolf."

I clenched my skirt tightly. I knew very well that my plain looks and figure wouldn't catch any Alpha's eye.

"You know, Ella, your only value is to be a surrogate for Samuel Brown. At least Samuel has a good chance of becoming the Alpha of Stormcrest Pack!" Sophia finally revealed her true intention.

I wasn't surprised at all. Sophia had mentioned this to me several times, but I always refused without hesitation.

Of course, my refusal had brought me several beatings from Sophia.

But even so, I didn't want to become a surrogate mother.

Even though I had never felt any warmth from my family, I still wanted a family of my own.

This might sound unrealistic and Sophia would definitely mock me, but it was my true wish.

But once I became a surrogate mother, I would never be able to have a family of my own.

No one would accept a wife who had been a surrogate mother.

Moreover, Samuel was a complete jerk!

He often bullied me and played pranks to make me a laughingstock.

"No, I hate Samuel Brown. I won't be a surrogate for him!" I shouted, venting all my resentment towards Samuel and my dissatisfaction with Sophia.

Sophia didn't expect such a strong reaction from me. Her face darkened, and she slapped me hard in the face. "You have no right to refuse!"

Covering my swollen cheek, I sobbed, "Even if you beat me to death, I won't agree."

My heart had long died, and I was way past the phase where I still foolishly tried to talk some senses into Sophia. I knew very well that action spoke louder than words.

Even if it meant death, I wouldn't become a surrogate mother for Samuel, who only bullied me.

The thought of lying under him, feeling his vile lips on mine, and having his disgusting penis inside me made me nauseous.

Moreover, Samuel would never miss any chance to hurt me.

Once I fell into his hands, he would definitely use his usual methods to torment my body.

I bit my lips and, for the first time, looked at Sophia with cold eyes.

Perhaps frightened by my demeanor, Sophia, though very displeased with my resistance, said nothing and just waved me off to buy some food.

I let out a sigh of relief and quickly left, afraid that Sophia would change her mind if I delayed even a second.

But I hadn't walked far when I saw the person I least wanted to see.

Not far away, Samuel was staring at me with an evil smile.

I knew he must have come up with another idea to torment me.

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