CHAPTER 22

Autumn's POV

I was still trying to sleep when I heard someone banging hard on my door. I opened my eyes to see it was morning already but I still wanted to stay in bed.

I groaned and rolled over on my bed, pulling the blanket over my head. It was too early for this. But the banging didn’t stop. It just got louder and more annoying.

"Autumn! Open this door right now!"

Why does this voice sound so familiar to the person that hates me the most in this place? Is Agatha really waiting for me in front of my room this early in the morning?

I sighed and dragged myself out of bed. My hair was messy, and my eyes were barely open, but I didn’t care. I swung the door open, and there she was. Agatha.

She looked furious. Her face was red, her arms crossed tight over her chest like she was trying not to explode.

"You're so shameless!" she screamed, stepping into my room without being invited. "How could you do that? How could you try to seduce the men who raised you? Do you have no shame left at all?!"

I stood there quietly, blinking at her as I slowly woke up.

Then I smiled, just a little to make her more angry.

"Are you done?" I asked, yawning. "You don’t have to pretend to be a saint, Agatha. You’ve never been one. Now get out of my way."

"You bitch! How dare you talk to me like this? You're so shameless and you deserve to be beaten!"

I tried to walk past her, but she blocked me and raised her hand to slap me. She looked like she really meant it.

I didn’t wait. I pushed her. Not too hard, but enough to move her.

But Agatha, being her usual dramatic self, threw herself backwards like I had hit her with a hammer. She fell to the floor and let out a loud, fake cry.

Just at that moment, the three alphas appeared at the hallway. What other timing can this be but a perfect timing? Agatha looked up and quickly acted like the victim.

I know it's going to be easy for them to believe her which is what I want even if the acting is annoying for me. Look at them coming to save their little princess, how touching.

"She pushed me! I only came to talk to her, and she pushed me to the ground!" she said, tears filling her eyes. "She’s turning into a monster."

I made gagging sounds that made them look at me. I couldn't help myself as the acting made me feel disgusted. I didn’t wait for them to say anything.

"Yes, I pushed her," I said with a calm voice. "I did it on purpose. So what? Are you going to punish me now? Go ahead. I’m not scared."

They all looked at me with serious faces, but then turned to Agatha.

"That’s enough, Agatha," Dante said. "Hold it off for now."

"What?" Agatha looked shocked. "She admitted it! She admitted she pushed me!"

I nodded in agreement with my body language. I admitted it, how long will they keep avoiding punishing me like this?

"We heard you," Knox said quietly. "But just calm down."

Agatha stared at them like they were betraying her. She stood up and stormed off, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Oh wow. I don't even know what to say. They're not saving their beautiful princess but telling her to go? Are they all right in their heads? I shouldn't be surprised by now but I don't know why I still feel so surprised every time I see them.

I stood in the hallway with my arms crossed, waiting.

This was it, right?

They were going to bring up the video. They were going to ask about the scandal. Maybe they would even throw me out of the house. I should feel scared. I should feel worried.

But instead, I was so excited. This is exactly what I've been working so hard for! Now, looking at their faces makes me think they'll say it soon.

Say it! Kick me out!

I watched them carefully.

But to my surprise, Dante stepped forward, his face softer than before.

"We came to check on you," he said. "Are you okay?"

"What?"

"We saw what happened online," Adonis added. "We wanted to make sure you're not feeling scared or—"

"Scared?" I cut him off. "Why would I be scared? Of a video? Of what people are saying? Or maybe of you three? Don’t act like you care."

They were silent for a moment. I felt my chest tighten, and I hated it.

"You don’t have to pretend," I said. "If you’re here to tell me to leave, just say it. I’m already packed in my mind. I can walk out right now."

Knox frowned. "That’s not why we’re here."

"We’re trying to figure out who posted that video," Adonis said. "We’ll find them. Don’t worry."

I laughed bitterly.

"You don’t have to look far. I did it. I posted it. Happy now?"

They exchanged glances.

Adonis raised an eyebrow. "You?"

"Yes, me. I took the video. I uploaded it. I even wrote the caption. Are you still going to protect me now? Or will you finally do what you always wanted and throw me away?"

But they just stared.

"You’re lying," Dante said.

"Why would I lie about something like that?"

Are there idiots or what? Why wouldn't they even believe that I did something like that? Since when did they trust me so much that I'm not the bad person?

"Because you don’t do things like that," Knox answered. "You’re angry, but you’re not cruel."

What the hell? I don't think we are not close for them to know that I'm not a bad person. Clearly, I've been doing bad things and they kept ignoring them. Now they say I'm not a bad person? This is so weird!

I scoffed. "You don’t know anything about me."

"Maybe we don’t," Adonis said. "But we’re trying."

"Trying? You think it’s too late for that? After everything?"

They didn’t respond.

I suddenly felt frustrated. I wanted them to hate me. I wanted them to punish me, to send me away, to finally treat me like the villain they thought I was all this time.

But now they were trying to act like they cared?

It was confusing.

"I don’t want this," I said. "I don’t want your pity. Just ignore me like you used to. It’s better that way."

"Autumn—"

"No," I snapped. "Go away. Just leave! Get the hell out of here!"

I slammed the door in their faces.

Then I sat on the floor, leaning against the door, and let out a deep sigh. They didn’t believe me. They still didn’t believe I posted the video. I don’t know if that made me angry or relieved.

I told them I did something and they in the right minds don't believe that I did it. Should I be happy that they finally believe in me? This isn't what I wanted from them.

I don't know if I should just run away from here and sneak out. I wanted their love so much in the past, I wanted them to believe me and see that I wasn't a bad person. But they never had time to look at me like that.

They always saw me as the evil one and now they suddenly don't think I'm bad? Isn't it a little too late for that?