Chapter 165:
Makenna’s POV:
As I watched Kristina’s triumphant silhouette vanish into the distance, every fiber of my being quaked with fury. It was as if a storm had taken root inside me, ready to unleash its wrath at the slightest provocation.
Had it not been for the last thread of rationality tethering me to sanity, I might have already leaped at her, tearing her apart with the same ferocity she had shown me.
Kristina was beyond cruel—her malice knew no bounds. Yet, no matter how much my anger burned, there was nothing I could do to stop her.
In a daze, I stumbled back home, my mind a whirlwind of despair. The moment I stepped through the door, Lily rushed over, her eyes wide with concern. “Makenna, dinner’s ready. Do you want to eat something first?”
The thought of food turned my stomach. I felt like a ship adrift, lost in a sea of hopelessness. I waved her off, my voice hollow. “No, thank you.”
“Makenna, what’s wrong?” Lily asked, her voice trembling with worry. “You’re as pale as a ghost.”
I shook my head, too drained to explain. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just worn out. Go ahead and eat without me. I need to lie down for a while.”
The battle between Kristina and me was my cross to bear. I didn’t want to drag Lily into the quagmire of my troubles.
“Alright,” Lily sighed, her voice tinged with reluctance. “But please, if you need anything, just let me know.”
I nodded absently and retreated to my room, seeking solace in its quiet emptiness.
I lay on my bed, staring up at the blank ceiling, feeling the weight of defeat pressing down on me like an anvil. Memories of my mother were as fleeting as the morning mist—she had passed away shortly after I was born. The necklace was the one keepsake she had left me, accompanied by a letter urging me to cherish it.
That necklace was like a fragile thread connecting me to my mother. And now, it was clutched in Kristina’s hands. As I bit my lip, the bitter truth dawned on me—Kristina hadn’t obtained the necklace on her own. She must have had my father’s help.
𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗀ⱥ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀꞉ⅽ𝗈𝗆
They knew how much it meant to me, how it was the last vestige of my mother’s love.
My father, always hungry for power and desperate to curry favor with those above him, wouldn’t have hesitated to hand over something so precious to me if it meant gaining Kristina’s approval.
Tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks, seeping into the fabric of my pillow.
How many nights had I spent in that tiny room at the Dunn household, weeping quietly while watching my father, stepmother, and Jessica revel in their warm, cozy family life?
I had begged for my father’s love, bent over backward to win over my stepmother and Jessica, all in a futile bid to feel like I belonged in that house.
But they had never truly accepted me. Instead, they had sent me to this hellish place.
And as if that weren’t enough, now they had handed over my mother’s necklace to serve their own selfish ends.
I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the last remnants of love and connection slip through my fingers like sand. Suddenly, I sat up, wiping away the tears with fierce determination.
My mother’s other belongings were still in their possession. I had to retrieve them before they, too, became bargaining chips for my father’s ambition. But as quickly as my resolve had ignited, it began to waver under the harsh light of reality.
There was no way for me to leave the palace on my own. The only paths to freedom lay in gaining permission from the king or a prince, or finding someone who could come and go as they pleased to take me out.
I rubbed my temples, feeling the crushing weight of exhaustion as I sank back onto the bed. My mind churned, trying to conjure up a way out of this mess. Then, like a bolt of lightning, an idea struck me—there was someone who might be willing to help.
