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THE HAZE THE ALPHA’S FEISTY LUNA

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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Dove

"I would like to speak to your manager", this karen here thinks she can mess with me.

I smirked, "sure ma'am"

I returned minutes later with the manager.

"What seems to be the problem ma'am?" She asked.

"I ordered some roasted pork loin with potatoes but after a taste, I realized it wasn't well cooked and I made a complaint but she says she can't return it and give me a new plate", she said.

"You call that a taste? You literally chowed down on everything", I replied.

"Is this how you reply to customers?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, we will give her a note of warning", she turned to me "Dove!"

"I'm sure you will do something about this?"

"Sorry ma'am but this isn't possible, if you wish to get another plate you have to order it then and pay for the two."

She scoffed, "you've got to be kidding me", she got up and picked up her purse "I am definitely not returning here again."

"I never asked you to and you have to pay for this before leaving" I said and she immediately turned to glare at me.

She hesitantly and angrily placed some cash on the table before storming off.

Yeah byebye, make sure not to come back.

The manager turned to me, "Dove, this is the seventh time we're getting complaints on your service and even if she was in the wrong I don't think I can any further with this."

My eyes immediately dulled and I immediately knew of what was coming.

"I get it", she smiled.

"You'll be getting your last wage", I nodded "I'm really sorry, I know this is already your second place of work."

"It's alright, I understand I'm a handful to deal with."

I walked up to the kitchen and met with Sophia, my friend here, she was the chef.

"What's up with your face? Get moving, those Karens won't deal with themselves" said Sophia as she picked up a dish and hurriedly walked past me to hand it over to another waitress.

"I just got fired Soph, again!", I said and hit my fist on the table in frustration.

"What? I thought you were on the manager's good books, you're the only one she smiles at for some reason" she said while still busy with her work.

"I am but she had to fire me, I wasn't really helping around here."

"But then where would you get another job? You only have experience as a waitress and you've tried going for all the other restaurants and this is your last, what're you going to do now?" She asked, turning to me with concern in her eyes.

We're actually highschool mates and met here. She knows about my family's condition and had been trying to help in her best ways possible.

"I expected this, but I really thought I would last longer... I guess I'll have to think of another way."

"I'm always free to help"

"Yeah yeah, thanks but I think I should still go on with serving" I said trying to hide the dejected look in my eyes.

~~~

I walked through the alley with my phone in hand looking for another job, maybe I could work at Target, I mean, it definitely isn't hard, I've dealt with the right amount of karens.

My phone buzzed.

'MOM CALLING'

I have enough on my plate and I'm not ready to deal with her right now but I know better than to ignore the call. I picked up.

"Hel-" she cut me off right before I could even say a simple 'hello'.

"We're out of groceries" she said and I cut her off calmly.

"Mom" but she still went on ignoring me or maybe she didn't even hear me at all.

"-and Emma needs a new stack of... M&Ms, Lays chips-" she continues.

"Mom!!" I screamed.

"What?!" She also screamed "you wanna burst my eardrum?"

"I just got fired", she paused.

"Such a daughter, why couldn't I have gotten one with brains? No! I had to get one as lazy as this. Now you're unemployed and we're stranded", I bit my lower lip, this had always been her reaction and I wasn't much used to the hurt I felt, "how much do you have on you?" She asked and I looked down at the last earning I got wrapped up in an envelope.

"Only like 50 bucks", I lied, I knew if I told her the truth then none of the money would've gone to me.

"Use that to get the snacks Emma wants and use the rest to get the groceries or figure out something", she immediately cut off the call and I sighed and stuffed the phone into my pocket.

I could get that later, I'm going to Paisley's to cry my eyes out.

My eyes went down to the envelope, there would be about 500 bucks in here, I got sad again, the job paid really well and I just lost it!

~~~

"Why does this keep happening to me?" I cried while Paisley patted my back.

"I'm such a disappointment!"

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