Bad Mate, Bully

Grace Murphy stood in the middle of the messy living room. Empty alcohol bottles littered the floor, the sofa was torn in several places, and a pungent smell filled the air. In the center of the room lay Samantha, her mother, asleep with a pale face and wrinkles that looked deeper by the day.

Grace let out a long breath. This was the umpteenth time she had found her mother in this condition. In the past, she had never imagined that her mother could sink this low. The Samantha she remembers was loving, always trying to give her the best even though they lived a simple life. But that was long ago, years ago, before her mother sank into alcohol.

"Mom," Grace called, her voice barely heard.

Her mother just grunted softly as if in a nightmare. Since Grace entered her teens, her mum started to change. At first, it was just a moody, irritable demeanor, but gradually, her drinking began to take over. Almost every night, Samantha would get drunk, disappearing from the real world. In the morning, Grace would often find herself with bruises on her hands or cheeks from her mother's violent beatings.

Grace could only bite her lip, holding back the tears she had grown accustomed to. Crying wouldn't change anything. She picked up the empty bottle and put it in a plastic bag to throw away later. "Can you stop drinking, or at least drink a few days a week." She was fed up with her habit.

Samantha grumbled in a harsh tone of voice, "So noisy. Can't you be quiet? My head is spinning. Why are you scolding me this early?" She groaned, even though her eyes had not fully opened, but her words and attitude were already painful enough for Grace.

Grace lamented by staring at the mess, then got up. "I'm off to college." She cut the commotion short, more to herself as she knew her mum wouldn't hear.

Grace walked out, closing the door slowly. The path to campus was chilly in the morning, but she tried to ignore the tightness still pressing on her chest. College was the only place she could escape from all the stress at home, even if sometimes it wasn't comfortable.

After a few minutes, Grace arrived at the campus corridor. She tried to focus on the day's lessons, but just as she took a few steps, she saw two familiar figures standing at the end of the corridor: Agnes and Brix. Her heart beat faster. Those two people, once her best friends, were now a nightmare she couldn't escape.

Agnes and Brix used to be her closest friends. They grew up together, sharing stories and dreams. But everything changed when they each discovered their wolf identity. Agnes became a delta, while Brix became a gamma. With their higher status, they felt Grace, an omega, was no longer worthy of being their friend.

Grace knew this was part of a long-standing hierarchy. As an omega, she was at the bottom, which meant she had no right to resist. But the change was so sudden, so painful.

"Hey, Grace! Didn't you finish the task I asked you to do yesterday?" Agnes' voice sounded sharp, filled with satisfaction at the sight of Grace, who couldn't resist. Agnes gave her a condescending look as if Grace was just dust at her feet. Next to her, Brix chuckled, adding a cruel edge to the atmosphere.

Grace clenched her fists, but she knew it was no use. No matter how angry she was, she couldn't do anything about it. In the hierarchy, her omega status meant she was always lost.

"Yes, I've already finished it," Grace replied as calmly as possible despite the growing sting inside her. She handed over the assignment paper that she had been working on all night, even at the expense of sleep.

Agnes took the paper without even looking at it. Instead, she laughed with Brix, talking about things like Grace, which was nothing. To them, Grace was just an insignificant maid, someone who didn't deserve any attention.

Grace tried to hold back the pain in her heart. Her life was already too full of insults. At the university, she was always looked down upon. Labeled as 'the daughter of a drunken madwoman' and 'a useless omega,' it was not uncommon for her to hear taunts that she did not belong in their neighborhood.

She just hoped to finish her studies quickly. After that, she would leave, far away from everyone who looked down on her, and start a new life elsewhere. It was her only hope, the only dream that kept her going.

When classes finally ended, Grace rushed out of the university building. Her steps were hurried, trying to escape those who always looked down on her. However, a nearby conversation caught her attention as she walked towards the campus gate. A group of students were talking about someone with admiration and enthusiasm.

"Lucas Xanders is amazing. He's so perfect," one of them said, eyes twinkling with admiration.

Grace paused for a moment, unable to contain her curiosity. She had heard the name Lucas Xanders many times before. Lucas was the son of Martin Xanders, the most powerful alpha leader in the region. Lucas himself was a handsome, authoritative, and intelligent young alpha. No wonder so many people idolized him. Lucas has everything Grace lacks: power, status, and honor. Sometimes, Grace imagines what her life would be like if she were like Lucas, someone who is respected, adored, and has a bright future.

However, she knows it's just wishful thinking. Lucas' world and hers were so far away, and the possibility of becoming like him was impossible. Grace smiled bitterly, erasing the daydream from her mind. She returned to the house, trying to forget her admiration for a figure she couldn't possibly reach.

Upon arriving home, Grace felt something strange. She opened the door and was stunned to see that the house was very different from usual. The house, usually cluttered with empty alcohol bottles, now looked neat. There were no more bottles scattered on the floor, no smell of alcohol piercing the nose. There was even an unusual fresh scent in the room.

"Mom?" called Grace, her voice a little shaky.

But there was no answer. The house was quiet, unlike usual. Grace walked into the living room, making sure no one was around. But the room was empty. There was only an awkward silence. Grace sat on the sofa, looking around in confusion.

Her mind began to fill with questions. Why was the house suddenly clean? Where was her mother? Did this mean something bigger was going on? Grace couldn't help but feel dread slowly growing inside her chest. On one hand, she was relieved that the house finally looked more livable. However, on the other hand, something was nagging at the back of her mind, something that felt wrong.

The feeling grew stronger when she realized that none of her mother's belongings were there. The usually scattered bottles were gone, and their old photos were no longer in place. It was as if Samantha, her mother, had disappeared without a trace.

Grace bit her lip, trying to hide the fear in her heart. This was the first time she felt truly alone. Without her mother, without anyone to lean on. Even though her relationship with Samantha was fraught with hurt, she still loved her mother. Without Samantha, her life would feel much emptier.

That night, Grace sat quietly in the living room, trying to calm her mind. She stared at the open window, looking up at the full moon shining brightly in the night sky. Her mind drifted back to Lucas Xanders. For some reason, the image of Lucas' face gave her a little peace in her heart, as if there was something to look forward to amid her despair.

It was a long night, full of questions she couldn't answer. Where had his mother gone? What had happened? And more importantly, would her life change from tonight?

Grace didn't know. But one thing was certain: she felt something big was about to happen and might change her life forever.