Selene's POV:
"Selene, you bitch! Where is my pearl necklace?"
Chloe yelled from outside the door.
Startled by her voice, I stuffed the pearl necklace back into the wooden box in a hurry, and then stashed the box under the pillow to hide it.
I had barely straightened up from the bed when the wooden door of the room was kicked open.
Chloe rushed in with a group of werewolves, followed by Luna Debra, whose face was covered with a thick layer of foundation. Unfortunately, it could not hide the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
These two women always dressed up extravagantly, as if they wanted to flaunt all the jewelry they owned in a single outfit.
"Luna Debra, Miss Chloe, what can I do for you?" I asked politely, saluting them as usual with a friendly smile on my face. I had to be polite and friendly, if not I would be in more trouble.
"Selene, where's the pearl necklace I usually wear?" Chloe growled, grabbing my collar and glaring at me.
"You bitch! You always have sticky fingers. You're the one who cleans my room. Where did my favorite pearl necklace go? I can't find it. Did you steal it?"
"Miss Chloe, I didn't take anything from your room. You can't accuse me without evidence," I replied patiently in a tone that was neither humble nor pushy.
"You shameless bitch! How dare you talk to me like that? You want evidence? Let's find it right now!" Chloe spat, shoving me backward.
Then, she turned to the werewolves she had brought along and ordered them to search my room.
My small and shabby room was soon turned upside down.
The old quilt on the bed was thrown to the floor, and the small wooden table and stool were kicked over with loud thuds.
What was worse, I had to watch Chloe stomp all over my quilt in her expensive high-heeled shoes.
She even picked up the half-empty kettle that had fallen on the floor and poured the water on the quilt.
It was as if she was taking this opportunity to vent all her anger.
I tried to keep my face expressionless as I stared at the ruffians turning my room into a mess, but resentment gripped my heart and seeped into my eyes.
"How dare you glare at me? You'll suffer when I find the necklace!"
Chloe shouted, driving her heels harder into my quilt.
I clenched my fists to suppress my anger and ignored her.
After a few more seconds of watching the werewolves knock all my things to the floor, I couldn't bear it anymore.
"Stop! I didn't steal anything. Why are you doing this?" I shouted.
"Why? It's simple. I am the Beta's daughter, while you're just a slave, a piece of garbage abandoned by others!" Chloe snickered at me.
"You're not noble at all. You are nothing but an orphan adopted by the Luna," I retorted fiercely.
Before their deaths, Chloe's parents had been close friends with Luna Debra.
That was the reason why Luna Debra had taken Chloe in as her own daughter. But even if Chloe wasn't adopted by Luna Debra, her bloodline still could not compare to mine.
After all, I was not born as a slave.
My father, Lewis Everhart, and my mother, Doris Everhart, had been the Alpha and the Luna of the Night Howler Pack. I also had an elder brother, Jerome Everhart.
But when I was seven years old, my mother died of an acute disease.
Not long after, Beta Arthur and a few other traitors rebelled against my father and killed him. My elder brother took me away from the pack to keep me safe, but the two of us were separated during our escape.
After wandering around on my own for a while, I found myself joining the Moon Shadow Pack. Of course, I didn't dare to reveal my true identity to them, fearing that they would sell me out to Beta Arthur. By then Beta Arthur was no longer a beta, he had crowned himself the new alpha. I could not return.
From then on, I washed clothes and cooked every day, becoming a slave of this pack, enduring mistreatment in silence.
However, no matter how much I bowed my head, it was never enough for Chloe. She had disliked me from the start, and constantly stirred up trouble for me both in public and in private.
At this time, a she-wolf overturned my pillow, causing the small wooden box to fall to the floor.
"No!"
I anxiously hurried forward to grab the wooden box.
But just when I was about to touch it, Chloe stepped on the back of my hand.
Her heel dug into my skin, drawing blood.
I couldn't help but wince at the sharp pain.
"Bitch, what's the rush? Why do you care about this shabby box so much? You must be hiding something in it," Chloe sneered.
A she-wolf picked up the wooden box and handed it to her.
Chloe opened the wooden box, revealing the pearl necklace that was lying in it.
I wanted to get up, but Chloe drove her heel harder into the back of my hand, pinning me down.
I was afraid that if I got up abruptly, I'd end up tearing my skin.
The pain was too much to take.
But compared to the physical pain I felt, the pain in my heart was even greater.
"Luna Debra, look!"
Chloe picked up the pearl necklace and triumphantly waved it in front of Luna Debra.
"I told you that bitch stole my necklace! She just refused to admit it. How can a slave like her own such an expensive necklace?" She spat, glancing at me in disdain.
Looking at the necklace, Luna Debra frowned and nodded in agreement.
"We put a roof over her head, but she stole from us! How dare she? She must be punished severely," Chloe continued, trying to provoke Luna Debra even more.
"That necklace is mine! Miss Chloe, look at it carefully. It's not yours at all," I argued, biting my lower lip.
"Even if this isn't my necklace, it can't be yours either. Since you lost my necklace, I'll take this as compensation."
Clenching the necklace in her hand, Chloe kicked me in the chest and then threw the wooden box to the floor. I fell to the floor in a pained heap.
"Luna Debra, you have to do something! Chloe is being unreasonable."
I pleaded on my knees, turning to Luna Debra, who was my last ray of hope.
But Luna Debra just stared at me with contempt.
"Since you lost Chloe's necklace, shouldn't you compensate her for it? You should just feel grateful that Chloe isn't holding you accountable for it," she said mockingly.