ASTRA,

"I want you to reject your mate, Astra. And you must do it tomorrow, just before the wedding, so your mate will get married to your step sister."

My step mom ordered as soon as she barged into my room.

The order came as a shock as the sound reverberated harshly against my ears.

I thought she was joking. She walked into my room with my step sister that morning, the morning I turned a new age. My birthday.

"Mother, why?" I asked, my voice shaking as I could barely stop myself from fidgeting.

She eyed me scornfully like I just asked the most useless question to exist, just before she yelled at me.

"Don't call me that! Just do what I order you to do! That's all you are and can be, nothing more, so don't expect that you can be in any position to ask me questions."

"Mother!" I spat out before I even realized, hurt that she could say something like that to me.

Tears welled up in my eyes at this point, clouding my vision and threatening to fall. My step mom never liked to repeat herself, so I knew she meant what she said.

"Are you deaf? She said you shouldn't call her that!"

My step sister suddenly snapped out of nowhere as if she had been holding on to that anger for so long, and finally let it out. She rolled her eyes, heavily disgusted for some reason. Gosh, I hated her.

My wedding was the next day. How was I supposed to just reject my fated mate, a day to the wedding?

I didn't even realize that the tears had already started rolling down my cheeks.

My step sister smirked wickedly at my silence, like she had finally found a way to rile me up again, as she always did.

"You're so weak, that's your problem. Look at you, shedding those stupid crocodile tears! No one cares, so just do what you're told!"

She continued to hurl insults at me while I just watched. Honestly, it was the only thing I could do.

They couldn't even let me enjoy my birthday.

I watched them turn around and leave, as I fell to my feet and cried my eyes out, lying in a puddle of my own tears.

My father was a reputable man but somehow, my step mom managed to turn him against me immediately they tied the knot. I was the happiest because I finally had a new mother after my biological mom ran away from home. She was a typical deadbeat, but I still loved her even though all she did was abandon me over and over.

I was already cool with my step sister, Claudia, so I was surprised with the sudden turn of events. I couldn't even run to my father to help because he was practically invisible to me after my step mother severed the bond between us.

Initially, my step mom agreed and she was so happy to take me in. It didn't take a while for me to understand why. She wanted to order me around like a slave, and If I left, I would perish.

She always found a way to ridicule me and tell me her daughter was better, when clearly, there was no competition. I was just trying to live.

I had no choice but to obey them because they had so much control over me, and it would be crazy for me to even think I could dare challenge them.

For the rest of that day, I was so depressed, but like the rest of everything else, the night was cruel enough to appear and overtake the daytime, not giving me enough time to summon up the courage to tell my mate.

My wedding wasn't canceled, but I knew they planned to switch me with my step sister at the last minute.

Today was finally my wedding day, except I was not getting married today.

Just before I decided to talk to my mate, my step mother said I shouldn't, that she would handle everything. I felt relieved, but I didn't expect her to actually do the most cruel thing ever.

In front of everyone, she proceeded to tell them that I was bad luck all by myself and I would spread it to my mate if I got married to him.

She said all manner of things, and the whole world watched me break down and cry, but didn't think I was worthy enough to even earn their sympathy.

When she finally said that I wasn't the rightful mate and that my step sister would get married to him instead, I accepted it.

I rejected him instantly, and he accepted the rejection like he was bored and wanted it to be over with. I expected them to frown at my step mother's decision, but they literally turned me into a laughing stock.

For the rest of the day, I managed to stay and witness the wedding, forcing myself not to break down. By the end of that day, my step sister was married to my former fated mate.

I cried so much. My eyes were swollen by the time I made it back to my room, and I decided to do something else for a change.

I needed relief from this heartbreak, and a club was the only lingering option that made the most sense. I was going to drink so much and forget about everything.

I washed up, applied my make up and wore a nice red dress.

The makeup was to hide how red my eyes were. I couldn't make it go away, but I was going to the club no matter what.

Later that night, I sneaked out, and I entered a taxi that took me straight to a club. It wasn't my type of thing, but people change after all. I made sure no one saw me.

Entering the club, I noticed that all eyes were on me as I walked in. I ignored them and went straight to the bar because the only reason I was here was to get a drink.

After letting about three shots burn my throat, a guy walked up to me. My former mate was the only guy I had an emotional attachment with, and he was taken away from me, but somehow, I wanted an attachment with this man that I didn't even know.

He looked scary, and I liked scary. He looked like he could take me to hell, with heavy biceps and a jaw as sharp as a sword. He looked intimidating and obviously commanded respect. I was shocked when he joined me and sat down.

I was too drunk to talk, so I didn't. I only stared, and I guess he found it amusing with the smile that played on his lips before he eventually broke the silence.

"Hi, I'm Chris."

His voice. If I thought I had a mild crush on him before, I guess it was absolutely more than that now. His cologne wafted through my nose and I knew it was about to make me senseless.

"Astra. Nice to meet you."

I replied back in the cutest voice I could conjure, as he took my hand and kissed it like a proper gentleman, even though it was clear that he wasn't one.

"You look so beautiful, Astra. I would like to get to know you. I also wonder what you're doing here, a beautiful girl like you,"

Ugh. I clenched my thighs unconsciously. What was he doing to me with his voice?

"Thank you." I managed to reply.

I couldn't hide the blush as my face became a crimson red.

But then, I had to remember the past events that brought me here and I sighed.

We talked a lot as I kept drinking. I didn't even realize when I begged him to sleep with me.

I was so heartbroken that I needed relief. He refused but I insisted. Everything became a blur right after I made him take me to a room.

The moment I woke up the next day and realized that I was in a hotel room with a stranger, I knew I had made a great mistake.

Not only that, I saw that the bed was already stained with blood and there was still blood dripping down in between my legs.

What have I done?