WHY ME?

STELLA paced back and forth in the room until a knock came at the door, and she stopped. She opened the door, and the only maid in the house stood with a polite smile on her face. 

"You called for me, young miss," she said. 

Stella tried smiling, but she came out nervous. "Um, I need you to do something for me." 

"What is it?" 

"This." She opened her hand, revealing the disfigured gold ring in the center of her palm. "Could you help me get this fixed? I really need to know if there is a way to fix it." 

"I'm sorry, young miss." The maid, Maurene, shook her head at her. "It cannot be fixed. I don't think so. And even if it can, I can't take it out for you, not without the master's permission." 

"What?" Stella frowned, confused. "Why do you need his permission?" 

Maurene didn't respond to that question, but instead lowered her head politely. "If there is anything else you need from me, please let me know, I'll just be-"

"Why can't you get the ring fixed for me?" She snapped under her breath, her hands balling into fists. "It's important to me, and it means a lot to me. He crushed it, and now I can't even get it fixed. Without his permission?" 

"Young Miss, please let me know if there is anything else you need from me. If not, I'll take my leave now." Maurene bowed politely and turned around to leave. 

Stella's hands went numb and dropped to her sides. 

This had to be a joke. 

There was so much urge to scream, to let out the frustration she'd been bottling, but she couldn't even do that. She was all too tired to do so. 

"Wife." A familiar voice sounded all too suddenly, and she slowly lifted her head to meet the gaze of the man, who was staring down at her with a raised brow and no emotion on his face. 

Her blue orbs darkened, and she turned around, walking into the room without saying a word to him. Valeric closed the door and set his suitcase aside. "What is it?"

"What is it?" The words spiraled from her mouth before she could stop them. 

Valeric stopped and lifted a perplexed brow. "What do you mean?" 

Stella stormed towards him and stretched out an open palm. "Fix it!" 

The man's eyes glazed over the ring, and he met her gaze. 

"Why should I?" 

"Why should you not?" 

He tried to offer a smile. "You sound less scared of me today." 

She clenched her fingers and her voice grew fiercer. "That's all you can figure out right now. I've been trying to find a way to fix this, but I can't! No one wants to help, so you fix it!" 

"And I asked, why should I?" Coldness spread over Valeric's face. "You don't need this. There is no reason for you to have something given to you by your ex-lover. Not anymore, and-" 

"I am not your wife!" She sounded angry in a way she'd never been before. 

"What?" 

"You heard me! I. Am. Not. Your. Wife! Don't ever call me that again!" She pushed him back with all her force and stormed past him to leave the room. However, Valeric grasped her hand and pulled her back. 

"I've never hurt you before, and I've never done anything to do so. Why do you hate me so much?" The emotions, the deep confusion, and the need for an explanation were something she'd never seen burn in the man's golden eyes before. 

Still, she yanked away from his grip. 

Her jaw clenched, and she looked away from him. "You ask me why I hate you?" The bitter cord of pain and frustration drilled deeper into her chest, and two drops of tears rolled down her cheek. "The question should be, what reason is there not to hate you?"

"My life may have been horrible, and my family may have hated and never wanted me, but it was still fine. I could still live with that, and you know why?" 

The furrow between Valeric's brows deepened. 

"I had someone I loved. Someone who loved me, and was going to come for me. He would have been there until you came. What would he think if he found out I've been married off?"

"You ruined everything for me, and as if I were an object and not with feelings, you took me even when I said no. You did what you did with my father, and no one, not one of you, asked for my permission or if I wanted this!" 

"You would prefer to be miserable in a place you are not wanted?" Valeric fought forward, leaning in so that the unraveling confusion in his eyes magnified the final sum as a whole. 

"You think it's better here?" she asked apathetically. "You think I like being here with you? No! I hate you, and I hate it here. It would have been less miserable to stay at that home while waiting for the person who had ever looked at me for once, and loved me despite being something that no one would ever want, especially people like you!" 

"Do you think it's fun being brought here into this dreadful empty house and kept as if I'm a doll? Every day is silent, and all I sit about thinking is how any day could be the day you finally decide to get rid of me and throw me into the pit like you've done those other omegas?" 

"You have ruined every single omega that willingly went with you, and now no parents are willing to give their daughters to you, not even the ones that are recessive. But of course, right there was a girl hated by her family, one that they would sell without a second thought." Her voice turned scratchy. "It was perfect for you. I am weak, I don't have anything, not even support, so yes, she wouldn't be able to say no to you, and she wouldn't be able to resist even when you pick her up and throw her over your shoulder as if she wasn't one with feelings." 

"You leave with her, and her family stood to watch with a smile on their faces, thinking she surely wouldn't last long!!"

"That is not true." The flame in Valeric's eyes flared, and his large hands shot out, grabbing her roughly by her shoulders, fingers digging into the rubbled material of her shirt. "I-"

"WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE ME?!" Stella shouted, words flooding through her throat. "WHY?!" 

Valeric jolted, and his mouth opened wordlessly. 

"Just what is it that you want from me? What?" She stared into his gaze with tearful eyes, demanding an answer from him. 

"Answer me!!"