Tabitha's POV
"Tabitha, you are always so stubborn. Can't you grow up a bit?" Holly asked me.
Her face was tense, disappointment written all over it.
She kept scolding, her tone full of dissatisfaction, "You two had gone through the rejection ceremony already. Now that he's with Daphne, you need to face reality. Stop clinging to the past."
I felt a twinge of pain in my abdomen, my temples throbbing.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Had she ever considered me as her daughter?!
Forcing myself to calm down, I looked Holly straight in the eye, asking word by word, "So in your eyes, it's me who's incessantly pestering Derek? Everything's my fault?"
She answered without hesitation, "Isn't it? I heard you two are still living together. Tabitha, you're no longer his mate. This isn't right. Show some respect to Daphne."
I felt a deep pain as if ants were gnawing at my insides.
Holding back my tears, I managed to put on a smile, saying, "So this is how you see me."
Daphne, at this moment, acted all magnanimous.
She chimed in, trying to ease the tension, her voice soft, "Mom, don't say that about Tabitha. She just loves Derek too much. I get it. We are family, and we shouldn't be going against each other."
Holly said firmly, "No, Daphne, I'll make things right today. As Tabitha's mother, I gotta discipline her. I'll make sure she doesn't interfere with you and Derek's life anymore."
I tasted blood in my mouth, but I didn't want to show my vulnerability in front of them.
Just then, Derek piped up in a cold voice, "Tabitha didn't do anything wrong. I took her to my villa to take care of her. It's my fault."
Holly snapped, her tone carrying accusation, "Derek, you don't need to defend her. I know her well. She's always used various means to get what she wants since she was a child."
Hearing that, I clenched my fists, the fabric of my clothes twisted in my grip.
I was too exhausted to explain or argue.
Memories of my childhood flooded in like a tide, drowning my thoughts.
When I was little, I always craved Holly's attention.
As Luna of the Silver Moon Pack, she was supposed to care for and love every pack member, including me. But she rarely fulfilled that duty.
To catch her attention, I had once pretended that I was about to go through a painful shift, for even a concerned greeting or a gentle touch was too much to hope for.
I remembered I told her that day, "I feel like I'm going to shift, Mommy. I'm scared."
But all I got was her cold response. "You are a strong werewolf. You shouldn't be afraid of shifting."
That day, I hid in my room, acting like I was on the verge of shifting, hoping to gain her sympathy and care.
I lay in bed, all tensed up, waiting for her to comfort me.
However, Holly just stood by the bed, snapping, "Pretending to shift again, huh? How can you learn to play tricks at such a young age? Omega, take her to the training ground."
"But she looks really uncomfortable," the Omega maid said worriedly.
"She's a werewolf, not a fragile human. She gotta be faking it to skip the training. You know what? Just let her walk there herself," Holly hissed. Then, she left without looking back. I didn't get any comfort from her.
As I reflected on my tumultuous childhood with Holly, Derek stepped forward to defend me, but my laughter broke the silence first.
Holly continued, "Tabitha, Daphne's a good girl, and she now has her own family. I'm begging you, can you please let Derek go, just for my sake? I don't wanna see her get hurt again."
I sneered in response, "Wow, you're such a wonderful mother. It was so touching that I almost couldn't help applauding. Holly, have you ever thought about how I felt when she hooked up with my mate?"
She tried to persuade me, "I don't know the details between you and Derek, but you've already rejected each other, haven't you? You are still young, and there's so much you can do. How about I send you abroad for further studies?"
She reached out, trying to comfort me. "Tabitha, I am your mother, and I sincerely hope that you can be happy."
I shoved her hand away, roaring in a raspy voice, "Don't touch me!"
I felt like a hedgehog, raising all my spines to avoid getting hurt.
If I had known my mother was like this, I would never have longed for her love.
"Mrs. Sutton, you should focus on pursuing your happiness. As for me, since you never loved me, why pretend to feel guilty? You make me sick," I scoffed.
"Tabitha, I am your mother! How can you speak to me like this? Clearly, John didn't teach you well," she scolded.
"You don't deserve to mention my father," I yelled. "Mrs. Sutton, stop imposing your morality on me! My life has nothing to do with you!"
Staring at her, I went on, "The biggest mistake I've ever made was coming to you that day."
I closed my eyes, recalling how I hankered for her love as a child.
Back then, I didn't understand why she was always upset. I always thought that if I behaved better, she might cheer up a bit.
And even though she'd never contacted me since she left, I would always make excuses for her whenever I thought of her.
I told myself that I was her daughter, so she must have had her reasons.
Now, it seemed I was so damn wrong.