Living Life of Negligence

All of her life, Maridawn is aware that she is an embodiment of a mistake that couldn't be undone. And her own family keeps reminding her that.

Her mother died due to childbirth, fighting for Maridawn to be safely delivered to the world.

It took a long time and she was in pain. Every second felt torture yet she continued to fight.

And when the cub finally came out, her mother, Maybelle, frail and exhausted, cried in relief as she tried to reach out to her newborn. As she slowly touched its paws, Maybelle struggled to utter a word.

"M-Mari..Maridawn…"

Those were her last words before she succumbed to her death. If anything, her death seemed peaceful as a smile plastered on her face in the form of a sleeping mother.

Next to her, her husband, Griffith, shellshocked as his strong hands were holding firmly to Maybelle's other hand and his eyes slowly widened at the scene before him.

Maybelle, his wife, the woman whom he loved all of his life, passed away just like that.

He looked at his newborn daughter who had changed its form into a human and started wailing. The sound of her tears and confusion was in the deaf ears of her father as he looked blankly at the small hand grasping the finger of her lifeless mom.

Then Griffith changed into his wolf form, a tall regal wolf as its silver coat luminates from the lighting of the room. Its brilliant gray eyes continued to stare at his daughter before he dashed off from the mansion.

He kept running, his hind legs carrying a heavy burden in his heart as he reached the highest peak within the Silverfang premise.

As he stared at the beautiful full moon mocking him of his own misery, he howled. A long, distressed howl, after realizing that he had lost his mate. The woman who made him a better man.

That day, something changed in him.

Maridawn knew about this story and had been repeated to her by her older siblings and maids over and over again.

For the maids, they cheered her by saying she was born to be a blessing to the Silverfang family.

Yet, not once had her father treated her like his own daughter. And it pained her to see him being too kind to her other siblings yet she only received his glares.

Like her own father resented her for being ever born.

And her own siblings are proof of that.

Apparently, they, too, haven't moved on from their mother's death. And since she was the root of it, their prideful kind wouldn't accept the reality and channel their anger to the youngest.

And they have a perfect excuse for that.

Since the Silverfang are known to be gifted in what they do, Maridawn is the opposite.

Even if she may be the most beautiful daughter among the Silverfang siblings, Maridawn is average in academics and sports.

Something that her siblings quickly took notice of.

And thus, her own family continues to mock her every chance they get.

She should have run away, gone somewhere where she should escape from the emotional and mental abuse of her siblings' contempt and her father's negligence.

But what made her stay was all thanks to her only emotional support.

Her nursemaid, Anette.

A beta with pure kindness and a woman whom she wished to be her own mother instead.

It was because of her that Maridawn experienced love and kindness in this mansion.

However, she learned that happiness is fleeting, a temporary feeling to make yourself feel good.

And she learned that the hard way.

"Are you going to be okay, Mari?"

Maridawn looked up, Anette showed that concerned look whenever she was in a slump. After being her nanny growing up, her father dared to let her go now that Maridawn has already reached the age of fourteen.

"I don't understand, you could tell father that you could change jobs, be one of the maids here, or even a cook. You're a great cook and you know that, Anette."

Anette just smiled. "You know full well that your father wanted perfection. It is possible that I can do the things you've mentioned but my specialty is to deal with children and not to partake in cooking for his guests. It's completely different, dear."

Maridawn frowned, aware that is true.

"Besides, my family wanted me to marry soon. They already prepared candidates for me."

The young teen arched an eyebrow. "In this day and age?"

Finally, Anette chuckles, a soft tune that Maridawn would miss once she leaves this mansion. "I'm nearing thirty-five. There are matchmaking companies for betas nowadays because the omegas are declining every minute. I guess it's for the sake of increasing the population."

"But many wolves are doing the same thing. Y-You could take me away from here, Anette!"

She didn't reply but her stare, longing both with gratefulness and regret shown in her eyes as she slowly crawled to her master and wrapped her into a tight embrace.

"Here's my last lesson for you, Miss Maridawn."

Something about the way she addressed her formally made Maridawn's heartache.

"Prove to your family that you deserve their love. Prove it to them that you are a proud member of the Silverfang family. You are amazing and I know that you are because I witnessed your growth over the years."

"B-but—"

She released her embrace as she placed her hands on her shoulders. As Maridawn stared at her nanny, there were now brown eyes of determination.

"You are Mr. Griffith and Mrs. Maybelle SIlverfang's daughter, Miss Maridawn. You are also an alpha with pride. Something I couldn't understand as a beta. Believe in my words that I always believe that you could do great things."

And those were her last words before her only friend and companion left her in the mansion.

But those words gave her motivation. Instead of letting self-pity corrupt her logic and instincts, she did the impossible that no Alpha would dare to do.

She worked hard.

She studied thrice as other betas and trained herself to be athletic.

It was tough and she experienced the pain of being mocked during the process but she worked all these years until someday, she would be on par with her siblings.

She was now the valedictorian of a prestigious school and entered the toughest university to get into.

All because of sheer effort.

Her father should be proud of her by now. And now she works as a quality improvement manager in one of the hospitals established by her family.

Someday, she thought to herself, her father would recognize her.

However, everything changed when she turned twenty-four when she experienced her first heat.

And at that time, Maridawn's life changed for the worse.