"I know what you should do. Deliver the baby safely, and we'll take care of it together."
Wish never understood why those words were spoken. Perhaps it was pity—or maybe she'd been crying too much. She had only just landed a new job—a breakthrough after suffering terribly from that curse. She was meant to leave this place behind, start fresh, and finally live the life she'd always dreamed of.
She wasn't volunteering to fill Ash's role or shoulder Haley's responsibilities for her and the unborn child.
Maybe it was her way of repaying Haley for all the kindness she'd received. That's why she offered to become the second parent in the child's life.
Sitting on her bed, Wish deeply regretted taking on a burden that wasn't hers to bear. Her brown hair was in disarray from constant ruffling and scratching—an anxious response to the fear of being trapped in this house with Haley, unable to move on with her life. In that moment, she wasn't even sure what she truly wanted.
Her compassionate, dutiful side urged her on, insisting that for the sake of the baby she must persevere—even if it meant risking the possibility that the father might vanish as soon as he learned of the pregnancy.
It was absurd. She couldn't even manage life on her own without leaning on someone for basic security. And yet, she longed to co-parent with someone she knew was financially secure and strong enough to handle everything alone.
Conversely, a quieter, selfish part of her yearned to pack her bags and flee. She wouldn't mind sleeping under a bridge for a night, but she refused to trap herself in a situation that felt suffocating.
"Freaking hell…" she muttered, tossing aside loose strands of hair in frustration. In her palm rested the plastic ID card—a symbol of today's hard-won achievement—as she weighed her options: stay and attempt to be a "mommy two" or leave far behind and forge a new life.
Eventually, she returned the ID card to its proper place, planning to retrieve it tomorrow, before laying her head on the pillow with a quiet sigh.
A pair of mesmerizing dark red-blue eyes—the eyes of an enigmatic stranger—lingered in her thoughts, sending a shiver down her spine.
I can't stay here.
Not when there's a good chance he knows where I live—when he might become a stalker and make everything worse. Only God knows what sort of weed he must've smoked to believe he was a vampire, just because of his wild looks or that absurd costume. And all that nonsense about being an alien from another world, and I am his destined bride—it was all too much.
Wish exhaled another disbelieving sigh at how far people would go to indulge in their bizarre fantasies.
The graveyard freak.
He was the perfect excuse to leave this place behind and start over somewhere new.
The scent of rain mixed with the cool night breeze was enough to lull her to sleep and prepare her for the next day.
☆
"No, no, no, no."
She stormed through her cramped walk-in closet, rifling through every empty drawer in a frantic search, cold sweat from an earlier shower clinging to her skin. Panic was inevitable in moments like these. She darted into the bathroom for what felt like the thousandth time that morning, even checking the toilet in case the card had somehow fallen inside—a ludicrous possibility, but one she couldn't dismiss.
She combed every nook and cranny, even lifting the bed and tearing apart her pillows one by one in a desperate bid to find it.
Then, the alarm on her phone rang, startling her and prompting a string of curses as she realized the severity of her situation. It was already eight o'clock, and she was only halfway ready for her first day at work.
The curse must have returned to mock her; nearly three hours had passed since she'd awoken, searching for her ID card, and it was nowhere to be found.
"Oh my god, Wish! Why are you still at home? Didn't your boss say you needed to be there before eight?"
Her best friend, Haley, entered the room, astonished by the chaos that had overtaken it.
"I can't find it," Wish confessed, tearing the bedspreads from the bed as her body trembled with anxiety—the bare mattress holding no trace of the little plastic card she'd hoped would be there.
"Find what?" Haley demanded, stepping closer to grab her friend, who looked on the verge of collapse.
"The card…" Wish's voice broke as her honey-colored eyes filled with tears. She was terrified of ruining her first day. Haley frowned, not fully understanding. "He gave me this little green plastic card and told me to bring it to work every day, and now—now—now…I can't find it. I've looked everywhere, and it's just gone—"
"Well, you could head there now to avoid being super late. Explain that you misplaced it and ask if they can issue you a new one. I'm sure no boss would lose it over a first-day mistake," Haley encouraged gently.
"Oh, hell…" Wish collapsed onto the marbled floor, burying her face in her hands with overwhelming shame. That was why she had hidden the card in what she thought was a safe spot—to prevent any mishap that might leave a bad first impression at work.
'Wish…'
That familiar voice in her head managed to quiet the pandemonium around her. It felt like a warm balm to her troubled soul, though it stirred wild, unsettling thoughts.
'…my dear little rebellious heart.'
Her lips trembled and her brows furrowed in confusion—how could he speak in her mind? Or was the stress so intense that she was simply imagining it all?
How…and why…what is all this?
She ran her hands through her hair in a futile attempt to regain composure.
'Come to me if you want it. To the Black Gates mansion at the end of the street. It's waiting for you here.'
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