99 Times Repeated, Not Once Did They Say I Love You Chapter 08

99 Times Repeated, Not Once Did They Say I Love You Chapter 08

I threw myself into Seraphine’s arms so suddenly that I startled her.

Her voice sharpened with worry. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

I was crying too hard to answer. I couldn’t get a single word out.

She patted my back, slow and steady, until my breathing finally settled. She waited until then to ask, and her

voice was soft. “Were you unhappy over there?”

In the past, I always picked which truths to tell. Every time she asked, I said I was doing fine with my birth

family.

But this time, I wanted to tell the truth.

I said quietly, “Yes. I wasn’t happy.”

I lowered my head, and my voice caught again. “They weren’t good to me.”

By blood, they were my parents.

But I had never felt a shred of real love from them, only favoritism toward someone else.

Dreadmoor Pack had taken in hundreds of children. Seraphine shared no blood with any of us, and she

poured her heart into every single one without playing favorites.

Later, I often thought that maybe losing my birth parents wasn’t the worst thing.

At least it was easier than watching them prove, up close, that they didn’t love me.

Seraphine let go of me, wiped the tears off my face, and listened quietly while I told her everything. She had

always been open-minded.

Even when she heard I’d cut ties with the Lioraens, she didn’t tell me to go back. She stroked my hair the way

she used to when I was six.

She kept her voice gentle. “It’s okay. You still have me.”

It was the first time in a long while that I felt myself smile.

I stayed at Dreadmoor Pack for two weeks. Every day I played with the little kids and helped them with homework, and every day Seraphine cooked for me.

When I was ready to leave, she squeezed my wrist again.

This time, she smiled. “There. You’ve finally put a little weight back on.”

I smiled too.

Then I remembered something, and the smile faded fast. I dug a debit card out of my bag and pressed it into

her hand.

“There’s 100 thousand on it. Take it.”

I’d wanted to give more. But I was afraid she’d get suspicious, so I decided to take it slow.

Even so, her eyes went wide.

“You’ve already spent so much these past few days. You replaced the air conditioner, bought new desks and chairs, and got the kids new clothes.” She looked at me with worry. “Where is all this money coming from?”

Then her face tightened. “Hazel, you’re not mixed up in anything dangerous, are you? Tell me you’re not in

trouble.”

I went still for a moment.

I thought of my birthday. One pair of shoes, and my birth mother had called me a whore.

Seraphine’s first instinct was that I might have been scammed.

I swallowed the sourness in my throat and forced a smile.

“No. It’s lottery money. Exam season was so stressful that I kept buying tickets, and I actually won some.”

Seraphine still frowned and tried to push the card back into my hand.

“Even so, you can’t give it all to me. You’re going to Silver Moon Academy, and you’ll need money for everything. Keep it for yourself.”

I pushed it right back.

“I’m fine. I have enough. You take it, and I’ll send more every month.”

Right then, my Uber pulled up outside.

I picked up my bag. “Mom, I’m heading out. Take care of yourself. Call me if anything comes up.”

Her voice wavered a little. “I will. You take care of yourself too. Go on, don’t miss your ride.”

I got in the car.

As the Uber pulled away, Seraphine grew smaller and smaller in the distance until her figure blurred into a few wavering shadows.

I couldn’t tell whether the bumpy road was making everything shake or the tears in my eyes.