Chapter One~ Rendezvous Of Fate

As the moon painted the orphanage in its silvery glow on the eve of my 18th birthday, fear gripped my heart, causing my throat to get dry. 

Turning 18th was something huge. If not for everyone, it would be for us who lived in this hellhole that was called an orphanage. This was something that every omega feared, every one of us within these desolate walls. 

The clock on the wall suddenly made a small sound, signaling that it was now midnight. “Happy birthday to me,” I sang to myself in a depressed tone, tears filling my eyes as I remembered that I did not know anything about my parents. 

I was only told that they had dropped me off when I was born, at the doorstep of the orphanage, all bloody and slippery. And that was all I knew. I could not and still cannot understand how someone would be able to do that to their child; to a newborn baby that did not do anything wrong!

But I guess bad luck and pain had been my best friend from the very beginning. 

Tears slid from my eyes and fell onto the hard mattress that I was lying on. The coldness of the smelly room caused a shiver to run down my spine. The thin bedsheet that I was to use in place of a duvet was not enough to keep me warm; not even close. 

The room was very small, twice the size of a regular supply closet. The walls had molds on them and the ceiling would leak when it rained. 

I sniffled as I proceeded to wipe the tears from my face. This orphanage had been all I have known. The orphans here are like family to me, but every one of them that reached eighteen was mysteriously shipped somewhere else and was never heard of again. 

I think that was something that made me even more scared and nervous that I had turned 18. 

As soon as the clock stuck a minute passed midnight, the door of my room suddenly opened, making a loud creaking sound as the caretaker barged in. I immediately retired from my lying position on the bed and rose to my feet bowing my head in respect. 

“It’s Rue’s birthday,” She sneered, dragging me out with force. The corridor echoed with her harsh laughter as she paraded me in front of the other omegas. “Look who’s just turned 18!” She jeered, pushing me to the hard floor. 

I try to cushion my wall but it still hurts. But I don’t know what hurts more, the physical pain or the emotional one. 

Then before I knew it, water was being poured over me. Soapy, smelly water. I let out a small cry as I tried to shield my face but that did not help. I hated her! I hated my life! And I hated the Moon goddess for allowing me to have such a life!

“Happy birthday, Rue!” She mocked, forcing me to clean up the mess. 

The humiliation burned, but amidst the torment, I promised myself not to give up. At least not yet. 

Val’s cruelty intensified, her taunts cutting through the air like a twisted melody. As I scrubbed the floor, the other omegas watched in silence, some even softy crying, but all of their eyes reflected a mix of sympathy and fear.

Because they knew…they knew that they could be on the other end of Val’s evilness in the blink of an eye. Not a single one of them was safe, just like how I was not this night. 

The caretaker’s actions only fueled my determination to endure. I wiped away the tears that threatened to betray my strength, vowing that this year, my 18th year, would mark a turning point; it would be different!

The next morning, the familiar coldness of the orphanage greeted me. I rose from the thin mattress, the events of the previous night etched into my consciousness. I barely had gotten enough sleep. 

My eyes were burning and my bones were weary. It was another day of work, work, and work. 

I walked out of the room, making sure that I was on time. I knew…my body knew very well what happened whenever I left this room later than six in the morning. The long whip marks and bruises on my back were testimonials. 

The corridor was crowded, everyone was finding their way to the general bathrooms. There were only two, one for males and the other for females. I swallowed, my throat feeling itchy and yearning for water. 

But I had to make it to the showers quickly. We were all expected to be clean and in the courtyard by six-twenty. 

Rushing, I pushed my way past a few. And even though I received a few ‘happy birthdays’, it didn’t feel like any special day. After showering with almost thirty girls, I hurried to my room and put on my uniform.

Everyone here was assigned two sets of them. And honestly, I hated mine. They were now small, torn in so many ways and it just really looked like a rag. 

When I was in my uniform, I held my dark hair in a messy ponytail with an old rubberband and rushed out, making sure to be on time. 

My stomach groaned as I stood in line in the huge courtyard. My body ached, like really bad. The sun was rising and the heat was revealing itself bit by bit. 

Standing there, with the ragged uniform clinging to my frame, I felt the weight of their judgment. Why were they looking at me like that when we all had the same thing to wear, it was just that mine was older and looked a bit worse.

Suddenly, a stern voice echoed through the courtyard, “Rue Belmond, come to the front!

My heart raced as I stepped forward, unsure of what awaited me. Little did I know, this would thrust me into a destiny I had never imagined, unraveling secrets that would change the course of my very existence. 

The chilling gaze of Mother Teresa bore into me, a sinister smile playing on her lips, hinting at a twisted plot that would weave fate with threads of both despair and defiance.