Damn it, anger made my breathing quicken.
Everything today had been so awful.
It was as if misfortune had quietly descended upon me.
But of course, I was an easy target for bullies.
I knew I couldn’t afford to lose this job.
Even though they treated me like this, I still had to work hard to protect it.
With that thought, I switched the mop in my hand for a broom and started cleaning furiously.
Just as I reached to pick up a plastic bottle, Phillip stepped forward and kicked it away.
I glared at him, but he just smirked, clearly pleased with his little prank.
“Cleaner, time’s almost up. Hurry up, will you?”
I took a few deep breaths and continued sweeping.
I told myself I had to finish the job, no matter what.
But no matter how much I endured, they kept hurting me.
As I cleaned, they kept making more mess, jeering and threatening me.
I had to stop. There was no way I could finish in ten minutes.
The locker room was only getting dirtier.
“Did Vivienne put you up to this?” I asked, my body tense as I stared at the three of them.
Anger, like a lion, had taken hold of me. I felt my sanity slipping.
I wanted to beat them all up, just like I had kicked Vivienne’s friend earlier.
But they were all boxers-tall, muscular, and strong.
I had no confidence I could win.
The thought made me feel utterly defeated.
“We’re doing this on our own,” Phillip said. “You don’t belong here, bitch. Get out of the club.”
He denied it, but I knew Vivienne was behind this.
“I’ll go tell Rebecca. Let’s see how she reacts when she sees this mess,” one of the blond boys said, whistling as he walked out.
Damn it. I knew I was about to lose this job.
I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.
I wasn’t losing it because I wasn’t good enough-I was losing it because I was being bullied!
The injustice burned inside me.
I thought maybe I could explain things to Rebecca when she arrived, hoping she’d listen.
But I was just a part-timer. Would she even believe me?
I didn’t hold out much hope.
Just then, a voice came from the doorway. “What’s going on here?”
The voice was deep and commanding, making my heart race and my ears ring.
It had to be Kael.
I didn’t even need to turn around to know it was him.
When I did, I saw him walking toward me.
His expression was cold, his eyes sharp.
For a moment, I thought I saw the eyes of a wolf.
It reminded me of the wolf from my dream.
As soon as Kael appeared, Phillip and the others visibly panicked.
“Nothing, we weren’t doing anything.”
“Did you make this mess?” Kael frowned, scanning the floor.
“No, it was like this when we came in.”
Liar! I cursed inwardly.
Still, Kael’s presence made me feel a little better, as if I wasn’t fighting alone anymore.
But I wasn’t sure if he’d really help me.
Would he just mock me like the others?
My nerves tightened.
“You idiots!” Kael grabbed Phillip by the collar.
Despite Phillip’s height and strength, Kael lifted him like a child.
Phillip’s face was full of fear.
“Kael, please, let me go.”
“Clean this up. It’s your last chance. If I catch you bullying anyone in this club again, I’ll kick you out!”
The arrogance Phillip had shown earlier was gone, replaced by sheer panic.
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Phillip and his friends on the verge of tears.
Cowards. They only dared to torment those weaker than them.
The moment someone stronger showed up, they turned into scared little mice.
Phillip and the others reluctantly started cleaning the locker room, while Kael turned to me.
“Seraphina, come with me.”
He took the broom from my hand and led me out of the room.
I wanted to get away from that place, so I followed him.
But even as we walked, I couldn’t shake the gloom that had settled over me.
I felt pessimistic, unsure if I’d face more bullying or how I’d handle it.
Vivienne’s schemes were endless, and I was just a small, insignificant person.
But I refused to let her keep pushing me around.
Before I knew it, we’d arrived at a secluded area.
I frowned as I looked around.
There was a forest nearby, and the area was wide and open.
I didn’t understand why Kael had brought me here.
He turned to me, a faint smile on his face. “Seraphina, this is my territory.”
I was confused. What did he mean by “his territory”?
“I train here sometimes,” he explained.
“Alone?”
“Yes, though sometimes with others,” he said, his tone mysterious.
Not far away, there was a small building that looked like a storage shed.
“Seraphina, I think you need to build up your strength. That way, no one can bully you.”
His words surprised me.
But he didn’t seem to care about my reaction. He went into the equipment shed and handed me a pair of boxing gloves.
“I want to teach you how to box.”
“I… I can’t!” I immediately took two steps back, waving my hands.
I was always at the bottom of my P. E. class and hated any kind of sport. It just exhausted me.
And now Kael wanted to teach me boxing?
“No, you need this,” Kael insisted. “You’re surrounded by danger, aren’t you?”
I froze. He knew, but wasn’t he on Vivienne’s side? Was he just toying with me? Why would he help me?
“I can’t always be there to protect you. Though, if you need me, I will.”
“I can’t get too close to you!” I said. “We’re just… bed partners.”
I saw a flicker of hurt in Kael’s eyes.
“I need to teach you self-defense,” he said firmly, leaving no room for argument.