Seline’s small apartment was a mess of half-packed boxes, piles of clothes, and labeled containers. The process of dismantling her life was both cathartic and heartbreaking. Each object she touched seemed to carry a memory—some good, some bad. A chipped coffee mug reminded her of lazy mornings when her life wasn’t so chaotic. A threadbare scarf her grandmother had knit for her reminded her of the few people who had ever truly loved her. And the stack of unpaid bills on her table reminded her why she was doing this in the first place.
She needed to leave. Not just for her survival, but for her sanity.
She spent hours sorting through her belongings, deciding what to keep, sell, or donate. The practical part of her knew she wouldn’t make much from selling her possessions, but every little bit would go toward repaying her debt. Seline didn’t want to leave town with any lingering ties to this place or the people in it.
As the sun dipped low in the sky, painting her apartment with shades of orange and gold, she finally stopped to rest. She stared at the empty space where her bookshelves used to be, the bare patches on the walls where her favorite art prints had hung. It felt like her apartment was slowly losing pieces of her, becoming just another empty shell.
She thought of the long list of things she still needed to do before she left. At the top of that list was one task she had been dreading: visiting her mother.
---
Seline arrived at her mother’s house just as the sky darkened. The old brick home looked the same as it always had—sturdy, unyielding, and cold. Much like the woman who lived inside.
Her mother opened the door, her expression immediately souring when she saw Seline. “What do you want?”
“I came to talk,” Seline said, forcing her voice to remain calm.
Her mother scoffed but stepped aside to let her in. The house smelled faintly of lavender and something sharper, something acrid. Seline tried not to let the memories of her childhood overwhelm her as she sat on the worn couch.
“I’m leaving town,” Seline said bluntly.
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Good. It’s about time.”
Seline bit the inside of her cheek to keep from snapping back. “I wanted to tell you because… because things have been hard lately. And I thought maybe—”
“Maybe what?” her mother interrupted. “That I’d suddenly start caring? That I’d feel sorry for you? Don’t make me laugh, Seline. You’ve always been a disappointment.”
The words stung, but Seline had heard them before. She clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm. “I just thought you’d want to know what’s happening. I wanted to say goodbye.”
Her mother leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “You think you’re the victim here? You ruined my life, Seline. Everything that went wrong for me started the day you were born. So don’t expect sympathy from me.”
The venom in her voice was unbearable. Seline stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. “I didn’t come here to fight. I came here hoping for… something. But I see now that was a mistake.”
Her mother smirked. “You had it coming. All of it. This is payback for everything you’ve ever done to me.”
Seline stared at her, tears burning in her eyes. But instead of breaking, something inside her hardened. She realized in that moment that she was done. Done with the years of abuse, the guilt, the endless cycle of hoping for love and getting nothing but pain in return.
“I’m done,” Seline said quietly, her voice steady. “You’re not going to hurt me anymore. I’m cutting ties with you, Mom. For good.”
Her mother’s face twisted with fury. “You ungrateful little—”
Seline didn’t stay to hear the rest. She turned on her heel and walked out the door, her heart pounding in her chest. As she stepped outside, the cold night air hit her face, and she breathed deeply, trying to calm herself.
For the first time in years, she felt free.
---
Later that evening, Seline found herself sitting on a bench in the town park. It was her day off, and she’d decided to spend it numbing the pain. She had a bottle of cheap whiskey in one hand, and she drank from it as she stared at the darkened lake in the distance.
No matter how much she drank, the alcohol didn’t seem to affect her as much as she wanted. Being part shifter had its downsides, and a high tolerance for alcohol was one of them. She couldn’t even drink herself into oblivion properly.
The park grew quieter as the night went on, the occasional sound of footsteps or distant laughter fading into silence. Seline didn’t care. She was lost in her own thoughts, her mind swirling with everything she’d been through in the past few weeks.
It was then that she heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
“Austin,” she said without turning around.
He came to stand in front of her, his expression unreadable. “What are you doing out here?”
“Drinking,” she said flatly, raising the bottle.
“You shouldn’t be here alone,” he said, his tone laced with irritation.
She laughed bitterly. “Why do you care? Isn’t this just another stain on your reputation? The ‘useless hybrid witch’ drinking alone in the park.”
Austin’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “Come on. I’m taking you home.”
“No,” she said stubbornly.
He didn’t give her a choice. Before she could protest, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. She stumbled slightly, but he steadied her, his grip firm but not harsh.
“Let me go,” she said, trying to pull away.
“You’ve had enough,” he said, ignoring her struggles.
By the time they reached her apartment, Seline was too tired to fight him anymore. She fumbled with her keys, and Austin took them from her, unlocking the door and guiding her inside.
“I don’t need your help,” she muttered as she sat down on the couch.
“Clearly, you do,” he said, crossing his arms.
She looked up at him, her vision slightly blurred. “Why are you here, Austin? Really? You don’t care about me, so why bother?”
He didn’t answer, his gaze steady and unreadable.
In her half-drunken stupor, Seline did something she knew she would regret later. She stood, closing the distance between them, and kissed him.
Austin stiffened, his hands coming up to grip her shoulders. “Seline—”
She kissed him again, more insistently this time, and he groaned, pulling her closer. The tension between them snapped like a rubber band, and everything else faded away.
---
When Seline woke the next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, and her head pounded. She groaned, sitting up slowly. That’s when she noticed the empty space beside her.
Austin was gone.
She stared at the rumpled sheets, a hollow feeling settling in her chest. He hadn’t even stayed.
Wrapping the blanket around herself, she leaned back against the headboard, her heart heavy. She didn’t know what hurt more: the fact that he’d left or the fact that she’d expected anything different.