Chapter 412

Olivia

The morning had been a whirlwind of excitement and happy moments. I had learned, laughed, and enjoyed myself even more than I ever thought I would. For a moment, it felt as though things were beginning to align; I was finally pursuing something that made me truly happy after all these years, and I was following my dreams.

But then, just as I was walking out into the front area of the bakery to get something for James and Petunia, all of that changed.

I was hardly out of the kitchen for a second before the blinding lights of cameras started flashing, and I was met with a barrage of voices that left me feeling bewildered.

“Luna! Look over here!”

Furrowing my brow, I followed the source of the voices and the flashing lights to see three reporters standing in front of the counter, their cameras poised to snap pictures. My eyes widened instantly; this had never happened to me before. What were they even doing here?

“Um… Can I help you?” I asked, taking a cautious step forward.

As if my question was some sort of invitation, though the lights started flashing again and this time, the questions began pouring in.

“Luna Olivia, tell us about your new apprenticeship at the bakery!” one of the reporters asked.

“Is this a volunteering opportunity for publicity to help bring up the Alpha’s dipping approval ratings, or are you working here?” another reporter chimed in.

“Er… I… I’m just apprenticing,” I managed, my voice shaking slightly as I took a trembling step backwards.

“Just apprenticing?” the third reporter asked. “Or are you trying to get away from your children?”

My eyes widened slightly at this question. “Pardon?”

“Luna Olivia,” one of the other reporters chimed in, “who is at home taking care of your children? Is it true that Alpha Nathan is doing all of the work while you’re here, playing with bread?”

As they spoke, tears came to my eyes. I wanted to come up with a retort to such an awful implication, but I couldn’t. I just needed to get out of here.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I instinctively hid my face with my hand, trying to shield myself from the relentless flashes of the cameras and the cruel, probing questions. I needed to escape, to find some refuge from the overwhelming scrutiny.

Without a word, I turned and rushed to the back room, my mind racing. I couldn’t process everything that was happening. I hadn’t expected any of this when I started my apprenticeship at the bakery. The reporters viewed it as a spectacle, a chance to make headlines, and I was at the center of their attention.

As I scurried into the back room, I could hear the voices of James and Petunia calling after me, their concerned tones filled with confusion.

“What’s going on, Olivia?” Petunia called after me.

“Olivia, are you okay?” James chimed in.

I finally found a moment of solace in the back room, away from the prying eyes of the reporters. I leaned against a stack of flour bags, trying to catch my breath. What had just happened? Why were they treating me like this?

James and Petunia soon followed me into the back room, their faces reflecting the shock and disbelief I was feeling. I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for bringing this chaos into their bakery.

“Olivia, what’s happening out there?” James asked, his voice laced with concern. “You didn’t tell us that the media would show up today.”

“That’s because I didn’t even know,” I said. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

“What do you mean?” James asked.

“I’m sorry, you two. I should have expected this,” I admitted, feeling a pang of regret for not planning for something like this ahead of time. “I guess they think my apprenticeship is some kind of publicity stunt for the pack, and they’re bombarding me with questions about why I’m not at home with the children.”

Petunia's brow furrowed, and she exchanged a worried glance with her brother. “That’s ridiculous,” she said, her voice filled with indignation. “You’re here to learn and work, just like anyone else.”

James nodded in agreement. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this. You want me to go out there and send them away?”

I appreciated their understanding, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had disrupted their peaceful bakery with unwanted attention. “No, it’s okay. I’m so sorry, both of you,” I said, my voice quivering. “I should probably just leave. I don’t want this to affect your business or anything.”

Petunia’s eyes softened, and she stepped closer, placing a warm, flour-covered hand on my shoulder. “Olivia, you don’t have to go,” she said gently. “It’s not your fault that the reporters decided to show up.”

Her words were an attempt to be comforting, but it didn’t help much. The truth was, it was my fault. I hadn’t even considered for a moment how my actions might attract unwanted attention and how that unwanted attention could affect others.

As the Luna of the pack, I should have known better.

“I just… I think I should call it a day,” I said with a sigh, glancing back and forth between Petunia and James. “I’m sorry. But they won’t leave until I do.”

Petunia and James exchanged nervous glances again before James finally nodded. “Of course, Olivia,” he said. “Your shift is almost over anyway.”

As I took off my apron and hung it up, I couldn’t help but feel like a failure. This was supposed to be an exciting opportunity for me to learn and grow, but instead, it had turned into a media circus.

And now, I couldn’t keep myself from wondering if Petunia and James would even want me to come back, or if they were just being nice and would wind up canceling my apprenticeship to keep their bakery away from bad press.

And I certainly couldn’t fault them for that if that was their decision.

I quietly slipped out of the bakery through the back door and began to make my way home away from prying eyes. But even as I walked further and further away from the bakery, I still couldn’t shake the reporters’ rude questions from my mind.

“It’s so unfair,” I said mentally to my wolf. “They wouldn’t ask those questions if I was a man. Hell, they’d probably be applauding me.”

My wolf sighed. “Such is the life of a woman and a mother,” she answered. “You can’t win for losing.”

“I really can’t,” I replied with a sigh of my own as the villa came into view. “It sucks.”

“Yeah. It really does, and there’s not much we can do.”

I felt a sense of frustration and helplessness wash over me at this revelation. My wolf was right; women always faced this sort of scrutiny, especially mothers, and Hell would certainly freeze over before I changed anyone’s minds.

Would I always have to live as a stay-at-home mom to avoid this kind of scrutiny and judgment?

It was a deeply troubling thought, and I couldn’t seem to find any easy answers as I trudged up the front steps to my house with a defeated feeling in my gut.