<h4>Chapter 46: 46-Thrown Away!</h4>


    <strong>Hnie:</strong>


    I clenched my fists in anxiety, stepping back, unable to tear my gaze away from them. I could tell they weren’t pleased to see me standing there.


    Quickly, I turned to leave, but amotion behind me stopped me in my tracks. As I hurried, I slipped on the slick steps and nearlynded on my butt. However, I didn’t hit the ground.


    Lamar had grabbed me from behind. I didn’t know how he reached me so fast, but the distance was short.


    "Where do you think you’re going?" he muttered in my ear, pulling me back into the kitchen and mming the door shut.


    He tossed me across the room, my body flying andnding lightly, like a feather.


    Sydney was hastily pulling on her pink gown while Lamar finished adjusting his pants. He didn’t bother to button his shirt, revealing his abs.


    "So, you ruined our fun, huh?" Lamar sneered, cracking his knuckles, looking disturbingly unhinged.


    "I was just looking for... food," I mumbled, keeping my head down, avoiding eye contact in an attempt not to provoke them.


    "Well, consider yourself lucky tonight because you found more than just a snack," he snickered, his fingers slowly and deliberately tracing his abs, his voice dripping with arrogance.


    "I’ll just go back to the shelter," I said, trying to stand up, but the way Sydney shoved Lamar from behind made it clear I wasn’t supposed to move.


    "What? You want her to join us?" Lamar joked, ncing at Sydney while she grunted. She hadn’t even looked me in the eye the whole time.


    "She saw us! She’s going to tell everyone I was messing around with you in this run-down kitchen," Sydney hissed, her voice rising before she caught herself, lowering it to avoid waking anyone in the shelter.


    I doubted that would happen.


    "So, what do you want me to do about it?" Lamar rolled his eyes at her, cing his hands on his hips. They both stood in front of the door, making sure I didn’t move.


    "I won’t tell anyone. I don’t gossip," I quickly assured her, genuinely meaning it. I had no intention of spreading rumors. But she shook her head furiously.


    "No! I won’t let her walk through the hallways and give me that look, like ’Oh, I know your secret,’" she said dramatically, shrugging her shoulders, trying to paint me as some kind of nosy gossiper.


    "But I wouldn’t. And why would anyone believe me, even if I did say something?" I asked, confused about what she was trying to aplish by keeping me here. It wasn’t like she could make me forget, so what was she really up to?


    "Lamar, you don’t get it. If she says anything, everyone will start watching us. Anytime we talk or meet, they’ll assume something’s going on," Sydney folded her arms across her chest, hinting at some hidden paranoia behind her words.


    "I’ll walk out of here and never mention it. I have secrets too, I know what it’s like to keep them," I said, my voice trembling. My entire body was shaking; their stares were terrifying. I couldn’t tell what was running through their heads, but it wasn’t good. Sydney seemed determined to convince Lamar that I would go out and spread the news of their encounter.


    "Fine. What do you want me to do?" Lamar finally understood her silent plea, and that’s when I knew I had to act quickly.


    I sprang to my feet, rushing towards the door. My n was simple: shove them out of the way and escape. But I didn’t make it far.


    "No! Don’t!" A hand grabbed my hair, yanking me back with brutal force. I fell onto my back, wincing in pain as Lamar loomed over me, shaking his head. He crouched down, resting his hands on his knees while Sydney stood tall beside him, her expression cold and calcting.


    "Make sure she doesn’t take part in the rest of the tests so she gets disqualified and kicked out of the program. I don’t want her in my academy, spreading rumors," Sydney demanded, and I was in shock. I couldn’t believe what she was asking.


    "There’s only one way to make sure of that," Lamar said, straightening his back with a sigh.


    "I know. Let’s mess her up," Sydney sneered, and before I could react, she kicked me hard in the stomach.


    "You’re crazy!" I screamed, but it didn’t matter. The next thing I knew, they were both on me, kicking and punching relentlessly. I tried to defend myself, iling my arms to fight back, but it was no use. Their blows keptnding until darkness began to close in on me.


    It wasn’t fair. They didn’t even give me a chance to call for help. It all happened so fast that I couldn’t even fight back—not that I could have overpowered them anyway.


    But I couldn’tnd a single punch.


    I wondered if they nned to kill me. But why? It wasn’t that big of a secret, and it’s not like anyone would believe me without proof.


    My whole body ached, and I was barely conscious when I felt myself being lifted and carried.


    "Dump her far away. We just need to make sure she misses today’s test. She’ll be off the list and never allowed near the academy again," I heard Sydney whisper as I was ced in the backseat of a car.


    I could feel blood trickling from my nose and lips. My eyes were so swollen that I could barely open them.


    "We should’ve just given her wolfsbane and let her sleep through the day. Why did you have to ruin such a pretty face?" Lamarined as the car started moving. I had no idea where they were taking me.


    I desperately wanted to get up and fight back, but my life was far from a perfect dream.


    "Pretty face? Then why didn’t you beg her for her dry vagina instead of fucking me?" Sydney shot back, her voiceced with bitterness. Lamar let out a teasingugh in response.


    They were having a casual conversation, as if they weren’t in the middle ofmitting a crime. After what felt like forever, the car came to a stop, and I felt myself being lifted out again.


    Lamar slung me over his shoulder, carrying me down a dark, rough path. When he finally set me down, he pped my cheek lightly to wake me up.


    "Sorry, you should’ve minded your own business. I really can’t afford to lose my connections with the higher-ups," he muttered before shoving me forcefully. My body rolled down a steep hill, the thorns and jagged rocks tearing into my skin. Inded at the bottom, barely able to keep my eyes open before losing consciousnesspletely.