Erika Belion wished, with all her heart, that being a 26-year-old single omega wasn't as terrible as society wanted her to believe. Every morning, when she opened her eyes, she thought that maybe, just maybe, that low position on the social ladder shouldn't define her life. She dreamed that, deep down, being an omega was just a weightless label, something that didn't mark every step she took. But the reality was different.
The harsh, brutal truth hit her daily with the same force: not only was it bad, but it was infinitely worse than she had imagined.
In her moments of solitude, Erika remembered her adolescence, that period of confusion and internal struggle. She had been a nonconformist young woman, refusing to accept the destiny imposed on her. At 18, the dreaded "presentation" arrived, the process that revealed the second gender that each person must carry forever. Erika knew she would not be an alpha. But she still held out hope of being a beta, of at least being able to walk through the world without the invisible chains of contempt.
But it wasn't to be.
She was an omega.
Today, as an adult woman, she can recognize the signs her body has been giving her since she was a child. Although she struggled to ignore them for years, her nature manifested itself in every little detail. She tried everything: diet, exercise, supplements, she even surrounded herself with betas in the hope of blending in. In her youthful desperation, she stole beta hormones from her school lab, convinced that this way she could change who she was. But all she achieved was getting sick and leaving emotional scars that were difficult to erase.
Still, Erika found a kind of stability. She lived from day to day, survived as best she could, and held down a decent job. Within her reality, that was already a victory. As an omega, there wasn't much room for error. However, when she finally thought the worst was over, life struck again cruelly.
Tragedy struck without warning, as it often did in her story. Her parents, Beatriz and Darent Doll, who had abandoned her years before without a shred of remorse, touched her life again... only to leave again. But this time, they didn't do it alone: they left two little girls, Melina and Rose, ages six and four, on her doorstep. Without a note, without an explanation, without shame. They left the girls and took the little money Erika had stashed in the kitchen.
Erika thought about giving up. About leaving the girls in an orphanage. She thought about how hard it was to support herself, how unfair it was to carry a burden that wasn't hers. But when she looked at those girls, trembling and disoriented, she knew she couldn't repeat the cycle. She couldn't abandon them the way they'd abandoned her. Because she knew that pain. She'd lived it. She still lived it.
She adopted both of them. She gave them her last name: Melina Belion. Rose Belion. With that, she began a new life, one that was harder, lonelier, but also more meaningful. They moved, and sought safety. Erika found part-time jobs wherever she could, depriving herself of everything to give something to them. She endured hunger, cold, and grueling hours. But they were fine. They had a bed, a warm meal, and someone who loved them. Sighing, as she heard her faithful coworker—her old cell phone—ring with its usual alarm, giving her one friendly greeting after another, Erika decided to snap out of her thoughts and return to reality. It was time to get ready for work.
She lazily rubbed her eyes, noticing how her muscles were still numb. She stretched listlessly, raising and extending her arms to the sides, accompanying the gesture with a loud yawn. Still wrapped in her light purple nightgown, with a floral print and dark accents, she got out of bed. She put on a white robe hanging on a chair next to the bed and slipped on some old, fuzzy slippers. She left her room, crossed the hallway, and passed the door to the girls' room, heading for the kitchen.
Once there, she began to unpack everything she needed to prepare breakfast. She made toast, cut some fruit into small slices, fried two slices of bacon she found in the freezer, and poured what was left of yesterday's orange juice.
As she arranged the plates on the counter, Melina approached, yawning.
Six-year-old Melina, with her platinum-white hair and features so similar to Erika's at her age—albeit sharper, firmer—looked almost like a younger replica of her older sister. Given her natural bearing and precocious maturity, it was almost certain that her presentation would be as an alpha.
"Good morning... God, this smells amazing," she murmured, stretching, still half-asleep.
"Good morning, honey," Erika replied with a smile, still staring at the pan. "Would you go get Rose? Everything's ready, and I have to get ready."
"Sure, I'll go get her," Melina said before turning and disappearing down the hall.
Erika sighed tenderly. Then she went to her room to get dressed. She chose a fitted, off-the-shoulder carmine dress and black high heels. She smoothed her hair with her hands and, as she stepped out into the living room, heard hurried footsteps approaching, accompanied by soft murmurs.
Four-year-old Rose was very different from her sisters. She had dark brown hair, a trait that didn't match her mother's or father's. But her eyes were the same. And her future presentation, by all accounts, would be as a beta.
"Eri!" Rose shouted, running to hug her sister, burying her face in her stomach.
"Hey, pretty... Are you hungry?" Erika asked, stroking her head.
Rose nodded slightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Then go sit down before someone else comes for your food," Erika said conspiratorially.
Rose opened her mouth in an O shape and ran to an empty seat to start eating.
"Are you going to work there again?" Melina asked suddenly, her tone serious.
Erika tensed. That question always made her uncomfortable.
"Yes... this time I got the night shift, so I'll be back at dawn."
"Are you leaving now?"
"Unfortunately, yes. I have to get there early to join the group and get everything ready," she replied, kissing Melina on the top of her head. "Take care of Rose. Don't open the door to anyone. You have my number in case of emergency."
"I don't like you working there." The little girl crossed her arms, frowning.
Erika wished Melina had never had to find out. That she could still believe her sister had a regular, decent job.
"I don't like it either, and I wish I didn't have to... but I have to. Hold down the fort for me, okay? See you in the morning."
She walked over to Rose and kissed her soundly on the cheek, making her laugh.
"Goodbye, Rose. Be good and listen to your sister."
"Yes," the little girl replied, hugging her neck and inhaling her pheromones with a smile. "Why do you work at night?"
"Because there are things adults do at night."
"Will you ever take me to your job?"
Erika swallowed, forcing a nervous smile.
"Sorry, Rose, they don't allow children. But I promise, when I have a better job, I'll take you."
"Promise?"
"Promise," she said, stroking her hair, eliciting small purrs from the girl.
"How do you explain to a little girl that her sister works in a vulgar place, surrounded by dangerous people, selling an image that doesn't represent who she is?" Erika closed her eyes, shook her head, and sighed.
"See you, girls."
She put on a pastel trench coat with soft panels that covered her body, grabbed her purse and keys, and left the apartment for her car: an old, red, rust-stained Chevy. The engine was slow to fire. It required a slight movement of the lever to get going. But when it finally did, Erika headed for "California Years."
A vulgar, noisy, bright place... but one where she was paid well.
As she drove through the streets she already knew by heart, the steering wheel firmly in her hands and the windshield fogged up by the warm breath inside, her mind began to overflow with bills, debts, and responsibilities.
(First, I'm going to pay what I owe on the rent... the deadline is approaching. Then, the water and electricity. Restock the pantry. It's also starting to get cold, so I don't have to forget the gas... If I get paid for the bar right away, I could keep everything afloat. I'm going to have to persist with that. And I have to start saving a little for the girls' tuition... I need the money. Urgent.)
The red light gave her a momentary pause, but not relief. Just more time to feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. He turned on the radio looking for some distraction, but all he got was the sound of static reminding him of the fact that it was broken, so he sighed and turned it off.