Chapter 170

The reporter was astounded by my revelation and struggled to think of her next question. “I heard you tell people it wasn’t your idea, but were you serious? A friend really gave you the idea for this progressive dinner?”

“Yes, my best friend since we were very young,” I confirmed. “Her name is Amy.”

“Is Amy here tonight?” the reporter asked as the restaurant went silent. “We would love to talk to her about how she got the idea for the dinner.”

“No. She wouldn’t come. She was afraid to attend the dinner because of an incident at a party a short time ago,” I revealed.

The reporter leaned closer. “Will you tell us about the incident? What made your friend afraid to attend this remarkable dinner that was her idea?”

I looked into the camera. “Since my life has changed and has become more complicated, we couldn’t see each other as much as we would have liked.”

I hoped I was doing the right thing and continued. I needed everyone to know the truth about the situation and what happened to Amy. People couldn’t change a problem if they didn’t know about it.

“To spend more time together, I invited my friend to accompany me to a party. The hosts welcomed her, but when I was called away to speak to a potential client for a few minutes, she was bullied and humiliated by two teen Alpha girls.”

“Why would these girls bully your friend?” The reporter seemed enthralled by the story.

I looked at Victor, and he nodded slightly. The simple signal gave me confidence that I was doing the right thing.

“She was bullied because my best friend is a Beta,” I said into the camera. “She’s the kindest, sweetest, most hardworking person I know. Amy is also a better person than those spoiled Alpha girls who bullied her could ever hope to be.”

“That was not the first time something like this happened to her, and it had also happened to me when it was thought I was a Beta.”

“Most Alphas don’t know or care what it’s like to be a Beta or Omega wolf and grow up being told you’re not as good as another part of the population.”

I was on a roll and could not stop speaking my mind.

“Until our first shift, it’s impossible to tell if we are Alpha, Beta, or Omega. Yet, because I was thought to be a Beta, it was drilled into me that I was inferior to all Alphas.”

The room was silent as I spoke, and every eye was on me. Most people looked surprised, while others appeared cold or even angry.

“As grateful as I am to have everyone here tonight to help raise money for a deserving cause, I must say that charity is wonderful, but our world also needs to become a more inclusive place.”

“Everyone has something to offer the world, and everybody deserves dignity, no matter their class and status in our society.”

“Betas and Omegas do all the hard work to provide Alphas with the goods and services we rely on and the luxury items we can’t do without. Yet, many of us respond to these people with scorn, disdain, and ridicule.”

“The Beta and Omega population are valuable assets to our society. Why do we treat them as lesser beings than ourselves? We must do better. Our society depends on it and on them.”

“My friend shouldn’t be afraid to be here, and no Beta or Omega should be called names like ‘a dog tail’ merely for existing ever again.”

The crowd gasped at my use of an evil slang term for a female wolf who isn’t an Alpha. It had never come from my lips before. But I needed them to understand how Amy felt and what happened to her.

The crowd remained silent as I took a slow deep breath to calm myself.

“I ask you all to consider my words and keep them in mind during your interactions with Betas and Omegas. Teach your children empathy and the true value of these people.”

“Without them, you would not be able to live your comfortable lives. With everything they do for you, they deserve your kindness and their dignity.”

I stepped away from the reporters and heard a smattering of applause that grew until it filled the restaurant. When I saw William and Victor clapping and smiling at me, I hurried to their side.

“Was it too much?” I asked them. “I got a little carried away, but I meant every word.”

“You were great,” William replied.

“It was an absolutely magnificent speech,” Victor added. “You were persuasive and sincere. And there was truth to your words. You gave me some things to think about.”

“A lot of us will be thinking about your speech,” William said.

“But not all,” Victor said and motioned toward a group of Alphas to our right. Their expressions were cold and angry.

“They are the type of Alphas who enjoy thinking they are superior to everyone else, even other Alphas,” William said. “Don’t let them bother you.”

Victor handed me my sparkling fruit juice, and I took a sip. It was cool and refreshing. A waiter offered us crab puffs or bacon-wrapped scallops to go with our drinks.

“Let’s mingle,” Victor suggested. “You shouldn’t hide in a corner after that speech.”

We began to stroll through the room, greeting the guests. Most were polite. I received several compliments on the dinner and my speech.

I was even called a beautiful soul by an elderly Luna, which made me smile.

But then there were the others who were angry and obviously felt threatened by my words.

One family of Alphas, the parents and grown children, ignored our greeting and tightened the circle they were standing in as we walked past them.

We continued on, and I heard the mother say, “I wonder if Alex Wilson’s Alpha Princess is genuinely that humble and caring or if it was an act?”

“No Alpha stands for Betas and Omegas to that extent,” her mate said. “That speech was for show, pure political theater. The bullying incident never happened.”

“I’d bet her Beta friend Amy doesn’t exist,” a young male added. “I heard Daisy is cruel to her servants and fires them if they dare complain.”

My mouth dropped open in shock. They were making things up!

Victor took my hand and stopped me from confronting them. “That attitude is called cognitive dissonance. People won’t believe the truth about something they’ve always believed or anything that threatens what they want to believe.”

“And because many of their friends or families believe the same things, they think it’s the truth,” William added. “Nothing you say or show them will change their minds. They will call it false news.”

“It seems crazy to me,” I said. “Why believe anyone who tells you whatever you want to hear?”

“Cognitive dissonance in people who don’t want their society to advance has caused the end of good governance and civilizations,” Victor said. “People who dislike change, even for the better, prefer the lies.”

“It’s sad for anyone to prefer believing in lies,” I said as we approached Lana and Harry. “The truth-tellers must find a way to get through to them.”

“Daisy, that was a wonderful speech,” Lana said. “I’m sorry about what happened to your friend. She would make a wonderful event planner.”

“I’ll tell her you said so,” I said with a grin. Amy’s life goals were more along the lines of being a war correspondent or a political reporter.

Thinking about the many conversations Amy and I had about our futures while growing up, I realized I missed the old me in many ways.

I needed to be more like the girl who spoke to news cameras. Underneath my designer clothes and expensive cosmetics was the girl who wanted to help Betas and Omegas and make the world a better place for everyone.

I still believed my status as a wealthy Beta and corporate CEO would be helpful. But I had to try harder to combine being a wealthy businesswoman and a true philanthropist and Beta and Omega advocate.

I would do it. The speech was just the beginning!