Author: Momo Chan

My father commanded Ashford’s underworld, but the only person he answered to was my mother. He was down to a single leg, having lost the other when protecting her from a rival. The night I was born, fireworks lit up Ashford all night long. They made as if the heavens themselves were celebrating the little princess’s arrival. Good days lasted until I was five. That year, a woman looked so similar to my mom returned from abroad and moved into the Vaughn family’s mansion. The first time she saw me, she pinched my cheeks with a sneer of triumph curling her lips. “Little brat, your mother was nothing but my shadow. Your father married her because she looks like me. Now I’m back. You little bastard, and your mother? Just send yourselves out.” Crying, I ran upstairs and told Mom, who was using a knife to scrape off a tattoo that matched Dad’s. Blood covered the floor, but she just smiled. All night, the mansion echoed with the woman’s screams. But Mom held me, patting my back gently. “Lily, did you see the moon tonight? Is it brighter than usual?” I pressed my face to the window as a car approached. “Mom! Look! Dad’s back! He brought Marianne!” Marianne is my favorite doll. She has sapphire eyes as pretty as Mom’s necklace. The next second, it was tossed to the floor. Dad limped inside and soon came out carrying that woman. I shouted, but he didn’t look at me. He stomped on Marianne like it was just trash. By dawn, he returned, eyes bloodshot. I reached for him, hoping for a hug as usual. “Dad…” But he shoved me aside. I lost my balance and hit the floor. It hurt, but I couldn’t cry. Dad slapped Mom. “Iris, what are you doing?! Chloe nearly died! She’s just a little girl. Do you really have to go this far?!” Mom’s gaze was calm. “Sean Vaughn, remember who gave you everything? Now you finally have the nerve to question me?” Dad went pale. “I earned this! Chloe’s carrying my son! She can’t be hurt!” Somehow, Mom smiled. “You treasure her so much, and still dare to bring her here? Did you forget what I told you? If anyone so much as lays a finger on my daughter, I’ll wipe out their entire family.” She walked to him. “Sean, I ask you one last time. That woman called my daughter a bastard, should she be spared?” Dad froze in place. It was that single moment of hesitation that made Mom’s gaze turn ice-cold. She grabbed the knife and shoved it at Dad. “Either stab me now,” she said, “and go live your perfect life with your true love. Or kneel. Kneel and tell me you’ll spend your life at my feet.” I could feel his anger snap, and in a blur, he twisted the knife into Mom’s chest. “Iris, are you fucking done? Things aren’t the same anymore! I’m the boss of Ashford now! You’re still Mrs. Vaughn. That won’t change.” “But Chloe is different. She’s so innocent. She won’t take anything from you.” Mom smiled as if pain had never burst in her body. She yanked the knife out and pressed it to his throat. “Sean Vaughn,” she said, “I gave you the throne so you’d shine in public, not so you’d forget who you are.” “You carry the name Vaughn,” “But this city—” “Belongs to the Hales, the family I was born to.”

Dad’s eyes burned red. He shoved Mom aside, snatched the knife, and pressed it to her face. Mom always said her face was her greatest treasure. I could only throw my arms in front of her. “You’re a monster! You crushed my Marianne! You hit me! And you hit Mom!” “Iris, I just want Chloe’s son to be born safely! I left her ten years ago. I owe her.” “Get a hold of yourself and stop making a scene!” The door slammed shut behind him. A red bloom spread across my mother’s chest, but I didn’t dare touch it. “Mom… does it hurt?” She said nothing. Just looked at me for a long and deathly silence. “Lily, Dad has changed. He no longer deserves to be your father.” That night, I had a nightmare. In the dream, Dad was holding the aunt Chloe, smiling happily. A little boy stood beside them. Then Dad pointed at me, with a cruel voice. “This is your sister. And she’ll be your punching bag from now on. Hit her whenever you like.” I woke up in fright and ran downstairs crying to look for Mom. But Dad had moved Chloe into our house, our rooms. “What a rotten smell… It smells disgusting!” “Sean, these things aren’t good for the baby. I want it my way.” Then he called people in immediately. One by one, Mom’s belongings were thrown out. I lunged for her makeup box. Then Chloe stepped on the back of my hand and jabbed hard at my forehead. “You little bastard, I’m the one in charge here now. Once my son is born, you and your crazy mother will be thrown out of here.” She took out a handful of candy and waved it in front of me, then tossed them onto the floor one by one and crushed them under her high heels. “Want some? Kneel down and bark like a dog, and I might reward you with one.” Dad stood nearby, frowning. “Lily, Chloe’s joking. Come on, be polite and greet her.” Chloe grew smug when I stayed silent. “What, turned into a little mute? Your mother didn’t teach you manners, huh?” Dad said nothing. That was as good as agreeing. Then I saw Mom coming down the stairs. Slowly. Carrying a plate of fruits, a small knife stuck in it. “Chloe, don’t bother with the kid.” She offered the plate. Chloe thought Mom was giving in, so she grinned arrogantly. “So you know what’s good for you.” she said, reaching for the fruit. But in the next second, Mom suddenly pried her mouth open, drove the fruit knife inside, and twisted hard. Her blood gushing out like a red river. Mom wiped her hands with a silk scarf, then patted her face. “You want to teach my daughter?” “Just because you have that little thing in your belly?” “Oh, I’d really like to see if he is a treasure or just… a little bastard.” Mom held the knife and walked toward Chloe’s stomach. Then Dad went mad, shoving her like a man possessed. “Iris Hale, you crazy bitch! How dare you!”

Dad’s eyes were blazing. Anger pushed him to grab a vase and unhesitatingly smashed it down on Mom’s head. “Iris, I said if you hurt Chloe, I’ll make you regret.” Glass and blood spilled down her hair. Still not satisfied, he seized her by the hair and slammed her into the wall. Once. Twice. A blood mark bloomed on the wall. His face twisted—so savage that it even scared me. Mom didn’t scream. She didn’t even frown. Another heavy blow. As Mom slid down the wall, she kicked hard at his prosthetic leg. Then her smile came back, colored by her blood. “Sean Vaughn. I gave you a chance.” “Too bad. A dog will always be a dog.” Dad’s prosthetic flew off. Bracing himself against the cabinet, he glared at Mom viciously. Then his expression changed. His hand went to his waist. I tried to stop him. But he yanked me aside again. “Back to your room!” Thrown to the floor, I scraped a large patch of skin off my elbow. But I didn’t care. Because I saw a group of uncles closing in around Mom. They used to bow and call me Young Miss. Now they followed Dad’s orders and pinned her down. There was a sense of sadness flowing in Mom’s eyes that I couldn’t understand. “Sean Vaughn,” she said, “think carefully.” “Are you ready to throw everything away for a woman from nowhere and a child of unknown blood?” Dad’s chest heaved. “You forced me! Chloe can’t take any more shock! The doctor says she might miscarry!” “You’ll stay in the prayer hall. Whenever you figure it out and decide to apologize to Chloe, let me know.” They started to take Mom away. I rushed forward, wrapped my arms around Dad’s good leg, and bit down hard. I was Mom’s daughter. I wouldn’t watch her be bullied like this. A man reached for me. Mom’s voice turned to ice. “If you dare touch Lily, I guarantee you won’t last the night…” Dad went deadly pale. Then Chloe, lying on the floor, pointed at her mouth. And that look aroused some deep feelings inside Dad’s body. He turned back and grabbed me so hard. “You little bastard. Go repent with your mother!” Mom pulled me into her arms. She didn’t resist as they dragged us away. I wasn’t afraid. Because I heard her whisper— “Lily, don’t be afraid. Dawn is coming.”

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For the sake of her sick first love, Osborn Abraham, my wife, Leila Shaw, pretended to be poor for thirty years. When our son, Ward Altman, fell ill and required hospitalization, I, Peter Altman, I borrowed money from every relative and friend I knew. I was only two hundred yuan short of the surgery fee. No matter how much I begged, Leila simply said she had no money to give me. To cover the cost, my mother secretly sold the medicine she needed the most. She gave up her treatment—and died because of it. I handled my mother’s funeral alone. When I went to pick up my son from the hospital, I accidentally found the shopping receipts my wife had accumulated over the years in the closet. Custom-tailored suits, watches worth hundreds of millions, even a private jet… Clutching those receipts, I stormed up to Leila to demand an explanation, but my son Ward stopped me. “Dad, Osborn isn’t in good health. Mom is just taking good care of him. Why are you making a fuss?” I looked at the son whose life had just been bought with my mother’s death, and a piercing pain stabbed through my chest. Leila, standing beside him, said indifferently, “Osborn is well-educated. Of course he needs the best of everything.” “Unlike you. You are just a househusband throwing a tantrum over a few hundred dollars.” “See? I didn’t give you any money, and our son turned out fine anyway.” Fine. Since both mother and son thought this way, there was no reason for me to stay in this family any longer.

After throwing the receipts to the floor, I walked out the door. Leila chased after me and thrust a basket into my hands. “Our son has just recovered. Remember to buy some ribs.” “I’ve already given you this month’s grocery allowance. Don’t ask me for more.” Her face wore that same smile, as if nothing had happened, as if my sacrifices were nothing out of the ordinary. Thirty-five years ago, when Leila’s monthly salary was a hundred dollars, she had happily given me thirty to run the house. But now, her monthly salary had long since exceeded six figures, yet the money she gave me for groceries was still only thirty bucks. She said research at the school was expensive, that our child’s education cost a lot. But she never told me that she actually had so much money—money she had been giving to another man. I looked down at the basket and laughed bitterly. “I don’t feel like cooking tonight. You two can fend for yourselves.” Leila’s expression darkened instantly. “Pete, are you still making a fuss over those two hundred dollars?” “Fine, no ribs then. Just go back and stew a chicken for us. We’ll make do.” After thirty-five years of marriage, Leila had grown entitled and detached. But she wasn’t always like this. Thirty-five years ago, when we first got married, she had told me, “Pete, let’s work together to build the best life.” o what exactly was that “best life”? Was it spending all my savings to buy her books and supplements? Was it me standing on a stool all night, holding a basin to catch the dripping rainwater from the roof so she could study in peace? Before I even turned thirty, I developed severe joint pain. On rainy days, the pain was so excruciating I would foam at the mouth. When I asked Leila Shaw for some money to buy medicine, she only said, “People get like this when they get older. Just bear with it and it’ll pass.” All the while, she was spending two-thirds of her salary on medication for Osborn. I only learned the truth today. The irony felt unbearable. I lifted my eyes and said, “Leila, let’s get a divorce.” Leila was stunned. Then, she doubled over laughing, as if I had told the funniest joke in the world. “Pete, do you know what you’re saying?” “Divorce? That isn’t a word for someone like you.” “Fine. If you don’t want to cook, then don’t. Go buy something for us to eat.” She dug into her pocket, pulled out two crumpled ten-dollar notes, and stuffed them into my palm. “I remember you like that sesame cake. Buy yourself one. And pick up some pizza while you’re at it. Ward wants some.” Her tone was earnest. I couldn’t tell if it was because I had mentioned divorce, or if she actually felt a shred of guilt. In thirty-five years of marriage, this was the first time she had ever voluntarily given me extra money. I stood rooted in the doorway, the bills a dead weight in my hand. When I finally looked up, Leila was gone, the door sealed shut behind her. Trapped in the hall, I could only listen to the distant, muffled sound of Ward’s indignant protests from the other side. “Mom, you shouldn’t have given Dad anything.” “He only dares to make a scene because you indulge him.” “If you ask me, don’t give him a single cent. Let him spend his pension.” Leila fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. “Your father’s pension has been going to Osborn for years.” “You know Osborn is a man of dignity. If he knew he had nothing left, that his pension was gone after the factory fired him, the shock would kill him.” It sounded like she really felt sorry for him. I gripped the handle of the patchwork basket until my knuckles turned white. Only then did I remember the past. That year, just after Leila had given birth to our daughter, Esther Altman, and was still recovering at home, I had received the news: I had been fired from the factory. Bearing the weight of a new family, I couldn’t accept it, so I planned to demand an explanation from the director. But Leila had gripped my hand, weeping, begging me not to go. She told me to think about our newborn child. To think about my own health. She said she had already finished graduate school, and once she recovered from childbirth, she would earn money to support both me and the baby. She asked me to stay home and take care of the family and our child. Yet it wasn’t me who had been fired all those years ago. It was Osborn! It was Leila Shaw who secretly manipulated everything, letting Osborn take my identity and continue working in my place. But the factory refused to keep his benefits or enroll him in a pension plan. It was Leila who transferred my pension to him month after month. For twenty-five years, I was a househusband with no income. For twenty-five years, I blamed myself. For twenty-five years, I resented myself. I never understood why I had been kicked out. It turned out that it was all orchestrated by the person I loved the most! The basket slipped from my fingers and hit the floor. I pulled out my phone and dialed my neighbor, Rex Trollpoe, a lawyer. “Rex, I’d like to ask about filing for a litigated divorce.”

When I returned from Rex’s house, Leila was sitting in the living room, her face livid as she watched TV. Under the bright lights of the house, I realized that though she was no longer young, she was still as graceful and beautiful as ever. Apart from her graying hair and the lines around her eyes, time seemed to have spared her. I recalled that just a month ago, I had seen Osborn’s posts on social media. He was in France. The man in the photos looked vibrant, nothing like someone approaching sixty. I had mentioned it to Leila with a tinge of envy. “Why is it that when people get older, they can travel and enjoy life, while we’re stuck in this tiny little world?” Leila had smiled at me. “Our son isn’t married yet. Let’s save more money first. Once he’s settled down, the two of us can travel together too.” That day, I had actually looked forward to it. I pictured Leila and me traveling hand in hand in our old age. I had worked even harder at odd jobs, scraping together every cent for Ward’s future, thinking I was building a dream for us. But I never could have imagined that the other half of Osborn’s photo, the part cropped out of the frame, had featured Leila in a flowing silk dress. They wore matching colors, looking like a couple who had walked through decades together. Meanwhile, I stood by the stove in our drafty apartment, choking on cooking fumes. All I could do was ask Ward, who was always impatient, what foreign countries were really like. When I came back, Leila turned off the TV and crossed her arms over her chest, clearly ready to lecture me. I knew she was angry that I hadn’t brought back dinner. If this had been in the past, I would have apologized immediately and cooked a full table of dishes to make up for being late. But not tonight. I pretended not to notice her expression, changed my shoes, and headed toward the bedroom. Leila’s rage spiraled instantly. She slammed the remote onto the coffee table with a crack and pointed a finger at my nose, ready to sold me. But she stopped when she saw the calmness on my face. “, if you’re unhappy about something, just say it. We’ve been together for so many years. You don’t have to beat around the bush.” Her surprise was genuine. She didn’t believe I would really be upset over two hundred dollars. Nor did she believe that, after discovering evidence of her affair, I would actually leave her. I laughed bitterly. “I’ve made myself clear, Leila. We are getting a divorce. It’s that simple.” Now that I brought it up again, Leila flew into a rage from humiliation. “Pete! Ward was right. I’ve been too lenient with you all these years!” “Divorce? What would you even do after a divorce? Can you even support yourself?” It was true. All these years, the meager earnings from my odd jobs had gone into supporting this house and our children. Even my pension had been used by her to please another man. I lifted my head and pointed at everything in the house. “Which thing in this house wasn’t bought with the money I earned from odd jobs?” “Leila, where has all your money gone over the years? Don’t you know that in your own heart?” As our quarrel continued, Ward burst out of his room wearing headphones. He pointed a finger at me. “That’s enough, Dad! Aren’t you just accusing Mom of cheating?” “Let’s get one thing straight: Osborn and Mom are just friends. Only someone as filthy-minded as you would think otherwise!” My fingers curled tight into white-knuckled fists before I even knew it. My gaze fixed on Ward, the very boy for whom my mother had traded her life, and the memory crashed over me. Before my mother died, she had pressed a wad of crumpled bills into my hand, money she had earned from collecting scrap metal. “Ward is growing up. Buy him good food. He needs to build his strength.” I could no longer hold back my emotions. I raised my hand and slapped my son across the face, tears streaming down as I shouted, “Do you even know that just because your mother refused to give me two hundred dollars… Your grandma sold the very medicine that was keeping her alive! She is dead!” Ward froze for an instant, then sneered with cold contempt. “Dad, that’s ridiculous. Just to get money from Mom, you’d even joke about Grandma’s death? Did you lose your mind?” At that moment, the calmness on Leila’s face disappeared as well. She wrenched open her wallet, pulled out two hundred dollars, and shoved it at me. “Alright, Pete. It’s just two hundred dollars. How long are you going to make a scene about it?” “I’ll give it to you, okay? Let’s drop this matter. We won’t bring it up again.” She turned to comfort Ward, as if she were truly a reasonable, understanding mother. I looked at the bills in my hand. Slowly, I shook my head. “This can’t be brushed aside. This… won’t pass.”

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On what should’ve been our wedding day, my girlfriend, Selena Martinez, kicked me out of the City Hall. Then she walked right back in with her childhood sweetheart. She didn’t even bother looking guilty about it. “Zach’s kid needs a father on paper. Give me a month to divorce him, then I’ll marry you.” Everyone figured I’d wait around like the pathetic simp I was. I mean, I’d already spent seven years waiting for her. But no. That same night, I said yes to the arranged marriage my family had set up overseas. Just like that, I was gone from her life. Three years later, I flew back with my wife, a powerful CEO, Lavinia Sterling, for a family ceremony. She got tied up with work last minute, so she asked the local office to send a driver for me. Didn’t expect to run into Selena after all this time. She took one look at me and said, “Okay, enough drama. Time to come home. Zach’s kid is about to start preschool and someone needs to do pickup.” *** I was walking through arrivals when I saw someone holding up a sign with my name on it. It was Selena. My ex who I hadn’t seen in three years. She had her childhood sweetheart, Zachary Ford, with her, plus a few of her friends, all of them scanning the crowd. One of them nudged Selena. “Hey, isn’t that your little simp Daniel?” Selena looked surprised for half a second, then played it cool. “What’d I tell you? Knew he’d come crawling back eventually.” Her friends all looked at me with teasing smiles. “Well, well, Daniel Montgomery. Ghosted everyone back then, but now that Selena’s loaded, I bet he’s kicking himself every single night!” “Seriously though, if you were gonna pretend to bump into us, you could’ve at least dressed up. What’s with the sweats?” “Wait, can you not even afford real clothes without Selena? Dude, that’s actually sad.” Back when we were together, I never showed up to see Selena without picking out the perfect outfit. Made sure I looked good for her every single time. Now? Why bother? My wife quit wearing business clothes when she got pregnant, so I started dressing for comfort too. These “sweats” they were ragging on? Lavinia had them custom made for me. But now, I realized something. They knew my name, sure. They just had no clue I was the VIP they were supposed to be picking up. When I didn’t say anything, one of my acquaintance from back then tried to smooth things over. “Hey Daniel, good to see you back. You know, Selena’s actually been looking for you this whole time. Asking around about you everywhere.” Selena’s smile went stiff for a second before she recovered, acting all casual. “Anyway, Zach’s kid starts preschool soon. You’ll handle pickup and dropoff.” Same old Selena. Still acting like the world revolved around her. Thing was, I wasn’t that pushover simp anymore. The one who used to put up with her crap. Seeing her again just pissed me off. I didn’t want to waste another second with these people. I was about to tell them who I actually was when Zachary jumped in. “Look, don’t blame Selena, okay? She’s trying to help you out here. You vanished for three years. Who knows what kind of mess you’ve been in?” He looked me up and down. “I mean, just look at you now. You’re obviously broke. Even if she wanted to hook you up with my personal assistant gig, you couldn’t handle it.” “But hey, watching my daughter? Nobody’s gonna judge you for that.” It’s been three years, and Zachary was still the same smug bastard. I couldn’t help but frown in disgust. Selena completely misread my expression and thought I was jealous or something. I could see the smirk in her eyes. “Come on, you clearly couldn’t make it out there. Stop being difficult. Just watch the kid. Quit throwing tantrums and know your place.” “We’ve still got the nanny’s room, so don’t worry about that.” Everyone around us started snickering. “See, Daniel? Selena’s looking out for you. She knows you’re struggling, so she’s got you set up with room and board.” “All you gotta do is babysit Zach’s kid. Way better than whatever sad life you’re living now, right? Hurry up and thank her.” Zachary glanced at his watch with obvious pretense. “Don’t worry, Daniel. If my daughter gives you any trouble, I’ll discipline her myself. I’ll make sure you’re treated well.” Selena let out a cold laugh and glanced my way. “What’s he got to complain about? He ran off over some petty issue years ago. Now he’s back because he couldn’t cut it out there. A little suffering will do him good.” My heart stopped for a second when I heard that. After all this time, she still thought marrying Zachary was just some minor issue? The Selena who used to love me was long gone. She wasn’t that girl anymore. The one who dragged me across half the city to find a doctor, crying the whole way even though she was the one covered in bruises. The one who had absolutely nothing but swore she’d love me forever. The successful woman who still wanted to come home and cook for me. Whatever. It was all ancient history now. Besides, my wife was already pregnant with our second kid.

I pushed those thoughts away. No point getting into it with them here. “You’re supposed to pick me up, right? Let’s go,” I said, my voice flat. Everyone fell silent for a moment. They all exchanged looks, then burst out laughing. Zachary sneered at me. “Pick YOU up? Yeah right.” He jabbed a finger at the sign. “Read it. We’re here for Lewis. You know who that is?” That was my fake name. Of course I knew. “He’s married to the Sterling family heiress. The guy backing Sterling Group.” “Ms. Sterling’s a total shark in business, but apparently she stayed single for years just waiting for this Lewis.” “Everyone in our circles knows that if you want to impress Ms. Sterling, you go through her husband first. She absolutely spoils him.” I couldn’t help but smile. Three years of marriage and Lavinia’s empire kept expanding. So did her reputation for being obsessed with spoiling me. Zachary never missed a chance to one-up me. He jumped right in, showing off. “Ms. Sterling bought a watch at Christie’s a few years back. Some piece called Eternal Love. Twenty million dollars. She gave it to her husband Lewis as a gift.” “Every guy on the planet wishes they were him.” Then, he froze for a beat and pointed straight at my wrist, his voice shrill. “That’s the one!” The whole group went quiet. Everyone stared at my watch. Selena grabbed my wrist and yanked it up to get a better look. Then she laughed. “Nice knockoff. Which waitress bought you this? Imagine giving someone a fake as a gift.” She sneered. “Trash.” I pulled my hand away and smiled, running my fingers over the watch face. That smile made something flicker in Selena’s eyes. She lunged forward, grabbed my wrist again, and ripped the watch right off. I wasn’t expecting that, so she got it before I could react. Zachary stepped up and took the watch from her, turning it over in his hands. “Actually pretty well made. Better than the fake I bought. Course, I’d never wear mine out in public. Too embarrassing.” He kept examining it. “Foreign knockoffs really are something else though. Feels expensive.” Then he looked up at me with a grin. “Wait. Unless you actually ARE Lewis? The legendary himself?” Everyone burst out laughing. I mean, to them, it was completely ridiculous. Lavinia Sterling was a world-famous financial genius. Cold. Ruthless. Cut-throat in business. And me? Three years ago, I was just some loser hanging around with this exact crowd. The same guy Selena had ditched at the City Hall. No way I was Lavinia’s husband. Zachary spun the watch around his finger. “Hey Daniel, sell me this watch. I’ll pay double.” Worried that he might break the watch, I tried to grab it. “Give it back. That’s from Lavinia—” Before I could finish, Selena’s palm cracked across my face. My head whipped to the side. I tasted copper. “Shut your mouth!”

Selena stared me down, pissed. “Daniel, what makes you think you can just drop Ms. Sterling’s name like that? You trying to get me fired or something?” Her friends all turned on me, looking at me like I was garbage. “Do you have any idea how hard we fought to land this airport pickup?” “Ms. Sterling acquired Selena’s company last year. We all work for her now. The only way Selena keeps her position is by keeping Ms. Sterling’s husband happy.” “And you’re here making up stories about you and Ms. Sterling? You gonna ruin everything for Selene!” I wiped the blood off my lip and slowly met Selena’s eyes. Something in my expression must’ve gotten to her. She frowned. For just a second, I caught a flicker of panic. Zachary saw the way she was looking at me, and his face twisted. He jabbed his finger in my direction. “You ungrateful bastard. Selena’s giving you another shot and this is how you repay her? Don’t push it!” “Look, I get it. You’re bitter. But trashing her reputation just to get back at her? That’s low.” Felt like I’d been transported back three years. Back then, no matter what I did, Zachary always managed to twist the story before Selena heard my side. Selena used to snap at Zachary whenever he screwed up. But then she’d turn around and tear into me instead. Just like now. She looked at me with pure disgust. “Pathetic,” she spat. But this time, she didn’t keep going like she usually did. After a pause, Selena pulled out a check for 200 grand and waved it in my face. “For old times’ sake, I’m not gonna make this difficult for you.” “Take the money. Buy yourself some decent clothes. If you don’t wanna do the whole nanny thing, I’ll hook you up with a real job in a few days.” “Don’t worry about it. Ever since Ms. Sterling bought out the company, this is pocket change to me.” The way she looked down at me made me sick. Guess things have been going pretty well for her lately. While everyone stared, I pushed her hand away and took my watch back from Zachary. “No thanks, Ms. Martinez. I don’t take handouts from strangers.” I smiled.

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The doctor said I was dying. Two weeks at most… My mate and husband Gavin paced in circles. He barked at the my son to ready the cart. “Two weeks is too long. Take her to the burial grounds now. I can’t wait…” “I want my wife to die quickly, let’s bury her alive!” He yanked me off the bed. “Mongrels are mongrels. Always causing trouble.” “You know Selina joins the pack tomorrow. Yet you refuse to die.” “You want everyone to say she was the mistress!” How ridiculous! He couldn’t wait for me to die so he could take his mistress home. He made me the laughingstock of the entire pack. I couldn’t fight back. I let the tears fall. Through blurred vision, I heard Gavin’s snarl. Contempt. Rage. Decades of disgust. Gavin never looked at me properly. Only when I served him would he sneer. “Just a mongrel.” Fifty years as his mate. I lost my family. My name. My life. Then I opened my eyes. I was *BACK* on my Mating Day… I chose to refuse the bond. He dropped to his knees and begged. “Please marry me, Alpha girl, I need you. I admire your strength!” — Outside the mating carriage, voices jeered. “Let us see the mongrel bride!” My body froze. My father was an alpha, but my mother was a witch, but I was definitely not a mongrel… I was Alpha blood girl! They couldn’t call me a mongrel just because my hair is red… My mother was a witch of the purest blood, and I was proud of that. Why did they call me a mongrel? That’s their ignorance! *Memories flashed like lightning.* The Moon Goddess gave me a SECOND CHANCE. This time, I won’t mate with Gavin. Then the door ripped open. “Just a cursed girl. Let them look.” I should have known his attitude long ago. He pretended to admire me, but in reality, he just wanted to cooperate with my father. He is an Alpha pf anpther pack… Young Gavin despised me. But before the bond, he was only cold. The old Gavin was cruel. He tormented me without restraint. Through the thin hood, our eyes met. In an instant, I knew. This Gavin was the one who threw me away. He made me live in fear. Sure enough, Gavin looked down at me. “I won’t dirty my hands. Take off the hood yourself.” I didn’t move. He kicked the carriage. “What’s wrong? Too ugly to show your face?” “If not for the Alpha King’s command, I’d rather mate a hooker than a cursed red-hair girl.” A pack member whispered. “She’s still alpha-blood. Don’t go too far. Just complete the bond.” Gavin laughed. “Alpha-blood? But her mother was a greedy witch! Don’t forget! We hate witches! You have no idea how much her father wanted to throw her out! Like trash!” Bullshit! I saw with my own eyes how he begged my father. It wasn’t what he said at all. He was lying! He destroyed everything I was proud of. In my past life, I removed the hood on our first night. He was stunned by my beauty. Then he mocked me. Said I looked barbaric with heavy makeup. Not elegant like the pure-blood werewolves. I explained through tears. “My mother is witch. Features are different. This makeup doesn’t suit me. I won’t wear it after the bond.” His response was harsher. “With that face, no amount of makeup can fix you. You’re a beast in clothes.” Back then, I was lost. Now, reborn, I faced his disgust with calm. “Then go mate the tavern girl. With a hooker.” Gavin froze. He ripped off my hood in disbelief. “What did you say?” The hood fell. My face was revealed. Gasps echoed through the crowd. Gavin looked shocked. He didn’t expect defiance from his bride. In my past life, I thought I wasn’t good enough. So I begged again and again. No matter how I debased myself, he only sneered. “Just a mongrel.” Even in public, he humiliated me. “An Alpha’s daughter doesn’t know how to serve her mate at meals?” “Truly raised in a pack of strays.” Every time we fucked, he made me to take birth control pills. “The pack can’t have mongrel blood.” “Your mother is an inferior witch, and I don’t want to give birth to a red-haired little girl.” “Good heavens, your red hair is so ugly!” He looked at me with disgust. As if touching me was filth. I wanted to say we didn’t have to fuck. He didn’t have to mate with me. But when I met those mocking eyes, all words died. Five years later, we still had no pup. Gavin adopted a boy from his own pack. But the pup looked just like him. Not just his face. His temper too. I suspect it was born to his mistress, but I have no proof. “It’s your fault! Everyone laughs at me for having a mongrel mother.” My so-called son screamed at me… “Get rid of that stupid bracelet! You look like a witch!” But I was actually a witch… I was both Alpha blood and the witch, and it was not my fault… He snatched the bracelet and threw it down. Stomped on it. My mother gave me that bracelet before I left. It was flattened. Broken. Silent. That pain stayed in my chest until I died. Gavin said I was illiterate. So I hired a tutor. I learned their language. Wrote perfectly. But he still laughed at my writing. Said nothing. Just sneered. I rode horses well. He called me crude. Made me drive the cart like a servant. But if I were in my own wolf pack, my father would train me to be the fiercest female warrior. I missed my father and my mother… Only at the end did I understand. Gavin never saw me as his mate. Never saw me as a person. But now I know. I stared at Gavin and spoke slowly. “I said, if you want the hooker in the brothel, go fuck her and marry her.” Gavin’s face darkened. “You threaten me?” “Fine. I’ll mate her. Watch me.” He mounted his horse and charged toward the brothel. But not before sneering at me. “A witch thinks she’s alpha-blood.” “When I mate the hooker in the brothel, you’ll be nothing but a breeder.” Calmly, I looked up and asked the question that haunted me. “Gavin, alliance mates always bond with royalty.” “If you never wanted me, why did you volunteer?”

Thre came a familiar laugh: “No one else wanted you. I was doing your father a favor.” “He’s so pathetic. He has to cater to your feelings and pretend to love you. But you’re just a stain on his reputation, a stain he wants to get rid of!” “I did him a huge favor, so he agreed to cooperate with me.” The words slapped me across the face. Gavin glanced at me. His eyes said I deserved it. Tears welled up. I turned to leave. Then I nearly collided with a woman. “Gavin, it’s your Mating Day. What are you doing?” Gavin’s eyes lit up. His voice softened. “The alpha-blood rejected me. Said I’m too low-ranked.” “Selina, since you’re here, why don’t you bond with me instead? Although you’re a hooker, I bet your wolf is definitely much stronger than hers!” Were you kidding me? Did he really want to marry a hooker? I guessed right… My tears dried instantly. My mind raced. I’d been his mate for decades. I knew him too well. His movements. His expressions. The gossip around us. In seconds, I pieced it together. Selina and Gavin had a past. But her family fell from grace. She ended up in the brothel. He wanted to use me to marry Selina. He’s an alpha, and he was afraid that someone in the wolf pack would object, so he wanted to marry Selina openly and legitimately. The person he originally wanted to marry wasn’t me at all… He needed a excuse… That’s me… A cursed descendant of a witch, a woman of noble lineage who has no fertility. So he could marry Selena, so he could have two wives, so he could openly tell the wolves how useless I was, that he married Selena, a hooker, for procreation, for an heir. In my last life, I dreamed of a happy bond. But the day after our ceremony, Selina moved into the pack house. Now I understand. Gavin mated me to free Selina from the brothel. Gavin circled Selina. His eyes never left her. Memories surged. Every insult finally made sense. Every time he degraded me, he was praising her. He humiliated me for how boring I was in bed, he humiliated my mother and my hair, and my witch blood. I blamed myself. Never thought to question them. Seeing my pale face, Selina touched her hair and smiled. She grabbed Gavin’s hand and swayed it. She coaxed him like a child. “Gavin, it’s your Mating Day. Don’t be angry.” Then she turned to me and bowed slightly. “Forgive him, Freya. He’s just blunt. He means no harm.” “I’ll make sure he completes the bond. Just be gentle with him tonight.” Gavin didn’t move. She pouted. Pulled him off the horse. Pinched his arm. “Did you forget our agreement? Go.” At her reminder, Gavin looked at me meaningfully. He walked over and bowed mockingly. “Let’s go, witch-blood. Skip the ritual. I’ll bond with you now. Satisfied?” In my past life, he never bowed once. In this life, Selina made him do it with one sentence. The absurdity swallowed me whole. I couldn’t hold back. Tears fell. “Are you done?” Gavin muttered under his breath. Selina glared at him. I wiped my tears. Stared at him without blinking. “Gavin, I am a Alpha’s daughter.” “I came for an alliance. Not to be humiliated. I told you I was an Alpha princess, and you didn’t believe me, but don’t forget what you promised my father!” “If you want to marry the hooker, tell the Alpha King yourself. Refuse his command and alliance.” Selina’s face went white. She bit her lip.

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I watched my eight-year-old son die on the execution platform. My mate Kael’s last words weren’t for us. They were for Seraphina—the Alpha King’s Luna Queen. “Your Majesty, please take care of Seraphina!” Then the silver chains tore me apart too. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day it all began. *** My mate—Alpha Kael and Luna Queen Seraphina were childhood sweethearts. This was a thorn in the Alpha King’s heart. Even after Kael mated me, the two remained as close as ever. When Seraphina was punished to kneel, Kael held an umbrella over her for a day and night. When Kael was injured, Seraphina knelt to dress his wounds herself. I knew the Alpha King’s rage could destroy entire packs. I warned him many times, but Kael thought I was petty and jealous. Every time he visited the palace, he’d lock me in the shed. Later, the Alpha King took a new mate and demoted Seraphina. Seraphina refused to eat or drink. She even requested to be sent to the outer pack. At the Council meeting, Kael publicly denounced the Alpha King for abandoning his first mate. The Alpha King was enraged. He ordered our entire pack executed. On the execution platform, I begged Kael to apologize to the King and save our pup’s life. Kael ignored me. He continued his defiance until death. “Your Majesty, my pack’s death means nothing!” “I only beg you treat Luna Queen Seraphina well!” “Seraphina is delicate, she’s cried since childhood. Please take care of her, Your Majesty! I die without regret!” I watched helplessly as my eight-year-old pup was ripped apart. Then I was torn apart too. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Seraphina was punished. …… “Elara, don’t stop me!” “Seraphina is being punished—the King must have misunderstood her!” “You know her personality. She’d rather die than defend herself.” “If I don’t help her, who will stand by her side?” Kael shoved me hard. I fell to the ground, my forehead hitting the stone steps. Blood everywhere. I was dazed for a moment, then realized—I’d been reborn. The Moon Goddess must have seen how unjustly I died and given me another chance. Before I could get up, Kael looked at me strangely. “Elara, even if you fake unconsciousness, I won’t stay.” “A little bump—what’s the big deal?” “Seraphina would never be so dramatic.” Thinking of Seraphina, Kael’s eyes softened. She was stubborn since childhood. Right now, suffering punishment, she must be gritting her teeth to hold back tears. His heart ached at the thought. He mounted his motorcycle. I scrambled up and blocked his path, blood covering my face, looking ghastly. “Kael, Seraphina is the Alpha King’s mate now! Their relationship is none of your business!” I glared at him. Looking at his face now, I felt no warmth from our early days. Only hatred. At the execution ground in my past life, I’d knelt to him. I’d even smashed my forehead bloody. Just begging him to submit to the Alpha King. The King was merciful. If Kael had just backed down, he would have spared our young pup. But Kael ignored me. He kept provoking the King’s authority. To him, our pup and I weren’t worth a single strand of Seraphina’s hair. I could never forget Ash’s screams and pain before death. This time, I would protect Ash. As for Kael—if he wanted death, I’d help him get there. “Kael, I know you and Seraphina were childhood sweethearts!” “After all these years, you still haven’t let her go?” “Seraphina is the country’s Luna Queen now!” “Your obsession with her—where does that leave the Alpha King?!” The moment I finished speaking, Kael’s face changed. Pack members watching nearby began whispering, pointing at Kael. “Elara, how dare you slander Seraphina?!” Kael’s eyes were bloodshot. His hand gripped the handlebars, veins bulging. I saw the murderous intent in his eyes. If we weren’t in front of so many witnesses, his wheels would have already crushed me into pulp. Ten years as mates. He’d never once truly seen me as his mate. The pain spread through my chest. Tears blurred my vision. Heartbreak and hatred intertwined. But I held back the tears and dropped to my knees in front of him. “If you must go, then drive over my corpse!”

“Mom!!” Ash ran out too, kneeling beside me, looking at Kael with tearful eyes. “Dad, don’t you love me and Mom anymore?” Ash’s small body curled into my arms. My nose stung. Tears I’d held back finally fell. Seeing Ash, Kael’s tense body relaxed slightly. The coldness in his eyes softened with reluctance. “Ash, Dad loves you and your mom, of course.” “But right now, Aunt Seraphina is in trouble. Dad has to help her.” Ash frowned in confusion, tears still on his face. “But Dad, doesn’t Aunt Seraphina have her own mate? Why does she need Mom’s mate to help her?” Kael’s face paled. The surrounding pack members echoed the sentiment. “Alpha Kael, you have a devoted mate and smart pup. What more could you want?” “The King is merciful and treats Luna Queen Seraphina well. This is probably just a small punishment. You don’t need to worry so much.” “What do you know?!” Kael suddenly exploded with rage, glaring at the well-meaning pack members. “What about Seraphina’s pain?!” I laughed coldly. All these years, Seraphina’s act of being gentle and yielding—only Kael believed it. Kael turned to look at me, his eyes full of disappointment. “Elara, I’ve been mated to you for ten years. Is this how you raised our pup?” “I’ll settle this with you when I return!” Before he finished speaking, Kael gunned the engine. The motorcycle roared and leaped directly over me and Ash’s heads. The wheels grazed my hair as they passed. For that instant, I truly thought I’d die under his wheels. Ash fainted from shock in my arms. “Kael!” I turned, screaming at him with a voice like torn flesh. “If you insist on this, then give me rejection papers! Let me and Ash go!” The engine noise faded into the distance. From start to finish, Kael never looked back once. I pulled at my cracked lips and laughed bitterly. The last thread of hope in my heart died with that engine sound. Only hatred remained. Kael, since you’re seeking death, this time, my pup and I won’t accompany you. Ash and I knelt there in misery. Rain poured down, washing away the blood on my forehead. I looked up at the foggy sky. Right now, Kael was probably holding an umbrella over Seraphina, shielding her from the storm. His umbrella had never once tilted toward me and our pup. I sighed softly. My handmaid Ember ran out with an umbrella, covering me from the rain. “Madam, you’re weak. Please take the young master inside!” “I’ll notify you the moment the Alpha returns!” I shook my head. I only handed Ash to Ember and had her take him back. I continued kneeling at the gate. After today, everyone in the territory would know—the Silver Moon Luna knelt in the rain all day to stop her mate from going to the palace. This time, I’d make Kael the target of everyone’s scorn! I don’t know how long passed. A sliver of light broke through the eastern sky. The rain gradually stopped. Kael’s figure appeared in my view. He glanced at me once. His tired face showed impatience slowly covered by guilt. He bent down, pulling my arm to help me up. “Elara, I was too impulsive today. I didn’t consider you and Ash.” “Don’t be angry, okay?” I pulled at my cracked lips. Looking at him, my eyes were calm as still water. I used my last bit of strength to say: “Kael, let’s reject the bond.”

When I opened my eyes again, Kael was beside me. Seeing me awake, joy flashed in his eyes. “Elara, you’re finally awake!” “Don’t be so willful again. Do you know you had a fever all day?” “I was worried sick!” He gripped my hand and brought over a bowl of medicine, gently feeding it to me. “You know Seraphina’s father saved my life.” “Before he died, he made me promise to take care of Seraphina.” “She’s alone in the palace, struggling at every turn. If I don’t help her, she’ll truly have no one.” “You’ve always been kind and understanding. Why are you so stubborn about this?” He frowned slightly, as if every word was sincere. If I hadn’t lived through this once, I might have believed him. “Seraphina asked me to thank you yesterday. She praised your generosity!” Kael said with a smile. But those words stabbed into my heart like a sharp needle. Could Kael really not hear that this was a challenge? I slowly closed my eyes, no longer listening to anything he said. After that, I stayed home to recover while secretly tallying my dowry and assets, transferring them out of the pack. A few days later, Kael was sent to the southern border to fight rogues. The house was quiet for over a month before Kael returned injured. At that time, I was having tea with several pack officials’ mates. The moment I heard the news, I brought everyone to his study to check on him. “Quickly, get the premium healing herbs from my vault!” “I hope he’s not badly hurt and everything is fine!” “Otherwise I don’t know how I’ll go on!” My expression was anxious, tears on my face. Reaching the study door, I took a deep breath and pushed it open. “Kael, are you alright?!” My voice stopped abruptly. In the study, on the couch, Kael wore only underclothes, half-reclining. Luna Seraphina, dressed in men’s clothes, knelt at the couch examining his leg wound, carefully applying medicine. Her eyes were red with distress. “Seraphina, it’s just a minor injury. Nothing serious.” Kael held Seraphina’s hand tenderly. The two gazed at each other deeply, as if no one else existed. All of this fell into my and the officials’ mates’ eyes. “The Luna Queen and a pack commander, so improperly dressed… What a scandal!” Seraphina looked mortified. Kael’s gaze cut toward us like a knife. “Get out!” I turned hurriedly and closed the study door. Tears streamed down my face. My lips trembled. “Sisters, today isn’t convenient. Please go home. I’ll visit to apologize another day.” Everyone consoled me briefly before leaving. After they left, the tears on my face vanished instantly. Everyone I’d invited today was a notorious gossip. And several had mates who worked in the Council—upright officials who spoke truth to power. Rumors on one side. Petitions on the other. Let’s see if Kael could withstand both attacks for Seraphina’s sake. Back in my room, I told Ember to fetch a silver blade. Ember looked terrified. “Don’t worry. I survived this far. I won’t die easily.” Ember brought the blade. I dismissed everyone and held it to my throat. Timing it carefully, I pressed the blade against my neck.

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My fiancée’s childhood friend, James Anderson, sabotaged my wedding. Three times. The first time, he flew back from abroad and took my bride away right in the middle of the ceremony. He gave me this pathetic look and said, “Evelyn’s mom wasn’t doing well at the care facility. She wants to see her, so I had to take her there immediately.” The second time, he got drunk and sneaked into our reception. He knocked over the champagne tower, and the surprise I’d spent ages planning for the wedding—he tore it to pieces and threw it in the basement. When he sobered up, he begged, “Matthew, this is all my fault. Take it out on me, hit me!” Now the third time. We moved the wedding to my fiancée’s estate in the countryside. He deliberately gave me the wrong address. I drove straight into a cemetery on the outskirts of town. Evelyn Watson always tried to smooth things over. “James has been looking after my mom ever since she got sick. He’s given up so much for me… and I ended up marrying you. He’s just hurt. He’s not trying to mess with you on purpose.” But she had no idea. Because this time, her wedding was about to become a funeral. *** When I got out of the car and saw nothing but gravestones, I realized James had screwed me over again. He knew I wasn’t familiar with Evelyn’s family estate, so he gave me the wrong location. The groom’s car ended up at a cemetery on the outskirts. I stood there in my white suit, staring at rows of graves. Inside the car were all the relatives and friends I’d picked up from the city for the wedding. I could hear them whispering. “This is the third time they’ve tried to hold this wedding! She clearly doesn’t want to marry him.” “No kidding. And the groom doesn’t even know where the ceremony is—it’s ridiculous.” “A wedding at a cemetery? With whom? Ghosts?” My hands tightened on the steering wheel. The white suit I was wearing, the boutonnière on my chest—they felt like a joke. Last night, Evelyn lay in my arms and swore to me—promised me—that this time James would not cause any trouble. And now? I was a laughingstock again. Another failed wedding. Three hours later, Evelyn finally texted me back. “Sorry, James said he was just pulling a prank. Don’t get upset over something so petty. I’ll send you the estate address again.” She used to reply instantly. But ever since her childhood friend came back, her replies had been fewer and slower. Evelyn’s mother, Alice Watson, was in the back seat. She heard Evelyn’s voice message. Her face went dark. She clutched her chest and said through gritted teeth, “Matthew… Has Evelyn been treating you like this all along?” Mrs. Watson hadn’t been well. She’s spent the last few years at a treatment facility abroad. She missed the first two weddings. This time, to attend her daughter’s wedding, she flew back specially and asked me to bring her secretly, to surprise Evelyn. She called Evelyn. The phone kept getting hung up immediately. When it finally connected, Evelyn ripped into me. “Matthew, I already sent you the address! What more do you want? He’ll never have the right to stand by my side. But you married me. Can’t you just be the bigger person here? Don’t forget, he’s the one who’s been taking care of my mom overseas all these years.” Then, over the phone, I heard James’s voice, all choked up. “Evelyn, I can’t let you go. I can’t live without you.” “Mmm—ahh!” Evelyn suddenly let out a high, intimate moan. Along with it came the unmistakable wet sounds of bodies colliding. Anyone could tell what that meant. The call was cut off. Mrs. Watson panted heavily with rage. “Scoundrels! Scoundrels!” My face went pale. My nails dug into my palms until they bled. I didn’t even feel it. Evelyn and I had never had sex. She’d told me she wanted to save her first time for her husband, not her boyfriend. So no matter what, she refused to let me touch her, and I endured it for her sake. And now? After seven years of dating, on the very day of our wedding, I heard her having sex with her childhood sweetheart. After a moment, I laughed bitterly and turned to Mrs. Watson. “Mrs. Watson, I don’t want to go through with this wedding.” I couldn’t take her betrayal. I didn’t want to keep swallowing it. But the next second, Mrs. Watson’s face suddenly turned purple. She clutched her chest and collapsed stiffly onto the seat, her body trembling violently. Her heart condition had been triggered by anger.

I rushed out of the car and climbed into the back seat, frantically asking Mrs. Watson where her medication was. When I finally found it and fed it to her, there was still no improvement. Someone noticed something was wrong and came over to ask what was happening. The moment they saw Mrs. Watson’s condition, they panicked. “Call 911! She needs an ambulance now!” “This is an acute heart attack. She has to get to a hospital fast. The medicine won’t help anymore” But when I called emergency services, they told me the nearest major hospital was at least 45 miles away. And Mrs. Watson only had a few minutes. Our only option was a small local clinic. But those weren’t marked on any map, and none of us knew this area—hell, we were in a cemetery. There wasn’t even a living soul around to ask for directions. I called Evelyn again. She hung up immediately. I texted her. Nothing. I couldn’t unlock Mrs. Watson’s phone. I didn’t have anyone else’s number. I was desperate, trying to do something—anything—but I felt completely helpless. All I could do was watch Mrs. Watson’s face turn darker purple, her breathing getting weaker and weaker. I took photos of her, sent them to Evelyn over and over, hoping for a response. Finally, she replied. It was a photo of her, naked, covered in hickeys, eyes closed, lying in bed next to James. I couldn’t breathe. My hands were shaking. Her own mother was dying, and she was still hooking up with her man? A second later, she unsent the photo. But Mrs. Watson, in her final moments, had already seen it. Her eyes widened, and her last faint breath ceased. I ended up taking Mrs. Watson’s body to the hospital morgue. The local doctor showed up late, sighed, and told me, “There was a clinic less than three miles away from where you were. A retired cardiologist—used to be a department head at a major hospital—opened it after he retired. If you’d known and gotten her there in time, she would’ve had a very good chance of surviving.” I froze. It felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart. Then Evelyn called. Her voice was ice cold. “Matthew, what’s your problem? Just because James pulled a little prank on you, you’re going to curse my mom like this? Don’t forget—she raised you too. That’s just cruel.” I was an orphan. The Watson family sponsored me my whole life. Mrs. Watson was always good to me. I never forgot that. That was why, even after everything Evelyn had put me through, I still forgave her. But now Mrs. Watson was gone. All I felt was the pain of losing someone I loved. “She’s really gone, Evelyn. If you don’t believe me, come to the hospital and see for yourself.” Her voice shot up. “Matthew, I’m seriously pissed off now! You’re still throwing a tantrum and won’t come to the estate? Everyone’s waiting for you, and you just don’t show up—fine, whatever, let them laugh at me. But now you keep cursing my mom, saying she’s dead? How sick are you?” I didn’t bother arguing. I just sent her a photo of the death certificate. Not long after, Evelyn showed up at the hospital entrance. James was right there with her. The first thing she did? Slapped me across the face. Before I could even react, she held up her phone. On the screen was a photo of an older woman who looked a lot like Mrs. Watson, smiling happily at some overseas care facility. “James told me—my mom is still at the treatment facility abroad. She’s flying back the day after tomorrow!” “Matthew, don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. This is revenge.” “Today is our wedding day! You didn’t show up, yet drove all the guests to the hospital. Do you even know what you’re doing?” Her words cut through me like a knife. James had tricked the entire wedding party into driving to some remote cemetery, and she called it “a little prank.” Mrs. Watson died because she didn’t get help in time, I brought her body to the hospital, kept her in the morgue, and Evelyn called me disgusting. I let out a cold laugh. “You don’t even remember what your own mother looks like anymore? If you really think nothing happened, come with me to the morgue and see for yourself.” My tone must have finally shaken her. She started to realize something was off. That was when she noticed how wrecked I looked. My suit was filthy, and it smelled bad. The smell was from Mrs. Watson throwing up on me in her final moments. Evelyn wrinkled her nose and pinched it shut. “What’s that stench? You’re disgusting! I don’t believe my mom’s dead. James wouldn’t lie to me. Take me to see her—now.” Just as I turned to lead her inside, James bowed deeply. “Matthew, I’ll apologize, okay? Just stop lying. I’ve been the one taking care of her overseas. You’re telling me something happened to her? How is that even possible? If you just don’t want me around Evelyn anymore, fine—I’ll leave!”

A look of sudden realization crossed Evelyn’s face, followed immediately by a trace of impatience. “So that’s what this is about. You messed up our wedding today—it wasn’t James’s fault. If you don’t apologize to him publicly, the wedding’s off.” I just watched her go after James, completely unmoved. She still didn’t get it. There was no “next time” for us. That night, after leaving the hospital, I posted on my private social media that Mrs. Watson had passed away from a heart attack. When I turned my phone on the next morning, I had hundreds of missed calls from Evelyn. Countless messages. She still thought I was so desperate to get back at James that I’d stoop to making up lies about Mrs. Watson’s death. She kept threatening me, demanding I take the post down. I replied with one cold sentence. [Evelyn, we’re done.] Her response came faster than any message she’d ever sent me. Her voice had a tremor she couldn’t quite hide. “Matthew, you can’t just break up with me. Seven years—you’re throwing away seven years just like that? I won’t accept it.” “I’m not asking for your permission, Evelyn. I’m telling you how it is. I’ll handle the funeral. After that, we’re done.” My voice was flat, “Right now, all I need from you is the address of that countryside estate.” Moving the wedding to her childhood estate had been Evelyn’s idea. She said she wanted to get married at the house she grew up in—said her mother had done the same, on that same lawn, and she wanted her mom to see her walk down the aisle there. Yet in the end, Mrs. Watson had been killed because of her, and I had become the laughingstock of the town. Evelyn let out a relieved breath and laughed softly into the phone. “Oh, so that’s your game? You just wanted me to give you the address? Look, if you apologize to James nicely, we can still have the ceremony.” I laughed bitterly. “What ceremony? Marrying a woman who spent our wedding day in bed with her childhood friend while her own mother was dying? I can’t do that.” Evelyn snapped. “Matthew! I’ve had it with you. My mom is fine—she’s getting treatment overseas. If you keep spreading these lies about her, I swear—” The call ended badly. A few minutes later, she sent a long message. [James has loved me for years. He’s taken care of my mom all this time. He’s always had this one dream—to be my groom, just once. I’ve been hesitating because I didn’t want to hurt you. But after the way you’ve acted? I’ve made up my mind. I’m saying yes. The day after tomorrow, he’s going to be my groom.] I didn’t reply. I just laughed at myself. Didn’t he already have his wedding night with her? But she didn’t know what I’d found while going through Mrs. Watson’s belongings. James had only lasted about a week overseas before he got kicked out of the country for harassing a nurse. He hadn’t been taking care of Mrs. Watson at all these past few years. I had. I’d been wiring money every month to a professional agency that sent caretakers to look after her. On my way to the police station, James called. He was gloating. “You think you can compete with me? Please. I’ve always been the one she cares about most. She even gave me her first time. Day after tomorrow, I’m the groom. You’ll never mean as much to her as I do.” “So what? I don’t want something that’s been tainted.” My voice stayed cold. “You’ll regret saying that.” He hung up, clearly pissed. At the station, I handed over Mrs. Watson’s death certificate and asked them to look up Evelyn’s estate address. They found it easily. As I was thanking them and turning to leave, the officer stopped me. “You said you’re Evelyn’s husband? But according to our records, she’s already married. Her husband is listed as James Anderson. They registered as husband and wife three months ago.”

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I am the Alpha king, the strongest werewolf in existence. I took the last purebred Silver Wolf as my mate. But the child she bore wasn’t a Silver Wolf. Wasn’t an Alpha either. It was an omega that couldn’t even shift. Still, my Luna cradled it lovingly. Asking me if we should name our son Kane or Raven. I stayed silent for a long moment. “Rejection.” My Luna froze. “What did you call him?” “I said,” I raised my voice, “I’m rejecting you as my mate!” The room erupted. Elena was the Silver Wolf Princess, highest bloodline in existence. Outside the hall, Alphas and Elders from every pack filled the space. Elena’s expression twisted. “Slade, if you don’t like so many guests, I’ll send them away. Don’t joke like this, please.” I stood, grabbing her arm to drag her outside. “I’m not joking.” “We’re going to the Moon Altar right now to break the bond.” Humans get married with papers and divorce with signatures. Werewolves are more complicated. On mating day, names are carved into the Moon Stone, sealing the bond. To reject your mate, you need to erase the names on the Moon Stone. But it isn’t just erasing two names. The one at fault gets punished by the Moon Goddess. Elena looked hurt. “Slade, you can reject me if you want, but tell me what I did wrong first.” I said nothing, glancing at the pup in her arms. After years as mates, one look was enough for her to understand. Elena’s eyes widened. “It’s because of the pup? Just because I gave birth to an omega pup?” When she first got pregnant, I’d said every day our child would be a Silver Wolf or an Alpha. Not just me. Everyone thought so. My father was the strongest Alpha. My mother was the Moon Priestess. Both bloodlines were legendary. Elena’s lineage needed no explanation—there wasn’t a creature alive that could harm her except the Moon Goddess. Our child was famous before it was even born. But when she finally gave birth. It was just a weak omega. No shift ability, no inner wolf. Its tail was even half-formed. Seeing I didn’t deny it, every guest stared in shock. They say Alpha king should love all pups, even others’ children, treating them like their own. The first to call me out was my beta, Jax. “Alpha Slade, Luna Elena is about to cry. Apologize to her.” “Don’t forget Luna Elena went to the Northern Wastes to find the Fertility Herb, and she got attacked by rogues. She fought them off, but the wound on her shoulder still hasn’t healed.” “She nearly died giving birth. Almost lost her life. How can you break her heart like this?” Elena was a Silver Wolf, but she had trouble conceiving. We’d had a few pregnancies before. All miscarriages. To carry this pup to term, she went to find the Fertility Herb herself. I glanced at him coldly. “I didn’t even know about her shoulder wound. How did you?” Jax’s face went pale, stammering without an answer. “My Alpha, don’t blame him.” Elena stepped forward. “When I came back that day, I collapsed at the door from blood loss. Jax found me.” She finished. A few more pack members stepped forward, saying they witnessed it too. Their words made me look jealous and petty. The other Elders didn’t approve of my behavior either. “Alpha Slade, you’re the king of all alphas. How can you still be this jealous?” “Everyone knows how much Luna Elena loves you. Back then, she endured silver burns for you. How can you doubt her like this? It’s hurtful.” “And about the pup. Just because you’re an Alpha doesn’t mean your child has to be one too, right? ” “Enough.” Elena looked displeased at them defending me. “Thank you all for your concern, but this is pack business. Please say no more.” Her words. Made everyone resent me even more. When Elena turned back to me, her tone softened. “My Alpha, I know you wanted an Alpha heir. It’s okay. We can have another.” “You’re upset the pup isn’t strong. It’s fine. If he’s not, we’ll make him one. With your power and mine, we can make it.” The other Elders offered solutions too. Some promised rare herbs to boost power. Others recommended sacred training grounds. As if with one nod from me, this runt would transform into a legendary alpha tomorrow. Seeing I was unmoved by their suggestions. Elena grew more anxious. “My Alpha, just tell me what you want! I can give you anything!” I stared at her for a long moment. “You’ll give me anything I want?” Elena nodded firmly. “I want my pup.” Each word sharp. “Give me back my real pup.”

A flicker of panic crossed Elena’s perfect face. She pushed the pup forward. “My Alpha, this is our pup.” I looked at the pup coldly. “This isn’t my pup. This is someone else’s.” Elena looked shocked. “My Alpha, what do you mean? Did someone switch the pups during the birth?” Before I could respond, she called out urgently: “Someone! Bring me the midwife who delivered my pup. I need to question her about what she did.” In less than 10 minutes, the midwife appeared. After hearing the situation, she dropped to her knees. “I’m innocent! This is the pup Luna Elena gave birth to! And I wasn’t the only one there that day. Many pack members were present during the delivery.” The midwife quickly named several witnesses. All were Elena’s close friends who’d stayed in the room during labor, worried something might go wrong. Now, they stepped forward to confirm they’d seen this pup come from Elena’s body with their own eyes. Everyone’s gaze fell on me again. Their expressions seemed to say how could there be a father like me in this world? Just because the pup didn’t meet my expectations, I wanted to abandon my mate and child. Some hot-tempered wolves openly cursed me for being ungrateful. I bit my lip. “Just because it came from her body means it’s mine?” “Slade, are you accusing Elena of infidelity?” Even the High Elder couldn’t stand it anymore. “If that’s the case, we’ll use the Blood Stone. Let’s see whose pup this really is.” The High Elder gave the order, and someone immediately retrieved the stone from the vault. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Elena cut the pup’s paw and let blood drip onto the stone. Then she cut her own finger and added her blood. The two drops made the stone glow red. This proved a blood connection. After Elena’s test, it was my turn. I did the same. After a moment, the Blood Stone glowed red. Seeing this, Elena breathed a sigh of relief. “My Alpha, now do you believe this is our pup?” I stared at the stone in disbelief. “No, that’s impossible…” No werewolf can fail to sense whether a pup is their own. This weak pup had no trace of my scent. Why didn’t anyone else notice? Even the Blood Stone confirmed it was my pup. Was I wrong? “How is it impossible?” Jax spoke up. “Everyone knows the Blood Stone never lies. Alpha, have you been too exhausted lately? Are you hallucinating? Let me take you back to rest. Stop slandering the Luna.” His hand barely touched my arm. I shoved him away hard. “This isn’t my pup! It’s not! Stay away from me!” Elena helped Jax up, then yelled at me: “Slade, how long are you going to keep this up? We have witnesses, we have the Blood Stone—why won’t you believe this is our pup? Have you lost your mind?” Not just her—everyone looked at me like I was insane. I wasn’t insane. But panic was drowning me. To find the truth, I’d have to go there.

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Ten years ago, a bridge I built collapsed, killing dozens. My parents called me a murderer and disowned me. The victims’ families poured gasoline over me, threatening to burn me alive. I served ten years in prison. When I got out, I changed my name and worked as a barista at a coffee shop in a small city. Life was quiet and peaceful. Just when I thought it would stay that way forever, my ex-wife Isabella Foster showed up. The architectural firm she founded had gone public years ago and was now at the peak of her career. Reporters crowded around her, shoving cameras in my face. “Mr. Reid, Ms. Foster has been engaged to you for ten years but never married. She’s been waiting for you all along!” I almost laughed out loud. What they didn’t know was that ten years ago, Isabella let her lover bribe his way onto my construction team for kickbacks. When the accident happened, she let me take the fall. – Under the flashing lights, Isabella’s face remained as cold and composed as ever. My boss was thrilled. He rushed over asking for an autograph and a photo. Seeing I didn’t react, he turned and shouted at me: “Mark, come take a picture with Ms. Foster! She’s the youngest CEO in the world! If we get a photo with her, our shop will go viral. I’ll give you a raise!” When my boss yelled that, my hands froze while I was washing dishes. I didn’t look up. But the reporters noticed me immediately and swarmed over. “Mr. Reid, so you’ve been hiding out in a coffee shop this whole time! You used to be a world-famous architect, and now you’re working as a waiter here. Doesn’t that bother you?” “We heard your ex-wife has been waiting for you all these years and keeps putting off her wedding. What do you think about that?” I ignored the microphones shoved in my face and kept working, but my hands were shaking badly as I held the cups. I’d seen what Isabella was capable of. I didn’t believe for a second she had any real feelings for me—I was just on guard. The standoff dragged on until Isabella walked over and shielded me from the reporters’ cameras. Her expression was serious. “This is between me and my ex-husband. We’re not doing interviews. Please leave.” Then she turned to me, her expression shifting — hard to read. “Marcus. It’s been a while.” Hearing her voice again after all these years made my hands shake even harder. A coffee cup slipped from my grip and smashed on the floor. A shard of ceramic cut my hand, and blood dripped from my fingers. Isabella grabbed my hand, frowning. “How can you be so careless?” I jerked my hand away and turned to my boss Gavin Barnes. “Gavin, I’m so sorry. I’ll clean this up right away. Just deduct the cup from my paycheck!” Before Gavin could respond, a cheerful voice called from the entrance: “Bella, what are you doing here? You left without saying a word. Mom, Dad, and I were worried about you!” I looked toward the voice and saw a man with an easy smile walk in. He pulled Isabella into his arms naturally and kissed her temple. Ryan Cameron. He was the one responsible for the bridge collapse ten years ago — and he was also Isabella’s fiancé. Behind him stood my own parents, the ones who’d disowned me ten years before. Ryan glanced at me with a contemptuous smile. “Marcus. Been a while.” He let that land. “Oh, and your parents took me in as their godson, so I guess we’re brothers now!” I glanced at my parents behind him. They’d aged so much. Compared to ten years ago, their backs were slightly hunched, and their hair had turned completely white. My chest went tight. I wondered how they’d feel if they knew their precious godson was the one who’d actually sent their real son to prison. My father saw me and scoffed. “Ryan is our only son. Murderers like you, who let people die for money, make me sick!” My mother’s voice was even harsher. “Bella, why would you come looking for scum like him?” After my parents spoke, everyone in the shop, including Gavin, stared at me with strange looks. I turned away and fought back the pain. I couldn’t bear to look at them. Isabella sighed. “Don’t blame your parents. What happened back then really broke them.” She pulled out an embossed business card and handed it to me. “I owe you far too much. If you ever need anything, just call me.”

I didn’t refuse Isabella’s business card. Rather, I just took it politely like I would from any regular customer, then set it aside without thinking much about it. I didn’t believe Isabella had come looking for me on purpose, and honestly, I had no desire to see her again. That changed three days later when Gavin called. “Mark, I’m really sorry. I had no idea you used to be such a big deal. Having an architect like you making coffee at my place? That’s just a waste of your talent.” “I’ll count this month as full attendance and transfer your salary to your card shortly. Starting tomorrow, just take a rest—you don’t need to come anymore.” Before I could get a word in, he quickly hung up. I tried calling him back, confused, but he’d already blocked me. Right then, I got a notification about my paycheck. Gavin had sent me $2,100—with an extra $900 on top, and a short message. “Consider the extra $900 my apology. We’re a small business and can’t afford trouble. Please don’t come back.” My stomach sank. I knew immediately this was Isabella’s doing. Sure enough, Isabella called. “Mark, there’s nothing I can do to overturn your conviction. I hope you understand that. But I’ll make it up to you any other way.” “Working as a barista is too hard for you. I already put in your resignation for you. I also bought you a villa in Harbor City. Move there and help Ryan with his work. He’s still young and not as skilled with architectural design as you are. I’ll pay you $20,000 a month.” My fists clenched so hard my knuckles cracked. Who did she think she was? What gave her the right to push me into hell with her own hands, let everyone attack me, make me lose everyone who mattered, and then waltz back in like some savior to destroy the quiet life I’d built? What made her think she could just arrange everything for me? Help Ryan? She just wanted Ryan to take all my credit. Isabella’s words made me sick. I forced down my anger and spoke through gritted teeth. “Thanks for the offer, Ms. Foster, but I have my own life now. Please stop messing with it.” Isabella went quiet for a long time before she finally spoke. “Marcus, stop fighting me on this. You’re a brilliant architect. The only time you’re actually happy is when you’ve got blueprints in front of you. I handle the money, you handle the genius part. What’s the problem?” “If you’re going to let your pride get in the way, fine. But don’t think I don’t have other options.” She hung up right after that, and something about it made me uneasy. By that afternoon, I knew exactly what she had in mind. Without my job at Gavin’s, I spent the whole day running all over the city looking for work. But no matter where I went, even places that were desperate for help, everyone was polite but they all turned me down. I had no choice but to head back home. When I got there, my landlord was waiting by the door. She was a sweet old lady. When I’d first moved in and didn’t have much money, she let me skip a month’s rent so I could focus on finding work. Whenever she cooked something, she’d bring me some. But right now, she stood there with red, watery eyes. When she saw me, she grabbed my hand. Her voice shook. “Mark, thank God you’re back! I’m so sorry. I can’t rent to you anymore. Please don’t be mad at me. I don’t have a choice.” “Some important people from the city came around. If I keep renting to you, my son—he’ll… he’ll…” She started crying before she could finish. I didn’t want to make things harder for her, so I packed up my stuff and moved out that same night. So this was Isabella’s idea of compensation. Destroy what little I had, then swoop in and play the generous savior. What a joke.

The day I moved out, Isabella showed up in town. She looked thinner than she had a few days ago, with dark circles under her eyes. She clearly hadn’t been sleeping. She’d brought a moving company with her and started directing them to pack up my things. Acted like we’d never gotten divorced, like she was just picking up her husband and bringing him home. When we got to her place, she handed me a glass of sparkling water and said, “You’ve always been so tense. Try to relax.” I took the glass from her without saying anything and had a small sip. I set the glass down. “Ms. Foster, the past is the past. If you really wanted to make things right, you shouldn’t have just shown up like this without asking.” Isabella froze. For just a second she almost looked wounded. “Mark. Stop being difficult.” “I know you’re bitter about all this, but it’s just the first step. I’ll find someone to take the blame for you, and then I’ll work on clearing your name bit by bit. I know you don’t like Ryan. I’ll keep him out of your way. Just take a rest for now.” Her voice was soft, but I knew exactly what she meant. She wasn’t giving me a choice. She wasn’t asking. What she wanted was to keep me completely under her control. But Ryan wasn’t going to stay away like she promised. The day I finished moving in, Isabella had barely stepped through the door when Ryan burst in with a whole crew of reporters behind him. “Bella, I heard Mr. Reid was here. Why didn’t you tell me?” “What he did back then was wrong, sure, but everyone’s gotta make a living. I hope Mr. Reid has learned his lesson and will turn his life around!” Ryan stood there in front of the cameras, shamelessly spouting off when he was the one who’d actually done wrong. Then he handed me a bank card. “Just a little something from me. You’re a veteran in the architecture world, and you’re my fiancée’s ex-husband, so please, don’t refuse. And if you’re ever struggling financially, don’t hesitate to reach out.” He really put on a performance. By that afternoon, news about me had spread all over Harbor City. “Engineer Behind Bridge Collapse Returns, Wealthy Ex-Wife Generously Takes Him In!” “Killer Welcomed Back to High Society, How Can the Dead Rest in Peace?” Just like that, Isabella became the entrepreneur with a heart of gold, and Ryan turned into the understanding, magnanimous fiancé. While me? I was the only one thrown back into the public eye and condemned by everyone. I didn’t know if Ryan did it on purpose or not, but somehow my address got leaked. From that day on, victims’ families and angry protesters showed up outside my apartment every single day. Three days later, my parents came too. It was the first time in ten years they’d sought me out. Part of me still hoped as I stood there watching the parents who’d raised me in my doorway. “Mom, Dad, come inside.” I stepped back to let them in. But my dad just glared at me and scoffed. “Hah! Like we’d set foot in a murderer’s house!” My mom leaned against the doorframe, looking exhausted. “Mark, we really can’t forgive you for what you did back then.” “You can’t keep making the same mistakes. Please, we’re begging you. Ryan really loves Isabella, and you two are divorced now. Stop hanging around her.” “Ryan’s a good kid. He’s too polite to say it himself, so we’re saying it for him. Leave Harbor City. If you insist on staying, don’t blame us when your father and I find a way to make you go.” Mom’s voice was as gentle as always. That gentle voice used to sing me lullabies and put me to sleep night after night. But now every word hit like a gut punch.

I stared at them in disbelief. “Dad, Mom, you never believed me even once this whole time?” “If I said Ryan was behind all of this—everything that’s happened to me—would you believe me?” Before I could finish, my dad slapped me across the face. “You bastard! Even now, you’re trying to drag Ryan’s name through the mud!” Isabella had come to drop something off and saw the whole thing. She rushed over in a panic, trying to explain. Right then, her phone rang. It was her assistant. “Ms. Foster, we have a problem! Mr. Cameron got drunk and he’s at the hospital getting an IV!” When they heard that, Isabella and my parents looked panicked. They completely forgot about me, piled into the car, and drove off. I actually laughed as I watched them leave. I laughed until tears streamed down my face. It turned out that whether they were threatening me or pretending to care, no matter how much pain I was in, none of it mattered when Ryan needed them. I thought that would be the end of it. After all, these ten years had taught me one lesson. I couldn’t expect anything from my parents or from Isabella. But I didn’t expect my parents to move so fast. One day, when I went out shopping, some of the victims’ families tracked me down. They knocked me out with metal pipes and dragged me away. When I woke up, I found myself stuffed inside a burlap sack. Through a gap in the fabric, I could see I was somewhere near a river. The man leading them kicked me hard in the stomach. “Fuck, you murderer! We weren’t even looking for you and you dared to come back!” His words set everyone off. “Give me back my son! He was only 19, just started college! You animal!” “It’s all because of you! You cut corners and killed my mother! I want you dead!” They beat me from every side. I tried to explain, but a gag was stuffed in my mouth. All I could make were muffled noises. When they grew tired, the leader spoke. “You owe us so many lives. Even cutting you to pieces wouldn’t be enough! Now that we’ve got you, you’re gonna pay with your life!” The moment he finished, I heard metal pipes whistling through the air. Then waves of unbearable pain crashed over me. I lost count of the blows. Each one landed harder than I thought I could bear. I passed out — only for them to douse me with water to wake me up. I could feel my bones breaking one by one. Finally, as I slipped in and out of consciousness, they tied rocks to me and threw me into the river. Freezing water closed in from all sides. I couldn’t breathe; my lungs felt like they would burst. I closed my eyes in despair and waited for death. Maybe it was better this way. My life had been nothing but pain. I was so tired. I just wanted to rest. Right when I was about to black out, a pair of strong hands grabbed me. Fresh air flooded back into my lungs.

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Ten years into my marriage, I, Hugh Baker, stumbled upon a paternity test on my wife’s computer, something I’d never known existed. It declared that the son I’d raised for a decade, Zack Baker, wasn’t my biological child. “Honey, what are you still doing in the study so late?” It was Lilith Wells, my wife. Her voice startled me. In a panic, I closed the document, but she had already seen it. She looked at me with a dark expression. “Don’t you trust me, honey?” I opened the paternity test report and confronted her about it. But she immediately shut down the computer and turned the tables on me, accusing me of not respecting her privacy. Watching her walk away, I realized how strange our ten-year marriage had become. I calmly opened the drawer and tore up the tenth-anniversary gift I had prepared long ago. … I pulled open the bottom drawer, where a signed share transfer agreement was kept. I had planned to give her 15% of the company on our wedding anniversary tomorrow as a tenth-year gift. But now, it seemed unnecessary. I took out the document and tore it apart, piece by piece. The scraps fell into the trash, mixing with the wrapping paper for the anniversary gift I had prepared. I looked at those gifts again. The joy I once felt was gone. All that remained was nausea. When I returned to the bedroom, Lilith was already in bed, as if nothing had happened. I stood at the door for a long time, watching her sleeping back, then turned and went to the guest room. I didn’t sleep all night. The next morning, I was woken up by Lilith. The next morning, Lilith woke me with a sharp knock. She stood at the guest room door, anger written all over her face. “Hugh, what’s this supposed to mean? Sleeping in the guest room?” I sat up and looked at her. It’s a face I had seen for ten years, yet now it felt completely unfamiliar. “I need some space.” Her face turned red, and she stormed off in a huff. “Like I care.” After Lilith went to work, I made breakfast as usual. Zack sat at the dining table, drinking milk. “Dad, you look pale.” I stroked his hair, soft and slightly curly, just like Lilith’s. Over the years, many people had said that they looked alike. “I didn’t sleep well last night. Hurry up and eat, or you’ll be late.” On the way to school, my mind kept drifting. At a red light, I turned around and pretended to fix his collar. From the back of his head, I plucked a strand of hair. “You’ve got a gray hair. Dad will take it out.” I slipped the hair into the small notebook I always carried. Watching Zack walk into the school, I went to the paternity testing center. “I need an expedited test. How soon can I get the results?” “Normally, it takes five working days. If you rush it, it will be before 4PM today. The fee is triple.” “Expedite it.” When I handed in the sample, my hands were a little shaky. After taking my oral cells, I sat in the waiting area, staring at the clock on the wall as it ticked away. During this time, I contacted a private detective. “I want to investigate my wife, Lilith Wells, especially her whereabouts in the past few months.” At 3:40 PM, my phone rang. The results were ready. I clicked open the electronic report and went straight to the end. “Based on DNA analysis, the probability of a parent-child relationship between Hugh Baker and Zack Baker is 0.0001%. According to genetic marker analysis, Hugh Baker is not the biological father of Zack Baker.”

I thought I was ready, yet the words still punched the air out of me. I steadied myself against the wall and slid to the floor. Not my child. The boy I had raised for nine years carried none of my blood. Then where was my child? I drove straight to the maternity hospital where Lilith had given birth. The obstetrician who had delivered my child was now head of the department. I went straight to the point. “Dr Roger, I need my wife’s full delivery file, charts, notes, everything.” Her smile faltered. “It’s been so long. Records are archived off-site.” After a while, the staff finally produced a thin manila folder. I flipped through it but found the records so brief, listing only the admission and discharge times, the mode of delivery, and the newborn’s weight. No labor progression sheet, no nursing hand-over, no pediatrician’s check. “That’s all?” She apologized. “I’m sorry, but paper records are only kept for ten years. Your wife’s is almost expired.” “What about footprints? Heel-prick blood card?” She shook her head. “Those should be in the neonatal records, but we couldn’t find them.” Obviously, something was off. A gaping hole where a life should have been documented. A son who looked like my wife and nothing like me. My phone buzzed. It was Lilith. “Where are you? I’ve already picked Zack up.” I had lost track of time. Luckily, I had told the teacher beforehand. “I’m running errands outside. Be home soon.” I hung up before she could ask more. After dinner, I lied to them, saying I had a migraine and escaped to the guest room. In the living room, Lilith was helping Zack with his homework. Their voices drifted faintly down the hall. “Mom, is Dad mad at me?” “He’s just tired. Finish your work and sleep.” When the house fell silent, I searched the entire place. Our bedroom, living room, Zack’s room, and everywhere else. Still, I got no clue. Finally, I shifted my gaze to the computer. I believed the truth was there for me to find. I was closing a document when Lilith appeared. “Still up?” “Clearing old files.” I turned off the monitor as I answered. She lingered for a moment, as if she wanted to say something. In the end, she only nodded. “Get some rest.” I sat in the dark, listening to her footsteps fade. That night, I didn’t open the computer again. My thoughts were a mess as I lay awake in bed. At dawn, I sent her to drop Zack off at school. She glanced at me and then complained to Zack. “See? Your dad’s just lazy. Good thing your mom spoils him.” The moment the gate clicked, I sprinted to the study. I opened the computer and typed in the possible password, our wedding anniversary. Password denied. Her birthday. Wrong. Zack’s birthday. Still wrong. I tried the date we first met, her mother’s birthday, even the company’s founding day. Still, nothing. The system prompted me to try again in fifteen minutes. I sat in the chair, staring at the screen. We had picked the computer together, but I didn’t have the access now. That night, Lilith came home, peeling off her coat. “I’m leaving for a business trip to Portle tomorrow. Not sure how long I’ll be gone.” I came out of the kitchen with a dish. “That’s so sudden. Who are you going with?” She placed her briefcase between us like a barrier, turning back at me. “It was arranged last minute. Hugh… can you not do this?”

I stared at her in silence, wondering why a casual question had caused such a strong reaction. “You always have to ask about everything, and suspect everyone. I’m just going to work.” I turned to serve the rice, my hand trembling slightly. “I’m just asking.” She didn’t respond, walking straight into the bedroom. Dinner was finished in silence. Zack seemed to sense something and, for once, didn’t pick at his food. After her shower, Lilith picked up her coat from the sofa to hang it up. A receipt fell from her pocket, landing at my feet. After she left, I picked it up and took a look. It was a receipt for an expensive perfume, purchased the previous afternoon. I had never heard of the perfume’s name, but I knew it wasn’t for me. In ten years of marriage, Lilith had never given me a gift. I used to make excuses for her, saying she wasn’t romantic and was too busy with work. Now it seemed she wasn’t incapable of romance; she just wasn’t romantic with me. I jotted down the information on the receipt. The next morning, as soon as Lilith left for the airport, I called the counter. “I’d like to check this invoice, yes, from yesterday afternoon.” “Just a moment. Got it. The purchaser is Mr. Stan Herbert.” Stan Herbert. The name rang a bell. Lilith’s secretary, a divorced man in his thirties, had been hired half a year ago. On my way to the airport, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to confirm. Maybe the perfume was for a client, or maybe I was just overthinking things. I waited outside the international departure hall for half an hour before I saw Lilith and him. Stan, in a beige trench coat and dragging a small suitcase, walked over with Lilith. Lilith’s face wore a relaxed smile I hadn’t seen in a long time. Then, in front of the security checkpoint, Stan stopped and reached out to adjust Lilith’s collar as if it were a habit. She didn’t flinch. He leaned down and whispered something into her ear. Lilith laughed, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. Her hand lingered on his waist for a little while before they parted, as if it were second nature. The last shred of self-deception I clung to vanished in an instant. It turned out there was a reason for those late nights at work and the impatient looks she gave me. As I watched their intimate figures, suspicion began to gnaw at me. Could Zack have anything to do with this man? On my way back, I called the private detective I had hired a few days earlier. “Help me look into a man. Name’s Stan Herbert. I want to know everything about him, especially whether he has a child.” The detective moved fast. By the next afternoon, I received the report. Stan Herbert. Thirty-two. Divorced five years ago. Has a ten-year-old son. William Herbert. Studies at an elementary school in the west district. That date suddenly caught my eye. His son was born only one week after Zack. For the first time in ten years, I felt the blood rush to my head. I sat on the sofa, gripping the report. Then a thought struck me. I rushed into the study. My finger hovered over the keyboard before slowly typing in Stan’s birthday. The desktop unlocked. Only one folder sat there—“Work Backup.” I clicked on it, and inside were subfolders neatly organized by year, starting eleven years ago. The earliest folder contained scanned old photos. Lilith and Stan, in school uniforms, stood under a locust tree. Nineteen-year-old Lilith was smiling, her hand resting on his shoulder. Stan, with short hair, looked up at her. The next photo was from college, in the library. The one after that was their graduation photo, both in academic gowns, holding hands. That same year, Lilith told me the company was in trouble. We canceled our anniversary trip. I closed the folder, feeling a bit nauseous. A decade of deception. Looking at the wallpaper of our wedding photo on the screen, I felt a wave of disgust. At three in the afternoon, I drove to the west of the city. The primary school was even older than the detective had described. The school bell rang, and children poured out of the gate. I sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel. He walked out alone, with no one to pick him up. He looked around, then slowly made his way down the sidewalk. I held my breath. That child, William. No, he was my child. The way he walked was a bit like mine, with a slight pigeon-toed gait. When he raised his hand to adjust his hair, I saw a birthmark on his wrist, in the same spot as mine. I saw dust on his eyelashes, his lips a bit dry, and the edges of his shoes coming undone. His eyes were hollow, not like those of a ten-year-old. I covered my mouth to keep from making a sound. He walked away, disappearing around the corner. I broke down and cried, my face buried in the steering wheel. For that child walking home alone, for the ten years of misplaced life, and for living like a fool in a play arranged by others. Then I wiped my tears and started the car. In the law firm, I placed the USB drive in front of Mr. Stuart. It contained backups of all the photos, the paternity test report, scanned medical records, the perfume receipt, and information on Stan and William. “I want a divorce,” I said. “I want her out with nothing. I want custody of the child. And I want her to pay for what she’s done.” As I walked out of the law firm, I remembered what Lilith had said when she proposed ten years ago. “Hugh, I’ll give you a lifetime free of worries.” Turns out, her “lifetime” was only ten years. No, maybe even less. I took out my phone and called the company’s second-largest shareholder, my father’s old colleague. “Mr. Wince, about next week’s board meeting… there are a few things I’d like to discuss in advance.” Lilith must have forgotten. This company carries the Baker name.

She became the general manager because I had persuaded my father to give her a chance. I could elevate her, and I could also make her fall hard. Two weeks after Lilith left, I liquidated everything under my name that could be turned into cash. These days, I spent every afternoon near the primary school in the west of the city. One rainy day, he didn’t have an umbrella. After he waited under the eaves of the school’s convenience store for half an hour, he ran home in the rain. I sat in my car, the rain blurring the windows. On Friday afternoon, I arrived near the school early. When I saw William come out, I got out of the car and pretended to be a passerby. The folder in my hand “accidentally” dropped in front of him. He paused, then bent down to pick it up for me. “Thank you, little one. Is your mom not here yet?” He shook his head. “Mom’s working overtime today.” “So how will you get home?” “By bus,” he replied. I pulled out an unopened bottle of mineral water from my bag and handed it to him. “Have some water.” He hesitated for a moment, then took it and whispered. “Thank you.” I noticed he had a habit of pursing his lips when he spoke, just like me. His eyes were similar too, hidden double eyelids, with slightly downturned corners. “Does your mom often work overtime?” He nodded, then shook his head. “Yeah, sometimes.” “What about your dad?” He didn’t speak, just looked down at his shoes. The edges of his sneakers were fraying, and the shoelace on his left foot was broken. I didn’t ask further and took out two hundred dollars from my wallet, pressing it into his hand. “Poor kids. Do buy yourself a new pair of shoes.” He took a step back. “No Sir, I can’t accept it.” “Consider it a thank-you for helping me with the folder.” I told him, slipping the money into the side pocket of his school bag before walking away. After a few steps, I looked back. He looked a bit bewildered. That night, I stood at the door of Zack’s room. He was playing with the new Lego set Lilith had bought him, a limited-edition spaceship model that was quite expensive. “Dad? What’s wrong?” I went in and stroked his hair. “Did you finish your homework?” “I finished it early.” He showed me the model in his hands. “Mom said if I get into the top ten in the midterm exam, she’ll take me to Disneyland.” I smiled. “That’s great.” The moment I turned around, my smile disappeared. The different attitudes Lilith had towards the two boys felt like a thorn in my heart. My own son, wearing shoes with fraying edges, took the bus alone, while this child enjoyed everything. After a two-week business trip, Lilith finally came home. She put down her suitcase and asked directly. “Where’s Zack? Why is it so quiet?” “I enrolled him in a tutoring class. Two hours in the evening.” “Why? He’s only in the fourth grade.” I didn’t answer, but smelled the perfume on her. She came over to hug me, but I stepped aside. “Who did you have dinner with?” Her expression froze, and she became impatient. “Hugh, you’re being suspicious again. Can’t you stop this?” Suddenly, I found it laughable. Only now did I realize how poor her acting was. I took out an envelope from the drawer of the coffee table, slowly pulled out the photos, and laid them on the table. Lilith’s face turned gloomy. She picked up one of the photos and threw it back on the table. “Did you follow me?” “Does it matter?” I smiled. “What matters is, what would happen if these photos appeared at the board meeting, or were sent to your clients?” She collapsed onto the sofa opposite me, covering her face with her hands. “What do you want?” I stared at her, my voice flat. “First, fire Stan and ensure you never see him again. Second, tell me what happened at the hospital ten years ago.” She stood up, furious. “You’re crazy. Just because of a few photos?” My voice was cold. “Lilith, don’t forget that the company bears my family name. You have what you have today because of me. And I can take it back.” I almost softened, but I thought of William’s shoes with fraying edges, and of him waiting alone for the rain to stop. “For the sake of ten years of marriage and our child, as long as you do as I say, we can continue this life. After all, we still have Zack.” I said, turning and going to the bedroom to get a document, handing it to her. A cancer diagnosis report.

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I am the world’s only Sliver Wolf, mated to the most powerful Alpha king. But the child I gave birth wasn’t a Sliver Wolf. Wasn’t an Alpha either. It was weak that couldn’t even shift into human form. Even so, Alpha Kael cradles it like treasure. Asking me if we should name our daughter Pearl or Daisy. I stayed silent for a long moment. “Rejection.” Alpha Kael froze. “What?” “I said,” I raised my voice, “I’m rejecting you as my mate!” The room erupted. Kael was the king of Alphas, the strongest alpha in existence. Outside the hall, Alphas and Lunas from every pack filled the space. Kael’s expression changed instantly. “Scarlett, if you don’t like so many guests, I’ll send them away. Don’t joke like this, please.” I stood, grabbing his arm to drag him outside. “I’m not joking.” “We’re going to the Moon Altar right now to break the bond.” Humans get married with papers and divorce with signatures. Werewolves are more complicated. On mating day, names are carved into the Moon Stone, sealing the bond. To reject your mate, you need to erase the names on th Moon Stone. But it isn’t just erasing two names. The one at fault gets punished by the Moon Goddess. Kael looked hurt. “Scarlett, you can reject me if you want, but tell me what I did wrong first.” I said nothing, glancing at the pup in his arms. After years as mates, one look was enough for him to understand. Kael’s eyes widened. “It’s because of the pup? Just because it’s not the Sliver Wolf you wanted?” When I first got pregnant, I told everyone every that the child in my belly would be a Sliver Wolf. And it wasn’t just me. Everyone believed it. After all, I was born a pure Sliver Wolf with huge power already in my blood. And Kael? The strongest alpha in the world. There’s nothing in heaven or earth that can hurt him except the Moon Goddess herself. Our child was famous before it was even born. But when I finally gave birth. It was just a weak werewolf. Not enough power to shift into human form. Not even a full tail. Seeing I didn’t deny it, every guest stared in shock. They say Luna should love all pups, even others’ children, treating them like their own. The first one to attack me is my maid, Bella. “Luna Scarlett, Alpha Kael is heartbroken. Please apologize to him.” “Don’t forget Alpha Kael went to the Northern Wastes to find the Fertility Herb for you, and he got attacked by rogues. He fought them off, but the wound on his shoulder still hasn’t healed.” “After the pup was born, he was afraid you’d be too tired, so he took care of it himself. He never left your side. How can you break his heart like this?” I glanced at her coldly. “I didn’t even know about his shoulder wound. How did you?” Bella’s face turns red. She stammers and can’t get a word out. “Scarlett, don’t blame her.” Kael stepped forward. “When I came back that day, I collapsed at the door from blood loss. Bella found me.” After he finishes speaking… A few more maids stepped forward, saying they witnessed it too. Their words made me look jealous and petty. The other Elders didn’t approve of my behavior either. “Luna Scarlett, I know women get sensitive after giving birth. But you’re the Luna of Sliver Moon Pack. How can you still be this jealous?” “Everyone knows how much Alpha Kael loves you. Back then, he endured sliver burns for you. How can you doubt him like this? It’s hurtful.” “And about the pup. You can’t expect every pup to be a Sliver Wolf just because you are. Since the beginning of time, there have only been Five Sliver Wolves total. ” “Enough.” Kael looked displeased at them attacking me. “Thank you all for your concern, but this is family business. Please say no more.” His words. Made everyone resent me even more. When Kael turned back to me, his tone softened. “Scarlett, I know you just gave birth. Your emotions are all over the place. But I promise I only love you. I will only ever love you.” “Although the pup isn’t a Sliver Wolf, with our strength, we can help her become a powerful werewolf.” The other Elders offered solutions too. Some promised rare herbs to boost power. Others recommended sacred training grounds. As if with one nod from me, this runt would transform into a powerful werewolf tomorrow. Seeing I was unmoved by their suggestions. Kael grew more anxious. “Scarlett, just tell me what you want! I can give you anything!” I stared at him for a long moment. “You’ll give me anything I want?” Kael nodded firmly. “I want my pup.” Each word sharp. “Give me back my real pup.”

A flicker of panic crossed Kael’s handsome face. He pushed the pup forward. “Scarlett, this is our pup.” I looked at the pup coldly. “This isn’t my pup. This is someone else’s.” Kael looked shocked. “Scarlett, what do you mean? Did someone switch the pups during the birth?” Before I could respond, he yelled. “Someone! Bring me the midwife who delivered my pup. I need to question her about what she did.” In less than 10 minutes, the midwife appeared. After hearing the situation, she dropped to her knees. “I’m innocent! This is the pup Luna scarlett gave birth to! And I wasn’t the only one there that day. Many pack members were present during the delivery.” The midwife quickly named several witnesses. They’re all friends of mine. They were worried about me during the birth, so they stayed in the room with me. Now those friends step forward. They all confirm they saw this pup come out of my body. Everyone’s gaze fell on me again. Their expressions seemed to say how could there be a mom like me in this world? Just because the pup didn’t meet my expectations, I wanted to abandon my mate and child. Some hot-tempered wolves openly cursed me for being ungrateful. I bit my lip. “Just because it came from my body means it’s mine?” “Scarlett, are you accusing Kael of infidelity?” Even the High Elder couldn’t stand it anymore. “If that’s the case, we’ll use the Blood Stone. Let’s see whose pup this really is.” The High Elder gave the order, and someone immediately retrieved the stone from the vault. With everyone watching, Kael cut the pup’s paw and let blood drip onto the stone. Then he cuts his own finger and adds his blood. The two drops made the stone glow red. This proved a blood connection. After Kael’s test, it was my turn. I did the same. After a moment, the Blood Stone glowed red. Seeing this, Kael breathed a sigh of relief. “Scarlett, now do you believe this is our pup?” I stared at the stone in disbelief. “No, that’s impossible…” No mom can fail to sense whether a pup is their own. This weak pup had no trace of my scent. Why didn’t anyone else notice? Even the Blood Stone confirmed it was my pup. Was I wrong? “How is it impossible?” Bella spoke up. “Everyone knows the Blood Stone never lies. Luna, have you been too exhausted lately? Are you hallucinating? Let me take you back to rest. Don’t humiliate the Alpha King any more.” Her hand barely touched my arm. I shoved her away hard. “This isn’t my pup! It’s not! Stay away from me!” Kael helped Bella up, then yelled at me: “Scarlett, how long are you going to keep this up? We have witnesses, we have the Blood Stone—why won’t you believe this is our pup? Have you lost your mind?” Not just kael—everyone looked at me like I was insane. I wasn’t insane. But panic was drowning me. To find the truth, I’d have to go there.

“Fine, go rest.” As Kael softened her tone again, reaching for my arm to lead me back. I struck his chest with my palm. Then turned and run toward the Moon Altar. I knew with my current power, even hitting Kael with full force, he’d recover quickly. But I didn’t expect it to be this fast. When I finally reached the Moon Altar and raised my hand to erase our names from the Moon Stone. He appeared behind me. “Scarlett, stop!” A surge of power knocked me aside. I couldn’t withstand it, falling to my knees and coughing blood. Kael pulled me up, his voice trembling. “Scarlett, are you alright?” The worry on his face made it seem like he wasn’t the one who’d just struck me. Other pack members arrived one by one. Seeing this scene, they sighed again about Alpha Kael’s deep devotion. Once my face looked better slightly, Kael held me and said. “Scarlett, don’t be rash. If you break the bond, it’s not just erasing names from the Moon Stone，the Moon Goddess will punish you too.” “I don’t want to see you suffer. If you want to reject me, I’ll agree.” “I won’t survive without you anyway. Once I’m dead, the names on the Moon Stone will fade naturally, and you won’t face the Goddess’s punishment.” His eyes were full of love for me. Every word considered my wellbeing. But I only felt cold dread. “Get away from me!” I shoved him aside again, lunging for the Moon Stone. To be safe, I used all my remaining strength to create a barrier, encasing the Moon Stone and myself inside. Even with all his ability, Kael couldn’t break my barrier quickly. Just as I raised my hand to erase the names. The barrier shattered. Someone grabbed my collar and spun me around. A slap landed across my face. “Scarlett, do you know what you’re doing?”

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619QgAShGoRSN 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni106476”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix