I lost count of how many times I said yes to Nicholas, always giving him what he wanted. In our six years together, saying no to him felt like a sin. Yet, even when I refused, he remained gentle—never forceful, never angry. But the guilt-tripping? That was something else entirely, an unbearable weight that always led me to surrender in the end.
We had only known each other for three months when he asked me to marry him, and like the fool I was, I didn't hesitate to say yes. We wed in a small village in the countryside, with only him, the Lunar Priest, and Charlotte as the sole witness. My parents, who were humble farmers, weren't even invited.
Looking back, I realized how stupid I was to believe that an Alpha like him could truly love a hybrid like me. Beside him, I felt like nothing more than dust clinging to the surface of a diamond.
Maybe that was why he never wanted to introduce me to his pack—why he kept me hidden away in this empty house in the middle of nowhere. And on the rare occasions he did take me out in public, he never called me his Luna or wife. I was always just his secretary. So, without a doubt, the same thing would happen today as we made our way to his sister’s wedding.
The venue was a city away from our home, giving me the perfect chance to go through his phone when he fell asleep. I knew that whatever I found would break me all over again, but it didn't matter anymore because I was already shattered beyond repair.
I went straight to his messages, scrolling through his chat history with Charlotte. The first thing I stumbled upon made my hands tremble uncontrollably—photos of my stillborn pups, suspended in a glass capsule, floating in some unknown substance.
Nicholas King: They look nice, babe.
Charlotte Bennette: They are beautiful. My professor is happy with the progress of my study, but I need more specimens for accuracy. I need a fetus three months from now, Nicholas.
Nicholas King: I will give it to you, babe. Don't worry. I will make sure that you'll pass your research.
My breath hitched as I read through their conversation, each message cutting deeper than the last. But when I checked the date the photos were sent, my vision blurred with tears—it was exactly three months ago, the same time I had discovered I was pregnant with triplets.
A few hours after that exchange, Nicholas messaged her again.
Nicholas King: Good news, Charlotte! Olivia is pregnant with triplets! You can use them to ensure the accuracy of your study. I’ll make sure the fetuses are healthy, then have her terminate the pregnancy exactly three months from now. I will have them delivered to your laboratory.
I couldn't hold it in anymore, allowing the tears to finally spill. I turned off the phone and carefully put it back into Nicholas' suit pocket, but my loud sobs accidentally woke him up.
“Are you crying?” he asked.
“N-No.” I immediately shook my head and wiped off my tears. “My contact lenses are just irritating my eyes. Don't worry about it.”
Sighing, Nicholas pulled me closer, wrapping me in his arms. “Stop crying, please. I don't want to see tears in your eyes. It hurts me too.”
If I hadn't discovered his betrayal, I might have believed his words. But now that I knew the truth, all I felt was disgust and anger.
"I can't breathe, Nicholas. I need some air," I excused, desperate to put distance between us because his touch against my skin felt like acid.
Thankfully, he let go and kept his distance for the rest of the ride. When we finally arrived at his sister's wedding venue, it was just as luxurious as I had expected—because if it wasn't, their family would surely be ridiculed.
The party was already in full swing when we entered, with guests elegantly laughing at something the host had said. At the front of the room, Nicholas' sister and her husband stood beaming with happiness.
I followed the Alpha closely, like a loyal shadow, until we bumped into someone I never expected to see here.
“Olivia!” Charlotte exclaimed excitedly, rushing toward me and wrapping me in a tight embrace.
Meanwhile, I stood frozen, completely glued to my spot.
“How are you? It feels like forever since I last saw you!”
A bright smile flashed across her face, as if she were nothing but friendly—as if she weren't the monster I knew she was. She had killed my pups without remorse, treated them as nothing more than test subjects. And now, she had the audacity to smile, to laugh, to mock me.
Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to smile. “I-I didn't know that you're back in the country.”
“Oh, not for too long.” She shrugged. “I will just retrieve some…” Pausing, her gaze went down on my stomach. “Some specimens. I can't wait to have my hands on them!”
My hands fisted into a ball as rage coursed through my veins, but when I opened my mouth to say something, the wedding host spoke.
“All of the single ladies, please proceed in front. The bride will toss the bouquet!” she exclaimed, earning excited shrieks from the guests.
I ignored her, but Charlotte grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. Before I could react, the bride turned around, and the bouquet soared into the air.
Time seemed to slow as it descended, each petal caught in a weightless drift—until, in a sudden jolt, everything snapped back to normal when Charlotte pushed me.
The force sent me stumbling, and my eyes went wide in terror as I crashed into the three-foot-tall wedding cake.
