After that incident, I buried myself so deeply in work that I seldom returned home, leaving Alaric increasingly suspicious that something was wrong.
One afternoon, my mother-in-law—who had never seen me as anything more than a lowly orphan unworthy of their status—called unexpectedly.
“Liora, Alaric told me you argued with him, even though it was mostly your fault that we were delayed at the royal banquet. Even if you come from nothing and no one ever taught you proper manners, the least you can do is not drag my son’s reputation down to your level! You are about to bear the future Alpha, so stop this nonsense. Rumors are already spreading that you and Alaric are on the verge of separating. I’ve arranged a dinner tonight, inviting Alaric’s close friends. Be there on time and do not create a scene.”
From start to finish, she barked her orders before hanging up.
I wanted, just once, to see the faces of the people who had betrayed me, those who had treated me worse than an animal, before leaving for the capital. I took a taxi to my mother-in-law’s house.
Alaric’s mother was seated at the head of the table when I arrived. The room fell silent as Alaric’s friends cast side glances at me, rolling their eyes.
“Aunty, why invite her? She’ll just ruin everything,” one whispered.
“The witch is here again, trying to come between the loving couple,” another added, loud enough for me to hear.
“Liora, sit here,” Alaric’s mother gestured to a chair, but I ignored her, choosing the seat at the far end.
“Hey Liora, remind me—what was your last name? Oh, right, you don’t have one. No father, no name,” Theodore, Alaric’s so-called best friend, smirked, anticipating my embarrassment.
“Who are you again?” I lifted my head and stared at him, disinterest etched across my face, as if he were a clown performing for an audience. The smug smiles drained from their faces instantly.
Shortly after, Alaric arrived with Camilla beside him. Noticing I had come earlier than expected and was observing him and Camilla closely, he immediately put space between himself and her. I saw Camilla remove the pendant from her neck and silently follow my mother-in-law to the kitchen.
Alaric quickly seated himself beside me, brushing my hair aside before placing the diamond pendant around my neck, staging the picture-perfect image of a loving couple.
“This is your first time wearing diamonds, isn’t it? Don’t worry—I’ll buy you your favorite sapphires next time,” he said, his voice smooth and practiced.
“I lost it at the pack house. After speaking with you and realizing it was gone, I rushed to find it,” he added, without a trace of shame, trying to sound sincere.
The pendant felt suffocating around my neck. Without a word, I removed it, startling Alaric.
“Liora, what are you doing?” he demanded.
“To think she’s so greedy… no wonder aunt dislikes her,” someone muttered.
“Liora, why take it off?” my mother-in-law’s glare pierced me.
“It’s too tight,” I replied, ignoring the murmurs around me and turning my focus elsewhere, deliberately silent toward Alaric.
In truth, diamonds had long been considered dishonorable in our royal family. Historically, outcasts received a single diamond as the last token of wealth before banishment. I had not been banished—but I was reclaiming my dignity. I intended to return home.
From the kitchen, I overheard my mother-in-law laughing softly with Camilla, who clung to her arm, acting spoiled.
“Auntie, how could you work so hard alone all these years? If I were here, I would never have let you do it,” Camilla cooed.
“This child! Of course, it would have been different if it were you. Oh Camilla, let Liora help the servants with the dishes. You’ve probably never done these things yourself, even though you’re so considerate toward the maids. If only Liora were half as sensible. Since she moved into Alaric’s house, he dismissed the maid. She’s expected to handle all manual chores herself—sweeping, washing dishes—it’s normal for her. Don’t ruin your beautiful hands; I’ll make Liora do it.”
I bit my lip as Alaric silently agreed, seeing nothing wrong with overworking me.
Soon, they emerged from the kitchen, hand in hand, Camilla seated between Alaric and my mother-in-law.
“Auntie, I’ve missed you so much these past years. I’ve never stopped thinking about Alaric,” Camilla cooed. The people at the table didn’t find anything odd about her words, even though she spoke of longing for another man while already mated.
“Of course, dear. If things had gone differently, you would already have been my daughter-in-law,” Alaric’s mother teased, glancing at me briefly before drawing Camilla closer. Alaric said nothing, still furious that I had rejected his gift.
Turning to me with feigned innocence, she added, “Oh, forgive me. I must have spoken too much in my old age. Liora, meet Camilla, my goddaughter. She and Alaric have been childhood friends, raised together. I heard you made a fuss at home because of her, but Camilla is like a sister to Alaric. You should trust your husband a little and stop keeping tabs on him.”
“Auntie is right. Camilla was only doing you a favor,” Colin, one of Alaric’s friends, chimed in with a smug expression. He had long supported the “perfect match” narrative and secretly nicknamed me the ‘homewrecker.’
“Yes, Liora, you’re always checking up on Alaric. You’re too controlling. Do you think we’d ruin his life? Since Camilla and Alaric are inseparable, if he wanted to leave you, he would have done so long ago. Besides, Alaric has promised Camilla that the two packs will merge soon to form a larger one, so it’s better if you accommodate her. That’s the least you can do as Luna.”
My eyes widened. Our Jade Moon pack was going to be merged with another without my knowledge as the Luna.
Realizing he’d spoken too freely, Colin immediately fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances with the others. The room descended into a heavy, uncomfortable quiet.
