"Jack! Son!" Alpha Zach gently tapped his son’s face as the paramedics rolled him out of the ambulance.
They pushed his stretcher into the hospital, being extra careful not to hurt the weak child. He was drenched in his own blood, the metallic smell swirling in the air, making the situation even more unbearable.
It was sickening, and I fought the urge to vomit all over the floor as I helplessly followed them.
"I am so sorry, Alpha Grimm, but you are not allowed to enter the operating room," a nurse informed Alpha Zachary, not waiting for his response before immediately closing the door, locking us outside.
Alpha Zach paced back and forth while his mother sat down, surrounded by nurses as she complained of a throbbing headache and difficulty breathing from stress. Meanwhile, I remained unnoticed—like a ghost.
Realizing they had forgotten I existed, I spotted a nurse and instinctively asked for help with my burn. She led me to a room where a doctor examined my skin, his expression darkening as he confirmed a second-degree burn. Without hesitation, he applied ointment to soothe the injury.
"What happened to this?" he asked gently, then shook his head, dismissing his own question. "You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal."
"No." I shook my head. "It’s fine. My son poured boiling soup on me because he didn’t like my cooking—"
Before I could finish, the door burst open, revealing Alpha Zach, his mother, and Bella—his mistress.
Startled, I jumped from my seat and instinctively pushed the doctor away, realizing how close he was. He stumbled but quickly regained his balance, while my knees nearly gave out beneath me.
"Look who’s flirting with the doctor while her child is on the brink of death!" Lyla scorned, her eyes filled with disappointment and disgust.
I shook my head. "You’ve got it wrong. I was just getting my burn treated."
"Don’t bother defending yourself, Madeline!" she exclaimed. "You were literally caught in the act!"
"I said I’m not flirting with the doctor! I was only getting my skin checked because your spoiled grandchildren poured boiling soup on me—"
My words were abruptly cut off as her palm struck my cheek with such force that I stumbled back, struggling to keep my balance.
For a moment, my vision darkened, stars dancing before my eyes as the noises around me became muffled. Before I could react, Lyla grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me out of the room.
I screamed, clutching at her hands, desperately trying to pry her away from me. But it was useless. Within moments, we were standing before a crowd of countless creatures, their whispers buzzing as they exchanged glances and murmured among themselves.
"This woman is a slut!" Lyla shouted, her voice ringing through the air, drawing louder gasps and intensified whispers from the onlookers. "Because of her, my grandchild was hit by a car and is now in critical condition! And yet, she still has the audacity to flirt with the doctor!"
I barely had time to react before her palm struck my cheek again. A sharp gasp escaped me as fiery pain seared my skin, burning as if set ablaze.
I turned to Alpha Zach, silently pleading for help, but he only scowled, holding Bella in his arms. She grinned, savoring my humiliation—when, in truth, this was all her fault. She was the one who had hit Jack with her car. Even from where I stood, I could smell the alcohol on her. She was drunk.
I didn’t want to cry—I refused to give them the satisfaction—but before I knew it, tears spilled down my face.
"Don't you cry, you ungrateful little slut—" Lyla raised her hand to strike me again, but before she could, Bella caught her wrist, stopping her.
"Auntie, a lot are watching," she whispered gently, her voice soft as she glanced around. She looked so innocent, so fragile—playing the part of a saint, fooling everyone around us. "It wouldn’t be good if they started talking about this. Your name will be in the headlines in no time—all because you're defending your grandchild from this… from this woman. Let me handle her."
Lyla and Alpha Zach exchanged confused looks but eventually nodded, handing me over to Bella. She helped me up from the floor, her touch deceptively gentle.
I trembled uncontrollably as she led me into a ward—where her soft expression vanished, replaced by a cruel, mocking smile.
Sighing, she crossed her arms. "I wish you could feel the satisfaction of watching you suffer for a crime that’s mine. How funny is that? It’s ridiculous!"
I glared, my amber eyes glowing as I fought to keep my claws in, resisting the urge to tear her apart.
"You hit Jack with your car because you were drunk!" I spat. "And you don’t even feel an ounce of remorse!"
"Oh, but I do, Madeline." She smirked. "It’s just so much more entertaining watching you helpless and in tears—"
Fury surged through me. I raised my hand to slap her, but before I could, she suddenly collapsed, her scream slicing through the air.
Alpha Zach and Lyla rushed to her.
"Madeline slapped me! She’s blaming me—even after I apologized!" Bella wailed.
"What?!" Alpha Zach snapped, seizing my arm. "Apologize to Bella, Madeline!"
My jaw dropped. He didn’t even ask for my side of the story.
"I didn’t touch her! She’s lying!" I shouted.
"You are the liar!" Lyla snapped, helping Bella up. "Just apologize—"
"I won’t!" I shot back—only to cry out in pain as Alpha Zach shoved me into the wall. My head slammed against it, the impact brutal.
Darkness crept in as blood trickled down my forehead. But instead of helping me, they turned away—leaving me to fall into unconsciousness.
