Chapter5
“All of yours–your fiancé, your husband, your pup, the love of your in–laws, these clothes, and this jewelry. Everything! They all belong to me, Camelia,” she sneered, her voice as sharp as the knife. “You, Amber, will forever live in my shadow, nothing more than a pathetic little clown.”
Her words hit harder than a rogue wolf’s claw, but I didn’t care to wonder how she knew I’d discovered the truth. My heart pounded with fury, claws twitching, ready to rip through the air. I pushed myself up with shaky hands, the heat in my chest smoldering. “Eva is my pup! I’m her biological mother! You and Theodore stole her from me!”
Camelia’s laugh was cold, ice–cold, and it
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ssenta shiver down my spine. “Yousaidishshe’s yoouppup, didn’t you?” she taunted, henersaile twissting cruelly. “Eva doesn’t think so. Wavant tocssee for yourself?”
Befoced bcould even brace myself, shehe dumpedd the rest of her drink over her headed. The stickyyiliquid splashed all over herer expensiveeldress, staining it, but she didn’t’t care.Sheacossed the empty bottle at myy feet, her handss raised in mock horror as she e screamed at the top of her lungs.
Then, befored ccolddreact, a large hand shoved me downh co the ground, knocking the e
wind out of mee.
Theodore–my husbǝand my mate–ran to Camelia’s side. Theodoret the man who had sworn to love me foreveemnow held her as if she was his lifebloodd Desspite his usual aversion to dirt, especially the kind that had
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now soaked her clothes, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her as though she were fragile. It was sickening. But worse still, his eyes locked onto mine, and there was no trace of the warmth I used to feel there. Only
rage.
“Are you out of your mind?” Theodore roared, his voice laced with an anger that made the wolf inside of me want to retaliate. “She felt sorry for you earlier because you seemed upset, and she especially came out to comfort you! Amber, is this how you repay her?” He didn’t pause. “Do you know she’s on her period and can’t afford to get cold?” His words felt like a slap to my face.
I stumbled back, fighting the wave of nausea and the sudden dizziness in my head. My body trembled, but I couldn’t let it show. I opened my mouth to speak, to explain, but nothing came out.
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Then, a small figure charged at me from a distance, fury in her every movement. Eva- my pup, my blood–hurled herself at me, fists flying. She kicked and punched my stomach and legs, her small frame surprisingly strong as she screamed, “You horrible woman! How dare you bully my mom! I’ll beat you to death, you evil person! Bad people like you don’t deserve pups!”
The pain in her words shot through me like a silver bullet, and I crumbled to my knees, my heart tearing at the sight of her. She was me, so much like me when I was a pup–fierce, protective, and wild. It was like I was staring at my younger self, but this time, I wasn’t the one fighting. I was the one being torn apart.
I squatted down, pulling Eva into my arms, her small body trembling in my embrace. “Eva, I’m your mother,‘ I whispered, my voice
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breaking as I held her close, wishing I could undo all the damage that had been done.
But Camelia was already there, yanking Eva away, cradling her protectively like a mother wolf guarding her young. She looked at me with a wrong expression. “Amber, I know you can’t have pups and you feel bitter about it, I can accept your resentment and even your hatred, but you can’t steal my pup.”
I reached for Eva, but before I could touch her, Theodore’s iron grip latched onto my wrist. “Amber,” he growled, “have you gone insane?”
My breath caught in my throat, and I snapped. “Theodore, look me in the eyes and tell me the truth! Whose pup is Eva?”
His eyes, those eyes that had once promised me everything, faltered for just a moment,
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before he spoke, his voice low and regretful. “Eva is Camelia’s pup. Our pup died the day of your rogue attack. Didn’t I show you the report myself?”
Eva raised her tiny fist, her little body trembling with fury. “You’re a horrible. woman!” she shouted. “I don’t have a mom like you! I hate you! If you bully my mom again, I’ll make you pay!”
I closed my eyes, letting the pain of her words wash over me. It felt like my soul was being ripped apart. I had nothing left. Nothing but the cold, bitter taste of reality. My husband had chosen her. My pup didn’t even recognize me anymore.
When I opened my eyes again, something inside me had snapped. A coldness took over, a numbness that spread through my veins like ice. I forced a bitter smile, trying to
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hide the devastation. “You’re right. I’ve been unreasonable. I’m sorry. You won’t have to worry about me bothering you anymore.”
I turned on my heel, walking away, my steps heavy. It was the end. The end of everything I had once believed in.
Theodore hesitated behind me. For a moment, he seemed to consider following me, but then he looked at Camelia, who clung to him, her voice a soft plea. “Theodore,” she whined, “I’m wet and cold… and my stomach hurts even worse now…”
I heard the sigh escape him before his attention turned back to her. Without a second glance in my direction, he led her away, his back to me, and my heart broke into a thousand pieces.
Back home, I signed the divorce papers,
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Without hesitation, I rescheduled my flight for the next morning.
When my friend heard about my decision, she was stunned. “This is so sudden. Aren’t you going to do a Paternity Test for Eva first?
But what was the point? My pup already had another mother.
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