Ch-05

IVY

I wake up the next morning in agony.

My abdomen is very tender.

Probably testing so many wedding dresses yesterday put a strain on my stitches.

I'll have to go to the hospital for my dressing change.

But that'll be later. The first thing I have to do this morning is return to the company.

All my belongings are still there, especially my laptop which contains years of my personal project files, work records, and contacts.

I need to get them back.

After a quick shower, I dress quickly in simple jeans and a sweater, pulling my hair into a ponytail.

Sterling offers to send a car with me but I decline.

This is something I need to do alone.

---

The taxi I hailed pulls to a stop in front of Blackwood Holdings building and a tremor runs down my spine.

I've walked through these doors a thousand times and this will be the last.

However the moment I walk into the lobby, it goes eerily quiet.

All the employees are looking at me with expressions I can read too easily.

I ignore every single one of them and head straight for the executive floor.

My office, or rather my former office, is at the end of the hall.

Pushing the door open, I step inside only to freeze at the doorway.

My chair is occupied by none other than Amy.

"Oh, Ivy." Her false sweet voice is no where to be found now that we are alone. "What a surprise!"

I don't respond to her and just scan the room for my belongings.

But Amy only stands up, smoothing her skirt. "You messed up the cooperation with Mr. Windel yesterday. Weren't you fired?" She tilts her head and the hostile look in her eyes deepens. "How do you still have the guts to show up here after everything?Aren't you embarrassed ?"

Can this woman shut up for a second? Why can't I see my things?

Perhaps they've been moved into the cabinet.

I try to walk into the room, but she quickly steps in, blocking my path. "Where do you think you're going? Look, even if you want your job back, I'm afraid everything here is mine now."

Then she points to the corner of the room where a makeshift workstation has been set up-- essentially a folding table piled with broken office equipment and old files. "But I suppose you could sit there if you're so desperate."

A sneer twists my lips.

Does this fool actually think I still want to work for them? How delusional can she be?

I don't give a shit about this office or this company anymore and she'll soon understand this.

"Where's my computer?" I ask flatly.

Amy's expression shifts to a malicious gleam and she gestures toward the large waste bin near the desk. "Do you mean that old broken thing? If you want it, go pick it up yourself."

As she chuckles quietly to herself, I walk over to the trash can and look inside.

Everything was in it.

My laptop, my personal photos, even the coffee mug my adoptive parents gave me is broken inside....they have all been thrown away like garbage.

And the worst part the spilled coffee and food scraps covering them.

My expression hardens as anger washes over me. "How dare--"

"What? It's not my fault that you already left and the cleaners have to take out the trash." She says defensively and for the first time I see her mask slip completely.

She couldn't hide the sneer that turns her face ugly. "Why did you come back? Hasn't Noah made it clear enough?" She takes a step toward me. "Why are you always clinging to him so shamelessly?"

I can only stare at her, internally shaking my head.

This is the real Amy.

Not the fragile dying flower who needs protection.

This is the snake who's been circling my marriage for months.

I'm almost amused by the anger rising in my chest.

"Do you know how many nights he didn't come home to you because he was with me?" She continues to speak in that shrill, annoyingly loud voice. "He wanted to be with me! Not with you! If it weren't for you still carrying his child, he would have agreed to divorce you months ago."

A hysterical laughter suddenly rises out of her. "But now it's fine. A weak omega really can't handle carrying an alpha's heir, can she? Your child is gone."

Her words stab me right in the middle of my chest and I bite back a gasp.

She noticed she must have struck a nerve because her sneer curls even deeper. "Oh you think I don't know you miscarried the Alpha's heir? You're useless, Ivy and so is your womb."

My hands clench into fists at my sides as my wolf snarls inside me, demanding blood.

How dare she say that to me?

I take a step forward, fully intending to shut her up permanently.

But before I can reach her, Amy looks directly into my eyes and smiles.

Then she raises her hand and slaps herself across the face...hard.

The crack echoes through the office and Amy crumples to the floor, clutching her cheek.

Before I can even do anything, she lets out a high pitched wail.

"Stop! Ivy, stop hurting me!"

I freeze, stunned.

I'd always known Amy was a snake and a manipulative liar.

But I didn't know she was this psychopathic...hurting herself just to frame me.

"Amy!" Noah's suddenly voice roars from the doorway.

He storms inside, his face twisted with fear and concern.

On his way in, he shoves me to the side with his large shoulder.

I slam backwards into the edge of the desk and

th solid corner catches me right on the stitches on my lower belly, in the exact spot that's still tender from the miscarriage.

White hot pain explodes through me and cold sweat breaks out across my skin instantly. The pain is so much that I can't breathe or move.

Noah doesn't even look back at me.

He drops to his knees beside Amy, and gathers her carefully into his arms.

"I'm so sorry," he murmurs, cradling her reddening cheek with gentle fingers. "I shouldn't have let her come into the building. I thought she's finally come to her senses. Now she hurt you."

As she sobs quietly, he raises red eyes filled with hatred at me. "Hurry up and apologize to Amy right now! I actually thought you came today because you wanted to make things right."

Sniffing, Amy leans into his chest, and whispers in a pitiful voice. "Don't blame Ivy, Noah. I'm not in pain."

She touches her reddening cheek delicately. "It's normal for her to be angry. It's all my fault for needing you too much. For being too weak. For not having a strong body like Ivy."

Her voice cracks and a sob slips out. "It doesn't matter if she hits me a thousand times. As long as you two are okay and she doesn't get mad at you for taking care of me."

Helping her back to her feet, Noah strokes her hair tenderly, like she's made of glass. When he looks at me again, his expression is pure disgust.

Something inside me snaps.

The rage I've been swallowing for months...years...rises up so fast I can't control it anymore.

They're disgusting. Both of them. And I'm done pretending any of this is acceptable.

I straighten up slowly, ignoring the screaming pain in my belly.

"It doesn't matter if I hit you a thousand times?" I repeat Amy's words back to her, stalking closer to both of them. "Is that right?"

Amy's eyes widen and she shrinks back into Noah's arms. "Ivy, what are you—"

I raise my hand and slap her cleanly across the face.

The crack is louder this time and blood wells on her split lip.

Amy's head snaps to the side and she gasps, touching her cheek in shock.

"Is that enough?" I ask pleasantly. "If not, I can do it a few more times. Since it doesn't matter, right?"