Chapter 2: The Day I Lost Everything

୨୧ Shanna Reed ୨୧​

​“Shanna? What are you doing here?”

​Ashton’s deep voice cut through the sterile hospital corridor, his icy-flecked eyes widening in genuine surprise as he looked down at me.

​My chest heaved, my fingernails digging painfully into my palms. I had called him half a dozen times while lying alone in a hospital room, bleeding and terrified, yet he hadn't even bothered to check his phone. And here he was, standing in the VIP wing, holding my stepsister.

​“I called you,” my voice cracked, as I stared up at him. “I called you over and over, Ashton. Why didn’t you answer?”

​Before Ashton could speak, Vivian shifted against his chest, her fingers clutching the lapel of his jacket as she pretended to be frightened and helpless.

​“Oh, Shanna, I’m so, so sorry,” she whimpered, her lips quivering “It was an accident. I didn't mean to run her off the road, Ashton. My brakes just failed, and—and she was right there!”

​Ashton didn't pull away from her. Instead, his arm tightened protectively around Vivian's waist, his gaze flicking back to me with sudden defensiveness.

​“It’s not Vivian’s fault, Shanna,” Ashton said, his tone flat and unyielding. “She was terrified. She didn't do it on purpose.”

​The words hit me harder than the metal of the car crash.

It’s not Vivian’s fault.

​My breath caught. I looked down at myself—at the stark white bandage wrapped tightly around my head, the angry red scrapes across my arms and legs, and the filthy, bloodstained dress still clinging to me. Then I looked at Vivian, who had nothing more than a tiny, superficial scratch on her forearm and wore a pristine hospital robe.

​Ashton hadn't rushed to the hospital because he had felt the terrifying fracture of our mate bond. He had come because he had heard Vivian was hurt.

The traffic officer's words from earlier echoed in my mind.

'Based on the preliminary evidence, it appears that you were deliberately run off the road. It wasn't a random collision.'

Vivian claimed her brakes had failed, but the officer's words suggested otherwise. Something about her explanation didn't sit right with me.

Now, watching Ashton protect her as though she were the victim, I couldn't help wondering how much he knew.

“She says she's dizzy, Ashton. You should let the doctor examine her again,” Vivian murmured pitifully, burying her face against his chest while casting a triumphant, razor-sharp look over his shoulder directly at me.

He didn't move toward me. He didn't even ask if I was okay.

Watching the way Ashton held her, the brutal truth shattered every illusion I had clung to.

He had never cut contact with her.

She had never truly left.

Another nurse appeared in the corridor, approaching Vivian with a concerned expression.

“Go with the nurse, Viv,” Ashton instructed softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of her red hair before letting her go.

Vivian flashed me one last sickly-sweet smile before following the nurse down the hall.

I stood frozen, my hands shaking at my sides, fighting the violent urge to throw up. I forced my spine to straighten, refusing to let him see how completely he had broken me.

“Ashton, I need to talk to you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Right now. I have something important to tell you.”

Ashton turned back to me, his jaw tightening as though enduring a tedious chore. “Fine. Make it quick. But I have something to say first.”

“You go ahead,” I muttered bitterly, crossing my arms over my chest to hide the tremors wracking my body.

Ashton stared down at me, his icy blue eyes completely devoid of warmth. The air between us grew heavy, thick with the sharp scent of disinfectant and impending doom.

“I want a divorce.”

I stared at him, my mouth falling open in sheer disbelief. “A... a divorce? Why?”​

“You know why,” Ashton replied coldly, stepping closer. “Before our marriage, I was with Vivian. When the Moon Goddess paired us, my grandfather forced my hand. I married you to keep my title, but Vivian has always been the only woman in my heart. Now that I’ve been Alpha for three years and my position is secure, I’m ending this sham. Vivian is the Luna I actually want. I'm going to give her the title she deserves.”

“But I'm your mate,” I muttered. “I thought... I thought we had something. Haven't you developed any feelings for me over these last three years of living together?”

“No,” Ashton answered without a moment's hesitation. “All the affection or duty you thought you saw was just the artificial pull of the mate bond. The Moon Goddess made a colossal mistake when she paired us together. I’ll give you anything you want financially if you just agree to the divorce quietly.”

My wolf whimpered deep inside me, curling into herself as though his words had physically wounded her. I felt the mate bond shudder between us, its familiar warmth turning painfully cold. It was as though something inside my chest was being slowly torn apart.

For three years, I had believed our bond was something beautiful, something that would eventually bring us together. Now, it felt like a cruel chain binding me to a man who regarded our marriage as nothing more than a business arrangement he couldn't wait to escape.

“Do you have any idea what happened to me today, Ashton?” I choked out, my voice breaking as my hands flew to my flat, aching stomach. “I was in that crash because of your mistress. And I lost our baby. We could have had a child. Your child.”

Ashton froze. For a terrifying, agonizing moment, his eyes widened, and the hand hanging by his side twitched. His gaze dropped instinctively to my stomach, and something flickered across his face before his expression hardened into stone.

​He remained silent for what felt like an eternity before finally speaking.

“Maybe it's for the best,” he said. “At least the child won't have to grow up in a broken home.”

“I agree,” I hissed. “At least the child won't have a father who didn't give a damn about them before they were even born.”

Before he could utter another word, I turned away, ignoring the sharp pull of my stitches and the burning agony in my limbs as I struggled down the hall, desperate to get away from him.

I didn't know what awaited me beyond those hospital walls or how I would survive the pain of losing my baby and my marriage. But one thing was certain: I was done begging a man to love me when he had never valued me.

Three miserable years of trying to earn a place in his life had cost me everything. Now, I was ready to walk away.