Chapter 4: Her Final Act of Love

୨୧ Shanna Reed ୨୧​

​“Remember, you need strict bed rest, as little stress as possible, and absolutely no physical exertion. If you experience any further cramping or spotting, return to the hospital immediately.”

​My heart tightened at the doctor's words. I instinctively lowered my gaze to my stomach, resting a protective hand over it. I couldn't lose this baby. Not after everything. This tiny life was the only piece of happiness I had left, and I would do everything in my power to protect my baby.

​“I’ll make sure she doesn’t lift a finger,” Marine chimed in fiercely, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she stood behind me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “She’s coming straight to my place. I’ll lock her in bed myself.”

After receiving strict instructions and a handful of prenatal supplements, Marine guided me out of the examination room and toward the hospital exit.

​As we walked through the lobby, Marine glanced over at me, her expression turning serious.

​“So,” Marine began carefully. “Are you going to tell Ashton? He has a right to know he’s going to be a father. Maybe once he hears this, he’ll snap out of whatever temporary insanity made him run back to Vivian and demand a divorce.”

​I froze in my tracks, pulling my arm away from hers. A heavy, complicated ache settled in my chest.

​“I... I don't know,” I murmured, my voice dropping to a fragile whisper.

​Marine softened, stepping closer. “Shanna, I know Ashton has been a monster, and he doesn't deserve your forgiveness after everything he's done. But this isn't just about your marriage anymore. There's a baby involved. Part of you still loves him, and part of you wants to believe his heart wasn't entirely cold these past three years. Give him a chance to know he's going to be a father. Let him step up.”

​I stared down at the floor, torn by a fierce internal war. A tiny, stubborn fraction of me still clung to a dying ember of hope—the foolish belief that the man I had lived with, the man who had occasionally shown me quiet kindness, might care about a child of ours. After all, the baby needed a father.

​“I need time to think,” I whispered, pulling my coat tighter around myself.

​Before Marine could push the matter further, a sharp, familiar voice cut across the lobby like shards of glass.

​“Well, well. Look who’s still lingering around where she isn’t wanted.”

​We turned. Striding toward us in a designer floral dress, her long, fiery red hair cascading over her shoulders and a smug smile plastered across her face, was Vivian. Without Ashton standing right beside her, playing the protective shield, her sugary-sweet, innocent act had vanished completely, replaced by a venomous sneer.

Marine immediately stepped in front of me, her eyes flashing dangerously. “Watch your tone, you home-wrecking parasite. Shouldn't you be crawling back under whatever rock you slithered out from?”

​Vivian crossed her arms, laughing nastily. “Oh, save your breath, Marine. Shanna, why don't you do us all a favor? Stop humiliating yourself by clinging to a man who can't stand the sight of you, and hurry up and sign the damn divorce papers already.”

​“You have a lot of nerve showing your face here after running me off the road,” I said, my voice cold, calm, and eerily steady as I stepped past Marine.

​Vivian scoffed, tossing her long red hair over her shoulder. “Prove it. The police don't have any hard evidence, and Ashton believes me. But since you’re already here whining in the hospital, let me share a little update that might speed up your exit.”

She stepped closer, lowering her voice into a vicious whisper meant only for us. “Did you know I found out yesterday that I’m pregnant? It’s Ashton’s baby. He’s going to marry me and make me his true Luna, exactly where I belong. Once your divorce is finalized, there'll be nothing standing between us. The pack will have no choice but to accept me as their new Luna.”

​Marine gasped, her face draining of color as she looked back at me in horror.

​The revelation hit me like a physical knife twisting deep into my heart. Every lingering doubt, every fragile shred of hope I had harbored about Ashton’s capacity to love or change shattered into dust.

He hadn't just emotionally abandoned me; he had already slept with Vivian, and now she was carrying the child that would secure her place as his true Luna. My baby would never compare to Vivian's. My heart could never compete with his true love.

Marine's mouth fell open, ready to throw Vivian's own words back at her and scream about my pregnancy, but I clamped a hand around Marine's arm, stopping her before she could utter a single word. My gaze remained locked on Vivian's smug, triumphant face, my expression freezing into absolute ice.

​I took a slow, deliberate breath, channeling every ounce of pack authority I possessed as the current Luna.

​“You’re just like your mother,” I said, my tone dripping with icy contempt. “Both of you only know how to claw your way up by using children to trap men. I honestly feel sorry for whatever poor child has to grow up with your manipulative ways.”

​Vivian's smug expression instantly crumbled, the carefully maintained mask of innocence shattering to expose a furious, crimson-faced rage.

​“What did you just say to me?!” she shrieked, her voice rising several octaves. “Don't you dare bring my mother into this!”

​“I said,” I replied, raising my voice just enough to draw the attention of the surrounding lobby, “that you are trespassing, and you have absolutely no right to speak to me like that.”

​I didn't give her a chance to recover. Instead, I turned toward the security podium just a few yards away.

​“Excuse me,” I called out clearly.

​A burly security guard immediately jogged over. ​“Yes, Luna?”

​I pointed a steady finger straight at Vivian. ​“This woman is harassing my friend and me. She's causing a disturbance and refusing to leave us alone. Could you please escort her off the premises immediately?”

The guard instantly stepped forward and grabbed Vivian firmly by the arm.

​“Hey! Let go of me right now!” Vivian shrieked, stumbling backward as her designer handbag slipped off her shoulder. She struggled against his grip, her face contorted with fury. “Do you know who I am?! Let go of me! I’m the future Luna of this pack!”

​“Ma'am, you need to step outside,” the guard ordered sternly, escorting her toward the glass sliding doors as she continued to curse and scream at the top of her lungs.

​Marine burst out laughing, watching Vivian get escorted out of the building like a common nuisance.

​Once we were safely buckled inside Marine's car, the adrenaline began to fade, leaving behind a cold, unyielding resolve. Marine glanced over at me as she started the engine.

​“So,” she asked softly. “What are you really going to do now, Shanna?”

​I stared out the passenger window at the passing streets, resting a protective hand over my flat stomach, where a tiny, fragile heartbeat was fighting to stay alive. The hesitation I felt just minutes ago was entirely gone, burned away by the harsh reality of Ashton's betrayal.

​“Divorce him,” I said, my voice firm and unwavering. “I’ll take my child, keep this secret, and disappear. No one will ever know.”

​“But Shanna—” Marine protested, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “What about giving him a chance?”

​“No,” I interrupted, looking straight ahead with a deadened gaze. “Ashton cheated. He told me to my face that he didn't want our family, and now he’s having Vivian's child. My baby will never be anything to him. Now that my baby has been given a miraculous second chance at life, I am not giving Ashton Knight another chance to destroy it.”

Marine sighed, realizing my mind was entirely made up. “Okay. Then where are you going to go?”

​"Start over," I murmured, a faint ghost of a smile touching my lips. "Far away. Ashton might be eager to get rid of me, but he won't walk out of this marriage without fulfilling his financial obligations. Our contract outlines the compensation I'm owed for a divorce he initiated, and I'll make sure I collect every penny. By the time he realizes I'm gone, my child and I will already be safe in a place he'd never think to look."

​After thinking for a moment, I pulled out my phone, opened my messaging app, and sent Ashton a single, final text message that would change both our lives forever.

​‘I agree to the divorce. Let’s meet in your office tomorrow morning to sign the papers.’

​I knew he would be surprised. After refusing to accept the divorce, my sudden agreement might even make him suspicious. But I no longer cared what he thought. I had made my decision, and nothing was going to change it.