Chapter 3

With the teacher standing right there, Edward gave his answer.

“I’ll accompany Andrew to tomorrow’s parent-child hunting class.”

I asked him, “You promised Angela that you’d teach her how to make her own bow and arrows during the hunting class.”

“There’ll be other opportunities.”

His tone was indifferent. “Andrew has already been teased by his classmates over Daddy. If I don’t go, he’ll be even more embarrassed.”

“So you’re going to spare him the embarrassment by making your own daughter suffer instead?”

Edward glanced around at the people nearby.

“Don’t argue with me at school. You’re making a scene.”

Monica’s eyes reddened as she tried to explain.

“Catherine, I can ask the Alpha not to go, but Andrew’s therapist said he needs a father figure by his side right now.”

I stared at her.

“My daughter had three nightmares last night.”

“Angela has you to comfort her.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Monica seemed to realize how inappropriate they sounded. She quickly softened her tone.

“I mean, Angela is luckier than Andrew.”

Angela suddenly looked up.

“I can lend Daddy to Andrew for one day.”

“But he’s already borrowed him for so many days.”

She counted on her fingers.

“My birthday, the sports day, the therapy appointments, Family Day, and now the parent-child hunting class. When will he give Daddy back to me?”

No one answered.

When we got home, Angela took a bow and arrow out of the cabinet.

Edward had made them for her himself. He wasn’t particularly skilled at carving, so it had taken him an entire month to finish them.

Crookedly carved into the wood were the words: For my beloved daughter, Angela.

She carried the bowinto the living room.

“Daddy, can you teach me tonight? Then I can try making my own tomorrow.”

Edward was busy preparing the materials Andrew would need for the parent-child hunting class.

He didn’t even look up.

“Daddy’s busy. Ask Mommy.”

“But the teacher said Daddy has to teach me.”

“Does that mean everything the teacher says is automatically right?”

Irritated by Angela’questions, he reached for a piece of wood and accidentally knocked the bow and arrows onto the floor.

Andrew stepped right on them. The bow snapped under his foot.

Angela let out a scream and shoved him.

Andrew immediately dropped to the floor and burst into tears.

Monica rushed over and gathered her son into her arms.

“Andrew, are you hurt?”

Edward grabbed Angela by the arm.

“Who taught you to push people?”

Angela pointed at the broken bow through her tears.

“He broke it!”

“Are things more important than people?”

“Daddy made that for me.”

“If it’s broken, we can just make another one.”

“You won’t make another one for me.”

Edward visibly froze for a moment.

I scooped Angela into my arms.

“Pushing someone was wrong, and I’ll teach her that. But Andrew broke her things, so he should apologize, too.”

After checking her son over, Monica said gently, “Andrew didn’t do it on purpose. Angela was the one who got physical first. Why don’t we have her apologize first?”

Edward nodded.

“You heard her, didn’t you?”

Angela lay against my shoulder without saying a word.

He reached out and took her from me.

“Apologize. Don’t make Daddy tell you twice.”

Angela’s body went rigid. Tears fell one by one onto her clothes.

“I’m sorry.”

Andrew wiped away his tears and hid in Monica’s arms.

“I don’t forgive you unless you give me the bow and arrows.”

Edward picked up the broken bow.

“Take them. They’re already broken anyway.”

Angela suddenly began struggling in his arms.

“No! Those are mine!”

Afraid she might fall, Edward had no choice but to put her down.

She lunged for the broken bow, but a jagged piece of wood sliced a bloody line across her palm.

I immediately took her hand in mine.

Edward instinctively reached toward her, too, but Andrew suddenly clutched his stomach and began crying.

Monica hurriedly called out, “Alpha, come check on Andrew!”

Edward’s hand stopped in midair. In the end, he turned toward Andrew instead.

After tending to Angela’s wound, I took out my phone and forwarded him the mate bond dissolution papers my father had sent me.

“Edward, take a look at this when you have time.”

He glanced at the title before immediately turning off the screen.

“Are you trying to scare me?”

His tone was utterly certain.

“You can’t bear the thought of Angela growing up without a father, and you can’t bear to lose this family, either. ”