Chapter 4

Sylvia's POV

Sienna, who had looked perfectly composed up until just now, actually started wiping tears from the corners of her eyes upon noticing my gaze.

Mom tenderly helped her with it while looking reproachfully at me.

I once fell from a tree and fractured my wrist. The pain left me in tears for an entire night.

Dad had just watched me coldly from the doorway. In fact, he'd complained that I was crying too loudly.

The lie I'd been telling myself for so many years had finally fallen apart.

I stubbornly held back my tears before abruptly deciding I was done putting up with things.

"I never once said anything bad about Sienna. If you're so convinced that I framed her, please show me the proof," I said to Dad.

He paused for a moment at the sight of my serious expression.

Unexpectedly, Mom took the wolfbone cane from Dad and struck my legs with it, over and over again.

"How do you still have the nerve to lie? You've envied Sienna since you were kids! You've competed with her over everything and taken every opportunity to butt heads with her! I always indulged your behavior, but I never expected that would make you turn out like this!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the wolfbone cane struck my back once again. This time, I actually tasted blood in my mouth.

"I'm going to beat some sense into you today! Let's see if you ever dare frame Sienna again!" Mom screeched.

Before I could catch my breath, another heavy blow landed.

I couldn't stop myself from hacking up a mouthful of blood.

I never once imagined that Mom would be the one trying to beat me to death.

All they needed to do to uncover the truth was to confront Sienna and me together.

Mom clearly knew that I never lied, yet she still instinctively chose to take Sienna's side.

"So, you're grown bold enough to pretend to cough up blood now? I simply made a show of hitting you, yet you've learned to use fake blood to fool us. Sienna's right—you're more lowly than a Rogue and nothing like a true-blooded Larke."

Immediately afterward, she struck me another ten times, only stopping when she'd tired herself out.

I'd long since exhausted my strength. The blood I'd coughed up had stained the marble flooring a glaring red.

I lay still on the floor, unable to even lift my gaze.

Despite that, Dad started speaking without so much as a glance at me.

"While Cassian's here with the pack, there's still time for you to beg him for forgiveness. The marriage has been finalized, so you have no choice but to marry him. In fact, we're counting on you to marry into the Werefang Pack and support Sienna with the resources you gain.

"Stop thinking about calling off the marriage—you have no right to do it."

No right?

Of course not. I'd lost all my rights the moment Sienna got injured while protecting Dad.

Mom turned and busied herself with soothing Sienna. She even summoned the pack healer to examine Sienna.

On the other hand, I lay limply on the floor, my hair disheveled and my body covered in wounds.

Even the moonstone ring that Grandma left for me had broken in two.

I struggled to stand but discovered that I genuinely couldn't manage it.

Things had always been this way.

Ever since I was a child, Dad would reprimand me whenever I so much as shed a single tear because I felt aggrieved.

He even frequently threatened to kick me out of the pack and leave me to be a Rogue if I cried any more.

Mom also once took me to an area where Rogues tended to gather.

She pointed toward them and asked me, "Do you see those Rogues, Sylvia? Your father wasn't just trying to scare you. If you misbehave, he'll make sure you end up like them—homeless forever."

The looks in the Rogues' eyes were so terrifying that I learned to be obedient.

So, whenever Dad brought up kicking me out of the pack later on, I would kneel before the Council of Elders for three days and three nights without eating or drinking. It was all just to prove that I was very obedient.

That trick worked every time. However, they didn't expect that I would fear absolutely nothing now.

The only reason I'd still attempted to explain myself was because I'd been holding on to one last sliver of hope for them.

Now that the only ring Grandma had left to me was gone, there was nothing more connecting me to this family.

Seeing that nobody around would help me up, I dragged myself over to a chair.

Once I finally managed to push myself up by using the chair for support, I was faced with Mom's disdainful glare.

"That's disgusting. Someone throw that chair out," she instructed.

I smiled bitterly.

This time, I would leave before they could make me.

I declared, "Since I don't have a place in this family, I'll just leave. From now on, I'll have absolutely nothing to do with all of you."

Then, I limped out of the pack under the weight of their stunned gazes.