Chapter 4

"Freya, how... how could you spit such venom!" Chloe's eyes instantly reddened, huge tears rolling down her cheeks like broken pearls.

"Freya! Shut your mouth!" Caleb roared, veins popping on his forehead. He closed the distance, towering over me, looking like he wanted to rip me apart. "How dare you bring up what happened back then? Because of that attack, Chloe still has nightmares every single night!"

Julian let out a cold laugh, not bothering to hide his disdain. "Your lies are getting pathetic, Freya. Do you think the wounds on Chloe's body were fake? Meanwhile, you came back without a scratch. You can't even lie properly."

Victor didn't even bother to look at me. He just used the same hands that used to hold me to gently stroke Chloe's hair, whispering sweet comforts to her.

Seeing them defend her with such blind faith, I could only smile bitterly.

Back then, I was the one locked in a damp basement by those rogues, tortured for three days and three nights. They used special whips that inflicted excruciating pain without leaving a single mark on my skin.

But when I barely escaped with my life and stumbled home, I wasn't greeted with hugs or concern. I was met with Chloe saying, "Freya ordered those rogues to hurt me. She must have hidden away because she was scared of getting punished."

Just like that, the victim became the villain.

And it wasn't just that one time. Over the past decade, whatever Chloe said, they believed without question. I had long since grown numb to the despair.

"Believe whatever you want," I scoffed softly, bracing my weak body against the wall to leave.

"Where do you think you're going? I'm not letting you go out there and embarrass me again!" Caleb grabbed my wrist, roughly dragging me out of the apartment, shoving me into his car, and driving back to the packhouse. He threw me into my bedroom.

The door slammed shut and locked from the outside.

"Until you figure out how to properly apologize to Chloe, don't even think about stepping out of this room!" Caleb's cold voice seeped through the wood.

I collapsed onto the cold floor, lacking even the strength to crawl into bed.

The decay of my inner wolf was worse than I imagined. My internal organs felt like they were being roasted in a fire and chewed on by ants.

I slept for a whole day.

I woke up to blinding cramps and tried to drink some water, but the moment it hit my stomach, I wretched.

I leaned over the bed, violently vomiting. It wasn't water. It was blood.

The lock clicked. The door opened, and Caleb marched in with a dark expression.

When he saw the blood on the floor and the untouched food tray, a flash of panic crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by anger and mockery.

"A hunger strike? Freya, do you think I'll cave just because you throw a tantrum?" Caleb sneered. "If you've got the guts, starve yourself to death! Dying in here will save our pack's face!"

He slammed the door and left.

I stared at the bowl of porridge and closed my eyes with a self-deprecating smile.

[Host... Are you okay?] The System's voice echoed in my head, laced with pity.

[I'm fine. I only have five days left anyway. Then I'll be free, right?] I replied in my mind.

[Host, I wanted to tell you I've secured a rebirth privilege for you,] the System said gently. [After your body dies naturally in this world, you will be transported to a very happy new world. You'll have parents who truly love you, a fated mate who treasures you like his own life. You'll be the center of everyone's world.]

Hearing the System's words, my dead heart actually fluttered.

[Really?] I whispered, a tear slipping down my cheek. [Can I... go right now? I don't want to wait anymore. It's so cold here. And it hurts.]

[I'm sorry, Host. System rules dictate you must die a natural death in this world. You cannot detach early.]

[Oh...] I was disappointed, but quickly accepted it. [It's fine. It's just five days. I can wait.]

For the next three days, I couldn't keep any food down. I barely managed sips of water.

My body withered rapidly, my skin turning a sickly, deathly pale.

On the evening of the third day, Caleb finally realized something was wrong.

He kicked the door open and rushed in. When he saw me lying there, barely breathing and slipping in and out of consciousness, pure panic took over.

"Freya! Freya, wake up!" He shook as he scooped me into his arms, yelling my name.

He quickly got a healer to hook me up to IV fluids.

When the meds kicked in and I fluttered my eyes open, I met Victor's furious, icy glare.

Chloe was tucked into his chest, looking at me timidly.

"Freya, please stop torturing yourself like this," Chloe bit her lip, sounding so wronged. "I know today is the day Victor and I are supposed to leave for our honeymoon. Did you do this on purpose to make him stay? If that's it... I won't go. Just please stop hurting yourself, okay?"

Hearing this, Victor couldn't hold his anger back.

He stepped forward, harshly gripping my jaw, forcing me to look at him.

"Freya, you are so pathetic!"

"Let me tell you, even if you torture yourself to death right here, no one will feel an ounce of pity for you!"

The pain in my jaw was sharp, but my heart didn't feel a thing.

I looked at Victor—the man I once loved to the bone, the man I had sacrificed half my life for.

I didn't cry. I didn't beg. I didn't try to explain myself.

I just looked at him calmly, a faint, relieved smile on my lips.

"Go on your honeymoon," I said softly, my voice hoarse but completely genuine. "Have a great trip. Don't let me ruin your mood."

Victor froze.

He had never seen me this calm. The grip on my jaw unconsciously loosened. For a moment, he just stared at me, completely speechless.