Chapter 3

A week before the ceremony, Chloe brought Ethan's sister-in-law, Vivian Clayton, home ahead of schedule.

Vivian's husband had died fighting at the border a few years ago. Shattered by grief, she'd lost her only pup soon after, and she'd been away receiving psychological treatment ever since.

Chloe said the whole family ought to be together for the ceremony. She even called Ethan specifically to tell him she'd do whatever she could to make Vivian's wishes come true. In my previous life, I'd felt genuinely sorry for her.

Ethan arranged for her to receive treatment at a healing center and accompanied her to the cemetery. I never once stood in his way.

But in the end, everyone's sympathy for her made them think I already had more than enough and should give in to her more often.

The first thing she took from me was a trip with Ethan. While sobbing, she said she was afraid to stay home alone.

The next was the nursery I'd decorated myself. She said the view outside reminded her of her old home, so Ethan asked me to move the nursery downstairs.

In the end, I couldn't even keep my own daughter. And yet, whenever I had a fever, Ethan would stay by my bedside. Whenever I cried, he would hold me and apologize.

But once it was all over, I was still expected to be understanding toward the person everyone considered more unfortunate than me. But at Vivian's welcome dinner this time, Chloe was the one sitting beside Ethan.

Adrian and I were merely guests. When Vivian walked in, Ethan stood up to pull out a chair for her.

The smile on Chloe's face turned smug. She warmly took Vivian's hand. "We're family now, so if you ever need anything, just say the word."

Vivian stared at her, her eyes slowly turning red. "Ethan told me you were a kind person. It seems he was right."

Chloe immediately glanced my way, as if that compliment had been meant specifically for me to hear.

I didn't meet her eyes. After dinner, Chloe swapped the wine in front of her for a glass of warm water, then took Ethan's hand and placed it on her belly.

"I had my checkup today. The healer says everything is fine."

Ethan leaned down to kiss her, his eyes filled with joy. Chloe leaned into his arms as she smiled in my direction.

"Oh, I haven't told you yet, Irene. I'm pregnant. Our pup simply can't wait to be by our side."

After saying that, she turned to Ethan and pouted. "It's a shame we won't be able to go on a hot air balloon ride for our honeymoon."

Ethan affectionately gave her cheek a gentle pinch. "If you want to go, we'll go once the pup is here."

She arched her brows at me, seemingly eager to flaunt how happy she was and catch even the slightest hint of disappointment or discomfort on my face.

But she got nothing. I simply gave her a faint smile and congratulated her.

Vivian's hand stilled on her teacup. "How lovely."

She spoke softly, as though lost in thought. Ethan handed her a tissue while quietly calling her name.

Chloe assumed she was only grieving the pup she'd lost, so she leaned in to comfort her. "Don't be sad. Once my pup is born, you can come see her whenever you like."

My napkin creased under my grip. I had said those exact words once too. As we headed back, Adrian didn't have his Beta start driving right away. "You barely ate anything back there. Do you want to go somewhere else to grab a bite?"

I shook my head, then nodded. Instead of laughing at me, he just asked what I felt like eating.

I thought about it for a long time but couldn't come up with anything. For years, the table had always been filled with Ethan's favorite dishes. Later, Vivian's favorites were added to the mix. I wasn't picky, so before long, I became the person whose preferences no one needed to check.

In the end, I pointed to a little restaurant on the corner. He sat with me while I finished a bowl of hot soup and some bread. Only then did he ask his Beta to drive us home.

The night before the ceremony, Chloe came to see me. She placed the earrings Ethan had given her on my vanity and asked what Adrian had given me.

I was putting away my flower-shop apron as I answered without looking up, "He had surgery today. Whether he can come tomorrow depends on how he's doing in the morning."

Chloe struggled to keep the grin off her face. "Irene, it's too late to regret your decision now."

I folded the apron neatly. "I don't regret it."

Then she suddenly said, "Stop staring at my mate from now on. The way you look at him might give people the wrong idea."

I looked up at her. She was already so desperate to guard her place that she couldn't even stand the thought of me remembering that I'd once held it.

I said, "You don't have to worry. I have no intention of swapping back."

Her smile faltered for a moment.