Chapter 3

Bella POV

At that exact moment, his phone suddenly rang.

The sound broke the heavy silence in the room.

Ethan glanced at the screen and immediately answered the call.

His voice softened slightly when he spoke.

“Hello?”

A familiar female voice echoed faintly from the phone speaker.

“Ethan,” Clara said sweetly, “are you coming upstairs? I already filled the bath.”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” he replied.

Then he hung up the phone and looked back at me

“Close the door when you leave,” he said casually, as if our conversation had been about something ordinary instead of the complete destruction of my marriage.

Then he turned and began walking toward the stairs.

I watched his back for a moment, and suddenly something inside my chest broke in a way that made my entire body feel numb.

“Ethan.”

My voice came out quieter than I expected, but he stopped halfway up the stairs.

He didn’t turn around immediately.

“What now?” he asked impatiently.

My fingers tightened around the divorce papers.

“I’ll sign it.”

That made him pause.

Slowly, he turned around and looked down at me from the staircase.

His eyebrows lifted slightly, almost like he hadn’t expected that answer.

“That was faster than I thought,” he said.

I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay steady even though my chest felt like it was being squeezed from the inside.

“I’ll sign the divorce agreement,” I repeated, “but I have one request.”

Immediately, suspicion appeared in Ethan’s eyes.

“Of course you do,” he said dryly. “Let me guess, you want money too?”

I shook my head quickly.

“No.”

He crossed his arms and waited.

“Then what is it?”

I took a slow breath before speaking.

“I want you to stay with me for one month.”

For a second Ethan looked confused.

Then his expression turned dark again.

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not,” I said quietly.

He let out a cold laugh and walked down the remaining steps until he was standing right in front of me again.

“Bella, are you really still trying to scheme your way into keeping me?”

“It’s not a scheme,” I said quickly.

“Then what is it?” he demanded.

My heart was beating painfully in my chest, but I forced myself to explain.

“You know the pack tradition,” I started to say, but the words stopped in my throat when I saw the look on Ethan’s face.

His expression was already impatient, like he didn’t want to hear anything else from me.

For a moment, I lowered my eyes and took a small breath.

“There’s something I want,” I said quietly instead.

Ethan frowned slightly. “What now?”

My fingers tightened together, but I forced myself to continue.

“I’ll sign the divorce agreement,” I said. “But I want one month first.”

He stared at me like I had just said something ridiculous.

“One month?” he repeated.

“Yes,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just one month.”

Ethan let out a short, mocking laugh.

“And what exactly is supposed to happen in that month?”

I didn’t answer immediately.

I lifted my head and met his eyes again.

“I just want to live like a normal couple for one month,” I said quietly. “After that, I’ll sign the divorce papers.”

Ethan looked at me for a long moment, clearly suspicious. “And I’m supposed to believe this is how easy it will go?”

“Yes,” I said quietly.

But he shook his head.

“You expect me to stay with you for a month after you conveniently announce a pregnancy right when Clara comes back with my son?”

“That’s not why I said it,” I whispered.

“Then why?” he challenged.

For a moment I couldn’t answer.

My throat felt tight, and my eyes started burning again.

Finally, I spoke.

“Because in three years of marriage…” my voice trembled slightly, “you have only come home on the day of my heat.”

Ethan’s expression changed for a split second, but it disappeared so quickly I almost thought I imagined it.

“You never stayed for dinner,” I continued quietly. “You never slept beside me unless it was that one night every few months.”

My fingers curled against the paper in my hands.

“I know you hate me,” I said softly. “I know this marriage was never what you wanted.”

The words felt heavy, but they were the truth.

“But before we divorce…” I took a shaky breath. “I just want to know what it feels like.”

Ethan frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

“To have a husband,” I answered honestly.

The hall went completely silent.

“I just want one month where you come home,” I continued. “Where we eat together, talk like normal people… where I can pretend that my husband actually lives in the same house as me.”

My voice became softer near the end.

“After that, I’ll sign the divorce papers immediately.”

Ethan studied my face for several long seconds.

Then he scoffed.

“You’re unbelievable.”

****

Because I already knew something he refused to believe.

According to pack tradition, when a Luna becomes pregnant, the Alpha is supposed to stay by her side for one month so the child can receive the Moon Goddess’s blessing.

A child without that blessing is said to be born weak.

But Ethan didn’t even believe I was pregnant.

So explaining it to him now would only make things worse.

Soon afternoon rolled around, I went to the pack house to deliver a box of herbal medicine for one of the warriors who had injured his shoulder during training.

The courtyard was lively with wolves sparring and talking loudly, their laughter echoing across the training grounds.

I walked inside the main building, trying to stay focused on the herbs in my hands.

But the moment I stepped into the hall, I stopped.

Ethan was standing near the entrance talking to Lucas.

Lucas Carter was the Beta of the pack and Ethan’s closest friend. Unlike Ethan, Lucas always had a warm personality and an easy smile that made people feel comfortable around him.

When Lucas noticed me standing there, his expression softened immediately.

“Bella,” he greeted kindly. “Hey.”

Ethan turned when he heard my name.

The moment he saw me, his expression became distant again.

Lucas looked between us, clearly noticing the tension.

“You two okay?” he asked.

Before I could say anything, Ethan answered flatly.

“We’re fine.”

Lucas frowned slightly.

He looked at Ethan again and lowered his voice.

“You know,” he said carefully, “you could treat her a little better.”

Ethan gave a dry laugh.

“Why would I do that?”

Lucas looked confused.

“Because she’s your wife.”

Ethan didn’t hesitate for even a second.

“I’m divorcing her.”

My heart dropped.

Lucas’s eyes widened.

“What?”

Ethan shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.

“That marriage was a mistake from the beginning.”

Lucas glanced at me briefly before looking back at Ethan.

“Still,” he said slowly, “that doesn’t mean you have to treat her like she’s nothing.”

Ethan’s voice became colder.

“Lucas,” he said bluntly, “I will never fall in love with Bella.”

The words hit me harder than I expected.

Even though I had already known that truth for a long time, hearing him say it out loud still felt like someone had stabbed a knife straight into my chest.

I forced myself to stay calm for a moment longer, but the tears were already starting to blur my vision.