Chapter 3

I went to Vox Academy to submit my withdrawal application.

Everything went smoothly, and I left the administrative office feeling lighter than I had in days.

I stood at the school gate, facing the snowy wind, and was about to call a car when the world suddenly began spinning around me.

My vision went black.

I collapsed.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a werewolf hospital.

My ankle was in serious condition. The cold exposure and the heavy lifting had made the injury worse. The healer told me I needed three days of proper treatment and rest.

Otherwise, I risked developing a chronic injury that would ache every winter for the rest of my life.

The hospital assigned me a standard hot spring treatment room, but its healing effects were nowhere near as good as those of the Steele family's private suite.

As my treatment ended, I received a voice message from them.

Henry sounded irritated.

"Chloe, what are you sulking about now? Today is the third anniversary of Lily's return to the pack. Everyone's waiting for you to cut the cake. Are you deliberately disappearing just to make a scene?"

So today was the anniversary of Lily's return.

They were all busy preparing a grand celebration for her.

Not one of them had noticed that I was sick.

I didn't reply. I simply turned off my phone.

Lying in my hospital bed, I stared at the storm raging outside the window.

At that moment, my heart felt even colder than the blizzard outside.

That evening, I was kept in the hospital for observation.

Restless from lying in bed for so long, I decided to take a walk.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice coming from down the corridor.

"Doctor! Please help her! She's bleeding so much!"

I stopped and turned toward the emergency department.

Marcus was hurrying toward us with Lily in his arms.

Henry and Victor followed close behind, their faces filled with worry.

Lily was clutching her right index finger, her eyes red from crying.

After examining the wound, the doctor looked rather helpless.

"It's just a small cut. She doesn't need stitches. We can disinfect it and put on a bandage."

Henry refused to accept the explanation.

"How can you say that? Lily has a weak constitution. What if it gets infected? Can't you arrange for a specialist to examine her?"

Victor anxiously chimed in.

"Will it leave a scar? If it does, it could affect how she looks in dresses."

The moment Lily heard the word scar, tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at Marcus with a pitiful expression.

Marcus pulled her gently into his arms and patted her back.

"Don't worry, Lily. I'll get you the best doctor. I won't let it leave a scar."

The doctor clearly didn't understand why they were making such a fuss, but he patiently explained again.

"It's really not a serious injury. There's no need to worry so much."

Watching the ridiculous scene unfold, I decided not to get involved and turned toward another exit.

Just as I was about to leave, Victor spotted me.

"Chloe!"

I turned around.

The three men immediately positioned themselves in front of Lily, as though they needed to protect her from me.

Henry rushed toward me.

"Why are you only showing up now? Why didn't you come to the celebration? Where's your gift for Lily?"

His shouting made my head ache.

Before I could answer, Victor began criticizing me.

"Chloe, you're being incredibly rude. Lily genuinely considers you a friend. She waited for you all night, and you couldn't even send her a message!"

I ignored his accusations and looked at Marcus, who was shielding Lily behind him.

He used to protect me like that.

Whenever something went wrong, he'd always step in front of me.

Now, Lily was the one standing behind him.

Sensing the tension, Lily peeked out from behind Marcus and gently tugged at his sleeve.

"It's okay," she said magnanimously. "Maybe Chloe had something important to do."

Victor immediately objected.

"What could she possibly have to do?"

Henry agreed.

"She's just putting on airs. She deliberately refused to come."

Marcus looked at me with disappointment.

"Chloe, you've gone too far this time."

He stood before me, his voice heavy with reproach.

"My Luna needs to be generous, understanding, and considerate. You've disappointed me."

With that, they took Lily and left.

Once again, I was left behind.

They hadn't even noticed that I was wearing a hospital gown.