Chapter 4

The scene before me felt like a blade stabbing straight into my heart.

I sat in the car, trying to calm the surge of emotions, until the butler called to tell me Joy was awake and looking for me.

When I returned home and Joy wrapped her arms around my neck, I could no longer hold back the bitterness inside me.

Joy sat on my lap, excitedly sharing what had happened yesterday.

"Mom, I saw Ms. Sophia yesterday! She played hide-and-seek with me for a long time!"

My breath caught. So that was why Ethan suddenly decided to take Joy to the amusement park—it was to meet Sophia.

It was easy to investigate Sophia's background—her college records, her average family, interview logs, part-time job at the amusement park… and her Instagram account.

The moment I saw a photo of her and Joy looking close and happy, the last string in my heart snapped.

Ethan's figure could be vaguely seen in the photo's reflection. He was crouched down, taking pictures for them.

They looked like a happy, perfect family.

Sophia's social media was filled with details showing that she was caught in a romantic entanglement.

Ethan made her hot chocolate during her period.

When she was hospitalized due to acclimation issues, he stayed by her bedside.

Ethan had kept a necklace that Sophia had lost all along.

A wave of nausea rose in my throat, and my tears blurred my makeup. The woman in the mirror looked utterly pathetic.

I used to foolishly think I could preserve the illusion of happiness as long as I pretended not to see those other she-wolves.

But in a relationship, how could happiness ever be real if one had to shrink down to nothing?

By evening, the butler placed a prepared dinner before me, reminding me of the weekly tradition of bringing Ethan his meal.

After some thought, I decided I would talk to Ethan properly for the sake of Joy's future.

I drove to his company.

By nightfall, the top-floor office was still lit.

Through the door slightly ajar, the conversation drifting out made me freeze with my hand on the handle.

"Tell me, what more do I need to do for you to choose me?" Ethan's voice was filled with sincerity.

"Choose you? And then what? Become your secret lover?" Sophia's voice trembled. "Do you think I have no dignity? Yes, I'm hopelessly in love with you. I can't stop wanting to be near you, to depend on you. But every time I see her standing next to you, I realize that you'll never give me what I truly want. I want a love I can have in the open. Let's end this."

Her voice was dripping with hurt.

Ethan sighed and pulled her into his arms.

My hand tightened around the door handle. I was about to leave when I heard Ethan speak again.

"What if I break the mate bond with her?"

In that instant, I felt like I was falling endlessly into a bottomless abyss.

By the time I regained my senses, I was already back in the car. My hands trembled on the steering wheel as tears fell uncontrollably.

I laughed and cried, mocking myself like a madwoman. I couldn't believe that I wanted to run away instead of being angry when I heard that Ethan might break our bond.

Ethan never came home that night.

As the first light of dawn appeared in the east, I suddenly decided that I would ask him directly if he was going to break the mate bond with me. At the very least, I had to make sure this wouldn't affect Joy.

After two sleepless nights, I forced myself to put on makeup and went to Ethan's company.

The private elevator took me straight to the top floor. Ethan was in a meeting, so I waited in his office.

That was when Sophia walked in.

She politely brought in coffee, and when she bent forward, I caught the familiar scent of cologne.

Just as Joy had described, it was Ethan's scent.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" I asked suddenly.

Her hand trembled, spilling hot coffee on herself, leaving red marks instantly.

She looked fragile and helpless as her eyes darted away.

Flustered, she crouched down to clean the mess and did not answer.

I stared coldly at her bowed head.

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed her wrist and helped her up.

"Victoria, did you come all the way here just to bully my staff?" Ethan sounded angry. "She's my assistant, not your punching bag."

"Alpha, Victoria didn't mean to…"

I chuckled abruptly. Ethan must have forgotten that, before becoming his Luna, I was never the kind of woman anyone could trample on.

"'Victoria?' I don't recall ever permitting you to call me by my name," I said coldly.

"I… I was just trying to get closer to you." Sophia's eyes reddened. "You must not know this, but as an assistant, I need to tend to every little detail…"

"And who are you to get closer to me? You even had the Alpha drive you home with his whole family. Is that what you call attention to detail?"

Sophia's face turned ghostly pale.

Ethan shielded her behind him, his eyes cold enough to chill the air.

"Apologize to Sophia," he commanded.

The pack members stepping out of the meeting room fell silent.

Even if a Luna made a mistake, disputes were always settled privately.

Never had a Luna been humiliated so publicly. Never.

With everyone watching, I tried to steady my breath. But my face still burned as if I had been slapped in front of the entire world.

"Ethan, I don't believe I have any reason to apologize."

"Did you not understand me? Apologize. Don't make me say it a third time!" His voice sliced through the air, sharp and forceful.

Yes, that was Ethan's way—once he made a decision, nothing could change his mind.

Just like when he decided to mark me.

And now, when he decided to hurt me for his new assistant.

I should have realized long ago that it was inevitable for me to leave Ethan.

I smiled then, with a strange calm that came before everything turned to ashes.

"Ethan, let's break the mate bond," I said.