CHAPTER 4

Rosaline leaned in until her lips were close to my ear, then she whispered so quietly that only I could hear her.

“In our last life, you walked through that front door, dropped to your knees, and cried like a lost dog while begging Mom and Dad to forgive you.” A slow, cruel smile spread across her face. “But look at you now. You’re standing there without even shaking.”

She let out a soft, mocking laugh before her smile grew even wider.

“That only means one thing.” Her eyes sparkled with pure malice. “Breaking you this time is going to be twice as satisfying.”

My breath caught in my throat as a wave of shock rushed through me.

Rosaline had been reborn too.

She remembered everything from our past life. I had believed I was the only one who knew what was coming. I thought I had the advantage.

I was wrong. Nothing was going to happen the way I expected anymore.

"And as for this disgusting little bastard growing inside of your—" Rosaline sneered and raised her voice, throwing even more cruel words at my child.

Before another cruel word could leave her mouth, something inside me snapped. A rush of anger took over.

My hand flew up and slapped her across the face. Rosaline stumbled backward, her head jerking to the other side. She caught herself against the wall and pressed a hand to her burning cheek.

Her eyes were wide with shock.

“Rosaline!” Dad shouted as he rushed to her, with Mom close behind. They grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her behind them as if I were the one who had done something unforgivable.

I didn’t move. I stood my ground, struggling to steady my breathing as my nails dug into my palms.

I was done being the weak, silent girl who accepted everything. I was done staying quiet while they treated me like I didn’t matter.

No one in this house—especially the snake they chose over me was ever going to insult my unborn child again.

"How dare you lay your filthy hands on Rosaline?!" Dad yelled. "You’ll get down on your knees right now and apologize to her, or else I will throw you out of this house myself!"

I let out a cold, mocking laugh. They all stared at me as if I had lost my mind. But for the first time in both my lives, I saw everything clearly.

"Apologize to her?" I spat, staring my father right in his furious eyes. "I would rather burn this entire house down to the foundation with all of us inside than ever bow my head to that hypocrite again!"

Mom stormed toward me and raised her hand to slap me, just like she had done so many times when I was growing up.

But I wasn’t that scared, helpless girl anymore.

Before her hand could reach me, I grabbed her wrist and held it tight. Then I twisted her arm and shoved her away with all my strength.

She stumbled backward and hit the wall. Clutching her arm, she stared at me with wide eyes, too shocked to say a word.

“Don’t you ever touch me again!” I screamed as tears of anger ran down my face. “For twenty years, I respected both of you. I stayed quiet while you looked down on me and treated me like I was nothing, all because I was born fat and without a wolf. But I’m done!”

My voice shook with rage.

“You don’t deserve to be called my parents. You’re a disgrace, and you all make me sick.”

“Hazel, watch your mouth before I rip your tongue out!” Dad roared as he lunged toward me, reaching for my throat.

“I have nothing else to say to either of you,” I said sharply as I took a few steps toward my room. Then I stopped and looked back at them.

"But keep this promise in your mind every single time you close your eyes from tonight on. Watch your backs, because I am going to become your worst nightmare."

I turned and walked away, ignoring their angry shouts behind me. When I reached the end of the hallway, I opened the door to the small, windowless room they had forced me to live in for years. Just as I stepped inside, a slow sound of someone clapping came from behind me.

I slowly turned around.

Rosaline was walking toward me with a smug smile on her face. She swayed her hips as she gave me a slow, sarcastic round of applause, her eyes filled with mockery.

"My, my... look at you showing your little claws," Rosaline taunted, stopping just a few feet away with her arms crossed over her chest. "You really think growing a backbone suddenly makes you powerful? Let me bring you back to reality, Hazel. Even in this life, you are still the exact same useless, fat, wolfless good for nothing that nobody in this pack could ever love or want."

I leaned against the doorframe, folded my arms, and looked at her with cold, emotionless eyes. The hatred I felt for her was impossible to hide.

"Don't you think it's a little too early in the game for you to be celebrating, Rosaline?"

Rosaline looked me up and down before letting out a mocking laugh.

“Oh, Hazel,” she said with a smirk. “Take a good look at yourself. You’re still the same pathetic outcast, hiding away in this dark little room while I enjoy the life that should have been yours.”

She paused, and her smile slowly grew colder.

“But that’s not why I came.” She tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. “I have a little surprise for you.”