Chapter 4

This torment didn't last much longer. The car finally pulled up at the mansion.

Leon already had his door open, ready to come around and help me out. But Shelly blocked him.

"Leon, let me help her. You grab my bag."

He paused, then turned back to get it.

Shelly came to my door, reaching out like she was going to steady me. The moment I put my weight on her hand, she yanked it away.

I pitched forward and hit the gravel hard. Blood instantly bloomed through the fabric at my knees. The pain was blinding.

Leon whipped around at the sound. He took a step toward me, his hand already reaching out. But Shelly gasped first.

"Oh no! Sophia, you're so clumsy. I hadn't even gotten a good grip on you, and you just threw yourself out like that."

Leon's hand froze midair. He looked at me on the ground, then at Shelly's innocent face. He pulled his hand back and stood there, cold, watching. He didn't help. Shelly just watched too. I had to drag myself up with my own ruined arms, clawing my way back into the chair.

Inside the mansion, Shelly took Leon's hand and wheeled me to the edge of the dining table. Then she ordered a servant to bring me a plate of berries.

The berries were covered in mold. My chest tightened. I'd told Leon a hundred times that berries were the one thing I couldn't stand. But Leon just looked away like he saw nothing.

Seeing my hesitation, Leon's mother walked up beside me, voice flat.

"This is a gift from the hosts. What, Sophia, you don't like it? Leon doesn't care for people with no manners."

The name Leon hit me right in the chest. I forced the berries down, gagging, but my stomach rejected them instantly. I threw up.

Shelly sneered. "Look at you. Can barely walk from being so thin, and you're still picky about food."

Leon cut in. "Shelly, that's enough. The banquet's about to start."

But my stomach was in knots. I couldn't hold on anymore.

"Leon, I'm not feeling well. I should go home."

The hall went quiet for a few seconds, then murmurs rippled through the room.

Leon stood, face blank. "Fine. I'll walk you out. It's raining."

Before he could move, his mother blocked him, furious. "Leon, you're bonding with Shelly tomorrow. It's not appropriate for you to be alone with Sophia. Let Shelly take her."

She and Shelly exchanged a look, and she pulled Leon back to the table.

Outside, Shelly took over pushing my chair. She avoided the main path and steered straight for the bumpiest, rockiest route she could find. Every jolt sent spasms of pain through my body. Sweat poured down my face.

"Look at you," she hissed in my ear. "You don't even look like a wolf anymore. Why would Leon ever have wanted a failure like you?"

I bit my tongue and said nothing.

But she wouldn't let it go. The mask came off completely. She pulled a knife from her pocket and dragged it across my arm, back and forth.

"You little bitch. He was just defending you." Her voice was venomous. "You think I didn't see it? That pathetic, half-dead act you're putting on—trying to win him back. I was nice enough to invite you to witness our happiness, and you still tried to seduce him."

The blade cut into the rotting skin. The pain was so sharp I nearly passed out. I gripped the armrests and forced myself to look at her, calm and weak.

"If I gave you the wrong idea, I'm sorry. But I'll be gone soon. Forever. You don't have to do this."

"Stop pretending to be innocent!" My calmness set her off completely. She raised her hand and slapped me across the face. The crack echoed. My cheek swelled instantly, my ear ringing.

"Listen to me. Leon is mine forever. If you're going to die, then die far away from here!"

Dizzy and hurting, I instinctively raised my hand to shield my face. "Shelly, don't go too far—"

But before I could even touch her, her eyes flickered. She kicked my wheelchair hard. The uneven ground and the force sent it flipping backward. I flew out, my forehead slamming into a rock. Blood poured down, covering my eyes.

The world spun. The poison surged, agony drowning everything.

The moment I hit the ground, Shelly dropped too, clutching her stomach and screaming.

"Ah! My baby! Leon, help! Sophia pushed me!"

Seconds later, Leon came running like a storm. He saw Shelly on the ground and rushed to her, pulling her into his arms.

"Shelly! What happened?"

She clung to him, sobbing. "Leon, the second you left, she started cursing me. Called me a thief who stole you. I tried to defend myself, and she went crazy, shoved me so hard—my stomach hurts so much—what if it's our baby—"

I lay on the cold ground, blood blinding me. I barely had the strength to move my lips.

"Leon... I didn't... she was the one..."

But he never looked at my bleeding forehead. Never looked at my shattered wheelchair. He held Shelly tight, his eyes ice-cold. He didn't even walk over to check on me. He scooped her up and turned away.

"Shh, don't cry. I'm taking you to a doctor right now."

His back was so final. He never looked back.

I lay on the cold stone, watching them disappear, and felt my heart split open. The poison had reached my heart. I knew.

I was dying. Now.

Tears mixed with blood and washed away in the rain.

But it was enough. I fought for five years. Endured five years of agony. All I ever wanted was to see him one last time before I died. I saw him. I heard his voice. Even if all he gave me was coldness.

My wish came true.

Darkness crept in at the edges. I closed my eyes.

From somewhere in the mansion, music drifted out, bright and cheerful.

Leon—I hope you find happiness.