Chapter 4

My knuckles holding Mary turned white, and I bit my lip until it bled.

If all the doctors were on standby, who would save Mary?

Gareth glanced at the child in my arms, looking impatient. He turned to the doctors.

"Which of you is a pediatrician? Stay and take a look."

"Gareth, hospitals charge fees for consultations. Clara still owes us $880,000—where would she get money?" Ella nestled in the man's arms and shot me a malicious smile. "But considering our three years together, I can lower myself to help her."

"My surgery involves the heart, so she'll have to join me."

Ella signaled the bodyguard to kick over the medical waste bin.

Needles scattered across the floor, glinting coldly.

She looked down at me condescendingly and lifted her chin. "Find them all. I'll cover this consultation fee for you."

Gareth glanced down at me and instructed his assistant,

"Do as Ella says."

He carried Ella urgently to the operating room without looking back once.

I knelt on the ground, using my hands to brush and feel along bit by bit.

Soon, all ten fingers were covered with needle holes.

Bloody and raw, not a patch of healthy flesh.

Later, hearing Mary's even weaker cries, I had no choice but to use my tongue to lick them up.

Half an hour later, I held a pile of needles and looked at the doctor.

As I spoke, blood continuously poured from my mouth.

"They're all here. Please save my Mary..."

After speaking, I couldn't hold on any longer and completely passed out.

When I woke again, my nose was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

I instinctively reached out but didn't touch the expected warmth.

"Mary..."

I stumbled out of the room and saw Mary's figure in the doctor's office.

The female doctor who treated her last night was holding her and gently rocking her, feeding her formula.

Her expression was full of sympathy.

"What a tragedy. She's clearly the Alpha's daughter, but because of the adoptive sister's jealousy, she can't even drink breast milk. So pitiful."

Her colleague lowered her voice.

"Exactly. And the DNA report was forged under Alpha Gareth's personal supervision. He said after a year he'd pin it on the hospital, saying we mixed up the reports, and he could definitely trick this mother and daughter back. Spending millions to make the whole hospital put on an act—Alpha Gareth really knows how to play games."

"That's not even the half of it. Even though Ella is the adoptive sister, anyone can see she has feelings for her brother. Last night when I was making rounds, I saw with my own eyes Ella kissing Alpha Gareth on the mouth while he was asleep. Five minutes later Gareth woke up and didn't say a word."

The two exchanged an ambiguous look and pursed their lips knowingly.

I leaned against the wall, my eyes aching painfully.

Ella was the daughter of a Beta under the previous Alpha of the Redmoon pack. Her father died saving Gareth's father during a Rogue attack, after which she was adopted by Gareth's family. The two became siblings in name.

So my jealousy became destructive to their sibling bond, appearing as unreasonable tantrums in others' eyes.

Whenever Gareth said, "If it were as sordid as you think, I would have already made her my mate. Would it be your turn?"

I was left speechless.

That's right.

He was the noble Alpha Gareth of the Redmoon pack.

Of course he couldn't compare to an ordinary werewolf like me.

But then why did he send me tens of thousands of roses, patiently accompany me through the darkness of losing my family, teach a lesson to my boss who made lewd remarks...

Even when a car accident came, he shielded me with his body and ended up in the hospital himself.

I still remember at our wedding, he swore to the heavens:

"Clara, I will love and cherish you forever in this life and never let you down."

But in the end, sincerity changes in a heartbeat, and "forever" is just a word to set the mood.

Looking up again, Gareth was somehow standing in front of me.

Meeting my bloodshot eyes, he showed unprecedented concern.

"You just gave birth. Why aren't you resting in bed?"

A whiff of Ella's usual perfume drifted over, making me dizzy and nauseous.

Avoiding his touch, I took several steps back.

"Didn't you want to break the mate bond? Let's do it now."

Gareth froze for a few seconds, his expression darkening, a cold smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

"Clara, stop being dramatic. You're penniless. If you leave me, you'll be sleeping on the streets with your child tonight."

I looked up to meet his gaze and spoke coldly.

"The child isn't yours anyway. Why do you care?"

This taunt made Gareth furious with embarrassment.

Taking the divorce agreement his assistant handed him, his signature went through the paper.

After I also signed my name, we immediately broke the mate bond.

Right after the bond was broken, Gareth ignored my body suffering from the mate bond severing and pointed at the hospital exit, veins bulging.

"Ungrateful. Get out of my hospital right now!"

I forced myself to stand, held Mary, and walked out.

Seeing the familiar dark car across the street, I knew—that was the car my first love Phineas sent to pick me up.

I couldn't help but quicken my pace.

But before I could take a few steps, two bodyguards suddenly appeared and forcibly dragged me back.