Chapter 4

In the dream, I went back to when I was seventeen. Ethan was waiting for me at the pack boundary, foolishly holding a bottle of warm milk inside his jacket to keep it from getting cold.

Then came our eighteenth year, when he officially inherited the Alpha title.

Ethan and I walked hand-in-hand to the pack hall.

He bought a single red rose from an elderly couple and patted his chest, swearing to the heavens that he would love me until his hair turned white.

Life was hard back then, but it was sweet.

Later, I used my human connections to secure lucrative commercial partnerships for the pack. Our pack flourished, and he kept his promise of giving me a life of luxury.

And then, he broke our sacred mate bond.

A sharp pain tore through me, yanking me back to reality.

When I opened my eyes, the procedure was already over.

I asked the Healer to give me the tiny, undeveloped embryo.

It should have had a chance to see this world, but Ethan destroyed everything.

"Baby, Mommy loves you so much, but Mommy needs to learn how to love herself first."

As soon as I returned to the manor, Ethan's call came through.

"Lily said your pearl necklace looked pretty, so I let her borrow it. But the quality was so cheap that she accidentally snapped the string when she pulled on it. She feels terrible and wants to apologize to you."

"If you have time, bring yourself over to the riverside mansion. And bake a fresh fruit cake while you're at it—it’s Lily’s birthday today, and she loves your baking."

Hearing this, shock hit me first. I rushed over to the vanity table to search through my jewelry box, only to find the necklace completely gone.

That was the last heirloom my late mother had left me.

"Hello? Joyce, are you listening to me?"

Ethan’s voice turned sharp with impatience.

Fury flared in my chest. Stripping away all my past gentleness, I screamed into the phone, "Ethan, you bastard! Do you have any conscience left? That pearl necklace was my mother's final keepsake! Who gave you the right to hand it to Lily?"

Even through the phone, I could feel his cold, unapologetic arrogance.

"Joyce, who do you think you’re yelling at? It’s just a cheap string of pearls. I’ll transfer some money to your account later so you can buy a new one."

"Instead of throwing a childish fit, you'd better get into the kitchen and make that cake."

My knees gave out from sheer fury, and I collapsed onto the floor.

Controlling my shaky breaths, I clenched my fists and forced myself to stand.

"Fine. I’ll make it right now. But tomorrow morning, I expect to see you at the Pack Council Hall."

Ethan fell silent for a few seconds before sighing in annoyance. "Tell me, how long do you want me to spend visiting our old pack memories with you this time?"

My heart sank, and I was about to tell him to stop flattering himself.

Lily’s sweet, delicate voice piped up first in the background. "If Joyce doesn't want to bake it, never mind. I don't have to eat it."

Her pathetic act of playing the martyr was utterly sickening.

The next second, Ethan agreed without hesitation.

"Fine, I’ll go with you. But this is the last time. Honestly, Joyce, you're becoming more unreasonable by the day."

When I arrived at the mansion, Lily was already waiting at the front door, clearly eager to flaunt her new luxury life in my face.

"I'm so sorry to make you deliver this yourself, Joyce. You have to blame Ethan—he always says your cooking is so much better than the maid's."

I spared her a flat look and shoved the cake box into her hands.

"Then you'd better savor every bite, because you'll never get another chance."

Lily’s eyes gleamed with smug triumph. "You're joking, Joyce. Whenever I crave it, all it takes is one word from me, and Ethan will order you to bake another one and bring it right over."

"Tsk, looking at you now, you're living worse than a maid."

Ethan walked over, completely unbothered, and urged me to leave. "Now that the cake is here, you can go."

I spoke in an icy tone, "Tomorrow morning. Pack Council Hall."