The humiliating words stung, but I felt strangely numb. I forced a smile and replied, "Congratulations. You should take good care of her, Grote."

A flicker of guilt crossed Grote's face at my thoughtfulness.

"I'm sorry, Renata. This was an accident, but the pup is innocent. You're going to be my Luna. Surely you're generous enough to accept this, right?"

I kept the smile fixed on my face as I looked at him. "Of course."

I was leaving him anyway. Whether I accepted the pup or not didn't really matter.

"I'm glad you feel that way. You know, if you'd managed to get pregnant at any point in the last seven years, you'd already be my Luna."

He tightened his hold on Christine and continued sincerely, "Christine is in this state because of me. I can't turn my back on her now."

How poetic. He'd once said the exact same thing to me—that he wouldn't turn his back on me and wouldn't let anyone hurt me.

In the end, he was the one who tore my heart to shreds.

A single tear escaped and tracked down my cheek.

Grote saw it, and for some reason, he felt bad for me. He reached out to brush the tear away, sighing as he made another promise.

"Don't worry. My love for you has never changed. I'm just asking you to bear with this for a while and help me take care of Christine, okay?"

So he did know this was something I had to endure.

But it was too late. My heart was already closed to him.

"How could I possibly complain?" I whispered.

Sensing the shift, Christine tugged at Grote's sleeve and gestured for him to set her down.

"Ms. Bowers, I know you're angry, but please, let me keep this pup," she said, her voice trembling.

Suddenly, she cried, as if her tears had been summoned on command. "I know you hate me. I know you're furious. But I… I…"

She took a step toward me, looking small and pathetic, as if I were the villain tearing two lovers apart.

"I truly love Grote. Please, just let me have this pup. Don't make me abort it. I'll leave once the pup is born. I promise. Just please!"

Before I could react, she dropped to her knees with a heavy thud and began slamming her forehead against the floor.

I looked down at her coldly. Nausea rolled through me so violently that I had to cover my mouth to keep from gagging.

I remained silent. Grote's heart ached as he watched Christine's frantic display. He hurried to help her up.

"Stop it! Get up, Christine!"

But seeing that I wouldn't relent, she kept hammering her forehead against the floor, seemingly determined to draw blood.

I wasn't about to fall for such a pathetic ruse. Sickened by the performance, I turned to leave.

"Just say yes, Renata! Don't make this harder for me!" Grote grabbed my arm, forcing me to agree.

I spun around, my eyes blazing as I glared at him. "Don't touch me!"

I had reached my limit.

But in the next second, Grote lost control. A sharp slap landed hard on my face. "Don't push it! Christine is bleeding! How can you be so heartless?"

The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I spat a red glob onto the floor.

My head spun from the impact. Even my self-healing abilities couldn't dull the throbbing in my cheek.

He hadn't held back at all. An Alpha's strength was more than I could endure.

The pain radiated through my entire body, leaving me trembling.

I shot Grote a glare full of pure venom. "Grote, have you lost your mind? I'm leaving. Is that enough for you? I don't want anything to do with either of you ever again!"

I leaned against the wall, dragging my body toward the exit.

But Christine let out a wail and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around my legs.

Her forehead was bleeding, and she sobbed hysterically as she begged, "Ms. Bowers, please! Stay! Please stay and look after my pup! I'm going to leave after I give birth. How is my poor pup supposed to survive in this pack without protection?"

Grote's expression darkened with every word she spoke.

As she clung to my legs, begging through her tears, Grote struggled to contain his mounting rage. He threatened in a low voice, "Renata, just say yes. Is it really that hard? I'm asking you nicely."

Weren't seven years of abuse enough? They were the ones in the wrong, yet they played the victims to force my hand.

Before I could even open my mouth to refuse, Grote barked an order to his warriors to haul me away.

I kicked and bit them, but against the iron grip of those male wolves, my resistance was pathetic.

"Let me go! Grote, you bastard! I hate you!"

Their hands felt like heated pincers, and I could hear my bones groaning under the pressure.

In the chaos, someone roughly twisted my arm to pin me down. A searing pain instantly exploded in my arm.

It was broken.

The pain was so intense that my whole body trembled, and cold sweat drenched my back. They succeeded in making me stop struggling.

Grote carefully helped Christine up, wiping the blood from her forehead with his sleeve. His eyes were filled with so much tenderness that it seemed like he wanted to become her and bear her pain himself.

Meanwhile, I was on the verge of passing out from the agony. The other male wolves informed him of my condition, but he didn't even look at me.

All his concern was directed at Christine.

My heart felt numb as I let them take me away.

Grote forcefully took me back home, demanding that I care for Christine. He promised that if I agreed, I would be rewarded.

Did I have a choice?

I pretended to agree, hoping that I could escape once he was in a good mood.

Christine's belly grew rounder each day, and she became increasingly spoiled. She clung to Grote, insisting that she move into our old master bedroom.

This spacious seaside house had been carefully chosen by Grote just for me.

Knowing I loved the ocean, he had picked this place just so I could lie on the balcony in the afternoons and gaze at the blue sea and sky.

But just days after Christine moved in, she grabbed Grote's hand and said coyly, "Honey, will you sleep with me every night? If not, the pup inside me won't be happy."

Then she looked at the floor-to-ceiling window facing the sea. "This bedroom is perfect. I can see the ocean as soon as I wake up. I love it! Can you let me have it?"

I couldn't believe how easily Grote agreed. Despite my protests, he let Christine take the master bedroom.

"Renata, can you bear with it for a while? Christine's carrying my pup. We can't let her suffer."

And so, I was forced to stay in the storage room. I could only move back to the master bedroom after Christine gave birth to the pup.

I told myself to hold on and that this would pass, but things were far from as simple as I had imagined.

When Grote was busy with work, Christine had no restraint. With nothing to do, she vented her frustration on me.

"Ms. Bowers, you're so lucky to be Grote's mate and the future Luna. I really envy you!"

She wouldn't let me eat. If I couldn't wake up from hunger, she'd force me to drink swill. Every time, I'd gag until I convulsed.

If it hadn't been for an Omega—who once cared for me—secretly bringing me food, I would have likely starved to death.

Whenever I tried to resist or escape, Christine would push me to the ground and slap my face over and over again until her anger died down.

She even took my phone, so I couldn't contact Dad.

I was completely alone, forced to bury all my emotions deep inside. I obeyed Christine without question, too afraid to defy her in the slightest.

But Christine's envy only grew. She resented my background and the fact that I would become the Luna one day.

Over time, that jealousy festered into bitter hatred.

One day, she kept staring at the necklace around my neck. "That's a pretty necklace."

She lifted her chin and said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Give it to me. Things have been a bit dull in bed with Grote lately. Those beads will add the perfect spice."

I immediately clutched the necklace. I couldn't stand this any longer. For the first time in days, I shouted at her, "This was my late mother's! I've been putting up with you two because you're carrying his pup. But if you touch my necklace, I swear, I'll kill you!"

Christine's expression darkened instantly. She rose from the couch, thrusting her pregnant belly forward as she marched up to me. She then reached out to snatch the necklace.

"It's just a stupid necklace. Don't act like it's important. It belonged to a dead wolf anyway. Keeping it is useless. Give it to me!"

This was Mom's keepsake. She had worn it when she was the Luna of the Vida pack.

Back then, Mom was revered by everyone in the Vida pack. She was gentle yet strong, and even the Alphas from other packs respected her.

How could I let this shameless she-wolf tarnish Mom's necklace?

"I said no!"

I refused to let go, but Christine only pulled harder.

"You think you can be the Luna with that rotting body of yours? Dream on!" she snarled while hitting me.

My already fragile body couldn't stay standing. With one harsh push, my stomach collided with the edge of a table.

Pain shot through my abdomen, and blood flowed down my legs. Unlike the usual discharge, this crimson tide flowed uncontrollably.

Suddenly, I realized I hadn't had my period in months. Was I…

Before I could think further, Christine yanked the necklace off my neck and laughed. "Renata, if you don't mind, how about watching Grote and me have fun when he gets home?"

Smiling, she locked me to the cold floor with a chain.

When Grote returned, he found Christine lounging on the couch, her legs spread wide for him.

His lust overtook him as he stared at her. He was oblivious to the fact that I was chained up nearby.

Christine hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "Honey, let me take care of you."

She seductively lowered herself and slowly unbuttoned his pants.

Mesmerized by her charm, Grote couldn't hold back. He pressed her head down and pushed deeper into her throat.

The scene before me was almost unbearable—Christine had Mom's necklace in her mouth while pleasing Grote.

Seeing my anguish, she pulled the necklace out and let the beads roll around her tongue.

Grote lay back on the couch, looking thoroughly satisfied.

I felt like I might throw up, but the lump in my throat choked me. I forced it down, only for it to pierce my heart with a searing pain.

I hated myself. I hated that I'd wasted seven years on him.

Grote suddenly heard my sobs, and only then did he notice me, locked in the corner. He bent down, instinctively trying to help me up. "Renata, w-what are you doing here?"

I glared at him, pushing away his fake concern. "Don't touch me!"

My voice was hoarse, and I realized I couldn't breathe through the sobs. Blood pooled on the floor beneath me.

Grote felt a pang of pity seeing how broken and helpless I looked.

Suddenly, he remembered I'd seen everything between him and Christine. He was overwhelmed by guilt.

After a moment of internal struggle, he finally spoke up to explain. "Renata, you understand me, right? I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Please, forgive me. I didn't know you were right there. I tried so hard to control myself. I promise, it won't happen again."

As he reached out to help me up, Christine's pained groan cut through the air. "M-My stomach hurts so much."

Then, her body slowly began to fall backward.