Chapter 2

The warm, cozy atmosphere made it feel like Lily and I were intruders breaking into someone else's home.

"Jennifer..."

Jason stood up abruptly, hurrying over to take my coat.

"Amanda's landlord suddenly sold the house and kicked them out."

"They have nowhere else to stay. I was thinking... could they stay here for a while?"

I said nothing, merely watching the moving crew carry my and Lily's belongings box by box into the dusty storage room.

Amanda spoke up in a timid, fragile voice, though the smug smirk on her lips was unmistakable:

"I'm so sorry, Jennifer. I've always had trouble sleeping unless I'm in a south-facing room, so Jason insisted on giving me the master bedroom."

Lily's bedroom had also been claimed by Henry.

Her favorite porcelain doll had been tossed out into the hallway, its porcelain limbs shattered on the hardwood.

Jason suddenly looked uneasy.

"Jennifer, if you really mind, I can arrange another place for them—"

"I don't mind," I cut him off, holding out my hand.

"The rental rate stays the same as before. But staying in my house, plus your hourly companionship fee for them, will cost extra."

*Smack!*

Jason slammed my purse onto the floor, his face dark with fury.

"Jennifer Collins, have you lost your damn mind?"

"Talking like a cheap whore in front of the kids? Do you have no shame left at all?"

I felt like laughing.

He was the one who brought another woman and her child into our home, yet he dared to blame me for lacking shame when I laid out the truth.

Jason grabbed Amanda and Henry, heading toward the door.

As he brushed past me, he flicked a black titanium credit card straight at my face.

"Five million! Is that enough for you?!"

"I tried giving you an out, but you'd rather spend the rest of your pathetic life sleeping with cash!"

Once the house went quiet, Lily sniffled softly, using a tissue to wipe my cheek.

Only then did I realize the sharp edge of the card had sliced open my skin, drawing blood.

"Mommy, it's all my fault. If I weren't sick, Daddy wouldn't treat you like this."

I wrapped my arms tightly around my daughter.

"Mommy isn't mad, baby. Once we find the person who can heal you, everything will be fine. Mommy is happy..."

Lily, who had always insisted on having her father read her a bedtime story, fell asleep in my arms with dried tears on her face.

Looking at her furrowed little brows, my heart felt like it was being crushed under heavy wheels.

When had our once-happy family turned into this living nightmare?

Was it when Amanda's mate died, and Jason started spending every single night at her place comforting her, claiming she might kill herself? He visited so frequently that pack members started whispering behind our backs whenever he returned to his own house.

Was it when Jason worried Henry would get bullied for not having a father, so he never missed a single parent-teacher conference for him? He never missed Henry's birthdays or school festivals, leaving our own daughter to be mocked at school as an illegitimate outcast.

Or was it the first time Lily collapsed from the curse? I had dialed Jason's number dozens of times, only to get a busy signal. The only available Healer had been summoned by Amanda because Henry had a mild tummy ache. Lily nearly died that night. It was only after I smashed my forehead against Jason's door, bleeding and screaming, that he casually waved a hand to let the Healer treat her.

I took a deep breath, packed our suitcases, lifted my sleeping daughter into my arms, and walked out of that house without looking back.

We stayed in our new apartment for an entire week. Jason didn't send a single message.

Amanda, however, never stopped texting.

She flooded my SnapChat with pack gossip articles, as if terrified I might miss any detail.

I scrolled through them emotionlessly. Every place they visited was somewhere Lily and I had begged Jason to take us. Even the pack tabloids that had once reported on our mating ceremony were now singing praises of Jason and Amanda's destined romance.

[I'm so sorry, Jennifer. I tried to tell Jason to pay off the tabloids, but he said you have plenty of money to handle it yourself.]

[Since this mess started because of me, why don't I sell the diamond jewelry and designer bags Jason bought me to help cover your PR fees?]

Amanda sent photos of the lavish gifts Jason had showered her with, deliberately trying to get a rise out of me.

In the past, seeing this would have sent me flying into a rage, storming over to smash everything she owned.

Now, I simply typed back: [That would be great. Thanks.]

Amanda's typing bubble flashed for a long time, but no new message came through.

Just when I thought they would finally leave me alone, my bank app pinged.

Ten million dollars had been wired to my account.

The moment I read the memo line, the blood in my veins turned to ice!