Chapter 2

I was packing up Lucy's belongings when Leon, just back from his world tour, finally returned home at his leisure.

"Circe, give me a shoulder massage. These past few days of traveling wore me out."

Hearing this, I, who used to love my husband like my life depended on it, now said nothing and continued packing in silence.

Seeing that I ignored him, Leon frowned, then seemed to remember something and suddenly laughed.

"Don't tell me, Circe, you're still jealous about me traveling with Vivian?"

Vivian was the daughter of Nightcrest pack's Beta, and also his first love.

To accompany Vivian on a world tour, Leon didn't hesitate to abandon our critically ill Lucy, leaving her to die miserably on that cold operating table.

Thinking of Lucy's eyes gradually losing their warmth, my heart felt like it was being stabbed with an awl.

Before I could speak, Vivian walked through the door looking relaxed, saying in fake concern:

"Oh my! Luna Circe, this is all my fault for insisting Leon travel with me to relax."

"But don't worry, we just traveled together, that's all. Really, nothing happened."

Her words sounded casual, but the two of them wore matching couple shirts and couple rings, looking as sweet as real lovers walking down the street.

Meanwhile, my wedding ring with Leon had long been discarded somewhere unknown.

Seeing that I still didn't speak, Leon finally sighed with a helpless expression.

"Alright, stop being angry. I'll transfer you an extra five hundred dollars this month for living expenses. Buy Lucy something nice to eat."

"Just be grateful that I'm good to you both. No need to thank me."

Looking at the transfer record on my phone screen, I only felt it was utterly ironic.

He spent over a million dollars traveling the world with Vivian, constantly buying designer brands, any random bag costing tens of thousands.

And now, he was giving me five hundred dollars as if he were bestowing upon me some enormous favor.

Standing to the side, Vivian could barely suppress her laughter as she said mockingly:

"Luna Circe, five hundred dollars isn't little. Hurry up and thank Leon."

"If you ask me, it's good for kids to suffer a bit when they're young. That way they won't be spoiled by money in the future!"

Such absurd reasoning, yet Leon believed it completely.

To keep Lucy from being "spoiled," he strictly controlled mine and Lucy's expenses every month, only giving us two hundred dollars for living costs.

I used to fight with him about this all the time, because I wanted to give Lucy a better life, but now that Lucy was dead, there was no point in saying anything more.

With that thought, I transferred the money straight back and said flatly:

"No need. I don't need it."

The smile on Leon's face froze instantly, then he said helplessly:

"Circe, I already apologized to you. What more do you want?"

Before I could respond, Vivian's mocking voice came from beside me.

"I think she just thinks five hundred dollars is too little, right?"

"Luna Circe, I'm not trying to criticize you, but with your materialistic attitude, how can you set a good example for Lucy?"

She lectured me from her high horse.

Hearing this, Leon also looked at me with disappointment.

"Circe, we've only been married a few years and you've already become this greedy?"

"In a few more years, are you going to want my company shares and my family assets too?"

Hearing Leon's interrogation, I couldn't help but laugh bitterly at myself.

Leon and I were fated mates. Back then, he was a distinguished Alpha, and I was just an ordinary werewolf.

After meeting me, he broke up with Vivian to pursue me.

Before marriage, he said: "The difference in our status doesn't matter, Circe. No matter what your family background is, I will love you."

But after marriage, once Vivian returned to the country and found him, he always mocked me: "Someone of your status should be laughing in your sleep that you married me. Don't fantasize about things that don't belong to you. The few hundred dollars I give you each month is already a gift."

Now, hearing him say such things again, I no longer had the energy to argue.

But my silence, in his eyes, became guilt.

The next moment, Leon said irritably:

"Looks like Vivian was right. You're not a qualified mother at all."

"I'm doing this to cultivate our daughter's spirit of hard work and endurance."

"If you keep this up, and Lucy ends up as greedy and materialistic as you in the future, how are we supposed to maintain this family?"

Watching him act so serious, I only felt it was ironic.

His so-called hard work and endurance meant that if I asked him for an extra twenty dollars for groceries, he would lecture me for hours about coveting his family fortune.

Even when Lucy got a good test score and wanted to eat a small piece of cake, he would point at her nose and scold:

"So materialistic at such a young age, you'll definitely be greedy when you grow up!"

"Your mother is going to spoil you sooner or later!"

Thinking of this, I was about to tell him about Lucy's situation.

"Leon, Lucy has already—"

But before I could finish, Vivian at the door suddenly wailed.

The next moment, Leon didn't even bother to continue lecturing me and immediately rushed to Vivian's side.

"Vivian, what's wrong?"

Vivian waved her hand pretentiously.

"Leon, I'm fine. I just suddenly felt uncomfortable. Maybe I'm allergic to some of the flowers in your house."

"I'm okay, don't let me interfere with your family reunion."

Hearing this, Leon shook his head.

"Your health is more important. I'll take you to the hospital right now."

Just before leaving, Leon seemed to remember something and turned back to look at me, sighing earnestly.

"Circe, let's both cool down for a bit."

"When I get back, we'll talk properly about taking our daughter out next week."

But he didn't know that Lucy was no longer in this world, and I didn't want to wait for him anymore.