Chapter 3

When I woke up again, I was already in the hospital.

From the conversation between the nurses nearby, I learned that I'd been in emergency care for an entire day.

I lay weakly in bed. My belly, which hadn't yet gone down, throbbed with pain.

I knew the baby was gone.

Before I could process my grief, Orion walked in.

Tia followed behind him, holding her cat.

Orion casually tossed a pack of diapers onto the nearby couch.

"Clara, you really know how to cause trouble. Didn't you say you were in labor? Where's the baby!"

Looking at his completely indifferent expression, I laughed bitterly to myself and said nothing.

Tia stroked her cat a couple of times and glanced at me carelessly.

"Clara, there's really no need for this. Orion and I are completely innocent. Making such a big scene just to get at me—aren't you embarrassed?"

Embarrassed?

I gripped the bedsheet tightly, my nails nearly digging into my flesh.

"If giving birth to my own mate's child is embarrassing, then you calling my mate to find your cat must be utterly shameless!"

Her eyes immediately reddened.

"I know having a baby is important to you, but Snowball may be a cat, but she's still a living creature!"

"If Orion hadn't arrived in time, I might never have seen Snowball again!"

Right, the cat was still alive. Orion had arrived in time, so her cat survived.

But...

I couldn't hold back my grief and anger anymore. I grabbed the water glass from the bedside table and hurled it at them.

"But my child is dead! I'll never see him again!"

Orion's face instantly darkened.

"How is that possible? How could my child be dead? You're just making up excuses to blame me!"

If Orion had asked the nurse just one question when he arrived, or if he'd shown even a bit of concern about my condition, he would know what had happened.

But he did nothing—just blamed me baselessly.

"Snowball is the only thing my brother left for Tia. Since I promised him I'd take care of her, I can't let her lose that connection and be sad!"

"Besides, you lied and caused such a scene out of jealousy that you mobilized the entire pack's guard force. You might have no shame, but I do!"

I found it laughable and pathetic.

My poor child. He should have been born with everyone's expectations, enjoying the warmth of this pack. But because of a cat, he died miserably on a cold highway. He didn't even get a chance to see this world.

My heart was as dead as ashes. I closed my eyes and pointed trembling fingers at the door.

"Get out!"

Orion looked at me in disbelief. "You're telling me to get out?"

He stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.

"You really think being pregnant means you can do whatever you want? I heard you were in labor and rushed here overnight, and this is the attitude you give me?!"

He was so agitated that his collar trembled slightly as he spoke, revealing the red marks on his neck.

This sight stabbed painfully at my eyes.