Chapter 3

Caroline POV

Five days before the marking ceremony, Bethany came again.

Under the pretense of helping with preparations, she brazenly moved into the room next to Gerald's.

She was the daughter of the previous beta. Though she only inherited her mother's Omega bloodline, she'd grown up with Isaac.

She was also widely recognized in the pack as Isaac's true love.

If Isaac's elders hadn't strongly opposed him bonding with an Omega, the Luna position would have been hers long ago.

"Caroline, this evening gown is so beautiful."

Bethany stood in front of the fitting mirror, wearing my burgundy evening gown.

The waist had been altered extremely tight, outlining her graceful figure.

It also exposed the kiss marks on her neck.

She spun in a circle and sat in Isaac's lap: "Isaac, don't I look better in this dress than Caroline?"

Isaac pushed her away somewhat awkwardly: "Stop it. Take it off. That's for Caroline."

His tone was reproachful, but there was no trace of anger in it.

Bethany pouted and reluctantly went to the dressing room: "Stingy. I'm just trying it on."

I sat to the side, holding my tea, watching quietly.

Before, I would get angry and argue with Isaac.

Then Isaac would helplessly coax me, saying I was petty, saying Bethany was just like a sister to him.

Looking back now, I really was quite the joke back then.

"Caroline, don't take it personally. I've spoiled Bethany."

Isaac put down his magazine and reached for my hand. "If you don't like it, I'll ask her to move out."

"It's fine."

I avoided his hand and poured him a cup of tea. "More people make it livelier. We have plenty of rooms anyway."

Isaac froze.

He clearly didn't expect me to be so generous.

Before, whenever Bethany appeared, all my defenses would go up.

"You're not angry?" He looked at me tentatively.

"Why would I be angry?"

I smiled back. "She's a friend and will be a regular guest. Besides, it's just clothes. If she likes wearing them, let her."

After all, I wasn't planning to wear that dress anyway.

A flash of surprise crossed Isaac's eyes, which then turned to relief.

"Caroline, you've really changed. You've become more mature."

Mature?

You people forced me to mature.

Just then, a crisp sound came from the dressing room.

Followed by Bethany's cry: "Oh no!"

Isaac's expression changed. He threw down his magazine and rushed over at hunting speed.

At the dressing room entrance, Bethany sat on the floor with shattered glass from a picture frame scattered at her feet.

It was a custom crystal frame holding our anniversary photo from last year.

Isaac had personally selected that photo and spent a fortune to have a master craftsman make the frame by hand, saying he wanted to "put it in the most prominent place in the house, symbolizing our diamond-like eternal love."

And now, that photo was being trampled under Isaac's feet.

"Isaac, I didn't mean to..."

Bethany's eyes reddened, looking pitiful. "I tripped just now and tried to grab the frame, but..."

Isaac didn't even glance at those shattered pieces that carried "eternal love."

He squatted down directly and grabbed Bethany's hand to check: "Did you cut your hand? How could you be so careless?"

"It hurts..." Bethany whimpered sweetly.

I stood a few meters away, watching this painfully obvious scene.

That frame, which Isaac had once treasured, saying it symbolized diamond-like eternal love.

Now the photo was torn, the frame shattered on the floor, and he didn't even lift an eyelid.

"Caroline!"

Isaac turned his head, his tone urgent. "Get the first aid kit. Bethany cut her hand."

I looked at him without moving.

"What's wrong?" He frowned, seeming dissatisfied with my slow reaction.

"Nothing."

I turned toward the cabinet, my voice calm. "If it's broken, it's broken. The frame was old anyway, and the photo was outdated."

Isaac's body stiffened.

He seemed to hear something in my words, yet seemed to hear nothing at all.

He just focused entirely on Bethany's wound that hadn't even drawn blood.

As if he'd forgotten that although Bethany was just a delicate Omega, she wasn't that fragile.

I brought back the first aid kit and set it on the table.

"You two take your time. I'm tired. I'll go upstairs to rest."

As I turned to go upstairs, I heard Bethany whisper: "Isaac, is Caroline angry?"

Isaac's voice sounded irritated: "Don't worry about her. I've never seen her be so hard-hearted before."

My steps didn't pause.

When I reached the second-floor landing, I took out my phone and sent Harlan a message:

[Add one pet transport ticket. I'm taking my dog Buddy with me.]