Choose Pain Over Love

My appearance brought the lively atmosphere in the living room to an abrupt halt.

Angelina immediately walked over to me. With a perfectly measured smile, she said, "Luna, you're here! Come in—just treat it like your own home. They've been making a fuss all morning about wanting to eat your pancakes. I really need to learn how to make them from you."

I didn't respond. I simply walked past Angelina and headed for the kitchen.

Her smile faltered for a moment. Then, she turned to Ethan, looking slightly aggrieved.

"Did I say something wrong, Alpha? Luna Tori… She doesn't seem to like me very much. I just want to get along with her," Angelina whined.

Ethan's expression changed instantly. His once-gentle features turned cold, and his gaze fell on me like ice.

I lowered my eyes and said nothing. In these five years, I had lived through this scene too many times to count.

Angelina gently leaned against his side and softly added, "Chester still loves his mommy's cooking. I could never measure up to her."

The word "Mommy" felt like a deliberate reminder of who no longer deserved to be called that.

When Angelina followed me into the kitchen, the sweetness on her face vanished completely. It was replaced by undisguised smugness.

"Don't waste your energy, Tori. Ethan is mine now. Did you know? Chester's already calling me 'Mommy' in private and even says I'm gentler than you.

"But what can I do? I can't push away such an adorable pup, right? This home needs a she-wolf to run it. Since you can't handle that role, someone has to step in," she bragged.

I simply answered coolly, "Don't worry. I'll be out of your way soon enough."

Angelina thought I was bluffing, and her smile turned even colder.

"Don't flatter yourself, Tori. You really think that kind of talk will rattle me? You can't live without Ethan, and you're even more reluctant to give up Chester. So, who are you trying to fool with this act?" she shot back.

With that, Angelina suddenly grabbed my hand and tried to press it against the boiling kettle.

When I felt the scalding steam against my skin, I instinctively struggled. The kettle tipped over, but instead of backing away, Angelina thrusted her own hand toward it.

Angelina's sharp, piercing scream tore through the air.

Ethan rushed in the moment he heard it. His first instinct was to grab her wrist in alarm. When he saw the glaring red bun on Angelina's skin, he immediately frowned.

Ethan turned to me and questioned, "What happened?"

"It wasn't me—" I started instinctively.

But before I could finish, Angelina cut in.

"Don't blame Luna Tori, Alpha. She… She probably didn't mean it. She just accidentally knocked over the kettle…"

Angelina's feigned victim act, disguised as graciousness, only added fuel to the fire.

At that moment, Ethan's gaze suddenly shifted to my hand. Under the kitchen light, the bone ring's pale, ghostly glow seemed jarringly out of place.

His expression tensed sharply. "That ring on your finger—where did you get it?"

My heart skipped a beat, and I unconsciously clenched my fingers. Pretending to be calm, I hid my hand behind my back and casually answered, "It's just some old thing."

I didn't elaborate, and Ethan didn't press further. However, the chill in his gaze deepened, like he was looking at someone he no longer recognized.

Just then, Chester also ran into the kitchen, drawn by the sound of Angelina's scream. When he saw the burn on her hand while I stood to the side, he immediately burst into tears.

"You're a bad mommy! You hurt Angie! I hate you! I want Angelina to be my mommy!" he yelled at me.

In that instant, I couldn't even breathe.

Ethan was looking at me, but his gaze held no tenderness anymore. All that was left was heavy, bitter disappointment.

"It's been five years, Tori. I thought you would've learned to carry yourself with dignity by now," he criticized.

I kept my mouth shut and no longer tried to explain, because I knew that no one here would believe me.

Calmly, I untied my apron and gently touched my own scalded hand. It had also gotten burned in the chaos. Then, I turned and silently left the villa.

The pain in my hand felt sharp and searing. Still, it paled in comparison to the pain in my heart.

I had dedicated five years to Ethan and Chester. Yet, all I received in return was my husband's cold dismissal and my son's rejection.

I looked down at the bone ring on my fourth finger. Just four more days, and all of this would be over.