Chapter 5
I leaned in slightly, my smirk sharp and my tone dripping with mock concern. “Oh, and one more thing… If you’ve got time to plot revenge, maybe spend it figuring out what to do about Beta Rebecca instead. You know, since she’s carrying your pup.”
The room went dead silent, the weight of my words crashing down like a hammer. Derick’s face froze, his smug arrogance cracking at the edges.
“Now that your little plan’s gone up in flames -no wedding, no cash from my family- I can’t help but wonder…” I tilted my head, feigning curiosity. “Will Beta Rebecca still be so eager to bear your son now?”
Beta Rebecca’s face turned ghostly pale.
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She clutched Derick’s arm, her voice
trembling with saccharine sweetness. “Alpha Derick, I love you! Not your money! Even if you lost everything, I’d still stand by your side and raise our pup.”
Derick looked at her, his expression
softening as he pulled her into a protective embrace. Then his gaze snapped back to me, icy and venomous.
“You’re a vile, manipulative bitch,” he spat, his words laced with venom. “You always claimed to love me, but you refused to
be with me before marriage. My parents wanted a grandchild, but you had to play the innocent, pure little saint, saving yourself for the wedding night!”
He scoffed, his lip curling in disgust. “Ha! I bet you’ve been sneaking around with other men this whole time. Afraid I’d find out the
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truth?”
His words were meant to cut, but I refused to let them land. Before I could respond, my mother stormed forward, her finger shaking with rage.
“You ungrateful asshole!” she roared. “How dare you slander my daughter’s reputation?!”
My father’s jaw tightened, a storm brewing in his eyes. But before things could escalate, I gently squeezed both their hands.
“Let him bark,” I said calmly. “It doesn’t change the truth.”
“But Clarissa-” my mother began, her fury still burning.
“It’s not worth it, Mom,” I interrupted, my tone firm. “We’ve wasted enough time here. Let’s
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- Our guests are waiting.”
“Wait!” Derick’s father’s voice boomed, cutting through the room like a whip. “You can’t just leave after ruining the wedding like this!”
I turned back, a mocking smile playing on my lips. “Oh? What now? Planning to demand compensation?”
“Not money,” he sneered, his lip curling in disdain. “I want your word. Swear you won’t spread what happened here today. If this gets out, the Red Moon Pack’s reputation will be ruined. And trust me, if we go down, we’ll drag the Moon Eclipse Pack down with us.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “You should focus on your son and his not–quite–wife instead.” With that, I spun on my heel and strode out, leaving them in stunned silence.
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The moment we stepped out of that cursed wedding hall, my best friend, Marissa, was there, grinning from ear to ear.
“Clarissa!” she exclaimed, rushing toward
- me.
“What?” I asked, raising a brow as she all but bounced in place.
“That was incredible! Watching their faces go purple with rage, knowing they couldn’t do a damn thing about it? Chef’s kiss!” She mimed a dramatic applause. “I’ve always said Derick didn’t deserve you. What’s he ever done besides treat you like a glorified maid?”
I chuckled, grabbing a glass of wine from a passing waiter. “Maybe I was just stupid.”
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“No,” Marissa countered with a scoff. “You were too kind. There’s a difference.”
I raised my glass, her words sparking a small, defiant smile. “Let’s not waste another second talking about him. From now on, he’s him, and I’m me. We’ve got nothing to do with each other.”
“That’s my girl!” She clinked her glass against mine, and we toasted to freedom.
Later that night, I helped my mother guide my tipsy father out of the reception. I hadn’t drunk much myself–no man, least of all Derick, was worth a hangover.
As we walked in silence, my mother suddenly asked, “Clarissa… why did Alpha Derick insist on marrying you? If his Beta is pregnant, shouldn’t he just marry her instead? Why go through all this scheming?”
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I sighed, tightening my grip on my father’s
arm.
“Because the Red Moon Pack is in trouble,” I said quietly. “He needed money, and marrying me was the only way to save it.”
