Chapter 1

The doctor smiled as he withdrew the examination equipment.

I turned my gaze to Boweike who had accompanied me to the prenatal checkup yet had been on the phone the entire time.

Resting a hand on my stomach, I tried to feel the movements of my child beneath my palm.

"Doctor, is it still possible to terminate the pregnancy?"

The doctor froze, visibly startled. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke cautiously, "Well… it's possible, but it won't be easy. The baby is very healthy, so I'd suggest you think it through carefully."

"Alright."

I didn't want to hear any more of his advice.

That day, when I saw the kiss mark on Boweike's neck, I knew. The pain I felt then wasn't imaginary, nor was it just panic caused by pregnancy.

Boweike had cheated on me.

Later, I carefully examined his scent, and it carried Mia's perfume.

Mia—his Beta.

Whether by design or coincidence, news of Boweike risking his life to save me during the earthquake had spread like wildfire throughout the pack. People praised him as a devoted husband and father, and his reputation soared.

Everyone admired him for being a family man.

At first, I truly believed he loved me.

But now, I knew his heart belonged to someone else.

I stood up and walked out of the doctor's office. When Boweike saw me approaching, he quickly hung up his phone and rushed to support me.

I glanced at his screen—Mia's name flashed on it.

Since I became pregnant, Boweike had accompanied me to every appointment without fail. No matter how busy he was, he always said, "Taking care of Pearl is my top priority."

I had been surrounded by his love.

But today, something felt different about him.

He looked at me apologetically. "Darling, there's an urgent matter at work. I need to step out for a bit. Can you finish the rest of the checkup on your own? I'll come back and pick you up later, okay?"

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat. "Okay."

I finished the tests alone and didn't wait for Boweike to return. Instead, I went home by myself.

It was already late when he finally came back.

He smiled sheepishly and began massaging my legs, while his wolf rolled around the living room, trying to charm me with its antics.

I watched his wolf silently for a moment before snapping, "Enough, make it stop."

Boweike's expression faltered, but he quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm sorry. Things were more complicated than I expected, and I lost track of time. Next time, I'll make sure to plan ahead. I promise I won't leave you alone again."

He coaxed me gently, planting a soft kiss on my cheek.

I stared blankly as he made silly faces, trying to make me laugh.

But once again, I could smell Mia's scent on him.

My stomach twisted violently.

I pushed him away and gasped for air, forcing myself to stay composed. "Go wash up. Dinner's ready."

Boweike hesitated but then headed to the bathroom, shoulders drooping.

Watching his tall, retreating figure, I felt an unshakable sense of distance between us—as if a mountain now stood between us.

I was certain of my decision. I couldn't let my child be born into a family poisoned by such twisted love.

If this child was destined to grow up without a happy, healthy home, then maybe it would be better if it were never born at all.

I picked up my phone and called the doctor.

"Doctor, I've made up my mind. I want to terminate the pregnancy. Please schedule the procedure for me. Thank you."

I numbly ate dinner, barely tasting the food.

Boweike came into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around me again, whining playfully. "Your cooking is the best."

Goosebumps rose on my skin, and my stomach churned harder.

This time, I ran straight to the bathroom and threw up.

Boweike followed anxiously.

"Pearl, what's wrong? Didn't the doctor say everything was fine during the checkup?"

I couldn't stop retching until my body finally settled.

Collapsing onto the sofa, I ignored his worried questions.

After a long silence, he spoke carefully. "Pearl, are you upset about me and Mia?"

I could feel it—his betrayal.

That piercing, indescribable pain tearing through me was proof of his unfaithfulness.

We both knew the truth, yet we chose to avoid it, maintaining a fragile silence.

I looked at him, and panic flashed briefly across his face before he lowered his head.

I felt utterly drained.

"Get me some water."

He hurried to fetch it and then lingered by my side, clinging to me before finally going to shower.

As the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, I reached for his phone.

His password—my birthday—hadn't changed.

I opened his call logs.

Half of them were from Mia.

Checking their messages, I found nothing suspicious—just work-related conversations.

But when I clicked on Mia's social media profile, the first post I saw sent a stab of pain through my chest.

"Celebrating with Boweike after successfully driving out the rogue invaders from our pack."

The photo showed Mia curled up on a couch, holding a glass of red wine.

The timestamp was the day of the earthquake.