Chapter 4

The slap made my head tilt to the side. The ringing in my ears was deafening.

Before I could even react, Daisy suddenly grabbed my hand and slammed it against her own face, then gracefully collapsed to the floor.

As she covered her face with both hands, her eyes glistened with tears. She looked so pitiful, a complete transformation from the woman she had been a moment ago.

"Don't be so angry, Eleanor. I really didn't think you took bad pictures. I just wanted you to try a different angle, that's all."

The moment Andrew opened the door, the wine glass slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. He rushed over, pushing me aside, and crouched down to urgently check on Daisy.

"I'm fine, Andrew. Don't blame Eleanor. She just got so emotional and accidentally knocked me over."

"You're too kind, Daisy. You don't need to protect her. I saw everything!"

Andrew carefully helped Daisy to her feet, treating her as though she were made of glass. He held her in his arms and glared at me with fiery anger.

This was the first time in our five years of marriage that I had seen him this angry.

"Apologize to Daisy, Eleanor! It's my fault for pampering you for these five years and turning you into a shrew! You know Daisy's wounds don't heal easily. You know how important her beautiful face is to her!"

Andrew's eyes burned with rage. He didn't seem to see the swelling on my face.

I met his gaze calmly. "The one who needs to apologize is Daisy, not me. She keeps mocking my dad. Andrew, don't you have anything to apologize for about what happened with my dad?"

A flicker of surprise crossed his face.

"If it weren't for me, Carlos would have died much earlier. Eleanor, I promised him I'd take care of you for life, but that promise only stands if you don't hurt Daisy."

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. I shouldn't have had any expectations left.

A sharp pain stabbed through my heart, like claws ripping into me. Suddenly, the world around me spun. The next moment, everything went black, and I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, the smell of antiseptic flooded my senses. The cold white ceiling came into focus. I barely moved my fingers before realizing I was lying on a hospital bed in the infirmary.

The werewolf doctor bent over to remove the needle from my arm. His expression was calm but serious. "Congratulations, Ms. Silverclaw. You're pregnant."

My breath caught in my throat.

He continued, "Your body is very weak, so don't let your emotions affect your health. Don't get too worked up."

My fingertips turned cold, and I slowly clenched my fists.

Instinctively, I placed a hand on my stomach, and my heartbeat quickened. For five years, I had longed for a child with Andrew, but it had never come to pass. Now, finally, it was here.

Moonlight filtered through the window, casting a gentle glow on the sheets. I closed my eyes and silently prayed to the great Moon Goddess to protect my child and let it be born healthy.

Just then, my phone buzzed. I looked down to see Andrew's message.

"The doctor said you just need to rest, and you'll be fine. I'll only take you home after you apologize to Daisy."

A chuckle escaped my lips. Exhausted, I turned the screen off.

At that moment, the door to my ward opened, and a nurse entered. "Ms. Silverclaw, the doctor has arranged for an examination. Please come with me."

I got up and followed her, but she led me to a secluded stairwell. As the sound of our footsteps echoed in the empty space, an unsettling feeling crept up my spine.

"I heard you're pregnant." A familiar voice rang out, laced with mockery and disdain.

I stopped and turned to face Daisy, who stood in the shadows with her arms crossed. A smirk played on her lips, and her eyes gleamed with malicious excitement.

"Looks like I underestimated you, Eleanor." She walked toward me slowly. "But do you know why you haven't had children these past five years?"

My fingers clenched, an ominous feeling settling in my heart.

Daisy chuckled softly. "Because I didn't want you to have one."

"The vitamins that Andrew fed you every day were actually measured doses of wolfsbane. You know what wolfsbane does, right?" She batted her eyelashes innocently.

"Small amounts won't kill you, but it will cause a werewolf's womb to gradually deteriorate, making it impossible to carry a child."

Daisy stepped closer while carefully studying my expression as if waiting for pain and despair to surface.

However, I simply met her eyes and said calmly, "I see."

I turned to leave, but just as my hand reached the door handle, Daisy lunged at me and shoved me down the stairs.

I tumbled down. The impact sent excruciating pain through my body. Blood spread along the hem of my dress, staining the cold floor red.

My child was gone. I had miscarried.

In the haze of pain and fading consciousness, I looked up at the clear moonlight and whispered, "Great Moon Goddess, bear witness to my vow. I will divorce, leave this place, and avenge my lost child and my late father in my own way."