Chapter 1: Returned Ex

Evelyn’s POV

“Luna Evelyn, why isn't Alpha Tristan here tonight?” A guest sneered at me. “The rumor is true then? That he has a mistress and your marriage is over?”

I clutched my champagne glass, my stomach churning with pain.

Tonight was the annual Full Moon Festival.

My husband Tristan was supposed to be here with me. But he was out fooling around again, leaving me to face hundreds of guests alone—most of them eager to see me fail.

I forced a stiff smile, “Tristan just had some urgent business to attend to, but he’ll join us shortly.”

Raising my glass, I spoke loudly to all the guests:

“Members, welcome! This new year will be a great start for Blazewood Pack! I’m honored to announce that we will be developing the Carnival City with a construction company in Storm Fang Pack. Their CEO Jason will arrive in a few days to sign the contract. This project will help us thrive!”

The crowd murmured in admiration.

My pride gradually replaced the embarrassment caused by Tristan's absence.

Storm Fang Pack was the wealthiest pack in the world, under the reign of the strongest Alpha Asher Hawthorne. All companies there were filthy rich. And everyone wanted to do business with them.

It took me a year to get this construction company to take an interest in this project.

Finally, my efforts paid off.

And now I am the perfect Luna in our pack members’ eyes.

With a composed smile, I raised the glass to give a toast—

BANG!

Something hit my chest.

Amidst the guests' gasps, I staggered back in pain, nearly falling. My white dress was now ruined by paintball shots.

An 8-year-old boy with a paintball gun jumped out. He gave me the finger and shouted, “Got you!!”

“Roman…” I called him, opening my arms for him. “Come here. Come to Mommy.”

But my boy simply glared at me like I was his biggest enemy.

“SHUT UP!! You are not my mom!” he shrieked, “I HATE YOU! I hope you are dead!!!”

My heart contracted.

A part of me just died internally.

Low snickers came from the crowd. A guest giggled with glee, “We all get it, Luna Evelyn, being a mother is hard… especially a stepmother.”

Yes, I was Roman’s stepmother.

3 years ago, I had a miscarriage and lost my own child. In my grief, Tristan brought Roman home and told me Roman was his illegitimate son with a mistress.

Tristan knelt at my feet, begging for forgiveness. He said the mistress was dead already. Roman had no mother. So I could raise Roman as my own.

I hated Tristan’s betrayal, but I couldn’t say no to Roman.

I wanted a child so badly—even if he wasn’t mine by blood.

So I took Roman in and gave my heart to this little boy. Every fiber of me loved him deeply. I would even sacrifice my own life for him.

But 3 years passed, despite all my efforts to win him over, he grew more and more apart from me.

And that hurt more than anything in the world.

“Roman…” I called him softly again, “Don’t you want to change into a fresh outfit and meet all of your father’s members? Come, let mommy take you to your room…”

I stretched out my hand to him.

But the boy suddenly smashed the gun to the ground, slumped down, and started wailing:

“NO!!! You’re locking me up again! You always punish me! Hit me! I HATE you!! You’re the worst stepmom ever!”

…What?!

I was dumbfounded.

When had I ever punished or abused him?!

I gave this child all my heart.

Why would he say that?

The crowd stirred. Many guests glared at me. One snapped, “In this for real?! Hitting a child? Luna Evelyn, this is Alpha Tristan’s only son! You can’t abuse your stepson just because you can’t have one yourself!”

Panicked, I tried to explain, “No, I didn’t…”

“So are you calling Roman a liar? For fuck’s sake! No 8 years old would lie about child abuse!” the guest shouted.

I glanced at Roman.

He secretly made a face at me when no one was looking.

“Roman!” I gasped. “Stop this joke. It’s not funny!”

Yet he cried even louder: “HELP! I’m so scared. This evil woman is going to hit me again!”

The crowd erupted in disapproving boos. And right at this moment, a stern voice came from the door—

“Why is my dear boy crying!?”

I turned sharply and saw my husband Tristan strode into the hall.

This was the first time that I saw him in almost a month. He was so strikingly handsome. But now his face was icy cold, and he didn’t even look at me when he came in.

Roman ran to him, crying, “Dad! Evelyn’s hitting me again!”

Tristan hugged him tightly and looked at me. His eyes carried no love or warmth, as if I were his enemy.

“What the fuck Evelyn!” he snapped. “What kind of monster abuse a small child?!”

My voice choked with tears, “I didn’t! Roman is like my own child to me. You should know that!”

“Your own child died in that miscarriage 3 years ago! Probably because it didn’t want a child-abusing monster as its mother.” Tristan said crudely, “I am so done with you, Evelyn! That’s it! I want a divorce!”

The hall exploded with noise. All the guests stared at us in shock.

I stood there, frozen, my mind blank.

He is…leaving me?

But why?!

I did everything for him, for Roman, this pack.

What did I do wrong??

Roman cheered, “Great! Dad, so can my real mom come back?”

I wanted to tell him that was impossible. Tristan said his real mother was dead, which was why I agreed to raise him in the first place.

But the next moment, a soft voice came from the door:

“Of course, Roman, I’m back right now.”

I jerked up to see a stunning blonde woman gracefully walk into the hall, a confident smile on her lips.

Roman cried and ran into her arms. Tristan also wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead.

They looked like a family, and I was the outsider.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, “You are…LEAH?!”

This was Roman’s birth mother, Tristan’s ex lover!

She’s not dead?!

Leah looked at me, pitiful tears filled her eyes:

“Evelyn, can you please stop abusing my child? What did he do wrong?”

I couldn’t breathe.

My chest felt like it was about to shatter. I looked at Tristan, but he avoided my gaze.

…So he lied to me. AGAIN.

He told me that this woman was dead, because he knew that I’d only take Roman in if I thought that woman was gone.

Now, after I gave everything to Roman, his real mother comes back to take him away.

“…Why?!” I uttered a word, breathing heavily.

“Leah’s parents didn’t want us together back then, and they didn’t want Leah to keep Roman. So I stayed in this marriage because I need someone to take care of Roman.” Tristan said. “But now, we finally have her parent’s blessing! So it’s time for you to leave and give everything that belongs to Leah back to her!”

So the love was long gone.

My husband just used me as a free nanny and employee.