Chapter 1- Gold Digger

Chapter 1- Gold Digger

It was hard to believe what I was hearing. "Doctor, are you saying I'm five weeks pregnant?" I asked, my voice trembling with excitement and disbelief.

The male doctor nodded, his eyes glinting with wolfish intensity. "Yes, Miss Edward. It says here in the test result. Congratulations." His polite smile transformed into a feral grin.

My heart raced, thoughts turning to Derrick, my boss and fiancé. A powerful Alpha of the Night Pack, he would be overjoyed to learn that we would have a pup.

Leaving the doctor's office, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness and hope. His advice on ensuring a healthy pregnancy for my first trimester as a first-time mum was a welcome reminder that my dreams were finally coming true.

As I walked down the busy hospital hallway, a broad smile lit up my face. Life had finally turned in my favor after years of hardship. I had been abandoned by my mother at the orphanage and shuffled from one foster home to another. But now, I was engaged to Derrick, a strong Alpha of the Night Pack, and we were having a pup.

My life had been far from easy for the past twenty-five years. But then, I landed a job at the Night Pack Empire, a position that seemed like a gift from the heavens. As Derrick Ortega's assistant, I fell in love with my employer, and to my surprise, he reciprocated those feelings when he discovered we were fated mates.

Our relationship blossomed, and I felt like the happiest personal assistant in the world. Being with Derrick, an Alpha of immense power and strength, was a dream come true. And now, we were starting a family together.

When Derrick fell ill for the last four months and needed a kidney transplant, the decision to donate one of mine was an easy one. Love, pure and unwavering, fueled my desire to save the love of my life, and I readily underwent the procedure without hesitation.

His parents promised me that I would be married to their son to save his life immediately after he recovered, but I would have donated my kidney regardless. I loved him beyond words, and nothing could have stopped me from offering him the gift of life, the chance to continue our journey together. Derrick had a crisis one month after the successful transplant and was readmitted.

As I drew closer to Derrick's hospital room, my mind was racing with ideas on how to reveal the happy news. His discharge day coincided with our engagement announcement, and it seemed the stars aligned in our favor.

"Should I make it a grand surprise after our engagement has been announced?" I whispered to myself, a mischievous grin playing on my lips. The thought of seeing his reaction, of watching the love of my life filled with joy and excitement, was too tempting to resist.

A smile fluttered as I imagined the Ortega family's reaction to our news. "His parents will be ecstatic to become grandparents," I giggled softly.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Derrick's discharge from the hospital, our engagement announcement, and now, the surprise news of our pregnancy. It was as if the universe had conspired to create this beautiful moment for us.

I stepped into Derrick's room, filled with love and excitement, eager to share this moment with him. without a knock, my heart fluttering with anticipation. "Hey babe, are you ready to leave?" I asked my voice light and filled with excitement.

My gaze drifted to the packed bags on the bed, but I couldn't ignore the presence of Derrick's parents, who were also in the room. Their eyes turned to me, curious and watchful.

My eyes fell upon a striking figure in the room, a woman I didn't recognize. She was tall and curvy, her skin fair and radiant, exuding an alluring energy that any man would find irresistible. I felt a pang of unease in my chest, wondering why she was there.

And oddly, the lady's presence didn't sit well with me, which made my smile slowly disappear.

“And who is this?” The lady asked Nana Elizabeth, Derrick's mother, with disgust, lacing her tone and etching on her features.

“Derrick's former personal assistant. The gold digger. Ignore her.” Nana Elizabeth replied, eyeing me with contempt. The sudden change in the atmosphere baffled me.

Last night, when I was together with Derrick and his parents in this same room, they were so warm to me. It was the engagement announcement that was discussed until everyone left and had planned to meet up here in the morning for Derrick's discharge.

So what changed? What had transpired overnight?

“Gold digger? Former personal assistant? I'm sorry, Mrs Ortega, but I don't understand what you say about me. What's happening?” I asked, making sure my voice sounded firm instead of the nerve wreck I was on the inside.

“What don't you understand, you this cheap slut?!” Nana Elizabeth yelled, making me slightly jump in my skin.

I felt a mixture of confusion and anger course through me. "That's not true!" I insisted, my voice faltering slightly. "I'm not a gold digger. Derrick and I are getting married; that's what he wants. Why are you saying this now?"

The silent, smoldering look in Derrick's eyes cut like a knife, and I knew he was seething with rage. But the direction of his anger was unclear. Was it aimed at me or his mother?

Nana Elizabeth's harsh words fell like blows, each striking a cruel, icy chill into my heart.

"I'd rather my son stay single forever than get married to a bitch like you!" she screamed, her wolf-like eyes blazing with fury.

My confusion turned to outrage, my wolf stirring inside me as I prepared to defend myself against these baseless accusations.

What has gone wrong? I was overly sure that I hadn't done anything to make me become a gold digger. I have always been content with what I had and have never asked Derrick for money. All I do is accept his generosity.

"Derrick, please tell me you do not believe this; this must be some sort of prank," I stuttered, my voice cracking as I approached him. My heart was pounding, my emotions raw and exposed.

I reached out to him, desperate to feel the warmth of his touch, the reassurance of his presence.

“Derrick, please talk to me.” I reached where Derrick was sitting on the hospital bed and grabbed his hand.

"Don't you fucking touch me!" he snarled, his voice dripping with venom as I stumbled back from the force of Derrick's push.

Tears pricked my eyes, but I fought them back, not wanting to show weakness in front of Derrick or his mother. I couldn't understand how things had gone so wrong, why Derrick was treating me like this when just hours ago we had been so in love, so eager to share our future.

That single action and that single phrase crushed me wholly. The dam in my eyes broke into tears, immediately streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't still understand why all of this was happening, especially on a day that was supposed to be one of the best days of my life.

"Why?" I sobbed, my voice hitching as Nana Elizabeth yanked me toward her by my hair.

The pain that exploded in my scalp was nothing compared to the betrayal I felt from Derrick's rejection and his mother's cruelty.

"You're nothing but trash," she hissed, her breath hot and angry against my cheek. "I'm so glad we discovered your true identity before you could marry into our family."

The words stung like salt on a wound, and I fought to stay upright, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

“Why are you doing this to me? I– I did not do anything wr-wrong.” I stuttered, trying to free myself from Nana’s tight hold around my hair. But I ended up falling to the ground.

“Here's what you fucking did wrong!” Derrick got up and shoved the iPad to my face.

My vision swam with tears, but I could still make out the damning words on the computer screen. An email, supposedly sent from my address to Derrick's father, demanded ten million dollars in exchange for my kidney donation. A ransom note, a threat, a web of lies woven by some unknown hand to destroy the love that Derrick and I shared.

"This isn't from me," I gasped, my voice thick with desperation. "I didn't send this. Someone must have hacked my account."

My protests fell on deaf ears as Derrick chuckled darkly, his eyes filled with a loathing I never thought I'd see directed at me.

"Oh, so this isn't your email address then?" he mocked, his tone laced with contempt. "You didn't send this to my father?"

I shook my head vigorously, tears streaming down my face. "No, I didn't send that. Someone is trying to frame me," I pleaded, my voice breaking with desperation.

But Derrick's gaze was like ice, brutal and unforgiving, refusing to see the truth.

What happened to the man who loves me, dotes on me and promises never to leave me?

"No, it wasn't me," I cried out, my voice hoarse with desperation as I clutched Derrick's legs, pleading for him to believe me.

But the woman pulled me back to the floor, gripping my shirt like steel. "Let my man go, you bitch!" she spat, her eyes gleaming with hatred. "Don't you dare touch him again with your filthy hands.? She pulled me back and slapped me hard on the face.

I struggled against her grip, desperation, and confusion clouding my mind. "Please, please believe me," I begged, my voice cracking.

But the woman's grip only tightened, her nails digging into my skin. "You're nothing but a lying gold digger. You'll never have him," she sneered, her breath reeking of malice.

I struggled to free myself, but she held me as she turned me to face her.

Before I could recover from the hard impact on my face or say anything, the lady spoke in a more mocking tone that made my stomach recoil.

" I think you need to know who you are up against, little bitch; I'm Katherine Rodriguez, the billionaire Alpha's only daughter and heiress," she announced, her voice dripping with smug superiority. "And I'm Derrick Ortega's chosen mate, his future wife. So you see, you never stood a chance."