My appearance brought the lively atmosphere in the living room to an abrupt halt.

Angelina immediately walked over to me. With a perfectly measured smile, she said, "Luna, you're here! Come in—just treat it like your own home. They've been making a fuss all morning about wanting to eat your pancakes. I really need to learn how to make them from you."

I didn't respond. I simply walked past Angelina and headed for the kitchen.

Her smile faltered for a moment. Then, she turned to Ethan, looking slightly aggrieved.

"Did I say something wrong, Alpha? Luna Tori… She doesn't seem to like me very much. I just want to get along with her," Angelina whined.

Ethan's expression changed instantly. His once-gentle features turned cold, and his gaze fell on me like ice.

I lowered my eyes and said nothing. In these five years, I had lived through this scene too many times to count.

Angelina gently leaned against his side and softly added, "Chester still loves his mommy's cooking. I could never measure up to her."

The word "Mommy" felt like a deliberate reminder of who no longer deserved to be called that.

When Angelina followed me into the kitchen, the sweetness on her face vanished completely. It was replaced by undisguised smugness.

"Don't waste your energy, Tori. Ethan is mine now. Did you know? Chester's already calling me 'Mommy' in private and even says I'm gentler than you.

"But what can I do? I can't push away such an adorable pup, right? This home needs a she-wolf to run it. Since you can't handle that role, someone has to step in," she bragged.

I simply answered coolly, "Don't worry. I'll be out of your way soon enough."

Angelina thought I was bluffing, and her smile turned even colder.

"Don't flatter yourself, Tori. You really think that kind of talk will rattle me? You can't live without Ethan, and you're even more reluctant to give up Chester. So, who are you trying to fool with this act?" she shot back.

With that, Angelina suddenly grabbed my hand and tried to press it against the boiling kettle.

When I felt the scalding steam against my skin, I instinctively struggled. The kettle tipped over, but instead of backing away, Angelina thrusted her own hand toward it.

Angelina's sharp, piercing scream tore through the air.

Ethan rushed in the moment he heard it. His first instinct was to grab her wrist in alarm. When he saw the glaring red bun on Angelina's skin, he immediately frowned.

Ethan turned to me and questioned, "What happened?"

"It wasn't me—" I started instinctively.

But before I could finish, Angelina cut in.

"Don't blame Luna Tori, Alpha. She… She probably didn't mean it. She just accidentally knocked over the kettle…"

Angelina's feigned victim act, disguised as graciousness, only added fuel to the fire.

At that moment, Ethan's gaze suddenly shifted to my hand. Under the kitchen light, the bone ring's pale, ghostly glow seemed jarringly out of place.

His expression tensed sharply. "That ring on your finger—where did you get it?"

My heart skipped a beat, and I unconsciously clenched my fingers. Pretending to be calm, I hid my hand behind my back and casually answered, "It's just some old thing."

I didn't elaborate, and Ethan didn't press further. However, the chill in his gaze deepened, like he was looking at someone he no longer recognized.

Just then, Chester also ran into the kitchen, drawn by the sound of Angelina's scream. When he saw the burn on her hand while I stood to the side, he immediately burst into tears.

"You're a bad mommy! You hurt Angie! I hate you! I want Angelina to be my mommy!" he yelled at me.

In that instant, I couldn't even breathe.

Ethan was looking at me, but his gaze held no tenderness anymore. All that was left was heavy, bitter disappointment.

"It's been five years, Tori. I thought you would've learned to carry yourself with dignity by now," he criticized.

I kept my mouth shut and no longer tried to explain, because I knew that no one here would believe me.

Calmly, I untied my apron and gently touched my own scalded hand. It had also gotten burned in the chaos. Then, I turned and silently left the villa.

The pain in my hand felt sharp and searing. Still, it paled in comparison to the pain in my heart.

I had dedicated five years to Ethan and Chester. Yet, all I received in return was my husband's cold dismissal and my son's rejection.

I looked down at the bone ring on my fourth finger. Just four more days, and all of this would be over.

After leaving the villa, I returned to the place Ethan, Chester, and I used to live.

It was completely empty now. Just as well—I welcomed the silence.

In the few days that remained, I just waited quietly for the bone ring to finish its work and break the mate bond between Ethan and me once and for all.

The final day came.

That afternoon, I received a call from Ethan. His tone, as always, was commanding.

"Go pick up Chester from school. I'm tied up," he ordered.

Chester was still my biological pup. Hence, I couldn't bring myself to leave him alone or let him face danger.

I arrived at Chester's school early. They seemed to be holding an art exhibition. The hallway walls were lined with childlike but heartfelt drawings.

I wandered casually until one drawing suddenly stopped me cold. The title read "My Lovely Family", and the artist's signature was "Chester Grant".

In the drawing, Ethan, Angelina, and Chester sat closely together. They all had bright smiles on their faces.

Meanwhile, I stood behind the trio wearing an apron. I had my head bowed as I cleaned. Chester had drawn me as just a faceless, blurry shadow.

I had thought my heart had gone numb, but it began to ache again with each throb.

Just then, the school bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Children came pouring out through the school gates.

Chester spotted me immediately, but there was no shred of joy on his face. Instead, he seemed slightly displeased.

"Where's Daddy and Angie?" he asked with a frown.

I calmly answered, "They couldn't make it."

He pointed to a snack stand near the gate. "I want that one. Go buy it for me."

Stunned, I reached into my pocket. Only then did I remember that I had no money left.

"I can't buy it. I didn't bring any cash," I replied honestly.

A few pups passing by snickered and jeered, "What a poor thing. Even his mom won't buy him snacks."

Chester's face turned red on the spot. He felt I was embarrassing him.

The next second, he shoved me hard from behind.

Caught completely off guard, I stumbled forward and crashed to the ground. My palms scraped harshly against the pavement, and blood flowed from the torn skin.

A car drove right by me, narrowly running over my outstretched hand.

With a finger pointed at me, Chester shouted with all his might. His voice was shrill and filled with hatred.

"Who told you to come get me? I don't want a useless mom like you! Can you just get lost already?"

Those in the crowd who recognized me began whispering to each other.

"Isn't that Luna Tori? Even her own kid hates her?"

"Tsk. It's no wonder Alpha Ethan is giving her the cold shoulder…"

"What a disgrace."

These voices rose like a tide. Bit by bit, they pushed me toward the abyss.

I stared at Chester, whose small face was twisted in disgust. I felt as though my heart was being carved into with a blunt knife.

In that moment, I reached the limit of my endurance and humiliation.

Just then, a sharp car horn pierced through the noise, silencing the crowd. A sleek black car sped toward the school gates, coming to a smooth stop right outside them.

Ethan stepped out from the back seat and swept his gaze over the gathered onlookers. He hadn't done anything. Yet, somehow, the chatter died instantly.

When Ethan turned his gaze to me, his eyes were filled with condescending scrutiny and displeasure.

"Making a scene in front of the school? What kind of Luna behaves like this, Tori?" he criticized.

I stared at him, stunned. Then, I abruptly burst into laughter.

"In that case, I'll give this position to someone who truly deserves it," I retorted.

I gently touched the bone ring on my fourth finger. In the next second, it emitted a blinding white light, like a dying star burning itself out.

An unseen force inserted itself between us. It tore our bond apart with brutal finality.

Before my eyes, I saw fragments of memories I shared with Ethan.

Our heart-fluttering first meeting, the vows we made during the mating ceremony, the years of grievances and endurance—all of it shattered into ashes and dispersed into the wind.

"From this moment on, we no longer have anything to do with each other," I declared.

"Tori—" Ethan choked out.

He clutched his chest in disbelief. His eyes were locked on me and filled with horror.

Ethan could feel that the mate bond between us had vanished.