3

I was fed up with all of that and chose to stay where I was, assuming no one was home at that time.

However, Denver came with his shoes still in his foot and said, “Hey, are you deaf?”

But before he sat next to me, his finger casually swiped a finger over the table, scowling at the dust.

He grumbled, “Why is the house so dirty? I told you to clean everything, because even a little dust on the corner will make me itchy. If you are already dumb, please don't be a useless person.

“Make sure everything is clean before I come back, understand?”

Muttering his orders, he went off to the shower.

I knew if Denver was having a dust allergy, so I had been a clean freak for a decade to keep him comfortable.

But at that moment, I didn't even care anymore, instead hoping that his body would be covered in malignant rashes.

After taking a shower, it seemed that he had recovered from his drunk state.

So, he tried his best to come near to me, ignoring the dirty surrounding and asked, “Why don’t you move? Still mad at me because of that apple thing?”

I didn’t answer nor nod.

“Ivy, it is just a small problem. Look, our son is this big. Why are you so mad when hearing that I ask him to do a trivial thing?” He said while pointing at the picture on my hand.

“Trivial thing, you say? Sending our son to the storm just to make your mistress happy is a small problem?” I could not help yelling angrily.

The thing that my husband called a small thing had killed my son.

If he did not climb the tree that day, maybe he would be sitting next to me at that moment.

“Of course, just move on from it. Oh anyway, I brought you some gift, wait a minute,” Denver said and left me alone again.

I smirked, moving on was not an easy thing everyone could do.

How could I move from my son’s last sentence?

He was so disappointed when realizing if he could not deliver the apples to his father, without knowing that his father did not care at all.

Denver came again with a present in his hand. He said, "Check this out, see if it’s your style."

From the box, I could see if it was diamond jewelry.

But I had seen it before on Rosalyn’s social media. She bragged about having many diamond jewelry and would throw some of it.

So, the one Denver brought that time was the one Rosalyn threw.

“When I saw it, I immediately knew if it suits you,” Denver claimed.

I sneered, emphasizing ‘us’ in my words, “This kind of thing will never make us forgive you.”

Denver was taken aback when hearing that, he directly stated, “He is also mad at me because of that thing? Fine, I’ll smooth things over next holiday. Gabriel has always been a daddy’s boy after all.”

My husband was always like that, thinking that everything would be fine as long as you gave them something that made them happy. In fact, everything was not that simple.

In the end, I ignored him and stood up to take the divorce agreement instead.

“So, when’s this divorce happening?” I calmly asked while bragging about the document.

Denver’s mood soured immediately, he was fed up with that kind of thing and yelled angrily, "This thing again? Ivy, enough already. As long as the terms and conditions are still the same, I will never divorce you!"

Then he went out, banged the door and gave me silent treatment as he always did.

4

The first time I met Denver, it was in the most unexpected of places, an Academy restroom.

I was in such a hurry that I forgot to lock the door.

But when I had just dropped my pants and squatted down, the door suddenly burst open.

There stood Denver, frozen in place, his eyes wide with shock.

I screamed instinctively and wondered whether I went to the wrong toilet sign because I was in a hurry.

But then Denver apologized, “Sorry, I read the wrong sign. It should be for a woman.”

Then, he shut the door and I could hear that the restroom next to me was open.

My face was red because of embarrassment at that moment. I even waited for that man to come out of the restroom first, hoping I wouldn't meet him again.

But after waiting for so long, when I came out of the room, the man turned out to have been waiting for me outside.

I could not help screaming in startled, “Argh! Why are you still here?

“Sorry to startle you. I am sorry for everything. Please forgive me, I did not mean that. I was in a hurry so that I couldn't see the right sign. Don't be mad at me, I truly sorry,” he showered me with sincere apologies.

But that kind of thing was something that was unforgivable.

Although I was also wrong for not locking the door before using the restroom, it was improper to open the closed door right away.

Moreover, there was already a sign in front of the restroom that it was the women's restroom.

In embarrassment, tears welled up in my eyes as I yelled, "Apologies won’t unsee what you’ve seen."

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking genuinely regretful and said, "You are right. Everything has happened and we can’t reverse or erase it. But I promise I will fix it until you will forgive me."

I was still sobbing when I retorted, "How do you plan to fix this? It’s unforgivable."

Denver seemed hesitant at first, but then he gently wiped my tears from my cheek and promised, "After we graduate, you and I are getting married."

I was shocked when hearing his funny jokes. He seemed to take marriage too lightly, to the point of proposing in such a strange way.

“Don’t joke with me. We don’t even know each other,” I yelled again.

Denver was taken aback. He responded to my remark innocently, "So, you're worried about that? Well then, let me introduce myself, I'm Denver Vaughn, son of a Beta in the Highridge Pack. After graduation, I'll be an Alpha subordinate as well as your husband if you agree to marry me.”

What nonsense!

But then I laughed in tears.

“Oh, my Goddess. You are so funny. Why are you so innocent, Denver?”

5

Denver seemed confused by my answer. But he was just waiting in silence, as if he was still expecting a response to his proposal.

“Alright, Denver. Listen to me now. Even if I have known your name and your identity, we are still strangers.

“Also, I will never tell you about my name. But one thing you should know, I am a wolfless. So, a Beta like you will never like me or marry me in the future. I even start to think if maybe my partner in the future is a human.

“What’s more, you will have your own mate, while I never will,” I explained.

But before I could continue, Denver had cut me and said, “I indeed have not met my mate yet. But I promise, even if I meet her, I will stay faithful for you. Perhaps the reason why my mate has no one around is because I am actually your mate.”

I shook my head and told him, “No way. Just forget it, I forgive you.”

When I was about to leave, he grabbed my hand and said, “We can start getting to know each other from now on.”

So, the most embarrassing day for me was becoming our first day.

During our relationship, Denver always showered me with extraordinary love.

I even felt lucky at that time, considering myself the happiest woman in the world if I could be his wife in the future.

Denver accepted all my shortcomings and made it the thing he was most proud of, saying that I was unique and lucky to have me.

Until the day before my graduation, my parents, who were supposed to come to attend the event, had an accident because they were driving in heavy rain.

Their car was struck by lightning, causing it to swerve and fall into a ravine. Even the evacuation was very slow because of the difficult terrain that had to be passed.

While my friends were enjoying a happy graduation day, I returned to the Silentcrest Pack to attend the funeral of my parents who were Alpha and Luna.

The title turned to my uncle, who was my father’s brother, in the end.

He promised to take care of me, but despair still swallowed me and the light in my world when I realized that I was orphaned at that time.

I could not help coming to my parents' grave every day to vent my complaints and also ask things that had no answers.

Why did they leave me first?

Why didn't they take me with them, so that I would not be alone in this world?

Why had everything happened to me?

In my most difficult times, Denver came with his black umbrella, sheltering me not only from the rain at that time but also from the suffering I felt.

I looked up to see his charming face.

Denver said sincerely, “Marry me, Ivy. I promise I will look after you forever.”

Right, I should have graduated from Fantomhide Academy by now. But because I had to grieve, I didn't attend the graduation ceremony and chose to drown in sadness.

I answered in a low tone, “You deserve to marry a better person, Denver. Don’t do this out of guilt. I have said I forgave you, right?"

“It’s not guilt. I love you, Ivy. I want to be the only person you can rely on in this world,” he said while crouching down to hug me.

When he hugged me, tears could not help falling from my eyes again.

It was so warm, the thing I didn’t expect to get after my parents were gone.

However, I still denied it. It was precisely because of my love for him that made me unable to receive his proposal.

When I was young, everyone was proud of me because I was the daughter of an Alpha. Moreover, I could quickly grasp every lesson given by my teachers.

I always won every match held specifically for young warriors, so many people thought that I would be a very helpful Luna candidate for my future mate.

But all that changed when I was 14 years old, when most werewolves started to get their own wolves.

My parents continued to encourage me, saying that one day, my wolf would also come. There were some cases that had to wait until 16 years old, so I was not worried.

However, after I was over 16 years old, I still did not have it. So, my parents sent me to the Fantomhide Academy for my own sake.

Although my family always supported me, I realized that I was not worthy of being together with other werewolves, so I was determined to join the human race after graduating.

That was the reason why I did not want him to be stuck with a wolfless like me forever.

In the end, I reasoned, “A Beta like you marrying a wolfless like me? I’m not worthy. You’ll face the gossip of the people if you bring a woman like me into your Pack.”

He locked eyes with me, sincerity in his voice when he said, "Ivy, I repeatedly said I did not care about it. What’s more, since you entered the Fantomhide Academy, I already have my eyes on you.”

“You reasoned about mate, but I never met my mate. When you reasoned about your condition, that's still not enough to make me stay away from you.

“I still love you and will always love you forever.”

His voice was soft, but there was a firm determination that touched my broken spirit. It ignited a glimmer of hope in my desperate heart.

Before he said his last sentence, the rain had already stopped.

“Will you marry me, Ivy Shannon?”

6

When I agreed to his proposal, we went to my uncle’s house to ask his permission.

When we came, my uncle looked so happy. But before giving his permission, he asked about my decision first.

After I said “Yes,” he gave me his blessing.

One month later, we got married and I moved to the Highridge Pack.

Everything went smoothly, I even became close to the Luna and noticed that no one was gossiping about my situation.

What stunned me was Denver turned out to be the most respected Beta in the Pack, that was why he used to be busy since he was the one that the Alpha chose to accompany him.

He was also a caring type man, showering me with love and attention. Every day was like the best day in my life when I was spending time with him.

Under his faithful care, we welcomed our son into the world.

The first time Denver held our boy, he promised me that he would take care of him all his life. Denver even said that he would be the first to defend him when Gabriel was in trouble.

At that time, I saw him as a guardian who would protect us from everything.

Like a soil who would make the plant could thrive and lean on him without worry.

What was more, no matter how busy Denver was with his work, he would always make time for our son.

He learnt to feed him, change his clothes and bath him. Denver also became the first one who saw our son walking.

I could not ask for more at that time, since everything was getting better day by day.

But like a storm in broad daylight, everything changed when Rosalyn came back to the Pack. She was Denver’s childhood friend, who shared a long history with him.

I actually never knew about Rosalyn before, but the Pack member itself who told me.

She was an Omega’s daughter that used to be in Denver’s house since then.

Because they shared the same house, Denver and Rosalyn were so close. Some of his friends even thought that they had been dating for one or two years before Denver went to the Fantomhide Academy.

However, Denver denied it and said that he only considered Rosalyn as his childhood friend.

Moreover, after her mother died, Rosalyn chose to leave the Pack and worked as a servant for the other Pack’s Alpha she met at the banquet.

Denver's family decided to let Rosalyn choose what she wanted after all, that was why she was not the Highridge Pack’s member anymore since then.

After her departure, Denver entered the Academy.

Since that time, no one had ever known about their relationship. But I remembered Denver told me that he was interested in me since he entered the Academy.

For some reason, my instincts suddenly told me that he was just venting his loss to me, but I tried to get rid of those negative thoughts when I first heard about Rosalyn.

However, after Denver's change in attitude towards me and my son, I began to validate my thoughts again.

Denver rarely came home, always distracted and started to distance himself from me. I even often noticed he smiled at the messages in his phone, something he wouldn't share with me.

Our once happy home started to feel strained, the love and attention he once showered on me and our son becoming a distant memory.

One evening, I confronted him.

"Is it Rosalyn?" I asked, my voice trembling.

He sighed, looking away when he replied, "She needs help and I’m just being a friend."

But his eyes told a different story.

The days turned into weeks and the tension grew. The warmth that once filled our home was replaced with an icy silence.

He still made time to spend the weekend with me and my son, but it didn't last long, especially after I had always talked about Rosalyn and asked about the reason for her return.

The time I dared to question him, I was always painted as the villain. In the end, I tried to find the clue about it by myself.

I found out if she was kicked out of the Pack, because the Alpha she served had already gotten a mate. It was said that Luna from the Pack didn't like her.

Since then, I had been worried that Rosalyn would endanger our relationship.

But when I argued about it, Denver would turn into a madman and give me a silent treatment. Until one day, he started to ignore us more and only came back once every few days.

7

I still thought positively and tried to ask the Luna, thinking that maybe he got many jobs from the Alpha. But she said that everything was handled in the right way, so there was no overtime work these days.

I was stunned and could not help asking again, “Is there any overseas visit in near future?”

The Luna shook her head and said, “No, there is not. It is almost the holidays, so we reduce the workload in the hope that everyone can spend their time with their family.”

If there was nothing important, why did Denver look like a busy man every day?

So, starting from that day, I started to stalk Rosalyn’s social media and found out that she often spent time with my husband.

Our family suddenly became a lower priority for Denver.

Night after night, I laid awake, wrestling with sadness. But for our son's sake, for the family and because of my undying love for Denver, I kept tolerating him.

I figured as long as I could hold down the problem quietly, our son would have a happy, secure life. But days turned into weeks and the truth became undeniable.

He spent time for dinner with Rosalyn on the night that was supposed to be our anniversary.

On our son’s birthday, Denver said he forgot and just bought many presents for him to make Gabriel happy.

Even when Gabriel had a fever, Denver was no longer panicked like before. He even chose to take care of Rosalyn who sprained her foot instead of coming home.

I could still accept it if he abandoned me, but when it came to Gabriel, I could not tolerate it anymore.

I stormed at him and yelled angrily when he came home the next day, “Gabriel asked for you last night. He had a high fever, but you were not there to accompany him.

“Denver, if you do not love me anymore, that is fine. But at least, do not ignore Gabriel. He….”

But then, he slapped my cheek before I finished my sentence.

That was the first time he slapped me.

“Shut up! I am tired of your noisy grumbling,” Denver yelled, leaving me alone again in that icy living room.

Since then, I stopped caring and silently came to the court.

The officer seemed shocked when seeing me come to the court. But when I explained about my problem, he started to understand it.

After we finished discussing the terms and conditions, I signed the document. The last thing I should do was to ask for Denver’s approval.

However, every time I asked about it, he rejected it.

“You have abandoned us already, so just sign this document and let us go from your grip,” I ordered him by showing the document.

His forehead wrinkled when he read the document. Denver became even more furious when he found out about the term and condition.

“Your wish will never come true, Ivy,” he said while tearing the document apart.

But I had not given up. I always brought back the new one, until one time Denver agreed, but with one condition.

He agreed to the divorce as long as Gabriel came with him.

I was furious when I heard that.

He even did not come back when Gabriel had a fever. I could not imagine what would happen to my son if he lived with his father when we divorced.

I ended up giving up my decision to divorce him and acted as if everything was fine in front of Gabriel.

I ignored Rosalyn’s post on her social media that showed off about her happiness for having Denver beside her.

She might never show Denver fully. Sometimes, it was only his hand, his shoulders, or his shadow. Maybe because they did not want others to know about it.

But I still could notice it, since Denver was my husband and we had been together for so long.

However, my patience only seemed to enable Denver’s neglect, culminating in that reckless demand for a silly thing during a storm.

He knew if I lost my parents in a storm, but why could he risk our son the same way?

How could he be so heartless?

Looking at the divorce paper on the table, I made up my mind.

I had always been the one to apologize and give up, but not this time.

I should return to my home and move Gabriel's grave to the Silentcrest Pack.

That was why I decided to handle it tomorrow morning, while that night, I packed my things in the luggage and secured my son's urn.

But when I marched out with my suitcase in the morning, Rosalyn came to our house.

“Why do you come here, Rosalyn?” I asked coldly.

Without fear, she sneered, “Can’t you think of the reason, mother?”

Mother?

Why did she call me that, after all?