“Your cooking is so bad!” I shrieked when Jack, the boy I'd raised for ten years, splashed the smoking hot soup on my face. Jumping up from my seat, I tried my best to soothe the burn. The skin on my neck and chest instantly turned red and became terribly painful.

“Jack!” his father, Alpha Zachary Grimm, shouted. He instantly rushed to my side, carefully holding my elbow as he checked my injury. “Apologize to your mother! Now!”

“She is not my mother!” the child exclaimed, slamming his fists on the table, sending the plates and utensils crashing to the floor. “That woman killed my real mother! She's a monster!”

My eyes instantly burned with impending tears, but I held them back as Lyla, his grandmother, stood up and scolded me for being too ‘sensitive’ and dramatic.

“It's not even a severe burn! You're overreacting, Madeline,” she said, cradling her grandchild in an attempt to comfort him as he started sobbing, as if he were the one who had been poured with boiling soup.

I bowed my head, too afraid to say a word because I knew that once I did, I would be blamed even more.

I've been married to Alpha Zachary Grimm for eleven years now— I mean, my twin sister, Magnolia, was. She was truly his mate, but she committed suicide months just after she gave birth, and I was forced to take her place because the public must not know that the Princess was dead.

We were terrifyingly identical to each other, making it easy to fool our people into believing that I was her, especially since they didn’t know she had a twin sister. I had been hidden since birth because the Royal family was forbidden to have twins, and they chose Magnolia to be the only Princess because they said she was better than me.

They said she was prettier and smarter, when in fact I was the one who used to do her homework because she was too lazy. But I loved her so much and was never mad at her because she was very kind to me. She was my only best friend— which was why I agreed to take her place and take care of her child, who is just ungrateful and spoiled.

“This is not right. Jack, apologize to Madeline,” Alpha Zach commanded again, but his child firmly shook his head.

He has been nice to me, making me realize why Magnolia fell in love with him, even though their wedding had been arranged solely to secure power and influence among our kind, the werewolves. But his kind gestures were replaced by coldness and disgust a year after I took my sister’s place. It turned out that he had found a new Luna, and this marriage fell into ruins—just as it was always meant to, because it was never out of love.

He would often scorn and sneer at me, insulting me from time to time—probably the reason his son adopted the same attitude and began to disrespect me. However, on rare occasions, like this one, he would defend me—perhaps because he wanted something in return, like taking me to bed later that night.

“I said apologize to your mother!” he shouted at his son, making him cry even harder.

“She will never replace my mother, and I will never apologize to her!” Jack shouted back, breaking free from his grandmother’s arms before running out of the mansion.

“Jack!” Alpha Zach roared, his voice filled with frustration and rage at his son’s disrespectful attitude—an attitude he had inherited from him.

We immediately ran after the child, shouting his name as worry began to envelop us. Despite his small legs, he was fast, quickly vanishing from our sight. The sun was slowly giving way to the moon, an element our kind revered and devoted our lives to, making it harder to spot him in the growing darkness.

“You shouldn’t have scolded your son!” Lyla exclaimed, her sharp gaze fixed on me. “You should be reprimanding Madeline instead for her theatrics! You’ve upset Jack terribly—he’s just a child!”

Lowering my head once more, I felt the familiar weight of shame pressing down on me. No matter how much I wished otherwise, it was an emotion I struggled to suppress, turning me into a relentless people pleaser—one too often taken advantage of.

“Aren’t you going to apologize, you ungrateful, wretched woman?” Lyla demanded, her patience hanging by a thread. “There are wild beasts in the woods, and if anything happens to my grandchild, I will personally see to it that you’re fed to the wolves.”

Clenching my fists tighter, I swallowed my resentment and forced myself to comply.

I was exhausted—worn down by their relentless mistreatment—but I knew I had to bide my time. Escape was my only way out, and I had already failed once. They had caught me before I even reached the mansion’s gate. So this time, I had to be a hundred times more careful because I couldn’t afford another failure.

For now, I will play my part. I would obey, act meek, and please them like a loyal dog—anything to keep their suspicions at bay until the perfect moment arrived.

“I apologize,” I whispered under my breath. “I am very sorry–”

My apology was abruptly cut off when Alpha Zach suddenly shouted his son’s name.

“Jack!”

The child appeared suddenly, dashing right before our eyes. His small figure seemed to glow under the harsh glare of the approaching car’s headlights. Time slowed as the vehicle sped toward him, its beaming brightness swallowing him whole.

Then, in the blink of an eye, a sickening impact shattered the silence. A collective scream tore through the air as his fragile body was hurled like a ragdoll, the car striking him with ruthless force.

"Jack! Son!" Alpha Zach gently tapped his son’s face as the paramedics rolled him out of the ambulance.

They pushed his stretcher into the hospital, being extra careful not to hurt the weak child. He was drenched in his own blood, the metallic smell swirling in the air, making the situation even more unbearable.

It was sickening, and I fought the urge to vomit all over the floor as I helplessly followed them.

"I am so sorry, Alpha Grimm, but you are not allowed to enter the operating room," a nurse informed Alpha Zachary, not waiting for his response before immediately closing the door, locking us outside.

Alpha Zach paced back and forth while his mother sat down, surrounded by nurses as she complained of a throbbing headache and difficulty breathing from stress. Meanwhile, I remained unnoticed—like a ghost.

Realizing they had forgotten I existed, I spotted a nurse and instinctively asked for help with my burn. She led me to a room where a doctor examined my skin, his expression darkening as he confirmed a second-degree burn. Without hesitation, he applied ointment to soothe the injury.

"What happened to this?" he asked gently, then shook his head, dismissing his own question. "You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal."

"No." I shook my head. "It’s fine. My son poured boiling soup on me because he didn’t like my cooking—"

Before I could finish, the door burst open, revealing Alpha Zach, his mother, and Bella—his mistress.

Startled, I jumped from my seat and instinctively pushed the doctor away, realizing how close he was. He stumbled but quickly regained his balance, while my knees nearly gave out beneath me.

"Look who’s flirting with the doctor while her child is on the brink of death!" Lyla scorned, her eyes filled with disappointment and disgust.

I shook my head. "You’ve got it wrong. I was just getting my burn treated."

"Don’t bother defending yourself, Madeline!" she exclaimed. "You were literally caught in the act!"

"I said I’m not flirting with the doctor! I was only getting my skin checked because your spoiled grandchildren poured boiling soup on me—"

My words were abruptly cut off as her palm struck my cheek with such force that I stumbled back, struggling to keep my balance.

For a moment, my vision darkened, stars dancing before my eyes as the noises around me became muffled. Before I could react, Lyla grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me out of the room.

I screamed, clutching at her hands, desperately trying to pry her away from me. But it was useless. Within moments, we were standing before a crowd of countless creatures, their whispers buzzing as they exchanged glances and murmured among themselves.

"This woman is a slut!" Lyla shouted, her voice ringing through the air, drawing louder gasps and intensified whispers from the onlookers. "Because of her, my grandchild was hit by a car and is now in critical condition! And yet, she still has the audacity to flirt with the doctor!"

I barely had time to react before her palm struck my cheek again. A sharp gasp escaped me as fiery pain seared my skin, burning as if set ablaze.

I turned to Alpha Zach, silently pleading for help, but he only scowled, holding Bella in his arms. She grinned, savoring my humiliation—when, in truth, this was all her fault. She was the one who had hit Jack with her car. Even from where I stood, I could smell the alcohol on her. She was drunk.

I didn’t want to cry—I refused to give them the satisfaction—but before I knew it, tears spilled down my face.

"Don't you cry, you ungrateful little slut—" Lyla raised her hand to strike me again, but before she could, Bella caught her wrist, stopping her.

"Auntie, a lot are watching," she whispered gently, her voice soft as she glanced around. She looked so innocent, so fragile—playing the part of a saint, fooling everyone around us. "It wouldn’t be good if they started talking about this. Your name will be in the headlines in no time—all because you're defending your grandchild from this… from this woman. Let me handle her."

Lyla and Alpha Zach exchanged confused looks but eventually nodded, handing me over to Bella. She helped me up from the floor, her touch deceptively gentle.

I trembled uncontrollably as she led me into a ward—where her soft expression vanished, replaced by a cruel, mocking smile.

Sighing, she crossed her arms. "I wish you could feel the satisfaction of watching you suffer for a crime that’s mine. How funny is that? It’s ridiculous!"

I glared, my amber eyes glowing as I fought to keep my claws in, resisting the urge to tear her apart.

"You hit Jack with your car because you were drunk!" I spat. "And you don’t even feel an ounce of remorse!"

"Oh, but I do, Madeline." She smirked. "It’s just so much more entertaining watching you helpless and in tears—"

Fury surged through me. I raised my hand to slap her, but before I could, she suddenly collapsed, her scream slicing through the air.

Alpha Zach and Lyla rushed to her.

"Madeline slapped me! She’s blaming me—even after I apologized!" Bella wailed.

"What?!" Alpha Zach snapped, seizing my arm. "Apologize to Bella, Madeline!"

My jaw dropped. He didn’t even ask for my side of the story.

"I didn’t touch her! She’s lying!" I shouted.

"You are the liar!" Lyla snapped, helping Bella up. "Just apologize—"

"I won’t!" I shot back—only to cry out in pain as Alpha Zach shoved me into the wall. My head slammed against it, the impact brutal.

Darkness crept in as blood trickled down my forehead. But instead of helping me, they turned away—leaving me to fall into unconsciousness.

Jack stayed in the hospital for almost a week before finally going home. He was a spoiled kid who hated me, but as my sister’s son, I loved him nonetheless. Even though his accident wasn’t entirely my fault, I couldn’t shake the guilt.

I wanted to apologize, but his father and grandmother wouldn’t let me near him, fearing I’d hurt him—something I’d never do. At times, I wanted to wring his neck, yet every time I looked at him, I saw my sister. Their resemblance was unsettling, making him look like me too. It felt like staring into a mirror.

My head still throbbed from when Alpha Zach shoved me against the wall. A stitched wound on my forehead left me with a bandage wrapped around my head.

Once home, I locked myself in my room while they had dinner. But to my surprise, Jack knocked on my door.

“Mother?” he called in a gentle, small voice, followed by the soft knock of his knuckles against the wooden door. But that wasn’t the only reason I was taken aback—it was the word he used to address me.

Mother.

Opening the door, I found him standing there, smiling softly. Bruises and scratches still patched his charming face, making my guilt even worse.

“What is it, Jack?” I asked.

“Join us for dinner,” he said, catching me off guard a second time.

I opened my mouth to refuse, but before I could utter a word, he had already grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the dining area, where his father, grandmother, and Bella were waiting.

Lyla and Alpha Zach scowled at me, while Bella maintained a neutral expression. Jack let go of my hand and took the seat next to her, so I carefully chose the farthest seat from them and remained silent the entire time.

The urge to run away and lock myself in my room again was overwhelming, but I forced myself to stay seated as they began serving themselves. To my shock, Jack handed me a plate and even served me an excessive portion of meat.

"This is my apology to you, Mother. I asked Auntie Bella to help me prepare this dinner. I hope you like it," he said.

My expression soured instantly upon hearing that Bella had cooked the meal. But I didn’t want to disappoint Jack, so I simply nodded and forced myself to swallow the food. I would rather die than praise Bella, but I had to admit—her cooking was actually good. Better than mine, perhaps, though that wasn’t surprising. Despite being treated poorly in our palace, I was never allowed to do house chores, including cooking.

“Where are you going?” Lyla asked when I suddenly stood with a plate in my hands.

“I can’t finish all of this, so I’d better share it with Chuchu,” I said, referring to my childhood pet.

“You can’t do that,” Jack muttered, grinning from ear to ear.

My brows furrowed. “Why not?”

“Because you just ate him.”

The plate slipped from my hands, shattering against the floor. Shards flew, some scraping my legs and instantly drawing blood. My heartbeat surged with fear and anger, and without wasting a second, I bolted toward the backyard—where Chuchu was only allowed to stay.

“Chuchu!” I shouted, praying for a bark in response. Silence. My chest tightened as I ran to his cage, only to freeze at the sight before me— his bloody, severed head sat atop the cage.

My knees buckled, sending me collapsing onto the damp grass. My stomach twisted violently, and before I knew it, I was vomiting between sobs.

“What did you do to my dog?!” I screamed, my blood boiling with rage.

“We cooked him,” Bella said from behind me, laughing as if this was some cruel joke.

“You evil woman!” I sprang to my feet, lunging at her. I grabbed her hair and slammed her against the nearest tree. “Chuchu was my only friend!”

Bella shrieked and fought back, but I didn’t relent—until Alpha Zach’s palm struck my face. Pain exploded through my skull as I crashed to the ground, my nose bleeding, my vision spinning.

He cradled Bella, whispering soothing words to her, while his mother moved toward me, her fingers curling as if ready to grab a fistful of my hair— but before she could, I regained my composure and yanked Jack toward me, holding him hostage.

“Take a step closer, and I will snap this child’s neck!” I threatened, my body shaking with anger while theirs trembled with fear.

“Let go of Jack, Madeline!” Alpha Zach roared. But then his voice softened. “Come on, honey. Let go of Jack. He didn’t mean to kill your dog. He was just playing around.”

I let out a bitter laugh. There he was again, manipulating me, invalidating my feelings.

“Just let me go!” I snapped. “Let me escape from all of you! I’m tired of this! Just free me!”

“You are free, Madeline!” he insisted. “Cut this nonsense and let go of my son! Now!”

“No!” I shook my head, tightening my grip, ready to snap Jack’s neck—when suddenly, several nurses appeared.

“This woman is crazy!” Lyla shrieked. “Get her before she hurts my grandson!”

In an instant, the nurses rushed toward me, seizing my arms. I fought with everything I had, but then I froze as my eyes landed on the words stitched onto their uniforms.

Moonhowl Psychiatric Hospital.