16
In her dream, Julian knelt with a hand–carved ring in his hand, gazing at a girl in a white dress.
“Sera, will you marry me?”
“I’ll love you, cherish you, stay with you forever.”
“I’ll never betray you.”
The girl moved, revealing a beautiful yet unfamiliar face. It wasn’t Sera, but Chloe. Yet, Julian didn’t seem to notice that. Just as Chloe was about to speak, Sera awoke.
She stared out the window, feeling a strange unease. The bond felt distant.
“Knock knock. Sera, are you
awake?”
Her aunt’s voice rang out from outside. Sera slapped her face to wake herself up.
“Yes.”
Her aunt entered, handing her an invitation from a friend. Sera remembered meeting an old friend upon her return and exchanging numbers with her. Her friend had promised to send her a bonding ceremony invitation.
It was from her friend. Feeling obligated, Sera woke early the next day to buy a gift. On the second floor of a store, she saw a group of lycans walking to her direction. She ducked into a shop to make way for them. As they walked by, something made her look back.
Her eyes widened. It was Chloe. If Chloe had once been a vibrant flower, she was now a wilted plant, gaunt and carrying a large belly, her expression lifeless.
Even passersby whispered.
“Is that Chloe? She looks terrible. Did the Stones starve her?”
Another guy scoffed.“Starve her? My sister works for the Stones. They practically spoon–feed her! Maybe it’s karma., she throws up everything. And Julian, who found out she was pregnant again, has been giving her a hard time. If it weren’t for Julian’s mother, she would have lost the baby.”
“She’s so pathetic; the Stones just let her out for some fresh air.”
Sera’s gaze
hardened. Everyone believed Chloe would live a luxurious life after prison. It was far from it. She was constantly watched even though she was just going out for some fresh air.
Sera felt no sympathy. Chloe had brought this upon herself.
She focused on choosing a bonding ceremony gift.
The bonding ceremony was beautiful. Seeing the bride and groom kiss, Sera felt a pang of sadness. She sincerely wished her friend happiness.
Someone offered her a handkerchief. It was Julian.
The smile on her face vanished. The ceremony was ending. Sera excused herself, heading for the exit. She suddenly remembered the bride was not only her friend but also Julian’s college classmate.
Julian rushed after her.
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“Sera!”
He grabbed her, pinning her against a wall.
“Sera, I can explain everything you asked about that day!”
“I didn’t want you to go through childbirth, so I let Chloe carry the child.”
“I was kind to her only because I cared about the baby!”
“If you don’t like Chloe, if you don’t like this child… I’ll get rid of them both, okay?”
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