106 iv. Most Innocent

“I waited for you the whole night, where were you? I just got home from the hopsital and it is your son’s first time to be home too. You should be spending your time with us instead of that human girl,” Cinderella gritted her teeth as Dominus entered the premises, his shirt opened with missing buttons, his hair dishelved, alcohol strong on him.

Dominus ignored her as she followed him inside his room. He stopped when she entered the room.

“Get out,” he looked at her with dead eyes, his lips and cheeks with smeared red lipstick, and the scent of her enemy mixed with alcohol.

“What did you say?” she couldn’t believe what she heard. Surely she has a right to be here inside his room, which should have been their room if he was only even half as decent as he appeared to be.

“I said, get out of my room now,” his voice was calm but there was danger in his eyes, in the way it catches the early morning sun. He appears to be ever indignant.

“Why? Why should I go out?! I am your wife!” she shouted at him, seemingly unable to tell that he was mad, or simply uncaring for the consequence.

He took her by her shoulders and slammed her back against the wall, “You are never my wife. You never will be a wife to me. No matter what the covenant and the laws say, I do not belong to you.”

“Then whom do you belong to? The filthy human concubine of yours?” she bites back the words she has been longing to say. She couldn’t take it anymore. Anger swirled in her heart for the woman who stole her husband.

“Watch your tongue unless you want me to remove that thing for you. And yes, I belong to her. I belonged to her before you came and I will continue to be hers for all eternity,” his voice was solemn, his face filled with seriousness as he said the words.

.....

“Why did you agree to this marriage if you were so unwilling to make it work?” her voice starter to break as she looked into the man supposed to be her husband.

“Because this is what she wanted,” pain clutched his heart even as he recalled finding her in a tub filled with blood. No matter how long it has been, he still can never unsee that scene.

“Are you really telling me that now? That you married me for her sake? Do you know how fucked up that is?” her voice quivered as she felt her knees trembling.

“It is exactly how I told you it was. I married you for this thing and only this,” he let her go, he felt pity for her but there was none he can do. He has nothing of him he can give to her.

“Love me, even a bit. Even a fraction of your heart, at least give it to me and I shall be content. I love you, ever since my family told me I would marry you, I have given you the entirety of my heart and soul,” she begged him, finding herself slumped against the wall as she looked into his eyes.

His eyes filled with pity, she hated it but what can she do except beg him to love her. Because she couldn’t let go of their marriage even under this circumstance, there was no way she could let him go.

She had fallen madly and desperately in love with her husband. She couldn’t explain how it happened or how it could be possible.

Maybe she has fallen for the alpha’s reputation and good looks, maybe she has fallen for the idea of a happily ever after with the family she always craved for. Nonetheless, she loves him, and there is no way she would lose him to her.

“Love me even a bit and I shall be content,” she reiterated, wanting nothing more but to be given a chance to love him.

“I am sorry. I deeply regret to say. I couldn’t give you what you wanted. Because my heart won’t let me. I can only love her,” he stopped and held her by her shoulders, helping her up.

She threw herself at him and clung to his neck, placing a desperate kiss on his lips. His body stilled and pushed him away with such force she nearly got knocked over.

“Please get out of my room now,” his voice was laced with threat.

“Why? Are you afraid you’ll lose control again if I press myself to you any closer than now,” she smiled triumphantly.

His hand pressed on her neck, choking her as she gasped desperately for air, “Don’t you dare think I will ever be attracted to the likes of you. You who can easily agree to a loveless marriage- for convenience, power, and money. Don’t you dare think you will be able to hold a candle next to her.”

Her eyes widened in shock as her arms flail in the air. He let her go and clicked his tongue.

“Get out of here before I lose all my respect for you. No matter how I begrudge it, you are still the mother of my child. But that is all you will ever be to me,” his words were serious and true, making her choke on sobs as she hurriedly leave his room.

She ran towards her child’s room, her panicked movements leading her in front of her child’s crib. She looked at the child and began to despise him as well, for he bears the face of her rejection.

She lifted the child and contemplated on throwing it against the wall. She cried and carried the infant in her arms.

“Jiro, it is alright. You will be my ticket to winning his heart. First, we just have to make your father care for you. You love your mom, right? You want a happy family like I do, don’t you?” she smiled, pressing a kiss on her child’s cheek.

Madness was in her eyes as she hummed lovesongs in the child’s ears, “That’s right. You, my darling baby boy is something that evil woman cannot possibly conceive. She is barren as the devil. So you, only you will be the heir. Your father’s favorite and only child,” her smile grew wider as she continued to rock the child.

The infant started crying loudly but she continued to swing it around fast. When the grand matriarch entered and saw this scene, panic overcame her as she took the child away from her.

“What do you think you are doing? The child was crying so loudly. Hand me my grandchild now,” she demanded as fear struck her heart.

Like cold water was poured over her, she handed the child to the matriarch who cradled it gently in her arms. “Have you gone insane?” she hissed.

“No, of course not. I- I was simply dancing with my child,” she said defensively.

“You were scaring the child, plus giving undue pressure on his bones! He is still too fragile. If you have a problem, take it somewhere else,” the old lady berated her.

“Dominus... I just want him to love me,” she lowered her head and began sobbing uncontrollably. She couldn’t believe her fate. Once upon a time, she has everything she ever wanted.

When he married her, she lost everything. Her hopes, and her dreams, were all in exchange for a position of power and prestige.

She didn’t know she will fall for her husband. The more he acted cold towards her, the more he tried to ignore her, the more her feelings grew desperate for him.

As her feelings for him grew so did her need for her loyalty and love. The need to replace the human girl in his eyes became an imprimatur.

So why is she being scolded like this? Her whole world was perfect before and now it has been distorted by a gnawing need to gain her husband’s love.

Can’t she change her mind about a loveless marriage? And who will like her now if they ever divorce? She who has mated with the alpha on his wolf form.

Even the most tolerant in their pack won’t understand such depravity. It was too humiliating to even think about it.

But what hurts most is she still failed to make him fall in love after such a sacrifice. It was a recurring nightmare during nights when she was alone but out of the desperate longing in her heart... even that she craves.

She has borne him a son. She has given him a precious heir the barren human girl cannot. So why is she the one in the wrong? Why is she the one unwanted?

The old lady shook her head as she looked at the woman who is beside her. She has broken down on the floor completely, sobbing and laughing as mixed emotions came to her at once.

She knew how it was to stay in a loveless marriage. To be the unwanted wife the alpha barely even touches. But Dominus has been most cruel to his wife.

Not only has he chosen to stay by his concubine’s side and gave her his whole attention. He even refused to touch her completely. That was why she had to intervene.

For the heir to be borne. She shifted her attention to the little boy in her arms. His golden eyes were like stars in the dark, so beautiful, so awe-inspiring.

He has raven hair as dark as the night sky. And a straight little mouth that seems to defy his grandmother by staring directly into her eyes.

She smiled at the little boy. She will protect this child. This heir that is a gift and a blessing from the moon goddess herself.

She looked at the pitiful woman on the floor for the last time before walking out of the room and locking the door behind her, leaving the woman with no comfort as she sobbed and laughed at her own destiny.

The old lady hummed love songs in the child’s ear as a new resolve in her heart grew. Anything who threatens the child will become her enemy.

She will dedicate the remaining years of her life to caring for this baby. Because in this cruel world of theirs, he remains the most innocent.