ISABELLA'S POV~
"Oh shit!" I exclaimed, rushing into the smoke-filled kitchen. The smoke was coming from the muffin pan.
Upon opening it, I realized that everything had been burnt. My face turned pale with dread. What sort of bad omen was this?
Tonight marked my wedding anniversary, and as Luna of the Shadow Fang Pack, it was expected of me to bake something sweet for my Alpha, symbolizing smoother and better years ahead. And here I was, ruining it.
I glared at the muffin pan and the burnt muffins before growling and slamming the oven door shut. What was I to do now?
Well change of plan!
I quietly tiptoed out of the kitchen, heading back toward the dressing room where my designers had been waiting. I would rebake those muffins once I was done with my fitting.
Passing by several maids, I made sure to stop them and ask questions about any pending activities that hadn't been attended to.
My legs were wobbling, my eyes drooping, and my shoulders felt stiff. All I yearned for was some long sleep and a massage after working my ass off during the day.
I walked slowly toward the room, only to hear some murmuring, which made me frown. My heart stilled for a moment as I tried to pick up what was being said, but I couldn't make out the words.
Clenching my jaw, I pushed open the door to the dressing room, causing everyone to scramble about as if they had been caught doing something forbidden.
My lips twitched, and my eyes dimmed as I took in the scene. The designers forced smiles onto their faces as they turned to me.
"What's going on?" I asked, feeling a sinking sensation in my stomach when I caught one of the ladies' eyes moving to my red gown on the plastic mannequin.
"I'm sorry, Luna," one of them stepped forward. "We have no idea what happened, but all of a sudden, the sides got torn. This is terrible."
I froze, my eyes widening as I hurried to examine what she had said. My heart sank upon seeing my expensive red gown ruined. Curses were on the tip of my tongue, but I held them back and took a deep breath.
"Leave me," was all I said, and everyone hurried out of the room.
I slid down to the floor next to the gown, holding my face in my palms, wondering what was going wrong. Was this some sort of sign? I felt my chest tighten.
Today was meant to be a remarkable day, and yet my mood had turned sour.
"Luna, are you alright?" I heard the door open, and a voice resounded, causing me to groan.
"Can you stitch this up quickly? The other girls made a mess," I said to the head designer, watching as she nodded. I slowly moved away to gaze out the changing room window, allowing her to work.
My eyes took in the star-filled sky, losing myself in its beauty. The moon had not yet risen, but the sky was peaceful and serene. I couldn't help but recall the day I met Ethan.
His father had introduced us when he brought me back to the Shadow Fang pack, and I couldn't deny that it was the most beautiful thing that had ever happened to me. We had quickly bonded and, in time, decided to get married. A small smile played at my lips as I remembered that day.
However, as I thought back on my inability to conceive, despite years of marriage and all the medical attention we had sought, my heart clenched. My smile vanished, my eyes stinging as my jaw tightened. A whirlwind of emotions swirled through me.
Although Ethan had never complained, I knew my place in the pack was insecure. As Alpha, Ethan needed an heir.
Heaving a tired sigh, I turned back to my designer. "Are you done?"
"Just a few more minutes, Luna!" she replied.
I sighed again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After an hour, I was finally dressed in a sparkling red gown that accentuated my figure, bringing a smile to my face. I was certain that Ethan would be captivated by the sight of me. The designers had left, leaving me alone in the room.
As I searched for the diamond earrings Ethan had given me, I frowned, and just as I dipped my hand into the jewelry box, I winced, pulling my hand away to find my finger bleeding.
Something had pierced my skin, and I groaned in frustration. This was just one of many incidents that had occurred tonight.
I made my way to the waiting car, which would take me to the banquet venue where Ethan and his father were waiting.
Upon arriving at the lavishly decorated venue, I surveyed the surroundings, only to realize that the video I had prepared for our anniversary was not playing as planned.
"What's wrong?"
I turned to see Melody, my best friend, approaching me, her brows furrowed. "You look worried."
I shook my head, concern etched on my face. "The video of us isn't playing, and I have no idea why."
"Oh my! Why don't I help?" Melody offered, her expression mirroring my worry. "I can put together a slideshow of your photos with Elijah to play instead. What do you think?"
My heart swelled with gratitude. This was a better option. "You're a lifesaver, girl!" I smiled, waving at her as I hurried toward Ethan, who was signaling for me to come over.
It was time to cut the large cake, and I couldn't contain my excitement.
"You look beautiful, by the way," Ethan said, causing me to blush.
He kissed my cheek and gently held my hand, which was holding the knife to cut the cake. "To more prosperous years of our marriage ahead, honey," he whispered, and I nodded, my smile wide.
"Alright! Time to cut the cake!" Melody clapped her hands, and I giggled.
We cut the cake, and applause and cheers filled the room. Ethan and I shared a few kisses before the video on the large screen in the hall began to play. I grinned internally, knowing this was one of the surprises I had planned for Ethan tonight.
Gasps and murmurs turned to an uproar as soon as the video started, and my smile faded. When I saw Ethan's pale face, my stomach dropped.
I spun around to stare at the video, only to see my best friend and my husband naked, passionately having sex on the screen.
A loud gasp escaped my lips, and the knife slipped from my hand, clattering to the ground. My heart shattered into a million pieces as I watched the disgusting scene unfold before me.
The world seemed to spin before my eyes as the images shifted to a scene of Melody holding a pregnancy test kit, revealing that she was pregnant. It felt like a slap to my face, and I thought I might die right then and there.
"Shit!" Ethan cursed behind me, but I didn't bother turning to face him.
"I... I... Isabella, it's... It's not what you think," Melody stuttered, her pained expression clearly fake.
My eyes began to sting as if someone had ripped my heart out of my chest.
"I'm so sorry, Isabella," she murmured, her face blurring in my vision as tears filled my eyes. "Everyone... I'm sorry... I think I chose the wrong video."
Loud uproar filled the hall, and when I turned to look at Ethan, he quickly averted his gaze, confirming everything.
My heart sank instantly.