He Had Me Whipped, I Married the Alpha

Chapter 5 Samantha's Sophistry

I let out a bitter, silent laugh. Back at the orphanage, Augustine had once confessed his love for me, but back then, my heart was set on only one thing: finding my way home.

Perhaps if I had chosen him as my mate from the very beginning, things would never have spiraled into this nightmare.

It was a pity my rebirth didn't take me back further; I had failed to find Phillip a father who actually deserved him.

Now, since Rodger refused to come to the hospital, I would take the diagnosis report to him.

I arrived at the party venue—the most opulent hotel in the territory.

Outside, werewolf socialites struck poses under the flash of cameras, and a line of luxury cars stretched down the block.

I was still dressing in my soaked cashmere coat, and I just slip in through the service entrance.

As I passed the ballroom, the guests' hushed gossip drifted into my ears.

"I told you Rodger's true mate is Samantha. I heard he's officially introducing her to the Alpha and Luna tonight."

"Emmaline is just his mistress. And that boy, Phillip? Who knows where he came from. Rodger only keeps them around out of pity."

I didn't believe for a second that Rodger was unaware of these rumors, yet he never lifted a finger to dispel them.

Sometimes I couldn't tell if he did it to spare Samantha's feelings or if he was simply ashamed to admit that I—the girl who came back from an orphanage, the one who had been bullied—was the chosen mate of the future successor.

I instinctively wiped the corner of my eye, but there were no tears this time.

I was done crying for him. My only hope was that my Phillip would never have to cry over these people again.

When I found Rodger, he was changing into formal wear. Seeing me in my bedraggled clothes, he actually had the audacity to smirk.

"Is this little performance supposed to make me pity you? Where's Phillip?"

With reddened eyes, I shoved the diagnosis report into his hand. "Read this. Then you'll know every word I said was the truth."

Rodger froze. As the details on the paper sank in, his slender fingers began to tremble. "Renal failure? Truly? How did this happen?"

Suppressing my fury, I threw myself into his arms, playing the part.

"Rodger, Samantha threw Phillip out last night! If you don't believe me, check the security cameras! She changed the door codes and deleted Phillip's fingerprints—the logs are all on the app!"

I felt his breath hitch. He looked down at me, his eyes filled with a sudden, sharp pain.

For a fleeting second, I thought he finally understood.

Then he spoke. "Could there be... some kind of misunderstanding?"

I swallowed the urge to scream. Instead, I said softly, "The logs are all there. How could I possibly lie about that?"

Rodger fell into thought and reached for his phone.

Just then, the sound of a keycard swiping echoed through the room. Samantha ran in, tears streaming down her face.

"It was Jeffry! He used my account to play with the settings. I had no idea he'd caused such trouble!"

Following her, Jeffry was led in by Whitney and Hayden. A bright red handprint marked the boy's cheek.

It was clear my "family" had been eavesdropping outside and decided to pivot to a tragedy of their own.

"Why did you lie to Phillip and tell him I was hurt?" I asked Samantha, my voice trembling with feigned vulnerability.

"Emmaline, Phillip was throwing a fit, demanding to find you. I tried to stop him, but he insisted on going!" Samantha's tears fell like beads.

"It's freezing out there. If you were truly 'kind,' how could you let him leave in his pajamas?"

"He's a werewolf! He could have shifted and used his fur to keep warm," she shot back, her voice rising in hysterics. "And I stayed on the sofa waiting for him the whole time! Why are you being so aggressive? If you're still angry, just lock Jeffry and me in a cold storage room and be done with it!"

By the time she finished, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Jeffry is just a pup. How could he have known the consequences?" Whitney argued, hugging Jeffry tightly.

"It wasn't intentional," Hayden added, rubbing Samantha's back with a pained expression. "It's Phillip's own willfulness that's to blame!"

I watched their performance with cold detachment. I was waiting for a moment—the moment where I could force them into a corner they couldn't escape.

"Since you don't believe me, I might as well just jump." Samantha suddenly bolted toward the window.

Rodger lunged forward, catching her by the waist. "What are you doing? You're the guest of honor today!" He turned to me, frowning deeply. "The security footage was suddenly corrupted. Stop cornering Samantha. She didn't know Phillip couldn't shift. She's his aunt—how could she not care for him?"

Hearing Rodger's defense, a flash of triumph flickered in Samantha's eyes.

I let out a cold internal sneer. The moment had arrived.

"Samantha, I misjudged you. I know your heart bleeds for Phillip," I said. "But Phillip has renal failure and needs a transplant immediately. The doctor said all blood relatives must go for screening. Surely you wouldn't miss it just for a party?"

I turned to my parents. "Mom, Dad, Phillip is your grandson too. You wouldn't just watch him die, would you?"