Rejected by the Alpha, I Married His Foster Dad

Chapter 2

Asher didn't come home that night.

I stared at the enormous wedding portrait on the wall and calmly packed my things.

The next morning, a woman's lilting laugh drifted up from downstairs.

When I reached the staircase, I saw Katie Sullivan leaning happily against Asher on the sofa.

The servants nearby didn't dare speak. They merely glanced at me.

Asher looked completely at ease.

"Mabel, Katie only wants a little more time with me before the wedding. She's innocent. She won't cause you trouble."

Katie lifted her head from his arms and spoke in a falsely sweet voice.

"Mabel, I can leave right now if that will make you happy."

She made a show of getting up, but Asher caught her wrist.

Katie gave a soft cry and fell straight into his lap.

"Mabel, don't be so petty."

Asher frowned at me, warning clear in his eyes.

'How ridiculous. I haven't even said a word. It no longer matters. After today, none of it would have anything to do with me.'

I didn't waste another glance on their display. I went straight to the dining room for breakfast and asked a servant to bring my plate to the terrace.

"The living room reeks. Their pheromones are making me sick."

I had just finished eating when a line of servants came through the front door.

One by one, the servants set tons of boxes on the table. Inside, jewels glittered beside a magnificent wedding gown.

Katie's smile stiffened.

The butler leading them bowed to me.

"Ms. Foster, the Alpha asked us to prepare these gifts for you."

I walked downstairs and ran my fingertips over the cool gemstones. I knew at once that Kyle had sent them for a reason.

Asher frowned.

"Mabel is my fated mate. Why is Father the one preparing all this?"

Resentment edged Asher's voice, but he didn't dare confront Kyle.

Kyle was the Alpha. Asher was only his heir.

As long as Kyle remained the Alpha, Asher had no choice but to answer to his adoptive father.

"Ms. Foster, the Alpha also said he would attend the wedding on time."

The butler's voice brought me back to the present. I smiled and nodded.

He led the servants away.

Katie pursed her lips and clung to Asher's arm.

"These must have cost a fortune. You're so lucky, Mabel. I don't even own a decent set of jewelry. Without Asher, you'd probably still be living in the slums."

Her wounded tone was pure pretense, and it did nothing to hide the insult.

I had no intention of answering her. I instructed the servants to carry everything to my room.

Asher sneered from beside her.

"You'd actually accept gifts from Father?"

I turned on him at once.

"The Alpha gave them to me. Do you have a problem with that? Then go ask him whether he wants them back."

Asher's face darkened, and he fell silent.

Just as I told the servants to continue, a crash came from behind me.

I turned. Katie stood off to one side, looking flustered, while everything that had been on the table lay scattered across the floor.

The delicate gemstone necklace had snapped, and dust streaked the beautiful wedding gown.

Katie's eyes filled with tears.

"Asher, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I only wanted to look..."

Her voice trembled as she twisted the fabric of her dress. Then she shot me a smug look when no one else was watching.

The restraint I had shown since the night before finally broke. I wasn't out of control. I knew exactly what I was doing.

I strode over and slapped her three times in quick succession.

The slaps cracked through the spacious hall. Even Asher stood frozen, too stunned to react.

Of course. In his eyes, I was still the obedient Omega who endured everything without complaint. He had forgotten that no one that meek could ever survive the slums.

Katie's cheeks swelled almost at once, and my palm burned from the blows.

I brushed off my hands and addressed the stunned servants.

"Clean this up. Put everything she broke on Ms. Sullivan's account and take it out of next month's allowance. And from now on, keep strays like her out of the main house. They make the place filthy."

"Mabel!"

Asher roared, seized my shoulder, and shoved me away.

I stumbled several steps but stayed upright. An Alpha was stronger than an Omega, but I was no longer the woman who would wait for him to help me up.

Asher didn't spare me a glance. Instead, he anxiously checked Katie over before gathering her into his arms.

"Mabel, I never knew you could be this vicious! Don't expect me to show up at the wedding!"

With that, he picked Katie up and carried her away.

I watched him go and almost laughed.

'Good. I'm not marrying you anyway.'