Chapter 18
SOPHIA’S POV
The recital hall was filled with applause, but none of it reached my heart. People even gave her a standing ovation but the sound echoed in my ears like distant thunder.
I sat stiffly there in the VIP section. I kept my hands clenched in my lap. My wolf felt restless inside me.
I watched Tiffany stand up from the piano bench and bow. Her white dress glowed under the lights. Her smile was as confident as ever.
I didn’t feel any emotion towards her.
What I felt was a reminder of everything she had taken from me.
My wolf growled low. It was a sound only I could hear. She remembered. She never forgot. Tiffany was talented, yes, but she was also the woman who had stepped into my marriage while I was still breathing, still loving, still fighting.
The applause felt wrong. It felt undeserved in my ears. I looked away before bitterness could choke me even more.
Lance noticed immediately. He leaned closer to me.
“You okay p>
I swallowed. “No,” I said honestly. “But I expected that p>
After the crowd started leaving, we moved into a quieter hallway near the backstage area. My chest felt too tight to hold the truth any longer. I needed to talk to someone. Lance stopped walking and turned to face me fully. His eyes searched my face. He looked worried.
“Talk to me,” he said, “You’ve been moody ever since the piano recital. Did you not like it p>
That was it.
I spilled.
I told him everything.
I couldn’t hold it any longer.
I told Lance about Damien and about our marriage. I told him about the bond I felt to Damien and how much I loved him, about how strong it had been, how impossible it felt to resist. I told him how Ashley was born, how I had been pushed aside, how my child was taken from my arms in slow, quiet ways that no one ever talked about. I told him how Tiffany entered Damien’s life, how she smiled while slipping into my place, how she became the woman standing on that stage tonight.
Lance didn’t interrupt. His face got harder with every word.
“So Ashley he said carefully. “She’s yours p>
“Yes,” I whispered. “She’s my daughter p>
The word daughter cracked something open inside me. My wolf whimpered. I could feel her moving against my ribs, aching with the same sadness I carried every day.
Lance dragged a hand down his face. He shook his head. He looked stunned.
“Sophia,” he said, “that’s-” He stopped himself, breathing slowly. “That’s unbearable. I can’t believe you went through all this. Wow. I don’t even know what to say”
Before he could say more, movement on the stage pulled my attention back.
Ashley suddenly broke free from Damien’s side and ran forward, She rushed onto the stage and threw her arms around Tiffany, hugging her tightly.
“You were amazing!” Ashley said loudly. “When I grow up, I want to be just like you p>
The words hurt my chest.
My knees weakened. I grabbed the armrest. My vision blurred. My wolf howled inside me. It was a sound of pain and rage. I could feel her claws scraping inside me.
I turned away. I couldn’t watch my daughter idolize the woman who had replaced me.
“I can’t do this,” I whispered.
Lance caught my reaction instantly. “Sophia p>
“That’s my daughter,” I said again. “And she doesn’t even know me. She doesn’t care about me at all p>
I cried silently to the point that my shoulders started shaking. Lance shifted closer, blocking me from the view. His presence alone calmed me a little.
“You shouldn’t have to endure this,” he said “None of this is fair p>
Across the hall, Tiffany’s eyes scanned the audience. They landed on Damien. I saw him there too.
“Damien! Come backstage!” she called.
My stomach dropped.
Damien turned, following her gesture, and saw me.
My wolf reacted to our eye contact. His wolf reacted too. I could feel it, that small pull. His eyes widened a bit. His jaw tightened. He hadn’t expected to see me there.
Ashley tugged his hand. “Daddy, Tiffany’s calling us p>
He nodded and walked forward with her.