Chapter 38
DAMIEN’S POV
The call from the school came in the late afternoon. I was in my office when my phone rang. The screen showed the school’s number.
I answered. “This is Damien Stone p>
The woman on the line sounded tense. “Good afternoon, Alpha Stone. This is Mrs. Harlan from Ashley’s school p>
Her tone told me everything before she even continued. My jaw tightened. For them to call me, that means it was bad news.
“There was another incident today,” she said carefully. “Nothing physical, but Ashley displayed aggressive behavior during recess. This is the second time this week she’s doing this p>
I closed my eyes slowly. my wolf felt irritated. I felt frustrated. Ashley had been having these outbursts lately. She would throw tantrums every time she didn’t get her way.
This was becoming a pattern.
“I see,” I said coldly. “Thank you for informing me p>
When the call ended, my wolf growled low in my chest.
Second time this week?
This reminded me of what Sophia said about Ashley getting into trouble at school. I didn’t hear about it. I assumed she was over reacting or something.
I stood up and went straight to find Tiffany.
She was in the sitting room, scrolling on her phone.
“Tiffany,” I said. “Did Ashley get into trouble at school lately p>
She looked up, startled, then quickly smiled. “No. Of course not p>
My eyes narrowed. “The school just called me p>
She waved her hand dismissively. “They exaggerate. Ashley behaved fine. Other children provoke her p>
“Are you saying the teachers are lying?” I asked.
“They always target strong kids,” she replied smoothly. “Ashley is different. They don’t like that p>
Something about her answer felt wrong. My wolf shifted. He felt even more uneasy but I pushed the feeling aside.
“You should watch her more closely,” I said.
“I always do,” she replied quickly.
I nodded and walked away, telling myself she wouldn’t lie about something like this. Still, I had my doubts for some reason.
Later that day I drove to the school to pick Ashley up. As I waited by the gate, I watched other parents greet their children. Mothers knelt down. Fathers hugged their kids. Laughter filled the air. The scene reminded me of how things used to be. Sophia had always handled these moments. She knew the teachers. She knew the routines. She would always pick Ashley up from school.
Ashley walked out slowly. She didn’t look excited, not in the least. She didn’t run to me like she usually did. She didn’t smile. Her shoulders were slumped, and her eyes were dull.
“Ashley,” I said gently. “Come here p>
She climbed into the car without a word.
I drove quietly for a few minutes, then stopped at a store and bought her a snack. I handed it to her.
“Here you go baby. Did you have a good day?” I asked.
She shrugged as she ate her cupcake. “It was okay p>
My irritation faded. I started to feel concerned about her.. My wolf calmed slightly. He could sense a bit of her pain.
“What happened at school?” I asked more softly.
She stared out the window. Her lip shook as she spoke.
“I got in trouble,” she whispered.
My grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Why p>
She took a deep breath, then broke down.
“I feel invisible,” she said as tears rolled down her face. “Nobody listens to me p>
“You know that’s not true p>
“It is..Mommy doesn’t come home anymore,” she cried. “She doesn’t come to school events. She doesn’t tuck me in. She doesn’t talk to me like before p>
Each word felt like a punch to my stomach.
“I miss her,” Ashley continued. “I miss when she cooked for me. I miss when she’d pick me up p>
Guilt and anger twisted inside me.
“This is because of Sophia,” I thought bitterly. “She pulled away first p>
Ashley was acting out because she missed Sophia. She needed her mom.
I forced my voice to stay calm. “Your mother loves you,” I said. “She just needs to hear from you p>
Ashley hesitated. “What if she says no p>
“She won’t,” I said firmly, though I felt a bit doubtful.
Ashley called Sophia. She held the phone tightly. Sophia picked up after a few rings.
“Hi mommy,” Ashley said.
“Hey baby. How are you? Are you okay p>
“Yes. Mommy,” she said softly. “We have a Thanksgiving event at school. Parents are supposed to come together p>
She paused, listening.
“Can you come?” she asked. “Can you bake the blueberry pie like before p>
I watched her face closely. Then her smile faded.
“Oh,” she said quietly. “Okay p>
She nodded even though Sophia couldn’t see her.
“Bye, Mommy p>
She handed me the phone without looking up. From her expression, I knew that Sophia didn’t agree to come. Rage exploded inside me and my wolf roared.
“She chose someone else over our child,” I thought angrily. “She abandoned her p>
I parked the car by the road side, got down and opened the passenger door. I knelt in front of Ashley and pulled her into my arms.
“It’s okay,” I said tightly. “I’m here p>
But inside, my resentment for Sophia burned hotter than ever.