Chapter 197 My Beautiful Arabella
Third-Person POV:
When Angela returned to the cottage after two weeks in the hospital, she found it unusually quiet.
Adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, she looked around. The furniture had been put back in place, and the broken windows had been repaired. There was hardly any sign of what had happened that night.
She was about to head toward her bedroom when a familiar voice stopped her. “I heard you’re carrying a child.”
Angela closed her eyes briefly before turning around. Rick was standing near the hallway, watching her with an expression that made his displeasure obvious.
“Yes, Rick. We’re having a baby,” she replied calmly with a small smile.
His face twisted with anger. “Have you completely lost your mind? How dare you bring an illegitimate child into my house and expect me to accept it?”
Angela didn’t lower her head or try to defend herself as she would have done in the past. Instead, she approached him and gently straightened his shirt collar with her right hand. Her left hand had a bandage wrapped around it after losing her fingers.
“It’s your child too, Rick,” she said politely.
“My child?” He slapped her hand away. “Don’t you dare call that bastard mine! You’re the one who went into heat and invited those men into my house. And now you expect me to raise their…”
Suddenly, Angela grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. “Enough!” She whispered fiercely. Rick fell silent, more surprised by her reaction than the force of her grip.
For three years, Angela had quietly endured his insults, never raising her voice even when he humiliated her in front of others. Now she was standing inches from his face, refusing to let him finish.
“I got pregnant because of you, Rick. You were the one who left me alone that night, even after I begged you to stay. You knew what could happen, and you still walked out of that door.” She tightened her grip slightly. “So, whether you like it or not, you share responsibility for this child.”
Rick looked at her as though he was seeing an entirely different woman. Angela released his collar and calmly straightened it again, smoothing out the wrinkles she had made.
“Besides, I think we should stop pretending that I’m the only one keeping secrets in this marriage.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Vikki,” Angela answered, watching his reaction. “And your son, Victor.”
Rick went still. Last time he told her that he left Vikki for her, and now he was regretting it. “I was angry that day, but there is no other woman in my life…”
Angela gave a small, humorless chuckle. She had already confirmed the truth about Vikki with someone at the hospital, but she’d waited until today to confront him about it.
“You didn’t really think I would never find out, did you? You’ve been visiting her for years, Rick. While I was sitting here waiting for you to come home, you were playing happy family with your mistress and your little boy.”
Rick recovered enough to speak. “Angela, listen to me. Whatever you think you know—”
“Oh, please. Don’t insult my intelligence.” She adjusted the strap of her bag before continuing. “You know what our pack laws say about a high-ranking werewolf keeping a mistress and fathering a child outside his mating bond. And you know what the council could do to Vikki and Victor if I reported them.”
Rick’s expression changed, and Angela noticed it immediately.
“They could burn them both, Rick.” She said in a whisper, “Your mistress and your precious son. All it would take is one complaint from me, and the council would have every reason to investigate.”
“Don’t you dare threaten my family!” Rick stepped toward her, his voice rising.
Angela didn’t move. “Your family?” she repeated with a faint smile. “How interesting. I thought I was your family.”
Rick opened his mouth, but she continued before he could interrupt.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of hurting Vikki or Victor. That little boy has done nothing wrong, and I wouldn’t wish my suffering on another woman, either. But if you try to take my baby away from me, I’ll make sure the entire council hears about your little family. They are already talking about you and Chris.”
Rick looked furious, but for once, he seemed unable to find the right words. Angela held her bag.
“All I want is for you to give this child your name. You don’t have to love me, and you certainly don’t have to pretend to be a loving father. Just acknowledge the baby as yours and let me raise it in peace.”
She paused, resting a protective hand over her still-flat stomach. “I know this baby may not be yours by blood, Rick. But it’s mine.” Her voice softened for the first time. “And after everything I’ve lost, this child is the only hope I have left.”
She walked past him toward the bedroom, leaving Rick standing in the living room. For the first time in three years, Angela had refused to beg for something that mattered to her.
***
Nine months later, Angela gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
The moment she heard her daughter’s first cry, tears began rolling down her cheeks. She had spent months worrying about whether her baby would survive, and now that the little girl was finally here, she could hardly believe it.
The nurse gently placed the newborn in her arms, and Angela immediately pulled her closer, admiring her tiny face and the little fingers curled against her chest.
“Oh, my baby,” she whispered, kissing her forehead. “You’re finally here.” For the first time in years, Angela cried out of happiness.
She was still admiring her daughter when a nurse approached her bed with some paperwork. “Miss Angela, we’ll need your husband to complete the birth registration form and provide the baby’s name.”
Angela didn’t even look up from her daughter’s face. “I’ll be choosing her name,” she replied softly.
The nurse hesitated. “But ma’am, according to pack tradition, the father has the right to—”
Angela gave her a warning look, stopping her before she could finish. Then she smiled and returned her attention to the little girl resting peacefully in her arms.
“She’s my daughter, and I will be the one to name her.” She gently brushed a finger against the baby’s cheek. “Arabella. Her name is Arabella. She is my beautiful Arabella.”
She looked at the nurse again, her smile still in place. “Now, please write that on the form.”