Chapter 36: Birthday Is Also The Day Of Death
Chapter 36: Birthday Is Also The Day Of Death
(Olivia’s POV)
At Lyra’s Hope Sanctuary, I pointed directly at the little pup sitting on the swing.
“I clearly saw this pup snatch the swing from a bigger boy, causing him to angrily push her down. Yet Rosalie helped the fallen pup scold the boy without understanding the truth.”
Everyone present changed their expressions. Theodore immediately released Rosalie and embraced me, his face full of
nervous concern.
I looked down at the little girl who bore such a striking resemblance to Theodore. Her eyes held a malicious glint that didn’t belong on a child’s face.
“Should we foster such a child who can’t distinguish right from wrong?” I questioned.
Theodore looked visibly relieved at my accusation. He turned to Matron Willow with a frown.
“How are the pups educated here?”
Matron Willow began sweating nervously, her troubled expression focused on Theodore. She stammered, clearly uncomfortable.
“Rosalie might have been mistaken. Children sometimes don’t see the full picture.”
Rosalie immediately stepped forward, her small hands clasped together. Her voice was sweet and apologetic.
“Luna, I was wrong. I promise to apologize to my brother.”
She clung to me like a ghost, her small fingers gripping my dress. Her eyes were wide and pleading.
“Please, Luna and Alpha, adopt me. I’ll be good, I promise.”
The painful memory of losing my daughter four years ago struck my heart like a blade. I pushed Rosalie away, unable to bear her touch.
Rosalie fell to the ground and began crying loudly. Her wails echoed across the yard, drawing attention from every direction.
Today is the sanctuary’s open day, many kind–hearted pack members were visiting. They saw me push down a child and began pointing and whispering.
“Isn’t that the Luna of the Crimson Pack?”
“How could someone supposedly so charitable push down such a small pup?”
“She’s probably doing charity work just for image, not genuine kindness.”
I don’t care about their accusations, but this sanctuary was property left by my mother Lyra through The Lyra Blackwood
Memorial Trust.
If the sanctuary’s reputation was tarnished because of me, my mother’s spirit couldn’t rest in peace.
Matron Willow quickly helped Rosalie up from the ground. Theodore pulled candy from his pocket, offering it to the crying
child.
“Here, little one. Don’t cry.”
Rosalie’s tears stopped immediately. She took the candy and walked over to me, her expression innocent and
understanding.
“Luna, you eat candy.” She held it out with a sweet smile.
Facing the crowd’s cameras and judgmental stares, I forced myself to endure. I accepted the candy, gripping it tightly in my palm until it began to melt.
Staff members quickly dispersed the onlookers, their voices carrying across the yard.
“Luna Olivia is the sanctuary’s biggest sponsor. She couldn’t possibly not love children.”
“This must be a misunderstanding.”
Theodore placed his hand on my shoulder, his voice gentle but firm.
“Rosalie is only four years old. She doesn’t understand complex situations yet.”
He guided Rosalie’s small hand into my palm. Her skin was warm and soft, so much like my lost daughter’s.
“The fault lies with poor adult supervision, not the child. Once we foster her and properly discipline her, she won’t be confused about right and wrong again.”
Matron Willow nodded eagerly, supporting Theodore’s words.
“Alpha Theodore has always asked me to find pups similar to Leo. This child resembles Leo not only in appearance but also in temperament.”
I looked down at Rosalie, studying her features carefully. A thought formed in my mind, cold and calculating.
“I want to see her documents. If there are no problems, we’ll formally foster her.”
Theodore’s eyes lit up with hope. “Of course, my love.”
“We’ll schedule the fostering procedures for Leo’s birthday,” I continued. “Pack leaders and members will be present to introduce the Redgrave family’s little miss.”
Anyway, I’ll just disappear from the face of the earth that day. I hope Theodore likes the gift I’m giving him.
When Matron Willow brought the documents, I examined them carefully. My frown deepened as I flipped through the pages.
“There’s no birth certificate.”
Matron Willow wrung her hands nervously. “Most pups in the sanctuary were unwanted. They naturally have no birth certificates.”
She pointed to another document. “But they have registered pack certificates that can be used for fostering.”
I turned to the last page, my heart beginning to race. The pack certificate showed only “Rosalie,” not “Rosalie Thorne.” Then my heart contracted violently. The birth date was April 20, 2021.
The day I lost my daughter. The same day Theodore and Clara’s daughter was born.
My mind raced back to that terrible day. I had fainted at home and been rushed to The Crimson Infirmary with massive internal bleeding.
I needed emergency surgery. When they required Theodore to sign the consent form, no one could find him.
Now I suspected Theodore had been with Clara during her labor. Perhaps in the maternity ward on the same floor of the infirmary.
< Chapter 36 Birthday Is Also The Day Of Death
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After my surgery, Theodore had rushed in wearing medical scrubs. At the time, grief–stricken and weak, I hadn’t
questioned it.
I had assumed the infirmary required sterile clothing for the environment. But why would they require a visiting partner to wear medical scrubs when I wasn’t in a delivery room or ICU?
The realization hit me like a physical blow. Theodore had been delivering his daughter with Clara while I was losing mine.
Unable to believe my suspicions but knowing I needed proof, I threw the documents on the table.
“I won’t foster this pup.”
I left Lyra’s Hope Sanctuary without waiting for Theodore to catch up.
I hailed a taxi and directed the driver to The Crimson Infirmary. My hands shook as I gripped the door handle.
In the infirmary’s monitoring room, I approached the security guard. My voice was surprisingly steady.
“I need to see surveillance footage from outside the birthing wing on April 20, 2021.”
The guard looked confused but complied with the Luna’s request. The footage loaded on the screen, and my world shattered.
There was Theodore at 3 AM on April 20, appearing at the birthing suite door. He changed into medical scrubs and accompanied Clara into the delivery room.
While I was bleeding out and losing our daughter, he was welcoming his child with his mistress.
My trembling body collapsed into the chair. The betrayal was complete and devastating.
Suddenly, the monitoring room door was pushed open. Theodore walked in, his face filled with concern.
“My love, what are you doing here?”
