Chapter 442
442
Third Person’s POV
Gloria’s mind was still numb. Upon hearing Christine’s words, she shook her head instinctively . “ No , why should we return it? I haven’t done anything wrong. He’s not dead, so why didn’t they tell me? Even after 1 returned to the Ironclaw Pack, I waited for so many years before marrying someone else.”
“We’re not asking you to pay. Cynthia and I will cover the costs,” Christine said, raising her voice.
“But you need to take a stance. This can’t just be handled by Cynthia and me.”
“How can I take a stance? I’m pa
years…”
of the Bloodmoon Pack now. Besides, I did wait for him for all these
“Stop with the excuses. What do you mean you waited for him? You returned to the Ironclaw Pack less than a month after Eugene was declared dead. Have you really been waiting for him all these years ? ” Christine retorted.
“You just haven’t found the right person. You’ve been anxious about marriage too, and you’ve met with several prospects. You know it better than anyone. Others might not know, but we do,” Christine added.
Gloria sharply countered, “So I’m supposed to wait for him forever? And men take their mates‘ assets after losing them. Why is there a double standard for she–wolves?”
Christine patiently explained, “No one expects you to be alone forever, and you haven’t waited. But you shouldn’t have made that promise to them, saying you’d never remarry. They gave you the pension and shops out of compassion.”
“I was Eugene’s mate; it’s only right that the pension went to me,” Gloria insisted.
Christine looked at her and said slowly, “ It’s just, the four of us here–me, Cynthia, Audrey, and you. The omegas aren’t present. I don’t want to be blunt, but we all know the truth. Do I need to remind you that you weren’t entitled to that money?”
Gloria immediately felt guilty.
Audrey gently advised, “Gloria, you don’t have to pay, but you should take a stance. The Hutchinson family let you go back, and Sibyl treated you like a daughter. I think…”
“How dare you meddle in my affairs?” Gloria sneered.
Gloria looked down on Audrey and thought she had no right to butt in on her business.“Shut up! If I do return it, I’ll only listen to Cynthia,” she said.
Audrey, used to her attitude, remained silent. She knew arguing would only lead to a shouting match and wanted to resolve things quickly.
Christine, however, didn’t let it go. “Gloria, when will you learn to control your temper? Audrey, though from a merchant background, has better character than you. Do I need to bring up your past misdeeds again? Apologize to Audrey!”
Christine’s years of managing the household gave her an air of authority.
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Gloria reluctantly said, “I spoke out of turn, Audrey . I’m sorry.”
Audrey coolly replied , “Family doesn’t need formalities. Let’s just resolve this properly to avoid future gossip .
Audrey knew Gloria’s apology wasn’t sincere, but that didn’t matter. She just wanted to resolve things quickly.
Both Audrey and Christine worried that Gloria might cause trouble, like divorcing Ulrik and pursuing Eugene again.
To prevent this, they had to return the pension and end her hopes.
Cynthia agreed with Christine. Gloria, seeing she didn’t have to pay and the Ironclaw Pack would cover it , eventually consented.
Christine didn’t make her appear in person–Gloria was now the Bloodmoon Pack’s Luna.
She just had Gloria write a letter to Sibyl, signing it as “Luna Gloria of the Bloodmoon Pack.”
This signature meant she returned the money as the Bloodmoon Pack’s Luna.
After finishing the letter, Gloria handed it to Christine and said resentfully, “This is unnecessary. It makes it seem like I did something wrong by remarrying.”
Christine replied, “When you married Ulrik as the Ironclaw Pack’s Alpha’s sister, no one criticized you. To be frank, I’m doing this to prevent you from entertaining other ideas.”
Gloria laughed bitterly, “What other ideas could I have? Do you think I’d divorce Ulrik to get back with Eugene? What kind of person do you take me for?”
“I hope you haven’t. I know exactly what kind of person you are,” Christine warned.
Gloria was furious. “Everyone makes mistakes. I don’t know if you’ve ever made one–I have no proof. But stop using my past against me.”
“I may not be happy in the Bloodmoon Pack, but Ulrik respects and cares for me. I have no intention of divorcing him. Moreover, I agreed to the marriage for Tad’s sake. Instead of being grateful, you’ve always resented me. Isn’t that ungrateful?”
Christine folded the letter calmly and said, “Don’t take credit where it’s not due. When Mrs. Voss came, allowing you to understand Ulrik before deciding wasn’t coercion. You could have refused.”
“Mother,” Gloria turned to Cynthia with a look of grievance, “You know we had to avoid offending Mrs. Voss for Tad’s sake. I wasn’t that fond of him initially.”
Cynthia sighed, “What’s the use of revisiting this now?”