Chapter 2

At six in the evening, I pushed the front door open.

Before I could even change my shoes, a blood-curdling shriek echoed from the living room.

"Ahhhh! My face! It burns! Help me! Somebody help me!"

I changed into my slippers and strolled into the living room.

The scene before me was ten times more entertaining than I had imagined.

Margaret was rolling on the floor, clawing at her face, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Her already thin hair was falling out in massive clumps, scattering across the wool rug like dead grass.

Her face was even worse. The areas where she had applied the white cream were now swollen like a purple balloon, her skin glowing with a sickening red rash, and yellow fluid was beginning to ooze out.

"Mom! What's wrong, Mom!"

James and Emily rushed out of the kitchen. Seeing Margaret on the floor, they gasped in horror.

"Jamie! Mom's hair is completely gone! Her face is ruined!" Emily screamed, her voice shaking violently.

James whipped his head around, his eyes red as he glared at me like a rabid beast.

"Ellie! You evil bitch! What kind of poison did you put in that jar?!"

He marched up to me, raising his hand to slap me across the face.

I stood my ground, not even blinking, and met his gaze with an icy stare.

"Touch me, and see what happens."

My voice wasn't loud, but it carried absolute dominance.

"If that hand lands on me, I guarantee your corpse will be hanging from the estate gates by tomorrow morning."

James’s hand froze in mid-air. The muscles in his face twitched. He was clearly intimidated by my Alpha aura.

"You dare threaten my brother?!" Emily barked from the side. "You did this on purpose! You left poison on the table to hurt our mom! I'm taking this to the Elders!"

I let out a cold laugh, walked over to the sofa, and sat down, crossing my legs.

"Take it to the Elders? Go ahead. I’d love to see how they react when they find out who stole and used the Alpha's personal property after being explicitly warned."

I pulled out my phone and flashed the Snapchat chat history in front of their faces.

"The records are right here, clear as day. I told you exactly what that experimental formula would do. You insisted on using it as high-end skincare. Now that her face is melting and she's bald, you're blaming me?"

Margaret was rolling in pain on the floor, her eyes rolling back as she neared unconsciousness.

"Stop talking! Call a Healer!" James panicked, screaming at Emily.

The Pack medical van arrived with sirens blaring.

When the Healer saw Margaret’s condition, even he couldn't help but grimace.

"The chemical burns are severe. We need to get her to the clinic for emergency treatment immediately!"

As the stretcher carried Margaret out, James pointed a trembling finger at my nose, spitting out a final ultimatum.

"Ellie, you're going to pay for this! If anything happens to my mom, I'm done with you! Once I'm back from the clinic, you're packing your bags and getting the hell out of this house!"

The front door slammed shut.

I looked around the empty living room, the smirk on my lips deepening.

Get the hell out of this house?

James, you must be dreaming.