chapter ten- I won't apologize.

Stephanie was obviously using this opportunity to humiliate Mercedes. The news that Mercedes was a cheat had spread far and wide within the pack.

The worst part was that everyone believed it, especially after Trevor appeared in a live video, apologizing to the entire pack. He publicly claimed that Mercedes was truly his mate, whom he had rejected, but that she still tried to force herself on him. Mercedes already knew that everyone was against her. She boarded the bus and headed straight to the hospital where Stephanie claimed to have been taken, but then she texted her husband after much hesitation.

"Can you come and pick me up later? You will probably see me on the news soon. Don't worry a lot. I have a plan."

When Christian received this message, he was in a pack meeting. The moment he noticed the notification sound coming from his phone was due to Mercedes' message, for the first time ever, he paused what he was doing, causing the pack higher-ups to stare at him in surprise. Christian was someone who was so strict that most of his employees did not attend any meeting with their cell phones.

Who could this god-like person be that made him change his rule?

Christian ignored the reaction he got from them and quickly replied to the message: "Be a good girl."

Mercedes chuckled as she read it. She was already at the hospital, and even though she hated the smell hospitals gave off, she still managed to walk to the fifth room on the first floor.

"I'm sorry, no one is allowed to enter," two hefty men stood at the entrance to the hospital room. Mercedes scoffed. She untied her scarf and removed her glasses just in case they didn't recognize her.

"I'm here to see Stephanie," she clarified.

"Visitors aren't allowed, ma'am."

Mercedes clenched her fist and then shoved one of them out of the door. She was a Gemini wolf, and her wolf strength was twice that of a normal wolf.

"You shouldn't prevent me from seeing my best friend. Don't you think that's crueler?"

The men were speechless, not just because of what she said but because of the strength she used to push them away.

Mercedes opened the door wide, allowing the two reporters that came with her to walk in.

"Hope you captured that well? Especially the last part?"

"Perfect, ma'am," they nodded.

"What the hell are you doing, Mercedes?" Stephanie sprang up from the luxurious treatment she was giving herself the moment she saw a camera pointed toward her.

"Aren't you supposed to be in critical condition, best friend? What the hell are you doing, giving yourself an exotic treat? No way!" Mercedes gasped in front of the camera. "Did you fake all of this?"

"I... I..." Stephanie stuttered, her eyes popping out in surprise.

She never in her wildest dreams believed that Mercedes could be this assertive. She had always been the no-trouble-seeking type.

"It's fine, Steph. You are like my sister. I heard you helped me out by filming the documentary the company asked us to do. But couldn't you have been more specific and told the world that Trevor was actually my ex-boyfriend? I mean, there's no way I wouldn't have had any pictures with him. We were together for more than ten years and only separated after I accepted you into my house."

Stephanie was at a loss for words. The plan was for Mercedes to come and kneel at her feet. When she saw she had no defense and was being recorded live, she fell to the ground and started to bawl in tears.

"I'm sorry, Mercedes. If I ever made it seem that you could have a second-chance mate and not be forcing yourself on mine... It's quite unfortunate that the both of us were given the same mate, but I mean, he wanted me and not you. You mean you have discomforted him for two years?"

Stephanie was good at acting, and lots of people had already started to watch the live video. Mercedes was very much aware of this, and she didn't want to mess herself up completely.

"Shouldn't you be apologizing to me and my baby for the harm you've caused us?" She rubbed her hands over her stomach.

"Cut the act, Stephanie. I definitely won't apologize to you!"

Just then, she got a text on her phone that read, "Done."

She then gestured for the reporters she came with to leave.

Before she arrived at the hospital, she had made sure to release the truth about the whole situation between her and Stephanie.

With Christian's help, she was able to publish her story on the most famous news channel. Mercedes started with the recording of when she found out Trevor was cheating on her. She had gone back to the house, and knowing fully well that her father had mentioned there were security cameras everywhere in the house, she found the footage from that exact day.

Coupled with Trevor's threat over the phone to replace Stephanie at the night event that sparked all this controversy and got everyone talking.

Stephanie, unaware of any of this, still held her head up high. "You think you can bring me down?" she snarled.

"I won't fight you for the sake of the innocent thing growing in your stomach. But I would advise you to lay low. If you don't want eggs thrown at you, it's best you continue your sick pretense until late at night."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Watch your downfall yourself, little friend!" she said and left Stephanie with a bewildered look on her face, visible on the television screen.

The tables have turned once again...