Chapter 257

　　Tabitha's POV 　　The news of Derek and Daphne's wedding spread quickly and soon became a hot topic discussed by pretty much all the werewolves. 　　"Have you heard? Alpha Derek is gonna marry Miss Sutton this month. It's really happening. I heard they've already booked the hotel," an Omega shared the news excitedly. 　　"What should Ms. Hartley do? I thought she was the one Alpha Derek loved. He's always by her side," another Omega chimed in. 　　"I'm only sharing you with this. Ms. Hartley is his ex-wife. I thought they were gonna remarry. Miss Sutton was the reason why they went through the rejection ceremony back then," one of them said, lowering her voice. 　　I was sitting in the corridor in the rose garden reading a book when I accidentally overheard their idle gossip. 　　I calmly lifted my head and coldly stared at them. "You can gossip however you want. But do it where no one else is around. If my father hears any of this, you're gonna suffer." 　　I warned them and then walked straight past them with the book in my hand, my white French-style dress blowing in the wind. 　　"Ms. Hartley is so scary! Did you see the look in her eyes?" one of the Omegas whispered. 　　Another Omega spoke, "She wasn't like this before. Back then, she was approachable and kind to us Omegas. She has become the way she is today because Alpha Derek really broke her heart." 　　"I feel so bad for her." 　　They whispered to each other. 　　I walked around the corridor. In fact, when I heard about Derek and Daphne getting married, I didn't exactly feel a thing. 　　I used to be quite curious about the reason why Derek had to marry Daphne, but now, I simply didn't give a damn about anything related to him anymore. 　　I just wanted everyone in the manor to keep their mouths shut. Dad shouldn't be hyped up again. 　　At the moment, Dad was sunbathing in the greenhouse with a blanket draping over his legs. He looked so calm and peaceful. 　　After what I had gone through, I felt like I was reborn, which made me cherish the peace and happiness I had now even more. 　　I stayed by his side quietly flipping through the book until he woke up slowly. 　　"Tabitha." 　　Hearing his voice, I looked up. "Dad, you're awake." 　　"Yes. Derek said that the company has been integrated. If you feel bored, why don't you go to the office and take care of the business? You don't have to stay with me all day. It's not like I'm gonna recover any soon," he said, worrying about me. 　　I closed the book. "Dad, I'm recuperating, too. Remember?" 　　"Can you feel your hand?" he asked with concern. 　　"Not yet." I shook my head. 　　"What has Derek been doing? He should have taken better care of you. You're gonna be a doctor, and your hands mean the world to you. What are you gonna do if it stays this way?" Dad was even more worried. 　　I smiled gently, "Then I'm afraid I'll be your burden forever." 　　I tried to ease things up with a joke. 　　He reached out and scratched the tip of my nose. "Silly girl. For me, you're a treasure, not a burden. Besides, you got your man to take care of you. You lost the baby accidentally before, and now since I'm getting better, why don't you have another child for Derek? Both of you are young and healthy." 　　He didn't know what was going on between Derek and me. Though he suggested so out of kindness, his suggestion was like a knife stabbing my heart harshly. 　　Since he got injured, I had kept him away from his phone, so he had no idea that Derek and Daphne were gonna get married. 　　"What's wrong, Tabitha? Did Derek upset you? Tell me. I'll make things right for you." Dad noticed something wrong from the look on my face. 　　I wanted to blurt out the truth several times, but in the end, I held back. I comforted him, unwilling to let him worry about me anymore, "Dad, I'm fine. Don't worry too much." 　　"I watched you grow up, and I know you well. Ever since I woke up, I noticed something was wrong with you. In the past, you always talked about him non-stop. But now? You never talk about him, and even if he's here, you don't even wanna glance at him. Tabitha, don't keep all the grievances to yourself. I'm here for you." 　　His words were filled with worry and care. 　　I clutched his hand and silently swore that no matter what, I'd protect the peacefulness around here. I went a long way before finally earning this.