Tabitha's POV
I somehow walked in.
I remember that this place was used as a guest room for entertaining visitors at Hope Ranch.
Now, it had been transformed into a large space, with one half painted a soft pink and the other half a gentle sky blue.
The floor was covered in a plush, long-haired carpet, and the ceiling was painted with clouds.
When the door closed, the lights suddenly went out. Yet, countless stars appeared overhead, softly glowing, with occasional streaks of shooting stars.
Some lights in the room emitted a gentle glow, and the air was filled with the soothing music of a music box.
Cradles, rocking horses, various toys, and a wide array of clothes for babies from newborn to one-year-old were neatly arranged.
Nearby, there was also a special corner for children to play, featuring tall castles, slides, and swings.
Derek thought of almost everything related to babies.
This room was even more perfect than the one I had designed before. No parent in the world could resist such a place.
As I touched the baby clothes, tears unexpectedly filled my eyes.
Derek hugged me from behind, his large palm resting perfectly on my belly.
"Tabitha, this time I want to be a good father and take care of you and our children."
A wave of disgust overwhelmed me, making me feel like I might vomit.
My body trembled lightly, and I tightly gripped the edges of the cradle. Trembling, I said, "Do you think doing all this will erase everything between us before?"
"I know the damage has already been done and the fact cannot be changed, but I want to make amends, Tabitha. Can you give me a chance, please?"
I looked up at him, tears rolling down my cheeks, "So you plan to keep me and our children locked up here, like birds in a gilded cage?"
"Tabitha, I can give you everything except for Luna's position in the Black Thorn Pack. I owe it to Daphne," Derek explained. "You're not birds in a gilded cage. This will be our home from now on. When our children are born, they will live here. I have also had the land behind renovated, so John can still be a free-spirited gardener."
I pushed him away with even more intensity. "Derek, you're dreaming! We can't go back, and I don't want to. What makes you think that after hurting me like this, a simple apology will make me forgive you? Do you think so little of me? You told me to leave, so I did. Now you want me to come back? Sorry, but my heart is already far away from you."
I pointed at my injured right hand and said, "Have you seen my hand? You personally broke my wings and wanted to imprison me in a cage forever. You must be dreaming!
"Do you think I would be moved after what you've done? I just feel disgusted. A selfish, self-centered man like you simply doesn't deserve to be the father to my children. Even if they are born into a single-parent household, I will not let you be their dad."
After saying that, I took off the veil from my head. "What I longed for was not the wedding, but the man who would lift me up from the water, and that's not you, Derek."
I raised my hand forcefully. Then the white veil slowly drifted down to land at Derek's feet.
He didn't say a word from beginning to end, just silently watched me vent.
"Tabitha, I thought..."
"You thought I'd be sad about you marrying Daphne soon, but let me tell you, I'm not sad at all. I don't care, Derek. Take a good look—I'm no longer the naive girl who followed you blindly. You've killed the fool who once lived in love."
I collected myself and said, "Today, I didn't come to play house with you. I want to talk to you about something important."
Derek looked at me silently. Aside from my face, it was clear I had changed a lot.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Lillian and Elena. Though I cannot deny their actions, we overlooked another crucial point in this matter."
I took a deep breath and said, "Of course, I wished Elena would die sooner, but I didn't want the real culprit behind the schemes against the Silver Moon Pack to escape justice."