John's POV
I quickly wiped the panic off my face, my brain racing as I tried to come up with an explanation.
"Just throwing some flower branches I've trimmed into the trash can."
Having said that, I chucked a bunch of branches in, covering up the torn invitation perfectly.
"John, just let us handle the manual labor. You should rest well."
"It's okay, moving around a bit will help me recover faster. Has Tabitha gotten up yet?"
"No, she's been sleeping a lot lately. Sometimes she doesn't wake up until eleven o'clock."
Thus, I replied, "It's good to get some extra sleep. By the way, I just remembered today is the birthday of an old friend of mine. Can I borrow your phone to make a call?"
Joanna, being as a kind-hearted girl as she was, handed it to me right away without thinking twice. "Here you go."
I then dialed a number as I stepped aside.
Seeing I was avoiding her, Joanna backed off a bit. She did nothing more than look up to check on me from time to time.
I knew she did that because Derek had told her to keep an eye on me.
Two minutes later, I turned around and returned the phone to her. "I'm gonna head back for breakfast now," I told her.
"Sure."
But instead of going back to my room, I marched with determination toward the garage.
Every day around this time, the chauffeur would head to the market for groceries shopping. When he wasn't paying attention, I slipped into the back seat.
Now it made sense why Tabitha and Derek didn't want me using my phone. They were afraid that I would read the news online.
No wonder my poor daughter became melancholic and hardly smiled anymore.
It turned out their issues weren't just minor. Derek had fallen in love with someone else now.
I struggled to contain my anger bubbling inside me. All I could think about now was how I was gonna confront Derek. I would have to seek justice for Tabitha.
To do that, I couldn't let Derek find out where I was. Otherwise, I'd be stuck at home without even stepping outside.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly. When we arrived at the market, the chauffeur was busy with purchasing, so I took the opportunity to bail.
At a distant intersection, I saw someone waiting for me. It was Gary, my Beta.
"Alpha John."
"Long time no see, Gary."
"I'm really happy to see you've recovered so well," he smiled.
I skipped the small talk and cut to the chase, saying, "Take me to the hotel."
With a serious look on his face, Gary couldn't help but advise, "Alpha, the wedding between Alpha Derek and Miss Sutton was decided six months ago. Even if you go now, you might not be able to change anything—"
I cut him off, "No matter what's awaiting ahead, I'm going there. This is for my baby girl. I'll seek justice for her at all costs!"
I clenched my hands, which were trembling with anger, adding, "Parents are the last line of defense for their children. If even I give in and let others bully her at will, what kind of father would that make me?"
Just thinking about what Tabitha must have gone through broke my heart.
She was supposed to be my little princess, the apple of my eye. I never let her suffer, not even a little bit. How could Derek treat her like that?
Ever since I came around, I could tell that Tabitha seemed much quieter and more mature than before.
Such changes took place only when someone had gone through pain. What on earth did she experience during my coma? How did she manage to get through it all alone?
Just the thought of it made my heart ache. I had to confront Derek in person why he treated my baby girl this way.
By the time I looked outside again, the car had already arrived at the hotel. Though it was so early, luxury cars were pulling up non-stop.
The main entrance was adorned with two giant posters of the couple.
So this was real—not some sick joke.
The guy who had promised to love and cherish Tabitha for a lifetime decided to marry someone else while Tabitha was carrying his pups!