Chapter 22 A Cup Of Lies

Chapter 22 A Cup Of Lies


Chapter: A Cup of Lies

Maltida’s POV

I was sitting on my bed when it happened.

My room was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes your thoughts loud. My hands were resting on my stomach, moving slowly, rubbing it like that would calm my heart.

Everything felt heavy.

My chest.

My head.

My life.

Then I heard a knock.

Soft. Slow.

My body stiffened immediately.

No one knocks gently anymore. When they come, they come to command, to accuse, or to hurt. I didn’t want to open the door. I didn’t want to see anyone. But I also didn’t want trouble.

“Come in,” I said softly.

The door opened.

And my heart dropped.

Calyra.

She stood there like she owned the room. Like she owned the house. Like she owned me. Her face was calm. Too calm. She was smiling, but not the kind of smile that brings peace. The kind that makes your skin crawl.

For a second, neither of us spoke.

I could hear my own breathing.

Then she walked in and closed the door behind her.

“I am sorry, Maltida,” she said.

I froze.

Sorry?

I looked up at her, confused. My mind couldn’t understand her words. Calyra? Sorry? The woman who called me names. The woman who looked at me like dirt. The woman who wanted me gone.

She continued, her voice soft. Too soft.

“I know I was wrong. I know I hurt you. I asked questions. I heard that you were forced into this. That you were also a victim.”

My hands tightened on my stomach.

My heart was beating fast.

She knows?

I stared at her, shocked. This wasn’t the Calyra I knew. This wasn’t the woman who slapped me. This wasn’t the woman who looked at me with hate in her eyes.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Still… I nodded slowly. I didn’t trust her, but I didn’t want to show it.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

I hated how weak my voice sounded.

Inside my head, a voice kept screaming, She is lying. She is pretending.

Calyra sat down on the chair like she belonged there.

“I’ve decided not to be Luna again,” she said. “I’ll just be the Alpha’s friend. Nothing more.”

My heart skipped.

I almost laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because it was a lie.

A cheap lie.

Calyra does not give up. She does not step back. She does not lose. I knew that the moment she said it. This was not peace. This was a plan.

Then she stood up and walked toward the table.

She placed a cup there.

“I made tea for you,” she said calmly. “It’s good for pregnant women.”

My eyes dropped to the cup.

Steam was rising from it.

My stomach tightened.

I slowly reached for the cup. My hands were shaking, but I tried to hide it. I lifted it gently and brought it close to my face.

I inhaled.

And my heart stopped.

There was something wrong with the smell.

Very wrong.

Not strong. Not obvious. But sharp. Bitter. Something that didn’t belong.

I knew immediately.

This is not tea.

This is poison.

My breath caught in my throat.

She wants to hurt my child.

My fingers tightened around the cup so hard it almost slipped. My mind started racing. My heart felt like it would tear through my chest.

What do I do?

If I refuse, she will know I suspect her.

If I accuse her, she will deny it.

If I scream, no one may believe me.

I felt trapped.

She was watching me. Her eyes didn’t leave my face.

Waiting.

Testing.

I turned slightly and pretended to adjust my grip. Quietly, quickly,when she wasn't watching me, I poured a little of the tea behind my own cup, later when she's gone I'll examine the tea, the herb she used in making it, I'll check every details of the tea

My heart was pounding.

Now what?

Drink it?

If I drink it… maybe I will finally be free.

Free from fear.

Free from Calyra.

Free from this prison.

Maybe the Alpha will let me go if the baby is gone. Maybe he will forget me. Maybe I can disappear.

Or maybe… if I drink it, her evil will be exposed. Maybe everyone will finally see her for who she really is.

Tears burned my eyes.

I looked at her.

She was smiling.

Waiting.

I took a deep breath.

Then I lifted the cup.

My lips touched the rim.

My hands were shaking.

My heart was crying.

And I drank.

The moment the tea touched my tongue, my stomach twisted violently. Pain spread through me like fire. I gasped softly, my eyes watering.

I pressed my hand to my stomach.

She smiled.

That smile told me everything.

I was right.

I placed the cup down slowly, forcing myself not to collapse.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Inside, I was breaking.

My body trembled. My heart screamed. My mind was numb.

I drank the tea.

And I didn’t know if I had just saved myself…

or destroyed everything.