Category: English

My mother was trapped in a roaring fire. My husband, Ethan, who was the local Fire Captain, rushed to the scene. But instead of going inside, he turned the hose toward a burning trash can on the curb. He cradled a completely unharmed stray cat in his arms and told the onlookers: “Every life is equal. Every life deserves respect.” “Audrey’s mom is a grown adult. She isn’t stupid enough to just sit inside and wait to die.” By the time I got the news and rushed home, the house was nothing but a pile of smoldering ruins. There was only a charred skeleton left, along with my mother’s melted ring. Just then, Ethan called me, his voice bursting with joy. “I saved the cat, Audrey! The vet said if I had been even a minute later…” My voice was dead and dry. “My mom is dead.” “There’s nothing left of her. Not even a body.” Ethan was still riding his high. He went on and on about how happy his childhood friend, Chloe, was when she saw the kitten was safe. During the entire call, he didn’t ask about my mother once. But that was just who Ethan was. He would spend thousands on a sick stray cat. He would hike through the woods all night to find the owner of a lost dog. He would climb onto roofs again and again just to rescue Chloe’s cat. He just couldn’t spare a single drop of empathy for me. I wiped my tears. I had never felt so calm in my entire life. “Let’s get a divorce, Ethan.” His voice sounded muffled, far away. After a long pause, he gave me a half-hearted reply. “Great. I’m glad Susan is okay.” 1 The line didn’t disconnect. I could faintly hear the cat whimpering in the background. I stared at the blackened, ruined house. I couldn’t even cry anymore. Ethan’s voice came closer to the phone again. “I’ll be home late. The kitten still needs some tests at the vet.” Knowing Ethan’s habit of tuned-out hearing whenever I spoke, I held the phone tight and screamed with every last bit of my strength. “I want a divorce, Ethan! I can’t do this for another second!” This time, Ethan heard me loud and clear. His voice boomed through the receiver, making the phone vibrate in my hand. “Are you losing your mind again, Audrey?” “Can you stop throwing tantrums out of nowhere?” I couldn’t hold back the rage and grief screaming inside me anymore. I collapsed, clutching my head, sobbing hysterically. “Yes! Just assume I’m crazy!” “On our wedding night, Chloe called, and you ran out in your undershirt just to save her cat!” “On Christmas, I cooked a whole dinner, and you told me Chloe’s cat was sick and you had to nurse it!” “My mom’s house was on fire, and you chose a stray cat on the street over her life!” “Are these lies, Ethan? Did I make any of this up?” “You know damn well if I’m crazy or not!” Ethan’s heavy breathing filled the line. After a long moment, he let out a sigh. “You need to calm down. Now is not the time for this.” The line went dead. Suddenly, I realized that screaming and crying would never change anything. He didn’t love me. So, my feelings meant absolutely nothing to him. I knelt down, scooped up a handful of the soot and ashes from the ruins, and put it in my pocket. When I got to my temporary place, I placed the ash gently into a clear glass mason jar. I would find a beautiful cemetery in a few days and give her a proper burial. When Ethan finally came home, he was covered in cat hair. He knew I was severely allergic to cats, but he had never cared. “Why are you so dirty? Go wash yourself.” I looked down at my soot-covered hands and my burned clothes. He was a professional firefighter, yet he couldn’t even tell I had just come from a fire scene. “I don’t have a mom anymore, Ethan. I have nothing left.” Hot tears streamed down my face. Ethan walked over, wiped my tears with his thumb, and pushed me toward the bathroom. He still wasn’t listening. Not a single word registered. “You look like a mess. Go take a shower. I’ll dry your hair after.” He pushed me in and shut the door. The sound of the running water couldn’t drown out the sound of his phone ringing outside. It was Chloe. “Ethan, I love the kitten you saved today. I’ll adopt him as soon as he’s discharged.” Ethan’s voice turned incredibly soft. “Your house is practically a zoo already. But it’s fine, as long as you’re happy.” I guessed it was around 8:00 PM. Like clockwork, Ethan and Chloe would call each other at this time every day. They never talked about anything else—just cats. I could never join the conversation, nor did they give me a chance. Because of my severe cat allergy, cats were a forbidden topic. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Ethan had tossed his phone onto the couch. He was out on the balcony, pruning the potted roses. I looked at the coffee table. The glass mason jar was empty. Panic seized me. I rushed out to the balcony, clutching the empty jar. “Where are the ashes inside this?” “What did you do with them?” Ethan didn’t even look up from his rose bush. “Wasn’t that just dirt you brought back for the plants?” “Why are you screaming over nothing?” The glass jar slipped from my fingers, shattering into pieces on the floor. “That was my mother’s ash, Ethan. Not dirt.” I stood there, completely numb. I didn’t even have the strength to yell at him. But he didn’t care. He brushed past me, rushing toward the coffee table. His phone was ringing. It was Chloe’s custom ringtone. “The cat climbed onto the roof again? Hang on, I’m on my way.” Ethan turned to me, his eyes filled with genuine anxiety. “Dry your hair yourself. I have an emergency.” “Also, clean up the broken glass. Don’t cut your feet.” His concern for me only existed in empty words. But for Chloe, he was always ready to run. The next day, I went down to a local law firm to consult about the divorce. Halfway through the meeting, a sharp, stabbing pain hit my lower abdomen. 2 By the time I realized what was happening, blood was already running down my legs. Only then did I remember that my period was a whole month late. I scrambled into an Uber to rush to the hospital, but we got stuck in a massive traffic jam. The driver was honking his horn, furious. “All this traffic for a damn cat? Are you kidding me?” “The whole street is blocked. These people have too much time on their hands.” Then, the driver looked at me through the rearview mirror. “Miss, you look incredibly pale. Are you okay?” “It looks like we’re going to be stuck here for a while.” The pain in my stomach was getting worse, tearing me apart inside. I clutched my stomach and shook my head, unable to speak. Following the driver’s gaze, I looked out the window. I saw Ethan. He was climbing onto a roof. For Chloe’s cat, he had stayed up on that roof the entire night. The crowd below was looking up at him, cheering and taking videos. “He’s so sweet! He cares so much about a little cat. Firefighters are real heroes!” “The world doesn’t just belong to humans. Animals have rights too. This makes me want to cry. He’s amazing!” “He got it! He got the cat! Thank god, I was so scared it would fall!” The crowd cheered, clapping for Ethan’s bravery. But just yesterday, because of his “bravery,” a human life was lost. My mom had trusted Ethan so much. When the fire broke out, the first thing she did was call him. She didn’t even call 911 because she believed her son-in-law would save her. But her trust was met with betrayal. She must have been waiting in that burning house, praying for Ethan to break down the door and carry her to safety. But Ethan was just down the street, putting out a trash can fire for a cat. What was my mom thinking in her final moments? Was she terrified? Was she heartbroken? Maybe, until the moment she died, she was still staring at the door, waiting for him. I lost count of how many times Chloe’s cat had “escaped.” But every single time, Ethan would tirelessly go and rescue it. I used to scream and fight about it. Once, I even grabbed his phone when Chloe called. “Why do you do everything Chloe asks? You’d risk your life to rescue a cat that keeps escaping!” “Why is everything I say wrong? Why am I always the ‘jealous wife’? Ethan, I am your wife! But you won’t even grant me one small favor!” “If you love her so much, why didn’t you marry Chloe instead?” That was the first time Ethan slapped me. The stinging pain on my cheek woke me up. His disgust for me had reached a point where he would rather use violence than speak to me calmly. After that, I became numb. And Ethan gave me a late, pathetic explanation. “You don’t understand because you don’t like cats. Chloe and I just share a love for animals.” “Nothing ever happened between us.” My thoughts snapped back to the present. The traffic finally started to move. Out the window, Ethan was holding the cat, enjoying the applause of the crowd like a hero. While I sat in the cold back seat of an Uber, watching my own baby’s life slip away. “You had a miscarriage. It was likely brought on by severe emotional stress.” “If you had gotten here a few minutes earlier, we might have saved the baby.” Listening to the doctor, I didn’t even cry. I took the prescription and walked out of the hospital alone. Now, I could finally leave Ethan without a single regret. 3 As I reached the apartment door, I heard voices inside. It was Chloe. She was at our place. If this were before, I would have stormed in and started a screaming match. But after everything, I didn’t care anymore. I opened the door. Ethan froze when he saw me. “Where have you been? You look pale as a ghost.” He was smiling, trying to joke around. But I didn’t find it funny. He had no idea his child was gone because of him. “I was at the hospital.” Ethan was cradling the cat, stroking its fur. At my response, he just gave a distracted, “Oh.” He didn’t ask if I was sick. He didn’t ask why I went to the hospital. His reaction was so cold. He cared more about the stray cat in his arms than his own wife. Cat dander was floating everywhere in the air. I covered my nose and tried to walk past them to the bedroom. Suddenly, Chloe gasped, covering her mouth. “Audrey, you have blood on your pants. Did your period start?” I clenched my fists, standing still by the door. My blood ran cold at her words. Ethan put the cat down and walked over to me. “Audrey, how can you be this messy?” “You don’t care about your dignity, but I care about mine. What if someone saw you? Go change your clothes right now.” I wonder if his embarrassment would turn into regret once he found out the truth. I turned around, my breathing already getting heavy. Due to the miscarriage and my severe cat allergy, my body was giving out. “What if I told you that wasn’t period blood?” Ethan leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “Do you think I’m blind? Stop making excuses.” “If it’s not blood, what is it?” I let out a bitter, mocking laugh. “Our baby.” His expression froze. His arms dropped to his sides. He took a step toward me, but before he could speak, Chloe burst out laughing. “Oh, Audrey, that is not funny at all.” “You actually scared Ethan for a second. You’re so mean.” The tension instantly vanished. Ethan’s face twisted from shock to deep disgust. “Enough, Audrey. That is the cheapest, most pathetic lie you’ve ever told.” I knew that no matter what I said, he would never believe me. In his mind, I was already the villain. The allergy was kicking in. My throat was tightening, and I could barely stand. “Ethan… get the cat out of here. I can’t breathe.” He turned his back on me coldheartedly and sat back down next to Chloe. “The ‘boy who cried wolf’ story only works once, Audrey.” “You haven’t even touched the cat. How could you be having an allergic reaction?” I couldn’t hold on anymore. I collapsed right at Ethan’s feet. The loud thud of my body hitting the floor and the blood trickling from my nose didn’t move him. Chloe was staring at her phone, scrolling through social media. “Ethan, look! A puppy fell into the river!” “Oh my god, so sad! Let’s go save it! It’s so small!” I reached out, trying to grab Ethan’s pant leg. But he moved too fast, leaving me with no chance to ask for help. Before he shut the front door, he glanced back at me. “The floor is cold. Get up. Don’t blame me if you catch a cold.” 4 It was a utility worker who came to check the gas line who found me and called 91

She told me later that if the front door hadn’t been slightly left ajar, I would have died of anaphylactic shock. I stayed in the hospital for two days. On the second day, Ethan finally called. “Where are you? The apartment is a mess. Why haven’t you cleaned up?” I squeezed my discharge papers tightly and replied: “I’m at the hospital. I’m getting discharged today.” I heard Ethan let out a frustrated sigh. “I think you mentioned the hospital a few days ago too. What’s wrong with you? Are you actually sick?” This time, he actually heard what I said. He didn’t deflect. He didn’t make excuses. But I had already lost any desire to explain. I walked down to the lobby and picked up several copies of the divorce agreement I had requested. This time, whether he listened or not, I was going to end this. There was no point in dragging it out. When I got home, I placed the papers calmly on the coffee table. Ethan was in the kitchen cooking. I called out to him, my back turned. “Sign this when you have a moment.” He turned around, looking surprised. I added: “The divorce papers.” He finally walked over, his eyes locked onto the documents. “Just because I didn’t play along with your sick pregnancy joke, you’re throwing a tantrum and demanding a divorce?” “Audrey, we are adults. Stop being so childish.” I threw my medical reports and discharge papers onto the table, right in front of him. “I was pregnant. But thanks to you, I lost the baby.” “Ethan, we’re done. Every single day with you has been pure torture.” I sat on the floor, curling myself into a ball. Ethan stared at the medical report, then at the divorce papers. “You fabricated a fake miscarriage report just to guilt-trip me?” “Think about it, Audrey. How many times have you threatened divorce this week?” “Whatever. I’ll stay at the fire station for a few days. We’ll talk when you’ve calmed down.” He didn’t want to treat me well, but he didn’t want to let me go either. Being tied to him was only dragging us both into hell. Because of the cat rescue on the roof, Ethan was once again hailed as a local hero on TikTok. But he didn’t deserve that title at all. Local news channels kept interviewing him. During this time, my grief and anger only intensified. I couldn’t stop picturing how my mother died in those flames. And I couldn’t forget how Ethan had repeatedly left me in danger. So, I made a choice. I sent a detailed report with evidence to the Fire Department’s internal affairs. A few days later, Ethan was doing another live TV interview. He looked sharp and proud. When the reporter asked him a question, he answered smoothly. “I just did what anyone would do. I believe anyone who saw that kitten would have done the same.” The reporter, Jessica, changed her tone. “So, Captain, do you think a cat’s life is more important than a human’s life?” Without hesitation, Ethan smiled. “Human life always comes first. Absolutely.” Jessica’s face went cold. “Then why, when a human and a cat were both in danger, did you choose to save the cat?” “And let a woman burn to death?” Ethan’s hands began to sweat. His confident posture crumbled instantly. He looked past the cameras and saw me standing in the crowd. His eyes panicked. He looked like he wanted to beg me to save him, to make an excuse for him. I walked forward, holding my mother’s framed portrait in my arms. “Give her an explanation, Ethan.” The cameras immediately turned toward me. Ethan’s voice shook. “Audrey… you said Susan was alive… didn’t you?” My heart was breaking, but I kept my voice dead cold. “You were the one who said that. I never did.” Ethan’s proud shoulders collapsed. He took a weak step toward me. “Where is Susan? She’s still alive, right?” I looked into his eyes and said, word by word: “She is in our apartment. On the balcony. In the rose pot you dumped her ashes into.”

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Ten years after I became the Alpha of the Ironclaw Pack, my mate Ethan’s mistress showed up at my doorstep. She stood there looking incredibly innocent, wide-eyed and fragile. “I know this is wrong,” she whispered, looking down. “But Ethan told me I’m the one he truly loves. I know rejecting you as his mate will hurt you, so I’ll make sure he gives you a generous financial settlement.” She actually bent her knees and bowed to me in apology. I found the whole thing hilarious. I looked at her and asked, “Do you honestly not know that between Ethan and me, he’s the one being kept as a pet?” **1** “Did Ethan ever tell you that the villa you’re living in and the car you’re driving both belong to me?” Selene’s lips parted, but no sound came out. The reckless courage she had summoned for “true love” vanished instantly, replaced by sheer panic and disbelief. “I guess he didn’t,” I said, casually stirring my coffee. “If I break the mate bond with Ethan, everything he owns—everything he gave you—will be taken back by me. Do you still think your love is so grand?” When Ethan walked into the house, his little human girl was blushing with deep embarrassment. He immediately rushed forward, pulling her behind his back, shielding her. He glared at me with a defensiveness that felt entirely foreign. I raised an eyebrow. “What is the meaning of this, Ethan?” He gripped Selene’s hand tightly and said, “She’s a human. She doesn’t know anything about our world. She’s not like you, Victoria. Don’t make things hard for her.” *Not like me?* Because she was weak and needed protection? And I was the ruthless ruler of the pack, an Alpha who fought and bled? My hand holding the coffee cup trembled slightly. Forcing down the rising disgust in my chest, I tilted my head to look at him. “And what if I choose to make things hard for her?” His eyes flicked to the table behind me. I followed his gaze. Sitting on the table was a glass jar filled with colorful, hand-folded paper stars. As the Alpha heiress groomed by the Ironclaw Pack, I had never lacked suitors. My strength and capability meant I didn’t even need an alliance marriage to secure my rule over the pack. In my twenties, I was wild. I dated plenty of ordinary werewolves. Ethan was just one of them. But he was different from the others who only wanted my power or money. He was obsessed with securing my affection. Every time I finished dealing with brutal pack business, he would have a bowl of hot, nutritious soup waiting for me. One year, I was ambushed by a rival pack and severely wounded. He had braved the danger alone to drag me back to safety. Looking at the scars on his body, I had asked him, “Why are you so good to me?” After all, I hadn’t given him much back then. He had smiled gently. “Because I love you, Victoria. I want you to be well. It would be even better if you could love me back just a little.” Touched by his seemingly pure devotion, I chased away all the other wolves around me and marked him. Even though he wasn’t my fated mate. On the day we bonded, he gave me that jar of poorly folded paper stars. “I don’t have much to offer,” he had said, looking into my eyes. “But I folded these stars one by one. Each one represents my heart. Now that you’ve chosen me, you can’t break my heart. Every time you make me sad, I’ll take one star out. When the jar is empty, I’ll leave you and never come back.” Looking back, it was incredibly pathetic. A werewolf’s most useless, childish toy, and yet I had treasured it for years. But back then, I had never been cared for like that. My mother died when I was young, and I barely remembered her. My father, the former Alpha, raised me with only one rule: be strong, or die. He never asked if I was tired. He never asked if it hurt. He certainly never made me soup when I was bleeding. So when Ethan showed up with that hot soup, it was the first time I felt what it was like to be cherished. For that tiny bit of warmth, I had let myself be fooled for a decade. I thought he was sweet and innocent back then. To protect his feelings, I had promised him I would never make him sad. And so, even after all these years, that glass jar had remained completely full. Not a single star was missing. Until now. Ethan walked over, reached into the jar, and grabbed a massive handful of stars. The once-stuffed jar was suddenly a third empty. The shock in my eyes must have been obvious, because he smirked, thinking his little threat had worked. “You broke my heart today, Victoria,” Ethan said coldly. “Think about what you’ve done.” **2** After they left, I sat on the sofa, staring at the jar of stars. The cheap colored paper had faded over the years, looking dull and dusty. A few had unraveled at the edges, revealing the hollow emptiness inside. Just like Ethan’s “pure heart.” Actually, his heart had always been this hollow. I had just refused to see it. An Alpha, controlled by a few paper stars for ten years—the entire werewolf world would laugh their heads off if they found out. Before Ethan walked out, he had sneered, “Don’t take out your frustrations on a younger, prettier girl just because you’re getting old.” I chuckled softly. Ethan’s betrayal hadn’t happened overnight. We hadn’t been intimate in a long time. I was thirty-two, an Alpha in her absolute prime. But every time Ethan pulled away with a tired look, I assumed he was just exhausted from helping with pack administration. I never forced him. Turns out, he was just saving his energy for someone else. That human girl was indeed young. I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror. Thirty-two, yet my skin was flawless, radiating the power and timeless beauty of a high-ranking Alpha. I looked no older than twenty-five, but with a fierce authority that no basic wolf could match. Ethan really had garbage taste. I ran a hand through my dark, wavy hair, pulled out my phone, and called Jasmine, the Alpha of the Redwood Pack. “That young wolf you mentioned last time… bring him to me.” Jasmine’s laugh echoed through the speaker. “And here I thought you were going to play the loyal, devoted mate forever! Honey, everyone in our circle has a few toys on the side. You’re the only idiot who kept her hands clean for that basic mate of yours.” I used to believe loyalty was the bare minimum in a partnership. No matter what my friends said, I had never looked at another man since I marked Ethan. “What made you finally wake up?” Jasmine asked. “I just realized he’s incredibly boring. I’m done wasting my time.” “One isn’t going to be enough then! Tonight, our usual spot. I’ll line up a few gorgeous options for you to choose from.” “Deal.” I hung up, called my personal stylist to give me a head-to-toe makeover, and headed out. In the VIP suite of the Moonlight Lounge, eight young, incredibly fit male wolves were lined up. Jasmine sat next to me, winking at them. “Well, what are you waiting for? Pour the Alpha of Ironclaw a drink. If she likes you, your future is set.” Within seconds, several young wolves surrounded me, offering drinks and sweet compliments. To be honest, it felt amazing. After a few drinks, I excused myself to use the restroom. Passing by the adjacent private room, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. Ethan’s voice drifted out. His friend, Mac, was asking him, “Bro, your mate is an Alpha. You haven’t been back to the packhouse in days. Aren’t you worried she’ll kick you out of the pack?” Ethan scoffed. “I don’t want to go back and smell her old-woman scent. If you like it, go sniff her yourself.” “Hell no,” Mac laughed. “Who wants an old woman? Especially a terrifying Alpha female. If you ask me, women should just stick to being submissive Omega breeders…” Another wolf chimed in. “But Ethan, she’s the only reason you have your current status…” “Shut up,” Mac interrupted. “Ethan has that old woman wrapped around his finger. Have you ever seen her look at another guy all these years?” Ethan was playing with a faded paper star in his hand, a smug grin on his face. “Relax. She’s terrified of me leaving her. She used to have tons of guys around her, but ever since I pulled that countdown trick with this jar of stars, she chased them all away.” “Man, you’re a genius,” Mac cheered. “A jar of trash paper, and you have an Alpha eating out of your hand.” Ethan pulled Selene closer, wrapping his arm around her. “She’s in her thirties now, basically washed up. If she keeps throwing tantrums, I’ll just disappear for a few days. Let’s see how fast she crawls back begging.” **3** Returning to my room, I immediately opened my mind-link with Mia. *Cut off Ethan’s credit cards and revoke his access to all pack resources.* *Yes, Alpha,* Mia replied instantly. She was already on her phone making the calls. Enjoying my pack’s wealth while trash-talking me behind my back? Not on my watch. Jasmine leaned in. “So, see anyone you like?” I looked up, scanning the line of young wolves, and pointed directly at the one in the center. “You stay. The rest of you can leave.” The moment I spoke, Mia pulled several thick envelopes of cash from her bag and handed them to the departing wolves. “Our Alpha prefers her private life to stay private.” They took the money, thrilled, and left immediately. “That’s Ryder,” Jasmine whispered with a smirk before slipping out of the room. “He’s twenty-two, a top warrior from my pack’s younger generation. Enjoy.” I gestured for Ryder to come closer. When he sat beside me, I reached out and ran my hand over his abs. Rock hard and warm. “Feed me,” I murmured. Ryder leaned in, a piece of fruit between his lips, his gaze intense and full of youthful, intoxicating confidence. Ethan was right about one thing. With younger, better options available, why on earth would I waste my time on a fading, ungrateful piece of trash? That night, Ryder kept me up until dawn. It was an experience thirty-two-year-old Ethan could never offer me anymore. He was old news. It was time for an upgrade. Before leaving, I left a black card and my personal number on the nightstand. “I’m very satisfied,” I said, running a finger down his jaw. “Keep in touch.” Ryder’s eyes lit up with excitement and submission. See? As long as I have power and wealth, I can have whoever I want. After a night of being thoroughly satisfied, my complexion was glowing the next morning. When I walked into the pack boardroom, even Mia noticed. “You look radiant today, Alpha.” Perhaps because of my excellent mood, dealing with the tedious pack business felt incredibly easy. **4** My good mood lasted all the way until I walked back into the packhouse that evening. Ethan was sitting on the living room sofa, his face contorted with rage. I thought he had found out about Ryder. Instead, he jumped up and yelled, “Why did you freeze my cards? Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was when I couldn’t pay for dinner with my friends last night?!” “And how is that my problem?” I asked, walking past him. “Victoria! Are you seriously doing this because of Selene? She is just like a little sister to me!” “Ethan, do you even believe your own lies?” “Don’t try to flip this on me!” he snarled. “Just because you love playing around doesn’t mean everyone is like you. You’re accusing me just so you have an excuse to go run wild, aren’t you?” I was amazed by his sheer shamelessness. If he had just admitted he was keeping a human mistress, I would have just thought of him as a useless leech. But trying to gaslight me and blame me for his own cheating? It was disgusting. He grabbed another massive handful of stars from the jar and threw them on the table. “You’re not young anymore, Victoria. No one will ever love you the way I do. You better watch your step.” Staring at the nearly empty jar, I smirked. “Suit yourself.” Seeing my total indifference, Ethan’s face flushed with anger. “You’ve really broken my heart today, Victoria. I’m not staying here. When you realize your mistake, you know how to find me.” I didn’t know where he got his confidence. Did he think I, like other wolves, suffered from mate-bond anxiety? Did he think my years of spoiling him meant he owned me? Had he forgotten that I am an Alpha? The only female Alpha ruling a major pack in this territory. I stepped aside, leaving the doorway wide open. “Please, be my guest.” Over the next few days, Ethan kept trying to play his little games. He demanded I buy a new car for his human mistress as an apology. When I ignored him, he came back and took more stars. He found a penthouse he wanted me to buy. When I refused to wire the money, he took more stars. Soon enough, only a couple of lonely paper stars remained at the bottom of the jar. I was actually curious. Once the stars were gone, would he really leave? Before I could find out, I received a Snapchat message from Ryder. *Are you going to the Cartier Gala tonight?* I asked Mia. Indeed, Cartier had sent an invitation. Usually, I skipped these luxury brand shows, but I hadn’t seen Ryder in a few days and missed his touch. I typed back: *I’ll be there.*

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“Your mother was the Alpha’s mistress. So, what does that make you?” My fated mate, River, asked me this out of nowhere, right before our mating ceremony. I stared at him, completely stunned. “River, what is that supposed to mean?” “It means you’re destined to be a mistress too, sweetheart.” He looked at me with a straight face, completely serious. “I want you to be my secret lover. The Elder Beta’s daughter is a much better fit to be my Luna.” “How dare you?” My eyes widened in disbelief. A fake, apologetic smile crept onto his face. “Come on, you’re just a human anyway. Since your mother could subject herself to being a mistress, why can’t you?” It took me forever to find my voice. “My mother was her, and I am me. I will never be anyone’s mistress.” “Oh, really?” He let out a mocking laugh. “Be my secret lover, or we break up.” “Fine. Let’s break up.” I had sworn to myself that I would never end up like my mother—living as a shadow in someone else’s life, only to meet a tragic end. But River didn’t know that. He reached out and gently patted my head, as if comforting a pet. “Silly girl, stop throwing a tantrum. You don’t even have a wolf. If you leave me, how are you going to survive in the pack?” “Your mother is dead, and Alpha Richard sees you as his ultimate shame. Only by staying with me will no one dare to look down on you.” I let out a soft, bitter laugh. Who said I needed him to survive? I had Aunt Lily. She was a human, but she had built a massive business empire abroad. Just last week, she reached out and asked if I wanted to leave this place and live with her. I had hesitated because I couldn’t bear to leave River. But now… I pulled out my phone and sent her a text. [Aunt Lily, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go with you.] She replied almost instantly: [That’s wonderful! I’ll send my private jet to pick you up in three days.] I should have been thrilled, but tears started pouring down my face anyway. My chest ached, a sharp, stabbing pain, as if something had ripped a piece of my heart away. I had planned to tell River about Aunt Lily as a surprise. Now, there was no point. Seeing my tears, River assumed I couldn’t bear to lose him. He reached over and wiped a tear from my cheek. “Look at you. You cry the second we talk about breaking up. If I actually left you, you’d probably die of a broken heart, wouldn’t you?” “Stop fighting with me. It won’t end well for you. Just be good and listen to me, and you’ll never have to worry about being helpless again.” I sniffled and stayed quiet. Thinking he had successfully convinced me, River started the engine. But halfway down the road, he suddenly pulled over. “Oh, by the way, starting today, you need to sit in the back seat. Jade said my passenger seat belongs only to her from now on. I promised her, and I can’t break my word.” He turned to look at me. “You know me. I’m a man of my word. I promised to take care of you for life, and even if I marry someone else, I’ll still look after you.” He smiled warmly at the thought. “You probably don’t know yet, but our mating ceremony is in three days. It took me so much effort to get her to agree, so I can’t afford to make her angry. She’s not as easygoing as you. She always says she’s a red rose—if I want her beauty, I have to accept her thorns.” River was completely lost in his sweet fantasy, but I felt as though those thorns had just pierced my flesh. A sharp pain shot through my hand. I looked down. While unbuckling my seatbelt, I had accidentally grazed a sharp earring left in the console. My palm was bleeding. River noticed it too, his eyes widening. “How could you be so careless?” For a split second, I thought he was worried about me. I was about to tell him I was fine, that this physical pain was nothing compared to my broken heart. But his next words dragged me straight into the abyss. “That’s Jade’s earring! She’s a total neat freak. If she finds out her favorite earring was stained by a human’s blood, she’ll be furious!” So, to him, my blood was nothing but dirt. My head spun from the pain. I stared at him blankly for so long that a hint of guilt finally flickered in his eyes. He looked down. “Forget it this once. I’ll clean it up for you. Just stay away from her things from now on.” He pulled out a disinfectant wipe and began meticulously cleaning the earring. My palm was still bleeding. I could feel the warm blood dripping onto my jeans, but I sat there, numb as a statue. I didn’t speak. I didn’t move. I just watched him. After wiping it clean, he wrapped it carefully in a tissue and placed it in the glove compartment. Only then did he turn back to me. “What are you still sitting there for? Didn’t you hear me? Get in the back seat.” My consciousness finally drifted back. “No need. I’ll catch a cab.” “Suit yourself,” River said casually. “There’s a pack banquet tonight, and I need to take Jade to pick out her gown anyway. Go on home.” With that, he unlocked the doors, let me out, and slammed his foot on the gas. He sped away, leaving me behind. He didn’t care that it was pouring rain outside. He didn’t even bother to leave me an umbrella.

By the time I dragged myself to the bus stop, I was soaked to the bone. People passing by stared at me like I was crazy. And maybe I was. Even now, my mind was playing a loop of every sweet thing River had ever done for me. I had known my mother was an Alpha’s mistress since I was a child. She had an affair with the Alpha of the Moonclaw Pack, hoping to use her pregnancy to climb the ranks. But the Luna found out. Eventually, the Luna had her hunted down and killed. I grew up in the Moonclaw Pack. Because of my half-human blood and my mother’s reputation, the Alpha and Luna never looked at me with anything but disgust. I was a living reminder of betrayal and infidelity. In the pack, my status was lower than even the lowest Omega. The adult wolves would whisper and point behind my back, saying the daughter of a mistress deserved to die a horrible death. But the younger wolves were far more brutal. They would wait for me at the training grounds to throw rocks at me, calling me a bastard. Sometimes, when no one was around, they would hunt me like prey. “The daughter of a mistress will definitely grow up to be a whore,” they would sneer. “Look at her trying to seduce everyone. She’s even dirtier than her mother.” I knew my mother was guilty, and I knew I carried her shame. So I never fought back. I let them use me as a punching bag. This went on for years, until the Alpha and Luna were forced to send me to the Pack Academy. It was a law decreed by the Alpha King. Every pack had to educate its youth. Every child of an Alpha had to attend the academy after turning eighteen. Even though Alpha Richard refused to acknowledge me, he didn’t dare lie to the Alpha King. And that was where I met River—the son of the Sunward Pack’s Alpha, and my fated mate. “Who says the daughter of a mistress has to become one?” At school, River stood in front of me, his gaze sweeping coldly over the crowd of bullies. When his eyes landed on the lead Beta, the boy took a step back in fear. “She is my fated mate,” River’s voice was quiet, but it echoed clearly across the yard. “Anyone who touches her touches the future Luna of the Sunward Pack.” Silence fell over the crowd. The Beta’s son turned pale, his lips trembling, but he didn’t dare utter a single word. From that day on, the bullying stopped. I didn’t really understand what a fated mate was. To be honest, as a half-human, I never thought it applied to me. Even if it did, I expected him to reject me instantly. But River didn’t. He brought me under his wing. I genuinely believed it was love. My life slowly got back on track. River pursued me relentlessly. He held the umbrella for me in the rain and shaded me from the sun. Every day after training, he would quietly walk me back to my room. Once, at the pack cafeteria, I saw a few wolves maliciously pouring leftover soup onto my seat. River didn’t argue. He walked over, picked up the tray of dirty soup, and slammed it down in front of the bully. His face was calm, but the bully’s hands were already shaking. “Eat it,” River said, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather. The bully ate it. After that, nobody ever messed with my seat again. I thought that was tenderness. I thought it was devotion, a man protecting his woman. I didn’t realize that in the werewolf world, an Alpha heir’s urge to protect his fated mate is just a biological instinct, as uncontrollable as the moon pulling the tides. Before meeting him, I never planned to fall in love. My mother’s tragic fate had left deep scars on my heart. But he had been like a beam of light, slowly chasing away all my shadows until they vanished. Standing in the freezing, pouring rain, I couldn’t understand. How could someone who was once so good to me turn into this monster? Suddenly, my vision went black, and I collapsed onto the wet pavement.

When I woke up, it was already dark. I was lying in a bed at the pack clinic, an IV needle hooked into the back of my hand. The pack healer—the only wolf who had ever shown me any kindness—sighed. “Your emotions are too volatile. You need to calm down and rest.” “Okay,” I whispered. Right then, my phone rang. It was River. I hesitated before pressing answer. “Jade’s gown got ruined,” his cold voice came through the speaker. “Go grab the ‘Starry Night’ gown I ordered for you and bring it over. Jade’s going to wear it instead.” *So her name is Jade,* I thought bitterly. The “Starry Night” gown was a custom piece River had commissioned a designer to make for our mating ceremony. He used to refuse to let anyone even touch it, claiming it would tarnish our love. Now, he was casually telling me to give it to another woman. Honestly, it didn’t even matter anymore. But… “River, I’m at the clinic. I’m on an IV.” “You’re still the Alpha’s daughter. You’re not that fragile. Don’t start playing the victim now, or you’ll regret the consequences.” Fine. I would do this one last thing for him. Consider it payment for saving me back then. Without waiting for the IV drip to finish, I ripped the needle out of my hand. Ignoring the rain, I took a cab home, grabbed the gown, and rushed to the hotel. River had texted: [Jade is waiting for you at the entrance to thank you. Don’t cause a scene.] “Okay,” I muttered to myself. But the woman named Jade didn’t give me a thank you. She gave me a hard slap across the face. The force of the blow caught me completely off guard. I stumbled, and the gown slipped from my hands, falling onto the wet ground. Jade immediately burst into tears, looking incredibly wronged. “If you didn’t want to give it to me, you could have just said so! Why did you have to ruin the gown?” I was a straightforward person. I couldn’t comprehend her twisted mind games. But River seemed to understand perfectly. He rushed out of the hotel lobby. Jade clung to his arm, crying. “River, is this the ‘obedient’ girl you talked about? The one who promised not to make things hard for me?” River glanced at the dirty gown on the ground, instantly drawing his own conclusions. He slapped me across my other cheek. “I’ve clearly spoiled you too much. Apologize to Jade. Now!” I let out a harsh, dry laugh. “River, aren’t you being a bit too quick to judge? Do you even know how the slap mark on my left cheek got there?” Jade didn’t even try to hide it. She tugged at River’s sleeve. “I did it, River. You’re not mad at me, are you? I was just so upset that she threw the gown on the ground. I couldn’t help myself.” “You know how bad my temper can get.” River wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’m not mad. She deserved it.” Jade flashed me a triumphant, malicious smirk. I laughed until tears came out. I was so incredibly stupid. But no matter how stupid I was, they only had three days left to torment me. Once those three days were up, I would vanish from their world forever. *River, I hope you don’t end up like my father—spending the rest of your life rotting in regret.*

“I’m sorry, Miss Jade. I shouldn’t have thrown your gown on the ground.” But Jade had no intention of letting me off that easily. “If you’re going to apologize, act like you mean it. Otherwise, I won’t accept it.” “And how do I show you I mean it?” “Tell everyone in there that you’re begging to be River’s mistress. Admit that you’re just as cheap and shameless as your mother… actually, no. You’re worse.” “I don’t want to be a mistress. River and I are over.” I reached into my pocket, pulled out the mating ring, and held it out. “Take it back. We are completely done.” River froze, his eyes locking onto the ring. He didn’t reach for it. The ring slipped through my fingers and clattered onto the pavement. “I say you want to be his mistress, so you do!” Jade suddenly grabbed a handful of my hair, dragging me violently toward the banquet hall. “Everyone, look!” Jade screamed. “We have a human here begging to be a mistress!” Someone in the crowd whispered, “Wait, isn’t that River’s fiancée?” “I’ve rejected her,” River announced coldly, his voice echoing in the hall. “A human doesn’t deserve to be a Luna. Jade is my fiancée now.” “Ah, that makes sense,” the crowd murmured in realization. One wolf stepped forward, sneering. “I knew it. The daughter of a mistress has cheap blood. It was only a matter of time. To think you actually defended her back then, River.” Jade piped up, “Exactly! She even slapped herself twice just to play the victim and gain sympathy.” “But our River is a man of honor. He would never fall for her cheap tricks.” As she spoke, Jade leaned heavily into River’s chest. I noticed River’s expression looked incredibly strained, but he still forced a nod. “Jade is right.” Another wave of pain washed over me. Just as I opened my mouth to defend myself, someone splashed a glass of wine directly in my face. “Lowly human. Always doing disgusting things.” The alcohol burned my eyes and rushed down my throat, making me cough violently. I couldn’t squeeze out a single word. Taking that as a cue, another wolf threw a drink at me. “Go die, mistress!” Then came another glass, and another. Some poured it over my chest, others over my head. One wolf grabbed my jaw, forcing my mouth open, pouring wine down my throat. I was being publicly humiliated, treated like a piece of trash, while Jade snuggled in River’s arms, laughing hysterically. I couldn’t even scream. I was knocked to the floor. Once the drinks ran out, the kicks and stomps began. It was happening. The nightmare I feared most had arrived. My mother had gone through the exact same torment before she died. The reason I had agreed to break up with River so quickly was because I was terrified of this day. Yet, it still found me. Wrapped in lies and frame-ups. The darkness that River had once chased away came rushing back, swallowing me whole. But this time, there was no light left for me. My light was shining on someone else. Through the gaps in the crowd, I saw River laughing with Jade. He laughed so hard he seemed to have tears in his eyes. He must be so happy. *River, why were you the one who rescued me from hell, only to throw me right back into it?* With every ounce of strength left in my body, I screamed, “I, Rose Miller of the Moonclaw Pack, reject River Johnson of the Sunward Pack as my fated mate!” Then, like a madwoman, I broke through the crowd and ran toward the rooftop helipad. Perhaps realizing what my mother had done, River’s face drained of color. He chased after me, screaming in terror, “Rose! No! Don’t do it!” But I wasn’t going to jump. I wasn’t going to die like my mother. I ran toward the sky, climbing the rope ladder hanging from the hovering helicopter, step by step.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “451330”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

Dominic had a rule. No one outside the family stayed overnight. Six years of marriage, and even my parents never got an exception. Last year my mother took the subway in from Brooklyn with a cast on her leg. She had a follow-up with the orthopedist in Manhattan the next morning and wanted to stay one night. Just one. Dominic pulled me into the bedroom and shut the door. “Your mother snores. I have a sit-down with the Lucianos tomorrow morning. You want me walking in there half-asleep?” That night I booked her a room at the motor inn down on Flatbush. I crawled into bed and cried until dawn, pressing my face into the pillow so no one would hear. After that, my mother never asked again. She said she didn’t want to be a bother. But I knew the truth—she didn’t want to make things harder for me. Until today. I came back early from a business trip to Boston—a distributor contract that needed my signature. I unlocked the front door of our brownstone on the Upper East Side and the smell hit me before anything else. Dominic was in the kitchen, sleeves rolled to his elbows, stirring the pot like he’d been doing it all afternoon. In the living room, Sofia Valenti sat on the sofa beside her mother, both of them watching television as if they lived here. Carmela Valenti smiled when she saw me. “Three months now, Nico cooks for me every night. Better than a son, I tell you.” Nico. The name only family used. Sofia was wearing a velvet house robe—the same one Dominic wore. Sleeves pushed up to her forearms, bare feet on my Persian rug, as natural as breathing. “Elena! We didn’t expect you back so soon. The place is a mess, I’m sorry.” I didn’t answer. I slid the ring off my finger—the platinum band engraved with the Conti family crest, the one Dominic had placed on my hand the day we married—and set it on the credenza by the door. Then I turned and walked out. My mother once said she wouldn’t come back. She meant it. So did I. …… The motor inn on Flatbush was still there. Half the letters on the sign were burnt out, flickering in the rain. I dragged my suitcase through the lobby. The girl at the front desk asked how many nights. “One.” She handed me a key card. The room number was two doors down from last year’s. I pushed inside. The sheets were stiff from overwashing. The window wouldn’t close all the way, and traffic noise from the BQE poured in like a tide that never ebbed. My mother had stayed on this floor. Cast on her leg, afraid to worry me, telling me over the phone: “The room is fine, sweetheart. There’s hot water. It’s close to the hospital.” The next morning when I came to pick her up, there was a half-empty glass of water on the nightstand, untouched since the night before. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes bloodshot, and the first thing she asked was: “Did Nico’s meeting go well?” I’d made excuses for him then. Said his sit-down was important. Said the rule about overnight guests was just how things worked. Said if you break it once, you can never say no to anyone again. My phone buzzed and dragged me back. A text from Dominic. 【You walk in and make a scene? Carmela made soup for you and you just left. That’s disrespectful.】 I sat on the edge of the bed, watching the screen glow and fade. Three minutes later, he called. “Elena, where are you?” “The motel.” I heard a pan clang against a plate on his end. His voice dropped a degree. “You actually went to a motel? The house is right there. Who is this performance for?” I stared at the mildew stain above the headboard. “You said no guests stay overnight.” A beat of silence. “Sofia and Carmela are different. Her father died for this family. They’re not guests, they’re blood.” “Three months is not ‘a few days,’ Dominic.” “Elena, don’t nitpick.” He lowered his voice. “Fine. Carmela’s a light sleeper anyway. Stay there tonight. Don’t come back late and wake her.” I almost laughed. “No important sit-down tomorrow?” “I took the week off. Carmela’s blood pressure has been bad. I need to be here.” He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Last year, my mother broke her leg, and he was afraid her snoring would cost him a meeting. This year, Carmela’s blood pressure dipped, and he took a whole week off to play devoted son. The rule was never unbreakable. My mother and I just weren’t worth breaking it for. “Are you listening?” His voice was edging toward impatience. “Pick up king crab legs on your way back tomorrow. Sofia likes them. And get Carmela’s blood pressure meds refilled. Oh, and a new pair of house slippers for Sofia—hers got stained.” I was quiet for a few seconds. “Dominic.” He grunted—already moving on, already sure I’d fold. “The credenza by the door. Did you see what’s on it?” “What?” “Never mind.” He hadn’t seen it. The ring was right there on the credenza. All he had to do was look down when he came in. But he never looked down to see what I left behind. After I hung up, I texted Gianna Ricci. 【Start the trust transfer. Everything under my name—La Fontana, the import company, the Arthur Avenue properties. Move it all into an independent trust. And reach out to that distributor in Savannah. Tell them I’m interested.】 She replied within minutes: 【You sure about this?】 【I’m sure.】 Then I messaged my mother. 【Mom, I’m coming to get you in a few days. We’re moving somewhere new.】 She took ten minutes to respond. 【Sweetheart, did you and Nico fight? I won’t come to your house, I promise I won’t. Don’t make trouble because of me.】 I pressed my face into my hands. My shoulders shook and I couldn’t stop them. Next door the television was blaring. Someone was laughing. A long time later, I wiped my eyes and typed back. 【It’s not about you, Mom. It’s about me.】 The next morning I went straight to the office. Dominic sent a shopping list. 【King crab legs, beef shank, skim milk, Carmela’s prescription refills. And a new pair of slippers for Sofia—hers got stained.】 I muted his thread. At noon, Gianna called. “You’re really pulling La Fontana out of the family books? That place is yours and Dominic’s.” I turned the page in front of me, pen hovering over the signature line. La Fontana. A small Italian restaurant tucked into a quiet street in the West Village. Old brick facade, window boxes I’d planted myself—basil and geraniums. Dominic had given it to me as a wedding gift, though it also ran as one of the family’s laundering channels. I was the legal owner. I was also the one who actually loved it. I remembered the day he took my hand and led me into the unfinished space, plaster dust on the floor, his eyes full of light. “Whenever we fight, we come here. After dessert, nothing feels that bad anymore.” That year, he still made pasta when I came home late. Still slid the fried egg from his bowl into mine. Still carefully labeled the jars of pesto my mother sent up from Brooklyn, writing the date in his slanted hand. He wasn’t always like this. That was why I’d lasted this long. “I’m sure. Move forward.” Gianna sighed. “Then come by the restaurant this afternoon to sign the final papers.” I closed the folder. “I’ll be there.” My phone lit up again. Dominic had noticed I wasn’t replying. 【Elena, don’t push it. Carmela is home waiting to eat.】 I turned off the screen and picked up my keys. I was halfway to the elevator when the restaurant manager called. A crowd of women had shown up at La Fontana wanting to throw a party. No reservation on the books. I stopped walking. La Fontana only took reservations. There was no booking for today.

La Fontana was full of laughter. Through the glass door I could see a dozen women crowded around the long table. The tablecloth was mine—hand-stitched Sicilian lace I’d brought back from Palermo, the kind of thing Italian families pass down like heirlooms. Pistachio shells and olive pits were heaped in little mountains across its surface. Behind the bar, Sofia Valenti was working a corkscrew into a bottle of wine. My wine. A 1971 Barolo from Piedmont. My father’s. He’d kept it for over thirty years, and my mother placed it in my hands on my wedding day. “Save it for your happiest day, Elena.” Sofia’s grip was clumsy. The cork snapped in half and red wine splashed across the white marble counter. Someone clapped. “Sofia, this place is gorgeous. Your husband really spoiled you.” Sofia’s cheeks flushed pink. “Oh stop, Nico would be embarrassed.” The table erupted in laughter. “It’s only a matter of time, honey. You two grew up together—that’s stronger than anything.” I pushed the door open. The bell chimed. Every head turned. Sofia froze, then shifted the bottle behind her back. “Elena! I didn’t think you’d be coming by. The restaurant seemed empty, so I brought my mother and some of the ladies over. Nico said you wouldn’t mind.” I looked past her to the wall behind the bar. There used to be a black-and-white photograph hanging there—Dominic and me on opening day, standing in front of the brick wall, paint on his hands, both of us grinning like fools. It had been replaced with a photo of Sofia posing against the geranium wall in a white dress. In her arms was Lucia—my Italian Greyhound. “Where’s Lucia?” Sofia’s smile thinned. “My mother is allergic to dog hair. Nico took her to a boarding kennel. Don’t worry—he paid for a whole year.” A year. I wasn’t home, and he couldn’t even tolerate my dog. The door swung open again. Dominic walked in carrying a cake box, saw me, and frowned first. “What are you doing here?” He set the cake on the table. Carmela waved him over immediately. “Nico, come, come. The ladies are all saying what a good man you are.” Dominic ignored her. He gripped my wrist and pulled me toward the door, his voice low. “Don’t make a scene. It’s Carmela’s birthday. Sofia just borrowed the place for a couple hours.” “Borrowing the place means opening my wine?” “It’s one bottle. I’ll buy you ten.” I looked at him and felt something inside me go very still. “Dominic, do you even remember how this restaurant came to be?” He blinked, thrown. The second year of our marriage, I’d had a miscarriage. For weeks I couldn’t sleep through the night. He brought me to see this old storefront—bare walls, cracked tile, a leak in the ceiling. “We’ll grow herbs together. We’ll cook together. We’ll make our life warm again.” On opening day he carried the first pot of geraniums to the windowsill with his own hands, got paint all over his fingers, and leaned in to nuzzle my nose with his. “Elena, things are only going to get better.” Better. So much better that he’d handed the place to another woman to play house in. “Stop digging up the past.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Carmela just got out of the hospital. Let the old woman have a nice afternoon. Go inside, say something pleasant, don’t make Sofia lose face.” I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Last year my mother broke her leg. Did you ever think about making her happy?” “That’s different.” “How?” He had no answer. Sofia appeared in the doorway, tissue crumpled in her fist, bottom lip trembling on cue. “Elena, don’t blame Nico. It’s my fault. I thought you didn’t come here often, so I borrowed it for my mother’s birthday. I can ask everyone to leave.” She glanced back inside. The women had gone quiet, every one of them listening. Dominic immediately stepped in front of her. “Nobody’s leaving.” He turned to me, voice gone hard. “Elena, enough. You keep throwing your mother’s situation in my face—what’s the point? I wired you money for the hotel, didn’t I?” I didn’t want to argue anymore. I took out my phone and called Danny, the busboy. “Danny, come to La Fontana. I need every tablecloth, every chair cover stripped and boxed. Now.” Twenty minutes later he pulled up in a van. I stripped the lace tablecloths myself—right in front of all those family wives, right in front of the pistachio shells and the spilled Barolo and every pair of watching eyes. In the world they lived in, this was the equivalent of flipping the table. Every woman in that room would carry this story home. Carmela stood up. “What kind of wife does this? Making a scene in front of everyone over a little party?” I dropped the last tablecloth into the box. “Garbage doesn’t stay overnight, Carmela. House rules.” Dominic’s face went dark. I turned away from him and pulled the trust transfer documents from my bag. “You’re pulling the restaurant out of the family? You know what runs through those books.” “My name is on the deed, Dominic. My signature. My liability. I decide what happens to it.” Sofia murmured from behind him. “Nico, let it go. Elena is probably just upset seeing us here.” Dominic stayed planted in front of her, shielding her. “You walk out that door, don’t expect me to come after you.” I signed my name, tucked the papers away, and walked past him. “When have you ever?” The bell over the door rang once more. Behind me I heard the sound of him slamming the cake into the table. Out on the sidewalk, my phone buzzed. A text from the hospital. My mother’s prescription refill was ready. A family member needed to pick it up by tomorrow.

The pharmacy line was long. I stood at the window holding my mother’s chart, waiting for my number to be called. She phoned while I waited. “Don’t worry about the medicine, sweetheart. My leg only hurts when it rains.” “I’ll get it today.” She hesitated a long time before asking. “Is Nico busy lately?” I tightened my grip on the chart. The corner bent under my fingers. “Busy.” “Then don’t fight with him. Every marriage has its bumps.” “The hotel last year was really fine, Mom. The mattress was even softer than home.” She was making excuses for him again. I didn’t know what to say, so I told her to eat on time and hung up. That’s when I heard the familiar voice from the concierge exit across the lobby. “Watch the step.” Dominic came through the private door with Carmela on his arm—one hand steadying her elbow, the other holding a thermos and a stack of medical reports. Sofia trailed close behind, gazing up at him with that look of helpless dependence she wore like perfume. At the curb, Carmela let out a small groan. Dominic bent down instantly. “Is it your knee again? I’ll bring the car around. Don’t move.” A security guard reminded him the emergency lane was no-parking. Dominic pulled a few hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and held them out. “The lady’s knees are bad. Two minutes.” The guard took the money. Didn’t say another word. Sofia spotted me first. “Elena, you’re at the hospital too?” Dominic turned. His eyes dropped to the chart in my hands, and his tone went flat. “What’s wrong with your mother now?” “Picking up her medication.” He glanced at the pharmacy queue, brow furrowed. “Don’t start comparing again. Carmela was really unwell today—that’s why I brought her through the VIP.” “My mother broke her leg last year. Was she not really unwell?” Irritation flickered across his face. “Can you stop putting an edge on every sentence? I really did have a sit-down that week.” Sofia shifted closer to her mother and said softly, “Nico, don’t argue with Elena. If she’s upset, let her take it out on me.” I looked at her. “You’re not worth it.” Her chin dipped. She pressed her lips together and looked away. Dominic stepped forward, half shielding her. “Elena, Sofia’s always been sensitive. Don’t be so aggressive.” I suddenly felt tired of all of it. I used to be sensitive too. After the miscarriage, the sound of a stroller bell on the street below would keep me up all night. Dominic would close the window, pull me against his chest, and whisper, “Don’t be scared. I’m here.” I’d believed, then, that I had been chosen. Firmly and finally. Later he started telling me I was overthinking. Making mountains out of nothing. Making things hard for him. The cruelest thing about having been loved is how long it takes to admit that someone’s heart has already left the room. I reached into my bag and found the Miraculous Medal. Two years ago, Dominic was ambushed by a rival family. Shot in the shoulder. I drove to St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in Little Italy in the middle of the night and knelt before the statue of the Virgin until morning. I bought the medal at the church gift shop. By the time I got home it was four a.m. and my fingers were blue with cold. Dominic had worn it around his neck for two years, the silver disc pressed against his heart. A few months ago he said the chain didn’t go with his new suits. Took it off and tossed it in the nightstand drawer. It was never just the chain he’d discarded. I dropped the medal into the trash can beside me. The lid swung shut with a soft clang. Dominic’s face went white. “What the hell are you doing?” “Old things. No use anymore.” Carmela shook her head. “Nico, your wife has some temper. Throwing away a holy medal—what kind of woman does that?” Dominic’s phone rang. He turned away to answer, spoke briefly, then relayed the message without looking at me. “Mamma wants us at the house for Sunday dinner. She says to bring Sofia and Carmela.” A pause. “And you, if you’re coming.” If you’re coming. The ordering said everything. My own phone vibrated. A flight confirmation from Savannah. Tomorrow evening, seven forty-five. I tapped confirm. Behind me, Dominic’s impatient voice: “Did you hear me? Don’t be late tonight. Mamma hates waiting.” The pharmacy called my number. While I waited for the prescription bag, I pulled up my messages and texted Gianna. 【File the petition. I’ll sign when I get home.】 This dinner would be my last.

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The day before the engagement banquet, I changed the bride’s name to another woman’s. Because I’d finally realized that the most important person in my fiancé Ethan’s heart wasn’t me. It was my best friend, Lily. It started with my birthday dinner. When we were ordering, Ethan asked what I wanted to eat. I said, “Whatever you like.” By the time all the dishes arrived, the entire table was covered in spicy food. But three days earlier, I’d been hospitalized for acute gastritis. The doctor had explicitly told me to avoid anything spicy. Ethan knew this perfectly well. And yet there he was, piling spicy dishes onto my plate without a second thought. “Lily just got back in town,” he said casually. “I told her to come celebrate your birthday with us. The more the merrier, right?” I gripped my glass of ice water, a dull ache spreading through my stomach. Again. Lily. The friend I’d grown up with. And the first person she’d contacted when she returned to the country was my boyfriend. I looked up at him. Ethan didn’t seem to notice anything wrong. He was studying the menu, absently picking the bones out of a piece of fish. He placed the tenderest fillet on the empty plate in front of Lily’s seat. She hadn’t even arrived yet. But her plate was already taken care of. There was a time I would’ve made a scene. I would’ve snatched his phone, told him point-blank: “We’re a couple. Date night means just the two of us.” But now, I simply nodded. “Sure.” Ethan blinked, caught off guard. He probably hadn’t expected me to be this calm. He quickly looked back down and snapped a photo, posting it to our group chat — the one with all three of us. “Little foodie, saved this just for you. Get here soon or there’ll be nothing left but bones.” I stared at the message. The ache in my stomach crept upward, settling into my chest. I set down my chopsticks and picked up my bag. Ethan was grinning at his phone screen. He didn’t even notice me stand up. Just as well. Some departures were never meant to include a goodbye. … Twenty minutes later, Ethan finally texted. “You’ve been in the bathroom forever. Lily’s here — she’s already eating.” I sat in the back of a taxi, staring at the screen, my eyes stinging. I had been gone for twenty minutes. He thought I’d gone to the restroom. He hadn’t even noticed I’d taken my bag. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Miss, you want me to keep circling?” I was quiet for a few seconds. Did I want to keep going? Keep waiting for him to realize I was gone. Keep waiting for him to ask, “Where are you?” Keep waiting for him — just once — to choose me when a third person walked through the door. And then what? I’d go back? My phone buzzed. A message from a contact saved as “N.” “Is your stomach still hurting? I had someone pick up some medicine. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow.” I looked at it for a few seconds, then replied: “No need. I won’t be home tomorrow.” The response came quickly: “Okay. Get some rest.” I closed the chat and said to the driver, “Stop circling. Take me to my parents’ place.” The car had just merged onto the main road when Ethan texted again. “Are you upset again?” “Lily came back from her trip and even brought you a gift. Walking out without a word is pretty rude, you know.” “Again.” Funny word. It meant he knew this wasn’t the first time I’d been hurt because of Lily. It also meant he’d always thought I was making a big deal out of nothing. Lily had come back to the country today. Ethan knew. I didn’t. Two days ago, she’d messaged me: “Emma, I really can’t get away. I’ll definitely make it back by Sunday for your engagement.” I’d even reassured her. Told her it was fine. Told her to take care of herself. But she’d flown back on Friday. And gone straight to Ethan. It suddenly hit me — this was my fifth birthday since Ethan and I got together. The first year, Lily had insisted on joining us. Ethan had frowned and said, “Can’t we have some time alone? Your friend really doesn’t take a hint.” I’d laughed and teased him for being jealous. The second year, he was the one who suggested it. “Invite Lily. More people, more fun.” By the third and fourth years, I didn’t even have to say anything. He’d already arranged it. It was always the three of us. Dinner, shopping, trips. Every time, I sat on the sidelines watching them talk about things I couldn’t follow. This year, Lily was away on a business trip. I thought I’d finally have a birthday that was just ours. A few days ago, Ethan had held me and said, “This year it’s just the two of us. We’ll do it right.” I’d been happy about that for days. Looking back now, it was laughable. I opened the group chat. Lily had posted a string of photos — all of the spicy dishes on the table. She’d also shared the same pictures on her social media, captioned: “Someone knows I can’t live without spice. He really gets me.” Comments appeared almost immediately: “The three of you reunited again? You guys are literally inseparable.” Lily replied with a laughing emoji. I stared at the word “inseparable.” Every time I saw something like that, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. They all thought the three of us came as a package deal. But what I’d wanted was never to be crammed into the same photo with two other people. And certainly not to end up as the one who got cropped out. Soon, another comment appeared: “Who ordered a whole table of spicy food? Doesn’t Emma have a thing about spice?” I held my breath. The next second, Ethan replied: “She’s too prissy. Couldn’t hang with us.” I actually laughed. Two days ago, he had been the one who drove me to the hospital. The medical chart said in bold letters: avoid spicy and irritating foods. He’d promised he would remember. And it had been — what — two days? My inability to eat spicy food had become “prissy.” Today was my birthday. He’d promised to spend it with just me. And now it was me who couldn’t hang with them. The taxi stopped at a red light. My phone lit up again. Ethan had sent a voice message. “Emma, where’d you go? I slipped up — I forgot you can’t eat spicy—” I didn’t listen to the rest. I pressed the screen dark. Outside the window, the city lights stretched on like a runway with no end. I had been running on this track for five years. I’d always believed the finish line was his arms. Now I saw it for what it was — a loop. The start and the finish were both just me. And he had never once changed course for me.

By the time I turned the key in the lock, my parents were already asleep. A sticky note was pressed to the refrigerator, in my mother’s handwriting. “Sweetheart, if you come home, the cake is on the second shelf. Happy birthday.” If. She didn’t even know whether I’d come back. But she’d made me a cake anyway. I opened the fridge. A white cake box sat there, quiet and still. I scooped a bit of frosting with my finger and put it in my mouth. It was sweet. I was halfway through when Ethan called. I hesitated, then picked up. “You didn’t come home. Where are you?” I said nothing. Didn’t come home? I did come home. I’d even packed up all my things. Half the closet was empty. The vanity was bare. But he hadn’t noticed. His attention had always been on the person who wasn’t there. “Emma, if you have something to say, just say it.” Ethan’s voice was edged with impatience. “Lily came all the way back, and you just took off. It’s awkward for everyone.” I took a bite of cake. The frosting stuck in my throat. I let out a small laugh. So in his eyes, I was the one who’d made things awkward today. The two of them had eaten happily, posted photos, replied to comments, tagged each other. He remembered Lily liked spicy food. Remembered which kind of fish she preferred. He forgot I was still sick. Forgot I couldn’t eat spicy food. Forgot that I was the birthday girl. I hung up. A flood of old memories surged forward. Back in school, Lily’s family had been struggling. Her mother had gone to mine, invoking their old friendship, asking for help with Lily. My mother paid her tuition. My teacher asked me to tutor her. After graduation, her credentials weren’t strong enough. She hit walls everywhere looking for work, so I recommended her to a good company. Later, she used my connections to get into Ethan’s startup. And then, inch by inch, she moved closer to Ethan. While I was pushed to the margins. My mother got up in the middle of the night and found me sitting at the dining table. She froze. “Sweetheart, what are you doing home? Where’s Ethan?” She was still half-asleep, but worry had already crept into her eyes. “I missed you guys,” I said softly. She walked over, smoothed my hair, and didn’t ask anything else. I knew she was waiting for me to be ready to talk. But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. How was I supposed to tell her that her daughter had spent her birthday sitting in front of a table full of food she couldn’t eat, then taken a taxi home alone? How was I supposed to tell her that the man she believed would marry me couldn’t even be bothered to say, “Where are you? I’ll come get you”? I opened my phone. Ethan hadn’t sent any more messages. He probably figured he’d done enough to smooth things over. And I figured I’d had enough. I didn’t want to wait anymore. At one in the morning, I lay in bed and scrolled through my chat history with Ethan one last time. I swiped back to our first year together. He hadn’t been so busy then. There hadn’t been so many “something came up” excuses. He used to video-call me every night. One message made me stop. “From now on, every birthday of yours — I’ll spend it with just you.” “I missed all the ones before. I’m going to make up for every single one.” And he had. He’d bought twenty small cakes. Prepared twenty gifts. Made up for every birthday I’d ever had. I burst out laughing when I blew out the tenth candle, and frosting sprayed all over his face. Those memories were so good. Good enough that I almost softened again. My phone buzzed. Ethan. “Emma, I packed up the leftovers and put them in the fridge. Heat them up tomorrow — they’ll still be good.” “I also ordered an extra fish dish you like. Not spicy.” I stared at the dish he’d named, and laughed out loud. He’d gotten it wrong. Again. That was Lily’s favorite dish. She ordered it every single time we ate out. I’d told him to his face that I didn’t like it. Too rich. He’d been sitting right there and said, “Then eat something else.” He only remembered what Lily liked. He never remembered what I didn’t like. I opened his social media page. I thought he would have at least posted something about my birthday, the way he had in previous years. But his latest post was a photo of himself and Lily at the restaurant. The caption read: “Old friend’s back in town. Had to celebrate.” No mention of me. No mention that today was my birthday. I closed the page and deleted our entire chat thread. Memory cleared. From now on, my birthday had nothing to do with him.

The next morning, I woke at dawn. Three missed calls on my phone. All from Ethan. And a message. “Call me when you’re up. Lily’s mom is arriving in the city tonight. Go pick her up from the station.” A second one followed right after. “Lily’s coming with me to meet a big client. I want her to get some practice. Help me out and pick up her mom, would you? She said last time she really liked you.” I looked at the screen. It was almost funny. Almost. Ethan’s memory could be remarkably sharp when it suited him. He remembered that Lily’s mother had made an offhand comment six months ago about “liking” me. He remembered that I was the person who could run errands, lend a hand, show up whenever and wherever he needed. He just couldn’t remember how I felt. Or that we’d had a fight just yesterday. I got up and washed my face. I was about to head out when my mother came from the kitchen carrying a bowl of congee. “Sweetheart, where are you going? I wanted to talk to you about the engagement tomorrow.” She’d barely finished speaking when a message from the hotel arrived. “Ms. Emma, Mr. Ethan has confirmed the menu for tomorrow’s engagement banquet. Please review the attachment.” “If any changes are needed, please contact us by 5 p.m. today.” I opened the attachment. A dozen or so dishes on the menu. One glance told me everything — all spicy. I kept scrolling. The head table flowers had been changed from white tulips to red roses. The background music had been switched to “Slowly Falling for You.” The dessert station had gone from fruit tarts to a chocolate fountain. I didn’t know why Ethan had allowed these changes. But I knew that red roses were Lily’s favorite. The chocolate fountain was the thing she’d once called “like a fairy tale.” And that song was her ringtone. As for me — I was allergic to chocolate. I didn’t cry. I didn’t tremble. I simply replied, very calmly: “That’s fine. Could you help me with one last change?”

When I was done, I turned off my phone. My mother was still going over tomorrow’s plans beside me. “Your uncle keeps asking. I’m thinking, if you two want to move the wedding up after the engagement, I’ll push back some of my other commitments…” She picked up her phone as she talked. “Actually, we need to discuss this with Ethan. Let me call him over.” “Mom.” I placed my hand over hers. “We don’t need him to come.” My mother froze. I didn’t explain. I took a taxi to the apartment Ethan and I had been sharing. I’d left in such a rush the night before that I’d forgotten my passport in the bedroom drawer. After retrieving it, I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. The takeout container from last night was sitting inside. I picked it up and dropped it straight into the trash. Then I closed the door. And didn’t look back. … The engagement banquet was scheduled for noon the next day. Inside the ballroom of a five-star hotel, servers were setting up the head table. Ethan arrived with Lily. As soon as Lily walked in, she set her bag on a chair and complained in that half-joking, half-serious way of hers: “Honestly, Emma. She made my mom wait forever at the station yesterday.” “Ethan, you spoil her too much. Being your fiancee doesn’t give her the right to act like that.” Ethan’s expression was stiff. “I sent my assistant to pick her up in the end. Your mom didn’t wait that long. Forget it.” Lily paused, then said softly: “But last night we were with the client so late, we just stayed over. Emma’s not going to be upset about that, is she?” “I mean, your engagement is today, and you spent the night before with another woman. No matter how you look at it…” Ethan cut her off. “It was work. What’s there to be upset about?” “This client matters. If we close the deal, I can buy her a wedding apartment downtown. Paid in full.” His expression softened slightly as he said this. He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a gift box. Inside was a necklace. Emma had looked at it many times. But the company’s cash flow had been tight, and she’d always been frugal. She couldn’t bring herself to buy it. On Friday night, he hadn’t had a chance to give her the birthday present before she left. He was, in truth, a little angry. He thought she was being unreasonable. That she’d picked the wrong time and place to throw a fit. But he had forgotten she couldn’t eat spicy food. Fine. He’d take out the necklace in a little while. Apologize. Hold her. She was always easy to win back. Every time she got upset, all he had to do was make the first move, and she’d come around. Ethan walked to the door of the bridal suite and took a deep breath. He pushed it open. “Emma, I’m sorry about your birthday. I—” The words died in his throat. He stood frozen.

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The Moretti family had a rule written in blood. Any man who betrayed his wife and children would kneel before the statue of the Blessed Mother and face the judgment of the family. In the third year of my marriage to Bradley Moretti, he knelt on the freezing marble floor of the chapel beneath the old estate, looked me in the eye, and asked for a divorce. All because his first love—the woman who had been missing for three years—had come back. His hand never trembled as he slid the divorce papers across the table. “Wallis, Zora was destroyed because of me,” he said evenly. “I already owe her more than I can ever repay.” I tightened my arms around our daughter. Anne was only a month old. She was so tiny, so impossibly fragile, that even her softest cries made my heart ache. “What about Anne?” I asked. Bradley said nothing. The silence stretched long enough for the chapel candles to burn noticeably lower. At last, he looked away. “Zora can’t have children anymore. She can’t bear to look at mine.” I stared at him, and the man before me suddenly felt like a stranger. He continued, “Anne will be removed from the Moretti family trust. She’ll have no inheritance rights. I’ll find a safe family to take her in, and I’ll make sure she’s provided for throughout her life.” In that moment, I remembered the first time we met. It had been a winter night in New York. Outside a crumbling theater in Brooklyn, he had stepped between me and a drunk, tucked his bloodied hand into his coat pocket, and said quietly, “Don’t be afraid, Miss Finn. Not all Morettis are monsters.” I had believed him. His mask had simply been more convincing than the others’. I slipped the divorce papers into the inside pocket of my coat. “Fine.” Everyone in the chapel went still. Bradley looked up sharply, as if he had misheard me. I held Anne close and made sure there was no mistaking my words. “I’ll sign. But Anne comes with me.” “From this moment on, my daughter and I have nothing to do with the Moretti family.” “Not anymore.”

Bradley’s mother, Eden Moretti, was the first to react. She rushed toward me and seized my wrist. “Wallis, no man in this family is allowed to treat his wife this way. Bradley may have lost his mind, but the rest of us haven’t.” Bradley’s father, Eric, sat at the head of the long table. The old man controlled half the docks, casinos, and underground shipping routes on the East Coast. His face had gone ashen, his expression hard as stone. “You’re throwing away your wife and newborn daughter for another woman?” He looked at his son as if he were staring at a traitor. “Bradley, do you even understand what you’re saying?” Bradley remained on his knees, his back rigid. He had removed his black suit jacket, and his white dress shirt clung to him. A dark patch of sweat spread slowly across his back. “I do.” “But Zora was taken because of me. Everything she suffered during those three years is on me.” The uncles, advisers, and lawyers seated along both sides of the table said nothing. They had seen gunfights. Betrayals. Bodies disappearing beneath the Hudson. But none of them had ever seen the Moretti heir kneel in the family chapel and ask to abandon his wife and child. An elderly family adviser finally spoke. “Bradley, the Moretti name survived a hundred years. It wasn’t built for you to drag it through the mud.” “If you insist on this divorce, you will accept the punishment that comes with it.” Bradley lowered his eyes. “I accept.” Eric rose slowly. “Bring the whip.” Eden went white. “Eric!” “If he wants to break the family code, he should understand the price.” Moments later, someone brought in a black leather whip. Bradley unbuttoned his shirt and bared his back. When the first lash struck, Anne startled awake in my arms. Her cry was thin and reedy. A welt split open across Bradley’s back, and blood welled at once. His jaw tightened, but he made no sound. He remained on his knees like a martyr. How absurd. Once, he had knelt before his parents just like this and sworn he would marry no one but me. Back then, I was only a lawyer’s daughter—quiet, ordinary, and completely unconnected to a family like theirs. Everyone said he had lost his mind. But Bradley drove to my house himself and waited outside all night. He told my father, “I know what the Moretti name means. But I’ll protect her with my life.” Later, we married at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He lifted my veil, bent down to kiss me, and whispered so softly that only I could hear, “Wallis, I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.” I believed him then. Now, for another woman, he would rather let his back be flayed to ribbons than keep his wife and daughter in his life. After the hundredth lash, Eric threw the whip to the floor. “Get out.” Bradley braced a hand against the marble and forced himself to his feet. The back of his white shirt was soaked with blood. Snow was falling outside. He walked to the center of the estate courtyard and dropped to his knees again. His face was deathly pale, but his answer did not change. “Even if I die here, I still want the divorce.” I watched him until the pain in my chest finally gave way to numbness. Just the day before, we had held Anne’s baptism. The Morettis had brought in a priest and invited half of New York’s high society. That was when Zora Rossi appeared. She stood in the cathedral doorway wearing a threadbare gray coat, her face gaunt and pale. In a voice as faint as a ghost’s, she called his name. “Bradley.” That single word was enough. Bradley Moretti—always composed, always in control—dropped the glass in his hand. It shattered at his feet. He shoved through the crowd, nearly stumbling in his rush to reach her, then pulled her into his arms. I had never seen him lose control like that. His eyes were bloodshot. His voice cracked as he repeated the same words over and over. “I’m sorry, Zora.” “It was my fault. I never should have left you there alone. I never should have said those things.” “I did this to you.” The entire cathedral fell silent. Everyone watched their tragic reunion unfold. His friends murmured among themselves. “Bradley still loves her.” “She’s finally back.” I stood outside the circle with Anne in my arms, as if I were the one who did not belong. Even then, I kept telling myself it was all right. It was only guilt. I was the woman he loved now. We had Anne. Our family would not fall apart. Then, that night, he came into my room. He stood there in silence for a long time before finally speaking. “Wallis, I want a divorce.” “I’m sorry. Zora was taken because of me. She suffered more than you can imagine, and now she can never have children.” “I owe her more than I can ever repay. I have to spend the rest of my life making it up to her.” The words struck me like lightning. “A divorce? What about Anne? What happens to our daughter?” He looked away. “Zora can’t stand the thought of me having a child.” “I’ll send Anne away.” I beat my fists against his chest, sobbing and demanding to know how he could be so heartless. He did not stop me. He did not defend himself. And he never withdrew his decision. By the time dawn broke, I had nothing left. So I said yes.

Between the lashing and the blizzard, Bradley collapsed in the courtyard. His men rushed to carry him inside and sent for the family doctor. I stood in the corridor, watching shadows move behind the door and listening to Eden’s muffled sobs. All I felt was cold. Back in my room, I began to pack. In three years of marriage, Bradley had given me more jewelry, gowns, paintings, and limited-edition handbags than I could count. Now they stood in neat rows, nothing more than evidence that he had once loved me. I packed only a few changes of clothes and Anne’s necessities. Footsteps sounded outside the door. Bradley entered, supported by two of his men. His face was ashen. The wounds on his back had been treated, but he was still too weak to stand on his own. “Wallis, I’m the one who wronged you.” He swallowed before continuing. “The public will know the divorce was my fault. I’ll tell the press it was amicable. I won’t let anyone think I abandoned you, and I’ll do everything I can to protect your reputation.” He paused. “You’re young. You’re intelligent. None of this was your fault. You still have your whole life ahead of you.” “And I’ll compensate you generously.” I gave him a cold smile. His remorse looked so sincere that anyone else might have believed he was acting in my best interest. A quiet laugh escaped me. “Spare me the performance, Bradley.” He blinked. I walked up to the man I had once loved more than anyone in the world. “This isn’t about protecting me. You just want to stop feeling guilty before you marry Zora.” “You say you can’t lose her again. Then what was I to you for the past three years?” He opened his mouth, then closed it again. “Some things can’t be fixed, Wallis,” he finally said. “Not everyone gets a happy ending.” I studied him in silence. This was the man I had once trusted with my life, now dressing up his cruelty as tragedy. “So Anne and I together still matter less than your regret.” My own calm frightened me. He flinched, but his answer remained the same. “I’m sorry.” I turned away, but my mind dragged me back to an old photograph. Zora stood on a training field in a white tank top, smiling wide and bright. I had knocked a manila envelope to the floor by accident. Bradley had lost his temper with me—one of the only times he ever had. He pushed me aside and bent to retrieve the photograph, handling it with the care of a man recovering a sacred relic. Later, he threw it into the fireplace in front of me, pulled me into his arms, and said, “From now on, you’re the only woman in my heart.” I believed him. I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together. But perhaps the ending had been written from the beginning. Some feelings never die. They only wait for the right name to bring them back.

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The day we went to the County Clerk’s Office to get our marriage license, my boyfriend Jason walked out on me. All because his intern secretary Alice had her thesis defense that day, and she’d apparently be too nervous without him there. “Wendy, we’ll come back tomorrow. Today’s defense determines Alice’s entire future.” He said it like it was nothing, already turning to leave. Ever since Alice joined the company, Jason had abandoned me for her time and time again. And now, even our marriage application had to be postponed for that girl. My nails dug deep into my palms as I called after him. “Jason, if you walk out that door today, we’re done.” His face twisted with irritation. “Wendy, how old are you? Stop throwing tantrums like a child.” “We can apply for a marriage license any day. But if I don’t show up today, Alice’s future is ruined.” “Have you forgotten how hard it was for you when nobody had your back? I’m doing this for the version of you she reminds me of!” “Can you please stop being so petty with a young girl?” I watched his figure disappear through the glass doors. Then I pulled out my phone and dialed my father. “Dad, I’ll marry Leon.” … Less than half an hour later, Leon’s black Lincoln pulled up outside. He was the only son of my father’s business partner—the match our families had chosen for an arranged marriage. We resubmitted the application and held a brief, solemn ceremony of vows. Before we exchanged our declarations, Leon opened a red velvet box and held it out to me. The Graff ring was breathtaking—dozens of smaller diamonds clustered around a brilliant yellow center stone that caught the light like captured fire. I instinctively gripped the fabric of my dress. Leon’s deep, resonant voice reached my ear. “I imagine you probably didn’t have time to prepare. But marriage deserves at least some ceremony. I picked this up on the way over—if you don’t care for the style, we can fly to Paris in a few days and have one custom-made.” I shook my head, my eyes stinging. “No, it’s perfect. Thank you. I love it.” I slipped the cheap silver ring I’d worn for eight years off my finger and dropped it into the trash. Then I picked up the simple platinum band resting beside that lavish diamond, and slowly slid it onto Leon’s ring finger. Twenty minutes later, I was legally Leon’s wife. Stepping outside, the sunlight was almost blinding. The sycamores rustled in the breeze, their leaves whispering. Leon turned to look at me. “I’ve already had my butler transfer the nearest villa into your name. The gate code is today’s date. You can move in whenever you’d like.” I nodded. “I only took a half day off. I’ll go back to the apartment tonight to pack, then move over.” Leon smiled and accepted my arrangement without argument. He drove me to the Westbrook Group headquarters. After the car came to a stop, he reached into the back seat and handed me an elegantly wrapped pastry box. “The housekeeper made Opéra cake. Share it with your colleagues.” I stared at the box, momentarily dazed. In eight years with Jason, we’d kept our relationship a secret. When the company was just starting out, he said he couldn’t guarantee me a future yet—we’d go public once things stabilized. During the expansion phase, he said it was the critical sprint to IPO—he’d marry me after the listing. After the company successfully went public, he pulled rank as CEO, citing the company’s policy against office romances—he had to lead by example, and we’d announce things after the wedding. Until today, everyone in the company only knew I had a boyfriend. Not a single person knew that my boyfriend was the CEO himself. But in that moment, I finally understood: some things were never mine to begin with. “If it’s inconvenient for you…” The second before Leon could pull the pastry box back, I caught the edge of the ribbon and looked up with a small smile. “It’s not inconvenient at all. I love it.” “Good. I’ll pick you up after work tonight.” “Okay.” I watched his car merge into the bustling flow of New York traffic, then turned and walked into the office tower. A Microsoft Teams notification popped up immediately—a message tagging me, from Jason. @Wendy: *Wendy, bring the complete assessment report for the wetland park project to my office in five minutes.* The wetland park project had only been presented to the board yesterday. The next scheduled review wasn’t for another two weeks. Several subordinates from different departments messaged me privately, asking if there was some major crisis with the project. After reassuring them, I gathered the files and headed straight for the top floor. “Jason, here are the documents for the wetland park project. Which section needs your review?” Jason pressed his fingers against his temples. “Are you still throwing a fit about this morning?” “Jason, if this is about work, please give me your instructions. If it’s personal, I have a full plate to get back to.” I turned to leave, but Jason stepped forward and blocked my path. “What happened this morning was my fault. As soon as I’m back from this business trip, we’ll get married. You can start planning our wedding in the meantime.” This morning it was *wait until tomorrow.* Now it was *wait until after his trip.* For Jason, everything on his to-do list that involved me could be indefinitely postponed. And all I ever got in return was one delay after another. “Jason, do you honestly believe I’ll just stand in place forever, waiting for you?” Jason’s brow furrowed, his expression dripping with impatience. “Wendy, I’ve already conceded and agreed to marry you. Don’t push it!” “Push it? Fine—then let me push it one last time. I’ve already gotten mar—” A knock at the door cut me off. Alice walked in wearing a Chanel dress, files in her arms. “Jason, here’s the cross-border contract that needs your urgent signature.” The instant Jason looked at her, the coldness in his eyes melted away, replaced by a rare softness. “Perfect timing—Wendy’s here too. You two can do the handoff for the wetland park project right now.” My head snapped up. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “What did you just say? Handoff?”

“Alice transfers to the business division tomorrow. She needs results to establish credibility. The wetland park proposal is already mature—let her cut her teeth on it.” I gripped the folder in my hands so hard my knuckles went white, rage surging straight to my brain. “I spent six months leading a team to land that project, and you’re handing it to her to *cut her teeth on*?” “This is a strategic company decision.” Jason’s voice didn’t waver. I let out a cold laugh. “Is this the board’s strategic decision, or your personal decision to prop her up?” “Wendy, everyone was new to the workforce once. Don’t be so selfish. Get it ready—one week for the handoff.” “And if I refuse?” “Either hand over the project or leave the company. Your choice.” Looking at that cold, merciless face, a scene from years ago flashed through my mind. Back when an executive at a partner firm made a mistake, they’d called me to shift the blame—screaming at me over the phone for more than an hour. When Jason found out, he was so furious he wanted to rip up the contract and confront them. I was the one who stopped him. I’d cried and told him: if we terminate now, then that hour of humiliation I endured would have been for nothing. Jason had grabbed my hand and run with me to the nearest church, where he promised before God that he would never let me suffer again. Now every ounce of suffering in my life came directly from him. Alice timidly reached out and tugged at Jason’s sleeve, her expression innocent and wide-eyed. “Jason, if Wendy doesn’t want to, just forget it… Don’t fight because of me…” Jason’s voice turned gentle. “When I make a promise, I keep it.” I’d originally planned to stay until the project was fully delivered before resigning. Clearly, there was no point in waiting. I swallowed the nausea rising in my chest. “My resignation letter will go straight to your inbox. But until my last day, I’m not handing over anything to her. After I’m gone, the project is no longer my concern. Do whatever you want with it.” With that, I shouldered past him and walked out of the office. I downloaded the resignation form, filled it out, and sent it to the CEO’s email. Half an hour later, Alice appeared at my desk holding an approved termination slip. “Wendy, here’s your termination form—Jason already signed it. Could you please transfer the wetland park project’s underlying data to me?” I pushed the hard drive and stack of printed materials I’d already organized across the desk. “It’s all here.” Alice smiled as she gathered the core files into her arms, eyes glittering with triumph. “Oh, Wendy, I’m about to fly to Switzerland with Jason on his private jet for a business trip, so I won’t bother you any longer. Thanks for the project.” Shortly after she left, a text from Jason popped up. *While I’m away on this trip, book the hotel for the wedding. When I get back from Switzerland, I’ll officially announce our relationship at the celebration dinner.* Even now, he was absolutely certain I wouldn’t leave. Convinced that no matter how much he trampled my dignity, I’d keep orbiting him like a loyal dog. But he was wrong. I didn’t bother replying. I blocked his number and started packing my things. That evening, Leon drove me to the apartment building. After confirming multiple times that I didn’t need help, he drove away. The apartment sat in the most prime location in Manhattan. Jason had bought it after his first big payday as an entrepreneur. As a gesture of his love, the deed was in my name alone. Memories flooded in like a tide as I packed. The kitchen dishes—we’d picked them out together, jostling through a crowded flea market. The oil painting in the living room—a master’s original he’d bid on during a business trip to Tokyo, just because I’d once mentioned in passing that I liked it. Those clay figurines on the TV stand—we’d spent an entire afternoon at a pottery studio making them for our anniversary. I threw them all in the trash. Every last ounce of love I’d ever felt for Jason, discarded along with them. Two days. That was how long it took to completely empty the apartment. Jason’s belongings filled two oversized storage bins. I scheduled a DPD same-day delivery, with the shipping address set to his office. When it was done, I sat on the living room sofa. Outside the window, the lake shimmered in the fading light. Inside, the only traces left were the faint impressions on the carpet where furniture used to stand. A shame. But not worth mourning. I scrolled through my phone contacts and called the city’s largest real estate agency. I listed the apartment for sale.

The location was so prime that the agent called back almost immediately—a buyer was ready to purchase. On the way to sign the agreement, my phone rang. An unmarked number. I answered. “Wendy! Blocking all my contacts is one thing, but packing up every single one of my personal belongings and shipping them to my office! What the hell are you trying to do?!” “All I did was give the project to Alice! Is that really worth losing your mind over?!” “Does bullying a new hire make you feel superior? Does it make you feel important?!” “If you can’t even show that much generosity, I think we need to seriously reconsider this marriage!” First he’d used breakups to threaten me. Now he was using marriage as leverage. He was simply used to my compliance—certain that I’d never marry anyone but him. My voice was ice. “I’ve officially resigned. Who you give that project to is none of my business.” “And as for marriage—you don’t need to reconsider. It’s off the table.” Jason’s voice turned sharp. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Before I could respond, a saccharine female voice drifted through from his end: “I forgot to grab a towel… Could you maybe… bring one in for me?” Then came the grating screech of a chair scraping against the floor. “Something just came up on my end. We’ll talk about the marriage when I’m back in the country—” I hung up before he could finish, blocked the number, and dropped the phone in my lap. It buzzed a moment later. A text from Leon. *What time will you be done? I made dinner. I’ll be waiting for you at home.* The word *home* dispelled the chill in my chest instantly. After replying to Leon, the taxi pulled to a smooth stop at its destination. The buyer was decisive. After thoroughly reviewing the property title, he signed the purchase agreement on the spot and wired the full amount. “Ms. Wendy, pleasure doing business. I’ll see you at the title office tomorrow.” “See you tomorrow.” Leon’s steak was perfectly seared—tender, paired with rum sauce, rich and savory. I set down my knife and absent-mindedly tapped into my former company’s group chat on my phone. My offboarding paperwork was still being finalized, so I hadn’t been removed yet. An employee on annual leave had been vacationing in the Alps. While staying at a luxury hotel at the base of the mountains, she’d bumped into Jason and Alice. She’d snapped a photo of the two of them together and accidentally posted it to the main work group. Though she deleted it within seconds, the image had already been screenshotted and saved by countless employees. In the photo, Alice wore a striking red puffer jacket, beaming against the snowy mountain backdrop. Jason stood a few steps behind her in a tailored overcoat, his gaze fixed on the young woman—tender, devoted, as if she were his entire world. The last time he’d looked at me that way was years ago. Jason quickly posted a clarification in the group: *The photo is misleading due to the angle. After this business trip wrapped up, I took a subordinate along to unwind as a team-building gesture. Please don’t spread malicious rumors—it could seriously damage a new employee’s professional reputation.* I found it deeply ironic. Years ago, when a colleague spotted me getting into his car late at night, rumors spread through the company that I’d slept my way to Business Director. He wouldn’t offer a single word in my defense. But for Alice, he rushed to explain, terrified she might suffer even the slightest grievance. I closed the app without expression and accepted the glass of warm milk Leon handed me before bed. — At that moment, in the luxury hotel suite in Switzerland. Jason stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at his phone with furrowed brows. In the past, the moment Wendy saw a photo like this, she would have called him in a frenzy, demanding answers. Had she not seen it? Or… had she truly stopped caring? The thought, combined with Wendy’s uncharacteristic coldness these past few days, sent a sharp stab through his chest. But he quickly talked himself down. Impossible. Wendy had loved him for eight years. Loved him more than her own life. She was just putting on a cold front, waiting for him to come groveling. … The next morning, Leon drove me to the title office. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come in with you?” He undid his seatbelt and turned to me, his voice gentle. I smiled. “It’s just signing a few documents. I can handle it. Go on to your meeting.” “All right. Call me if you need anything.” I stepped out, watched Leon’s car disappear into traffic, then turned and walked toward the lobby.

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I am a once-in-a-century wolf. A born Luna,blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. But my fated mate,Kyle,was obsessed with Lila—a lowly Omega maid. He resented me because the Goddess chose me. Not her. The day of our mating ceremony,Lila stood there,sobbing. Then right in front of the entire pack,Kyle shoved the sacred chalice off the altar. “Lila is carrying my pup!She’s my only Luna!” “This mating was forced by my mother.” “Know your place,and you can stay as a maid.” I scoffed,turning to face the pack below. “Fine.If this is how it is,I hereby reject my mating bond with Kyle!” “Wolves of the pack! Whoever wants to claim me today,I,Seraphina,will leave with you right now!” … The great hall went dead silent. Then,the whispers started. Spreading through the crowd like wildfire. Everyone knew what I was. A once-in-a-century wolf. A born Luna. Whoever claimed me would become the next Alpha King. Rejecting the bond?For an Omega maid? Kyle had lost his damn mind. I could see a few Alphas in the crowd,their eyes already glowing. Kyle saw it too. His wolf bristled with rage. “You have a lot of nerve,Seraphina! Your name is already carved into my family’s sacred stone!” “I may not want you,but no one else gets you either! Any wolf who takes you is openly declaring war on my bloodline. That’s treason against the entire pack!” Treason. The threat hung heavy in the air. The great hall went dead silent again. Those Alphas who looked so eager a second ago? I watched them lower their heads. No one dared. Not a single one.

Kyle smirked,looking down at me with pure arrogance. “See that,Seraphina?” “You can either die alone,or get thrown into the wasteland to feed the beasts. Take your pick.” He was so sure I wouldn’t dare fight back. But he forgot one crucial detail. He wasn’t the absolute ruler of this pack. While I stood there in silence,Ella—Kyle’s mother—rushed in. She marched straight up and slapped Lila hard across the face. “You little tramp!How dare you seduce my son at his own mating ceremony!” “Guards!Drag this piece of trash out of here! Deal with her according to pack law!” Lila shrieked. She collapsed right on cue,clutching her belly and sobbing. Fiercely protective,Kyle instantly shielded her,glaring at the guards. “Lila is under my protection!Anyone who touches her answers to me!” Ella stared at him,utterly devastated. She never expected Kyle to lose his mind over a maid like this. “Kyle,do you know how many powerful Alphas begged for Seraphina?” “Do you know how hard I had to fight to secure this bond for you?!” “Seraphina’s bloodline is impeccable! Her destiny would have brought you absolute glory!” “And you humiliate her like this? Right in front of the entire pack?!”

Kyle jutted his chin out,completely unbothered. “I never said I didn’t want her! I just needed to put her in her place so she doesn’t try to bully Lila later!” He looked at me like he was doing me a massive favor. “As long as you treat Lila well and put her needs first,I’ll still accept you as my mate. I’ll even give you the Luna title to save your dignity.” “But don’t ever expect me to touch you.” “Lila is three months pregnant. Once the pup is born,you’ll be the one raising it. I won’t have Lila exhausting herself.” “And your father is the pack’s High Priest,right? He can be the pup’s personal tutor, making sure my heir is raised for greatness!” The whole room froze. Everyone was stunned by his outrageous demands. Ella’s face burned with humiliation. But then she remembered the pup growing in Lila’s womb. Kyle’s flesh and blood. Unable to punish that pregnant maid,she forced a smile and grabbed my hands. “My dear,this is all my fault. I failed to discipline him,and now you’re the one suffering.” “But the whole pack is watching. Could you just…pretend to agree to his demands? Let us get through the ceremony first.” “I promise you,I will handle this later. I will never let that little bitch step over you!” My heart turned to ice. Ella could make all the pretty promises she wanted,but I wasn’t stupid. If she couldn’t control him today,she never would.

I gently pulled my hands from hers. “Lady Ella,I refuse to turn a blind eye to disrespect.” “Have you forgotten? When you begged my mother for this bond,you swore it yourself. Kyle would only ever have one mate.” “And now?The ceremony isn’t even finished, yet he humiliates me for a mistress—and gets her pregnant with a bastard pup.” “With all due respect,I’d rather die alone than mate with a wolf like him.” Ella didn’t expect me to be so defiant. The color instantly drained from her face. But Kyle was furious. He pointed a finger straight at me and roared: “You really think I’ll take you as my mate just because my mother backs you?! Keep dreaming,Seraphina!” “I’d love to see how you finish this ceremony without me!” With that,Kyle scooped Lila into his arms and stormed off. He didn’t even look back. Ella’s desperate pleading fell on deaf ears. Abandoned on the day of my own mating ceremony. The entire pack stared at me,filled with pity. But Ella wasn’t giving up. “My dear,today is Kyle’s fault. But the ceremony cannot be delayed.” “What if we use a white wolf as his proxy to finish the ritual for now? We can always make it right later.” “If this bond is broken,you won’t just be humiliated. The Council of Elders will punish you for breaking the pact.”

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Five years with Leon Carter. And this is our second time standing outside the Manhattan City Clerk’s office. Right before we hit the front desk,he turned to me. “Jane,I’m sorry.I can’t do this.” “Chloe took a shot for me at the party last night and drank herself into the ER…I can’t just leave her.” I stared into his deep blue eyes,remembering the exact same scene a year ago. Right before getting our license,I caught him cheating. He cried,claiming he was so drunk he thought she was me,begging for one more chance. When I said no,he threatened to jump off the 42nd floor,screaming he couldn’t live without me. I caved. And now? He pointed at a fat,balding white guy hanging around outside. “I just asked around.That guy owns two places in Brooklyn,no baggage.” “Just marry him today. That way I won’t feel bad about wasting your youth.” I looked down at the crumpled marriage application in my hand. Our names were printed right next to each other. Too bad for him. This time,I’m not caving. … “Not interested?” Leon arched an eyebrow and let out a laugh. He snatched the application from my hand and shoved it into his suit pocket. “Okay then,just forget about it.” He never actually wanted me to marry that balding guy. It was just a sick joke. A joke to test my limits,to prove to himself that I couldn’t live without him. Seeing me freeze,Leon reached out and ruffled my hair,his tone softening. “Jane,I knew you couldn’t walk away from me.” “I was just messing with you. That’s what you get for checking my phone yesterday and pissing me off.” “Chloe is just an old friend from college. She drank that shot for me and burned a hole right through her stomach. I can’t just ignore her.” I swatted his hand away and took a step back. Leon’s hand froze in mid-air.His jaw tightened. “Jane,are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?” “I told you it was a joke.What more do you want?” “Are you trying to make me do something crazy again just to prove a point?” A year ago,he stood on the edge of the penthouse terrace,eyes red,screaming. Swearing that if I left him,he would kill himself. I thought that was love. I thought I finally found someone willing to risk his life just to keep me. But now I saw the truth. It was just a tactic to control me. He preyed on the fact that I grew up in a group home in the Bronx. Desperate for a real family. All he had to do was throw me a few crumbs of twisted affection,and I’d forgive him. “Fine.We won’t get married.” I looked at him,my voice dead calm. Leon paused. Normally,I’d be crying.Clinging to him.Begging him not to leave. But he just chuckled,slipping right back into his arrogant smirk. “There you go.Good girl.” “We can sign the papers later.It’s not like you have anywhere else to go.” “I have a meeting on Wall Street this afternoon. Take a cab back to the Upper East Side.” He spun around and strode off,looking so damn smug. He was probably laughing to himself,thinking no matter how much he humiliated me, I’d always be waiting at home for him like a loyal dog. Instinctively,I touched my stomach. In my purse sat an ultrasound report from a private Manhattan hospital. Six weeks pregnant. I had planned to give it to him as a wedding gift after we signed the papers. Now,it was nothing but a cruel joke. I pulled out the report,tore it into tiny pieces,and dropped it into the nearest trash can. Then,I headed back to the apartment we shared. He bought this place after his venture capital firm took off. When he handed me the keys,he told me this was my home now. I believed him. I decorated the place exactly like my dream home. Picked out every single thing myself. Looking at it all now,it just felt ironic. I pulled out my suitcase and started packing. It wasn’t much. No designer bags.No jewelry. I only packed the old clothes I bought myself. And the old tin box I took from my group home. Inside was my only keepsake—a rusty little pocket watch. It was all my birth parents left behind when they abandoned me. Leon once tried to throw it down the garbage disposal because he thought it was dirty. I had to fight him to get it back. I clenched the watch in my palm.The cold metal grounded me. Halfway through packing,Leon came back. I zipped up my suitcase. Just as I reached the top of the spiral staircase,I heard a sickly-sweet female voice coming from downstairs. “Leon…is Jane gonna be pissed?”

Chloe stood in the entryway,wearing the matching slippers I had made by hand. With her blonde hair and that innocent,harmless face,she looked like someone who just screamed”protect me.” Leon had his arm wrapped around her waist. “This is my house.Who’s gonna complain?” He glanced up at me at the top of the stairs,his eyes turning ice-cold. “Chloe just moved to New York and hasn’t found the right apartment yet.” “With her stomach ulcer,I don’t feel comfortable putting her in a hotel. She’ll be staying in the guest room.” I stood on the steps,watching them cling to each other. A sharp pain pierced my chest,so deep that even drawing a breath hurt. For five years,I had never allowed a single outsider into this house. Leon used to promise me that this place was our private sanctuary. Now,not only had he backed out of our wedding,but he had brought another woman home. “If she’s staying here,where does that leave me?” Leon frowned,annoyed by the question. He let go of Chloe,walked to the bottom of the stairs,and looked up at me. “Jane,can you stop being so damn sensitive?” “I already told you,Chloe is just an old friend from college. Her ulcer ruptured because of me. Is it a crime to take care of her for a few days?” “You are still the lady of the house.That hasn’t changed!” “As long as you play nice and stop acting so paranoid,you’ll still get everything I promised you.” The lady of the house? A woman who wasn’t even worthy of a marriage certificate? A woman forced to watch her man play house with someone else? It was almost funny. I wasn’t the lady of the house. I was just a kept woman.A dirty little secret. Chloe flinched,acting as if it took all her courage just to speak to me. “Jane,please don’t be mad at Leon.This is all my fault…” “If me being here makes you uncomfortable,I can just go. I’ve slept in my car before.I’ll be fine.” Leon spun around and grabbed her hand,pressing her onto the leather sofa. His face softened with pity for her. “You’re still recovering!Don’t be ridiculous.” Then,he whipped his head back to glare at me,his eyes full of accusation. “Jane,do you really have to make everyone miserable?” “A year ago,you drove me to the edge of a roof,and now you want to drive away the woman who saved my life?” Looking at his self-righteous face,I almost laughed. Who pushed who a year ago? He always did this. Gaslighting me into taking the blame just to ease his own guilty conscience. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to stay calm. “Do whatever you want.” I turned around. Sick of looking at them,I just wanted to finish packing. Leon thought I had caved again.The tension left his face. He jogged up the stairs,pulled an exquisite red velvet box from his suit pocket,and shoved it into my hand. “There you go.I love it when you’re reasonable.” “This is that Cartier diamond necklace you were eyeing last week. I had someone pick it up for you.” “So we didn’t sign the papers today. As long as you behave,there’s plenty of time for that later.” I stared at the expensive necklace in my hand. It felt like it was burning my skin. Whenever I showed the slightest hint of unhappiness,he would just throw a gift at me. He believed money could buy anything—even my dignity and my boundaries. I accepted the box without even opening it. God knows I wanted to throw the necklace right in his face. But I knew better. Doing that would only earn me another round of his humiliation. “Thank you.” Leon looked satisfied. He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Good girl.Now go make dinner. Chloe has been craving that creamy potato soup you make.” He turned and walked back down the stairs toward Chloe. I watched them exchange a smile. I stepped into my bedroom and shut the door,cutting off the sounds of their happy little reunion. I pulled out my phone and returned the call that had been buzzing in my pocket earlier. It was from the private clinic. “Miss Evans? This is regarding your termination procedure scheduled for 10:00 AM tomorrow. We just need to confirm you’ll be arriving on time.” “Confirmed.I’ll be there.”

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The night before the wedding, everyone gathered to play Spyfall. The word card I drew had the name of Julian’s ex-girlfriend written on it—my fiancé’s ex. The game began. Victoria, Julian’s sister, spoke with open contempt: “That country bumpkin who crawled back from the sticks.” Lucas, Julian’s best friend, flicked ash from his cigarette. “Such a poser. I hated being anywhere near her.” Julian was silent for a long moment, then added, “Jealous. Painfully so.” My sister Mia nodded eagerly. “She’s practically got a persecution complex. Always thinks everyone’s freezing her out.” Something tightened in my chest. I’d met Chloe, Julian’s ex, once—she was gentle, well-mannered, nothing close to what they were describing. So I couldn’t help defending her. “Smart. Beautiful. Fun, too.” The moment I said it, Mia burst out laughing. “Evelyn, I didn’t realize you were that full of yourself.” The next second, the whole room erupted. Then, in unison, every finger pointed at me. I was voted out unanimously. Only then did it finally register—*I* was the spy. The name on their word cards was mine. Evelyn Raven. And the person they despised was me. … While I sat there frozen, my best friend Sarah pushed the door open, back from her errand. She began handing out chilled beers, one by one. Six people. Five bottles. Nothing for me. An immense exhaustion crashed over me. The six of us grew up together. When I was ten, I got lost, spent a year drifting through the slums before I was finally found and brought home. After I came back, when they divided crêpes and doughnuts, only crumbs were ever left for me. At our college graduation, everyone decided last-minute to move the celebration elsewhere. No one told me. I stood waiting until dark, until a kindhearted security guard finally clued me in. By the time I made it over, they were already deep in laughter—not one of them had noticed I wasn’t there. This time was no different. My sincerity had earned me only mockery, spoken right to my face. I decided, then, that some circles simply couldn’t be forced. There was no point clinging to a place that would never hold me. “You guys keep playing. I’m a little tired. I’m heading out.” I grabbed my bag and turned to leave a heartbeat before the tears could fall. The door clicked shut behind me, but my legs felt like lead. I sank down into the shadows of the hallway, covered my face, and let myself sob. Through the door, I caught faint murmurs. “Julian, aren’t you going after her? Your fiancée looked pretty upset.” Julian’s voice came back flat, terrifyingly cold. “No need. She can process it on her own.” Victoria seized the opening. “We’ve been shutting her out since we were kids and she still acts like nothing’s wrong. Country folk—they can swallow anything.” Another round of laughter rang out from behind the door. … “No need. She can process it on her own.” Victoria seized the opening. “We’ve been shutting her out since we were kids and she still acts like nothing’s wrong. Country folk—they can swallow anything.” Another round of laughter rang out from behind the door. Then came Lucas’s voice: “She still has no idea we ditched her on purpose the day of that Taylor Swift tour, so Chloe could get her closure, right?” “Sharing a hug and a goodbye kiss on the stage of a sold-out concert—now *that’s* a romantic ending.” “Honestly, I don’t think any of us have ever gotten over the fact that Julian and Chloe didn’t make it.” “Tonight’s little game—consider it us finally getting revenge on her behalf.” Sarah quickly hushed them. “Shhh… don’t let her catch on. She spent one year on the streets and she’s been playing the fragile card ever since. If she finds out, she’ll milk the sympathy for all it’s worth.” Sarah paused, then asked, “The thing about her mom’s injury—that’s not going to leak, is it?” Mia’s voice, brimming with confidence: “Relax. I already coached Mom and Dad. They love me the most. Whatever act I ask them to put on, they’ll deliver.” Crouched by the door, my heart plunged straight through ice. So that day, when Mom said she’d burned her arm making pizza—it was a lie. Dad wasn’t actually flying to Sydney for business. Every single one of them had lied to me. All so Julian and Chloe could have their romantic farewell kiss. I don’t remember how I got out of there. Midsummer. A hot wind rolled off the river and swept over me, and still I felt frozen to the bone. Slumped in the back seat of the bus, my mind was a blank canvas, splattered only with the echoes of their sneers. With trembling hands, I dialed Sarah. “Sarah. In the seven years Julian and I have been together—he and Chloe never actually broke up, did they?” “You… you knew all along, didn’t you?” I gripped the phone, praying she’d tell me it was some sick, unfunny joke. She didn’t hesitate for even a second. “Yes. I’ve always known.” “Look, at first I thought Chloe was just some homewrecker too.” Sarah’s tone was infuriatingly casual. “But the more time I spent with her, the more I realized—she’s a genuine angel.” “She leaves her umbrella for stray dogs in the rain. She buys pads out of pocket for undocumented girls working under the table… She’s so kind. God, who *wouldn’t* love her?” My nose burned. Tears spilled unchecked. “And me, Sarah?! Do I *deserve* to be stomped on like garbage by every single one of you?!” Silence on the other end for a beat. Then a matter-of-fact scoff. “Evelyn, I’m doing this for your own good.” “You’re always so petty, holding grudges over every little thing. You’re honestly acting like a crazy bitch.” … Silence on the other end for a beat. Then a matter-of-fact scoff. “Evelyn, I’m doing this for your own good.” “You’re always so petty, holding grudges over every little thing. You’re honestly acting like a crazy bitch.” “Those two are ten thousand times better matched than you and Julian ever were.” I listened, disbelieving, to the voice bleeding out of my phone. My best friend. When she was being bullied at that private high school, I stood in front of her and nearly took a box cutter to the face. When her ex-boyfriend was cheating, I was the one who kicked down the hotel room door to get her justice. And now, she was standing on the opposite side of the line without a shred of hesitation. I hung up. The wedding event planner called next. “Miss Raven, regarding your castle wedding with Mr. Julian Grant—there are a few details I need to confirm with you.” “The roses for the venue arrangements have all been swapped out for lilies, and the dessert bar has been switched entirely to oat-milk-based items.” I went rigid. “Did… did Julian make those changes?” “They were Chloe’s suggestions. Mr. Grant said… to leave the arrangements entirely to her.” The last of the warmth drained from my chest. I have a severe lily allergy. Even brushing against the pollen sends me into anaphylactic shock. Julian knew this. He knew it perfectly well. And yet, for a single word from Chloe, he could dismiss even my life as if it were nothing. In that instant, my heart died. I typed and typed into the message field—accusations, curses, hurt—but in the end, I deleted every last word. “The details are fine,” I said, my voice steady. “You’ve only gotten one very important thing wrong.” *The bride.*

I hung up and started packing. In this mansion perched on the edge of Beverly Hills, there really wasn’t much that belonged to me. The expensive fiddle-leaf fig on the terrace—*they’d* picked it out together at that Malibu nursery. The California-leather sofa in the living room was lined neatly with limited-edition figurines *they’d* brought back from Disneyland. Even the double-door Smeg fridge was stuffed with the sugar-free seltzers, craft beers, and air-flown seasonal fruit that the five of *them* loved. The strawberries Julian had once picked up for me on a whim were shoved into the most forgotten corner of the crisper, skin split, weeping sour, rotting juice. And yet, the night we’d bought this house, Julian had held me tight and sworn: “This is *our* home, Evelyn. Just the two of us. No one else can ever intrude on us here.” Now every corner reeked of their late-night parties, their games, their laughter. It wasn’t a home. It was a hotel suite for entertaining friends. At two in the morning, the lock clicked. Julian walked in reeking of whiskey, a pink pastry box dangling from his hand. … It wasn’t a home. It was a hotel suite for entertaining friends. At two in the morning, the lock clicked. Julian walked in reeking of whiskey, a pink pastry box dangling from his hand. “Baby, don’t do this, okay?” He rubbed his temple, worn out. “It was just a joke at a party. Nothing personal. We’re getting married in a few days. Grow up a little.” He opened the box and pushed it toward me. “I made a detour to grab your favorite strawberry tart. Let me apologize on their behalf, hm?” I said nothing. I just stared coldly at the dainty little dessert. The tip of the tart had been bitten off. A perfect set of teeth marks was left behind. The truth was, I didn’t even like strawberries. Back in their circle, strawberry was the one flavor all five of them despised. So it was always the leftover they pushed onto me. Over time, they’d convinced themselves it was my favorite. My instincts told me: this half-eaten strawberry tart was Chloe’s discarded leftover. I lifted my head slowly. My voice was calm. “Call off the wedding, Julian.” “Chloe’s leftovers make me sick.” The evasion in his eyes flashed into anger. “Evelyn! Could you be any *more* sensitive?” His voice rose. “It’s just a dessert—do you have to conjure up an entire soap opera out of it? Chloe and I ended a long time ago! You’re on me like a paranoid guard dog every single day, and I’m exhausted!” I laughed, cold and sharp, and stared right through him. “*I* make you tired? I’d think the past four years of you and everyone else putting on a full-scale performance behind my back would be a lot more exhausting.” Julian and I had been together since high school. Then he left for Europe to study, and we survived four years long-distance. When he finally came back, he suddenly had every excuse in the book to delay the wedding. All of my friends kept telling me, “A man has to focus on his career first. Pushing him too hard will ruin his work.” So I waited, foolishly, for him to give me a title. Only tonight did I understand—for the seven years of our relationship, he and Chloe had never actually ended. No wonder he never once posted me on Instagram or Facebook as his girlfriend. Even in group photos, if half my shoulder was visible in the frame, he’d delete it within seconds and repost it cropped. I once asked him, in tears, why. He just stroked my hair, indulgent. “Silly girl. I’m protecting you. There are too many dangers in our circle.” Back then, I was naïve enough to think it was consideration. Now I understood. He wasn’t afraid others would envy me. He was afraid the girl he kept tucked away in his heart would *see* me.

“Julian. Sarah told me everything.” I took a step back, dodging his touch. “Haven’t you performed enough?” … “Julian. Sarah told me everything.” I took a step back, dodging his touch. “Haven’t you performed enough?” The color drained from Julian’s face. Panicking, he stretched his arms open to pull me in. “Evelyn, it’s not what you think! Let me explain—” “Don’t touch me!” Nausea surged in my stomach. I threw him off with everything I had. In the struggle, my elbow slammed hard into his lower back. “*Ah—*” Julian doubled over in agony, folded like a shrimp, and crashed to the floor with a strangled groan. I froze. Cold sweat soaked through my back in an instant. Julian had a serious old lumbar injury—one he’d gotten in senior year of high school, saving me. That night, I was walking home alone when a group of drunken vagrants cornered me. He came charging in with a baseball bat and took the beating in my place. Three of his ribs were broken. He was left with permanent nerve damage in his lower back. He’d been forced to give up his shot as an Olympic-track swimmer. For countless nights afterward, guilt kept me awake. But Julian, lying in his hospital bed, would grip my hand through the pain and kiss my forehead so gently. “Evelyn, my pearl. If something had happened to you, what would any of that glory even *mean*?” Back then, he really would have laid down his life for me. And now, he was the one grinding my heart into dust. I drew in a deep breath and calmly dialed 911. Half an hour later, I rode in the ambulance with him to Presbyterian Hospital. After swiping my card at the front desk for the emergency bill, I realized I’d left my trench coat draped over the chair outside his room. I doubled back. Through the glass window of the ER, I heard soft, coquettish sobbing from inside. “Does she even *know* how bad your back is?! How dare that lunatic put her hands on you?!” On the bed, Julian was gingerly lifting his hand, brushing tears from Chloe’s cheek. His voice was so tender it could have dripped water. “Don’t cry, Chloe… I’m not in pain. It’s my fault. I handled things badly between the two of you. I owe her an apology.” Chloe sniffled, her voice thick with resentment. “Are you really going to marry a woman that emotionally unstable? You two will *never* be happy! I regret it so much… If I hadn’t run off overseas out of spite back then, the woman marrying you should have been *me*!” Julian was silent. His silence was his agreement. If not for Julian’s gravely ill father wanting a docile housewife of a daughter-in-law, he would never have chosen me. Then Chloe, overcome with emotion, leaned down and kissed him on the lips. My blood turned to ice. … If not for Julian’s gravely ill father wanting a docile housewife of a daughter-in-law, he would never have chosen me. Then Chloe, overcome with emotion, leaned down and kissed him on the lips. My blood turned to ice. I was about to shove the door open—when a savage force yanked me back by the collar! *Crack!* The back of my skull struck cold brick. My vision blacked out instantly. Before I could even cry out, I was being hauled roughly around the corner of the stairwell at the end of the hallway. I forced my eyes open. Standing over me were the other four members of that little circle. Victoria stepped forward first, arms crossed, eyes brimming with condescension and disgust. “Evelyn. Since you already know, we’re not going to bother pretending anymore. You should be clear about one thing: the only woman Julian has ever loved is Chloe.” Lucas twirled a Zippo lighter in his fingers. “Evelyn, have some *dignity*. Don’t stand in the way of true love.” Mia leaned in, matter-of-fact. “Wake up. Julian only agreed to marry you as a tactic to force Chloe home from abroad. It’s called relationship gamesmanship. Get it?” I had done nothing wrong. And yet they’d convinced themselves I was the malicious homewrecker. Seeing me lying there, silent, Sarah crouched down. “I’m doing this for you too, Evelyn. Even if you strong-arm Julian into marrying you, he’ll never love you.” She pulled out her phone and thrust the screen at me—the group chat between the five of them on iMessage. “You know every time Julian said he was working late at the office? He was out shopping with Chloe.” “You know his phone’s Face ID was set to two faces? His own, and Chloe’s.” “You know the person highlighted on his Apple Calendar was Chloe’s menstrual cycle, and the person pinned at the top of his WhatsApp was her?” “Even that custom cake you got for your birthday last year? Chloe had already turned down that design.” “We kept it from you because we were afraid you—unhinged as you are—would hurt Chloe. Do yourself a favor and disappear.” Sarah added, with a cold smile, “If you try to make trouble for her, the four of us will make sure you regret it.”

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