Category: English

“Your wife’s medical application has been rejected. Again.” Three years in a row. Her leukemia had progressed from early stage to terminal. Standing outside her husband’s office door, she heard him say: “She’s been traveling with the military her whole life. What serious illness could she possibly have?” The slots are limited. Give them to someone who needs them more.” The person he deemed “more in need” was the female student he sponsored. For a mild concussion, he mobilized every medical resource he had. The seven years of savings she had put aside to save her own life — he spent them on a New Year’s gift for that girl. She didn’t push the door open. Didn’t cry or make a scene. She just turned and walked into the freezing snow. Three days later, she collapsed. When he finally opened her medical file, he saw the diagnosis: Leukemia. Terminal. He fell to his knees, begging for forgiveness. She signed the divorce papers with a smile. …… “We are so sorry, Dr. Elara. Your application for the Military Family Medical Coverage has not been approved. We apologize.” This was the third rejection. Elara accepted her fate. “You denied Elara’s Medical Coverage application again this year?” Colonel Hayes’ voice was laced with confusion. After the rejection, she had made a simple decision. She would spend whatever time she had left by her husband Liam’s side. That was all she wanted. She had not expected this. Three days on a train, exhausted and worn to the bone, and the first thing she heard standing outside his office door was that single sentence. She went completely still. The door was slightly open. Warm yellow light bled into the dark hallway. The voices inside were sharp and heated. “You know how rare this slot is. Once a year, one chance. The last two years I kept quiet because you gave it to your comrades. But this year you handed it to Chloe for a mild concussion?” Every word reached her ears. Elara’s expression froze solid. The cold started at the soles of her feet and crept slowly upward through her whole body. It was like being dropped into ice water. Chloe. A college student Liam had been financially sponsoring. A girl from a broken home. Gambling father. Dying mother. Elara’s jaw clamped shut. The first time she had applied for the Coverage, her leukemia was still early-stage. When she was denied, she assumed she simply was not sick enough to qualify. The second time, she decided she had been unlucky. Someone else had needed the slot more. This was the third time. And it came at the exact moment she had made peace with her fate. The exact moment she had stopped fighting and come home simply to be near the man she loved. That was when she heard the truth. “I am the Commander,” Liam said. “She is the Commander’s wife. If she cannot push through a minor difficulty, she does not deserve that title.” “Chloe grew up with nothing. She never had enough food or warm clothes. Her body is naturally weaker. ” “Elara spent years traveling with the military. What illness could she possibly have that would justify wasting a slot this valuable?” “Liam!” Colonel Hayes’ voice shot up. “You rejected her application without reading a single word of it?” He had not even known what illness she had. The realization made Colonel Hayes visibly angrier. “I know Elara,” Liam said. “No matter how hard things got, she never once complained. She is fine. The New Year is one week away. When she comes home I will take her to the hospital myself.” “I genuinely cannot figure out what Chloe has done to get inside your head like this.” “This has nothing to do with Chloe,” Liam said. “I would have made the same call for anyone.” Colonel Hayes’ voice dropped, heavy with resignation. “And if Elara has something life-threatening, Liam? If blocking her application is the same as blocking her only chance to live?” The office fell completely silent. Outside in the corridor, Elara slowly lowered her outstretched hand. So it had never been fate working against her. “It had been him. The one person she had spent her entire life loving.” She wanted to push that door open. She wanted to look him in the eye and demand an answer. “Everyone else’s pain mattered to him. Did hers mean nothing?” She stood there for two full seconds. Then she turned and walked away without a sound. On her way out of the base, she stopped at the guard post and pressed the gift she had brought into the hands of the soldier on duty. “Do not tell the Commander I was here,” she said softly. She turned and walked straight into the bitter wind. Liam. Since I was never worthy of your slot, I do not need it anymore.

If that was the case, she refused to accept her fate. A thought took hold of her. If no one was coming to save her, she would save herself. She sat down at the desk and wrote a letter. A new application. This time, in her own name. After finishing it, she gathered up the savings she had accumulated over the years. “In the seven years she had been married to Liam, she may not have held the same standing as him, but she was far from an ordinary Combat Medic. She was a Mortuary Restorer for Fallen Heroes.” And it was precisely this role that might allow her to apply for a partial military medical subsidy. Combined with the money she had saved over the years, perhaps it could save her life. After doing all this, she felt a flicker of appetite for the first time in a long while. She walked into the kitchen and made herself a bowl of noodles. The clock on the wall showed it was nearly eleven at night. She made a quiet plan: first thing tomorrow morning, she would go to the post office and mail the application. Then, footsteps sounded outside the door. Liam pushed it open and stopped when he saw her. “You came back and didn’t tell me?” At the sound of his voice, she looked up. Across the room, the radio on the low cabinet crackled with static. The snow outside was interfering with the signal. Liam glanced at it, walked over, and turned it off. “I’ve told you not to listen to the radio.” “It’s late. The base’s subsidies haven’t come through yet this year. Cut back.” No word of welcome. No question about how she had been. She had spent three days on the train. Even a casual acquaintance would have asked if she was tired. Elara’s chest ached with a dull, persistent pain, but her voice remained steady. “I haven’t eaten all day. I was starving. And I only used a little.” By the time she finished the sentence, bitter tears were already silently slipping from the corners of her eyes. The truth was, she could barely eat anymore. Her body no longer had the strength to digest food properly. Liam was a commander. His monthly salary alone exceeded a thousand dollars, plus additional supply subsidies. There was no shortage of food. But in his eyes, she was made of iron. She didn’t get sick. She didn’t need to eat. Yet for Chloe, a mild concussion, he had unhesitatingly mobilized medical resources. Bitterness spread through Elara’s chest, growing heavier and heavier, until it was almost suffocating. Then, without warning, a sharp, piercing pain erupted in her chest. Moments later, the metallic taste of blood filled her nose. A single drop of blood fell onto her pale hand, blooming outward. She instinctively raised her hand to wipe it away. But the blood kept coming. Before she could stop it, it had splattered across the lower half of her face. Liam walked toward her, his voice impatient. “I was just reminding you. There’s no need to lose your temper at me.” “You—” He stopped mid-sentence, staring at the blood spreading across her face. His tone shifted. “What… what’s wrong with you?” Her voice came out weak and choked. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Fighting through the pain and the grievance, she forced out the words, one by one: “That is my blood, Liam.” The emotional turmoil made everything worse for a body that was already barely holding together. Her legs gave way beneath her. She swayed, steadying herself only by gripping the edge of the table. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Liam. And she realized—she no longer recognized the man standing before her. Had these years together been nothing but her imagination? It was Liam who had pulled her out of that suffocating, backward family. It was he who had used every connection he had to persuade a military doctor to take her as an apprentice, so she could stay by his side. He had broken his own principles. Just this once. All for her. “You’re bleeding so much… Are you—” As she thought this, the light in Elara’s eyes dimmed, leaving behind only emptiness and numbness. Perhaps he would have done all this for anyone. Perhaps she had never been special. Perhaps she had simply been lucky. After all, he had broken his principles again. For Chloe. He had given up a spot without hesitation. For a girl with a minor injury. She wanted to ask him why. But before the words could leave her mouth, a searing, needle-like pain stabbed straight through her chest. Breathing became difficult. She forced herself to endure it. “It’s nothing.” Then, without another word, she turned and walked out of the room, step by unsteady step, until she reached the courtyard.

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Before the wedding, Alpha Kendrick stood before me, his jaw tight, his eyes shadowed with a storm of hesitation and hope. “Can you give me a month?” he asked, his voice low, almost pleading. “A month for what?” I shot back, my tone sharper than I intended, though my heart already braced for the answer. He exhaled deeply, ignoring the edge in my voice. “A month to try rekindling my relationship with Elena Manwaring. She’s my fated mate, and… this might be the Moon Goddess’s blessing.” Ah, fated mate. I should’ve guessed. Kendrick and I were never fated mates. I was his convenient choice, never his destined one. “So, if it doesn’t work out, then what? Another month?” I tilted my head, forcing a faint smile that practically screamed, Go ahead. Rip my heart out. “If it doesn’t work,” he said, his gaze steady, “I’ll come back to you. I’ll marry you and leave her behind—forever.” “Forever,” I echoed, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. Zara, my wolf, growled faintly in the back of my mind. Let me claw him. Just once. But I didn’t argue. Instead, I gave him the faintest of smiles and replied, “Go ahead. Give it a try. Life’s too short for regrets, right?” Relief washed over his face, so palpable it made my chest tighten. That night, he drove off, lighter and freer than I’d seen him in years. And me? I quietly packed my belongings. I called home. “Mom,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me, “the wedding’s off. I’m coming home to help with the Moon Eclipse Pack.” My mother didn’t even feign surprise. If anything, she sounded downright gleeful. “Finally! Your father and I always said that man wasn’t reliable. Ten years, and he still couldn’t commit!” she scoffed. “Honestly, sweetheart, we thought you’d lost your mind.” I let her rant, offering a few hums here and there. “Perfect timing,” she added. “The pack just allied with the Blue Moon Pack, and they’re looking for an experienced wolf trainer. I’ll set everything up.” “Sure,” I murmured, cutting the conversation short. The thought of diving into training rogue wolves or mentoring pups sounded perfect—anything to keep my mind occupied. I glanced around my apartment, taking in the scattered wedding souvenirs. Personalized candles. Silk napkins embroidered with our initials. Zara huffed again. Ten years with that jerk. Ten years of being second choice. You should’ve let me bite him. I said nothing, just stared at the remnants of a dream I had built and lost. It hadn’t always been like this. Once, I believed in Kendrick. I stood by him when his pack struggled, when he had nothing to offer but empty promises. I turned down my rightful place as Alpha of the Moon Eclipse Pack to stay by his side. I had a choice. I could’ve gone home, inherited my pack, and become Alpha. Instead, I chose him. Without hesitation. His Red River Pack was small, insignificant, a speck along the Mississippi River. Nothing compared to my family’s power. But I didn’t care. I just wanted him. I imagined a life together—building something from the ground up, proving that love was stronger than destiny. So, I waited. While my friends built their lives—marrying, having kids, moving on—I stayed. I turned down every opportunity my parents offered and let year after year slip by, waiting for him to finally say, “Let’s get married.” Reunions were the worst. “So, when’s the wedding?” someone would always ask, followed by laughter. My friends covered for me, claiming I just wasn’t ready for the “grave of marriage.” I played along, smiling and pretending it didn’t sting. But deep down, I wanted it more than anything. To be Luna in more than just name. To be his partner. His future. But the truth was, Kendrick wasn’t waiting for the right time. He was waiting for her. The Return of Elena Manwaring Three months ago, Elena came back. I ignored the signs because Kendrick proposed to me. Suddenly, he threw himself into wedding plans. He helped pick out the dress, sat through endless food tastings, and obsessively debated wedding favors. He was attentive. Patient. Always there. And I let myself believe it was real. That he had finally chosen me. That illusion shattered one late night. I woke to the faint glow of light beneath his study door. Curiosity—or perhaps something more desperate—led me down the hall. Quietly, I peeked inside. He wasn’t working. No spreadsheets, no maps. No Alpha duties. In his hands were Elena’s things: a scarf, a journal, and a trinket box she’d left behind. He held them like treasures, his fingers brushing the scarf’s fabric with an unbearable tenderness. The look on his face—a mix of longing and love—made my stomach twist. It was the kind of look you give someone who owns your heart. Someone you’ve never let go. I froze in the doorway, torn between stepping inside and walking away. He didn’t see me—too absorbed in the memories those objects carried. And in that moment, I saw everything. The way his shoulders slumped under an invisible weight. The quiet sigh that slipped past his lips. This wasn’t just nostalgia. It was longing. This was about Elena. Her ghost—or at least the memory of her—hung heavy in the air. Whether Kendrick and I got married or not didn’t depend on love or destiny. It depended on her. On whether she decided to take him back. And me? I was just a placeholder. A stand-in. The second choice. They say the things we can’t have in our youth haunt us forever. If a missed opportunity or a forgotten dream can ache like that, how much worse must it be for someone who once meant everything? I stepped back into the shadows before he could notice me and returned to our bedroom. The bed felt too big. Too cold. I lay there staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself I didn’t care. But the tightness in my chest told a different story. The days leading up to the wedding blurred into chaos. Flowers. Seating arrangements. The Luna ceremony rehearsal. I threw myself into every detail, hoping the frenzy would drown out my doubts. I told myself it was fine. That Kendrick’s occasional distracted glances and absentminded smiles didn’t mean anything. That his late nights in his study were just wedding stress. Then, one afternoon, we received a shipment of wedding souvenirs—delicate, hand-painted glass favors engraved with our initials. I picked up one of the boxes and frowned. The packaging was careless, the wrappings half-done. One of the glass favors tumbled out, landing in my palm. It was beautiful, no doubt. But as I stared at the etched initials—K&E—my breath caught in my throat. K&E. Not Kendrick and Me. Kendrick and Elena. My fingers tightened around the fragile glass as the truth crashed over me. This wasn’t an accident. It was a sign. And in that moment, the delicate favor shattered between my fingers, sharp edges cutting into my palm. But I barely felt the pain. Because the real wound was deeper. It had been there all along.

By the time I decided to request a return for the souvenirs, the merchant’s stubbornness had worn me down. After what felt like hours of fruitless arguing, I gave up. The souvenirs were coming home with me—packed or not. It was nearly 3 AM by the time I finally sat down to finish wrapping them. My muscles ached, my eyelids were heavy, and exhaustion tugged at me like a relentless tide. Still, I pushed through. Alpha Kendrick wasn’t back yet. He’d gone to another pack for an event, and his flight had landed hours ago. Just as I reached for my phone to check on him, the front door unlocked with a soft click. He walked in carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers and a box of gifts, his presence warm but strangely heavy. He greeted me as he always did, with a soft kiss on the cheek. “Felicia,” he began, his voice gentle but tinged with something somber. “Thank you for staying with me all these years.” My heart tightened. I knew where this was going. When Kendrick graduated, he had a wild, impossible dream. He didn’t want to follow the Red River Pack’s traditional path. Instead, he wanted to forge his own. No one believed in him—not his family, not his friends. Except me. I defied my parents, sold the shops and houses under my name, and handed over every penny of my dowry to help him build his dream. I gave up everything for him, believing he was worth it. Time proved me right. Kendrick transformed the Red River Pack into a powerhouse, admired across the Mississippi River territory. Young, successful, and driven—he became everything he’d ever wanted to be. But now, standing before me with that bouquet, he looked like a man ready to sever ties. “I’m moving out,” he said, his tone calm yet resolute. “I don’t want to carry regrets. You wouldn’t want me to still think about someone else after we’re married, would you? If I don’t succeed, I’ll let her go completely. I’ll dedicate myself to you for the rest of my life.” His eyes were red, his voice thick with emotion. It should have moved me. It should have made me feel closer to him. Instead, all I felt was the hollow ache in my chest. How could I say no? I had always known where I stood in Kendrick’s heart—second place, behind Elena. On my eighteenth birthday, when I shifted for the first time, I begged the Moon Goddess for a miracle. I prayed Kendrick would be my destined mate. But fate had other plans. The Moon Goddess chose Elena Manwaring for him—a picture-perfect beauty adored by everyone. At the mate ceremony, they were the golden couple, basking in admiration, while I endured the searing pain of rejection alone. Then, Elena left. And I saw my chance. I pursued Kendrick relentlessly, ignoring the whispers and judgment. I believed love could be earned through effort alone. From the start, he had been honest. “I still love Elena,” he’d told me. “If that bothers you, you shouldn’t be with me.” I thought I could wait. I thought time would fix everything. But now, as he stood before me, asking for my permission to chase after her, I realized how naive I’d been. “Okay,” I said quietly, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside. “Go.” Kendrick studied my face for a moment before smiling. “Thank you for understanding me,” he said. Then, without hesitation, he turned away, packing his things with an eagerness that made my heart crack. Minutes later, he drove off into the night, leaving behind only the faint scent of his cologne and the echoes of my own foolishness. I glanced at the wedding souvenirs scattered across the floor—once a symbol of hope, now a cruel joke. What a waste. They’d never be sent out. My eyes fell on the bouquet he’d brought. Among the petals, I noticed a small card tucked away. Curiosity prickled, and I hesitated before flipping it over. Elena, long time no see. I hope you’re doing well. The name hit me like a punch to the gut. So, he’d bought two bouquets—one for me and one for her. And in his rush, he’d grabbed the wrong one. How fitting. Without a second thought, I tossed the bouquet into the trash. Later that night, my phone buzzed with a message from my mother. The flight is booked for a week from now. You’ve been with the Red River Pack for so many years—use this time to say goodbye. I stared at the screen for a long moment before typing a single word. Okay. While Kendrick chased his past, I spent my days letting go of mine. I had dinner with friends, revisited familiar places, and wandered the packlands that had once felt like home. Every evening, his calls came in like clockwork. “Felicia, what are you up to? I miss you.” “Nothing much,” I replied, my voice steady. “Just packing up at home.”

I told him the truth. Alpha Kendrick didn’t push for more, though he continued calling, updating me on where he was and what he was doing. He mentioned, almost hesitantly, how nervous he felt about seeing Elena after all these years. It was odd—this routine we’d fallen into. Over time, we’d grown accustomed to sharing everything. Whenever he traveled for work, it was second nature to exchange “I miss you” and recount the trivialities of our days. Even now, as he prepared to reunite with her, he still called me, as though nothing had changed. Habit, I realized, is a cruel master. I let the silence stretch between us for a while. “Are you upset? Why aren’t you saying anything?” he asked, his tone edged with concern. “No,” I replied softly, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “I wish you the best.” How I managed to say it, I’ll never know. He went quiet, the silence thick and heavy, before finally speaking in a low voice. “I’ll come back as soon as I can. No matter what happens, I love you.” For a fleeting moment, I wanted to believe him—maybe I even did. But belief wouldn’t change anything now. This time, I was ready to let go. Three days later, Alpha Kendrick returned. I hadn’t expected him back so soon, but what truly stopped me cold was the sight of who stood beside him. Elena. I remembered our first meeting vividly. Back then, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Elena was the kind of woman who shattered expectations with reckless ease—a little wild, magnetic in ways that demanded attention. She was stunningly beautiful, radiating confidence and an undeniable charm. The air between us now hung heavy, burdened with years of unspoken history. Her natural charisma was something I could never replicate. Where she embodied freedom, I was a product of discipline and carefully cultivated propriety. She still carried that untamed elegance. A tattoo curled along the curve of her neck, her sunglasses perched casually atop her head, loose curls spilling over her shoulders. “Felicia, long time no see,” she said, her voice familiar but softened by weariness. This wasn’t the same Elena I remembered. She politely asked if she could come in, and though I was too stunned to speak, I stepped aside. As she passed, her arm brushed against a decorative bear wearing a wedding bow tie. The little figure toppled to the floor. Without hesitation, she crouched, retrieved it, and handed it back with a faint, almost apologetic smile. “I forgot to congratulate you,” she said. “I wish you and Alpha Kendrick a happy wedding.” Her words were polite, even kind, but they carried an undercurrent I couldn’t quite place. I nodded, unsure how to respond. Elena’s gaze drifted around the living room, taking in the sparse furnishings. The house felt hollow—most of my belongings had already been sent to the Blue Moon Pack’s territory. What remained were things that belonged to Alpha Kendrick or shared mementos I couldn’t bring myself to sort through. Alpha Kendrick noticed too. His brow furrowed as he glanced around. “Felicia,” he said, confusion coloring his tone, “why does the house feel so empty?” “I’ve just been organizing and clearing out a few things,” I said casually, brushing off his concern with a vague excuse. Elena sat down and removed her sunglasses, revealing deep bruises around her eyes and faint scars etched across her face. In that moment, I understood why she seemed different. The unshakable confidence she once radiated was gone, dulled by hardship and loss. “As you can see,” Elena said softly, her voice steady despite everything, “I’m not doing well.” She told me how her life hadn’t unfolded the way she’d imagined. The rogue king she once called her true love had never planned to marry her. “To him, I was just a passing distraction,” she admitted, bitterness lacing her words. Trapped in the Rogue Lair, she had spiraled into depression, unable to return to the life she once knew. “It wasn’t until I reached out to Alpha Kendrick that things started to change,” she said quietly. “Thanks to his help over the years, I never lost myself completely.” Beside me, Alpha Kendrick tensed. His unease rolled off him in waves. It wasn’t just about her confession. It was the confirmation that they had never truly lost contact. Elena didn’t stop. Her voice remained soft, steady—almost gentle. “Alpha Kendrick spends a month with me every year. Always at the end of the year. Without him, I wouldn’t have made it through.” The words landed like a punch to the gut. Suddenly, everything clicked. His so-called “wolf pack business trips.” The vague excuses every December. The expansion efforts, the alliances he claimed to be securing. None of it had been real. He hadn’t been tending to the pack. He had been with her. Elena glanced at me, gauging my reaction before continuing. “When Alpha Kendrick started growing his pack’s business, I heard you sold your dowry to give him the startup capital. Even from afar, I admired your loyalty.” I said nothing. The weight of her words pressed down like a lead shroud. Loyalty. That’s what I had given him. Unwavering. Absolute. And in return? “I was in trouble at the time too,” Elena admitted, her voice quieter now. “My life was… falling apart. So, Alpha Kendrick sent me $200,000 to help.” The number rang in my ears. $200,000. Suddenly, I remembered the missing funds from the Red River Pack’s accounts. The ones brushed off as a bookkeeping error. It hadn’t been an oversight. It hadn’t been a mistake. It was a secret. A carefully concealed piece of Alpha Kendrick’s life with Elena—one I was never meant to uncover.

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Eight years. That’s how long I rotted in a cell for a murder I never did. And there he is. My husband. Waiting at the gate with roses and our twins, smiling like he didn’t put me there himself. His eyes fill with tears. “Vivian. Baby. You’ve learned your lesson. From now on, you’ve got me and the kids. That’s it.” The reporters swarm in. They’ve been waiting for hours. “Vivian Hayes! You used to be America’s sweetheart. Tell us, what was going through your head when you tortured that poor delivery driver?” “How did you feel when his family set the fire that killed your parents?” “Your CEO husband got down on his knees on live TV for you. Your kids grew up labeled the children of a killer. Any regrets, Vivian?” The cameras and mics push at my face like weapons. Every question wants me dead. I don’t say a word. Then someone shouts over the rest. “Chloe Bennett has confessed her love for your husband on camera. Multiple times. Will you finally let him and the kids go? Give them a way out?” A way out? I almost laugh. They’re the ones who never gave me a way out. Damon was the one who begged me to take the fall for Chloe. ……. All those vicious questions, and Damon didn’t say one word to defend me. But the second someone says Chloe’s name? He snaps his fingers. The bodyguards move in. “Sorry, folks. Ms. Bennett is a respected actress. Please leave her name out of this.” My own kids look like they want to swing at the reporter. “Chloe is beautiful and kind! How dare this killer even say her name!” I gave birth to these two in prison. I worked the laundry shift during the day with one of them strapped to each side of me. At night I rocked them for hours so they wouldn’t wake the other inmates. The day Damon came to take them, I asked him for one thing. “Send them overseas. As far as you can. And whatever you do, keep them away from Chloe.” Now I’m out. And I find out the two babies I almost died for were raised at her knee. Turned into knives. Pointed at me. The car ride home is silent. Damon reaches over and takes my hand, careful, like he’s testing the water. “About what happened back then. I want to thank you. For Chloe.” I don’t move. “You were already married. Pregnant. You’d been talking about retiring anyway. Chloe had just graduated. Her whole career was in front of her.” I laugh. It comes out ugly. “So?” I turn and look at him. “So the real killer walks free, and I’m the one who has to bury my parents and lose my kids? Is that what you’re telling me?” He doesn’t answer. When he finally speaks, his voice breaks. “Her parents saved my life, Vivian. I owed them. Blame me. Hit me. Yell at me. I swear, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” Eight years of cold concrete. The reporters tearing me apart at the gate. All of it falls apart in my chest the second he says it. I start shaking. The sobs rip out of me. He pulls me against his chest. His voice is low. Steady. The voice I used to fall asleep to. “It’s over, baby. It’s all over. We’re gonna have a beautiful family. Just us and the kids.” It’s such a beautiful picture. It shatters the second I walk through the door and see her. Our house. Exactly the way I left it. Brighter, actually. Warmer. Because the day they put me in cuffs, Chloe moved in. She walks up to me like she owns the place and grabs my hand. “Vivian! You’re finally home! I made dinner. We’ve been waiting all afternoon.” I rip my hand away like she’s diseased. Damon’s face turns to ice. “Vivian. I get you’re pissed. Take it out on me. Don’t take it out on her.” He steps between us. “Yeah, you took the fall. But she’s the one who raised our kids while you were gone. She put her whole career on the line for this family. Drop it already.” “Drop it?” Nothing in prison ever hurt the way that sentence just did. “You want me to thank her, Damon?” I want to scream the rest. Why wasn’t he at our anniversary dinner that night? Why was he at her birthday party instead? Why did he throw his own pregnant wife in a cell to save her? Chloe jumps in before it can blow up. “It’s okay, Damon. Really. She needs time. I knew this would happen.” She gives me a soft, sad little smile. “You two eat. I’ll get out of your way.” Her eyes go red right on cue. The picture of hurt. But she doesn’t let a single tear fall. She just spins around and runs back to her room.

Every dish on the table was made by Chloe. Just looking at them makes me want to throw up. Damon says it’s my first family dinner since I got out. Says I should sit down and act normal. At least for the kids. But the kids don’t even let me sit. Noah grabs a meatball off the plate and chucks it at my face. “Why does she get to eat Chloe’s food?” “Chloe and Daddy love each other! Why are you trying to steal him, you killer?” Nora’s already wailing next to him. “Daddy, please don’t let her live here. I’m scared.” Damon scoops her up like she’s made of glass. Chloe comes flying out of the kitchen the second she hears crying. She presses herself right up against him. Pretends to wipe Nora’s tears. Her hands are doing way more than that. “Aw, Nora, sweetie. She’s still your mom. And the police taught her her lesson. She won’t kill anyone anymore.” Nora hears the word kill and sobs harder. Eight years. Eight years I missed with these kids. Eight years they got called the children of a murderer at school, on the playground, everywhere. Now my baby girl’s face is red and swollen because of her, and something inside me snaps. “Chloe. What the hell did you just say?” I shove between her and Damon and grab her arm. “Won’t kill anyone anymore?” “You know exactly who did it. Better than anyone in this room.” Every ounce of rage I swallowed for eight years comes roaring up at once. My hand flies up to slap her. Damon catches my wrist mid-air. “Vivian. Jesus. Prison actually made you crazy.” He throws my arm down hard. I stumble. My lower back slams into the corner of the table. Pain shoots up my spine so sharp I almost black out on my feet. But that’s not what hurts the most. “Chloe was trying to calm Nora down. She was defending you, for God’s sake.” “Just go to your room. You’re not okay right now.” I stare at him. The tears are right there, burning behind my eyes. The same man who promised me the rest of his life an hour ago in the car. Now he’s screaming at me to protect her. I drag myself down the hall. Lock the door behind me. I pull up my shirt in front of the mirror. The whole side of my lower back is already turning purple. Black at the edges. Hideous. This bedroom is twice the size of my cell. Bright. Clean. And somehow I’ve never felt colder or more alone. In prison, rats ran across me at night. Roaches in my hair. I didn’t care. Because every single day I told myself the same thing. Get out. Get back to Damon. Get back to the kids. Build the life you were supposed to have. That’s what kept me breathing. And now? Even with the door shut, I can hear them laughing in the living room. I hear my kids piling food onto Chloe’s plate. Calling her Aunt Chloe in that sweet, sticky voice. I hear my husband ask her, soft and worried, “You okay, baby? She didn’t scare you, did she?” That life out there. The warm one. The happy one. That was supposed to be mine. No. It was supposed to be more than that. If somebody hadn’t leaked my parents’ address eight years ago. If the victim’s family hadn’t shown up with gasoline and a match. I’d have a house full of grandparents and babies right now. A real family. Loud. Messy. Whole. I’m crying so hard I can barely breathe when there’s a knock at the door. “Vivian. May I come in?”

I never let Damon see me like this. I spin around fast and scrub at my eyes. Too late. He’s already clocked the red rims and the wet streaks down my cheeks. He sets down a bowl and pulls me into his chest. “Hey. What’s all this? The kids spent eight years getting called a murderer’s children. Of course they’re cold. Give them time.” I nod into his shirt. “I know.” Then I look up. “That thing I asked you to look into. Who leaked Mom and Dad’s address. Did you ever find out?” His face shifts. I feel his whole body go stiff against mine. “Babe. It’s been eight years. There’s nothing left to trace.” I frown. “I was at the peak of my career. I bought them that place in the Hamptons specifically to keep stalker fans out. The address was locked down.” “Whoever knew where they lived was someone close to me.” “Damon.” I grab his hand like it’s the last rope on a cliff. “Please. You have to find out who did this. They burned alive. There wasn’t even enough left to put in the casket.” After dinner, Damon takes the kids upstairs. I run myself a rose-petal bath. Partly to scrub eight years of prison off my skin. Mostly because tonight is supposed to be the first time my husband and I share a bed in nearly a decade. I dig out the black slip he used to lose his mind over. I sit on the edge of the bed. And I wait. He doesn’t come. Eventually I pad down the hall. The kitchen’s dark except for the fridge hanging half open. That’s when I see them. “Damon. Are you seriously going to sleep with that old bitch tonight?” Chloe’s in a red lace slip. Barely there. She drags one finger down his chest. He catches her wrist. “Chloe. Don’t talk about her like that. She did eight years for you.” She laughs in his face. “Sweetie. You had more money than God. One phone call and a hundred women would’ve lined up to take that fall for me.” She leans in. “And let’s be real. The night her parents walked in on us? The night they said they were going to the press? You’re the one who handed their address to the victim’s family.” “Damon.” She winds his tie around her finger and pulls him in until their mouths are almost touching. “Just say it. You wanted me. That’s why you put her away.” Their breath is mixing. He breaks. Grabs her by the jaw and bites down on her lip. Between gasps, he’s still talking. “When I married her, I swore I’d never cheat. But you and me, baby, we go back to kindergarten. The only way to keep my word to her and my word to you was to put her somewhere she’d never find out.” Then they’re kissing again. Loud. Hungry. And I’m standing in the dark feeling my heart get carved up in strips. The man I gave every piece of myself to. He killed my parents. The “girl he grew up with” he introduced me to at our engagement party? She was never a little sister. She was the love of his life. I don’t remember walking back to the bedroom. My legs aren’t mine anymore. I collapse on the floor. My phone is buzzing on the nightstand. My old agent. I can’t reach for it. I’m up before sunrise. I drive to my parents’ grave. I drop to my knees in front of the headstone and slap myself across the face. Hard. Mom. Dad. I’m so sorry. You raised a fool. Then I hear footsteps. A lot of them. Coming fast.

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They took me. Two men. Zip ties. A warehouse. My husband, the sheriff, sent every deputy he had to save his first love. She’d swallowed a bottle of pills. She was dying. I didn’t call him. I let them hurt me. Last time, I called. He came. His team took the kidnappers down. I walked out alive. The next morning, Hannah Brooks was dead. She’d called him seventeen times while he was saving me. He never answered. He told me he didn’t regret it. I was his wife. I was carrying his child. Saving me was the only choice. I believed him. The night I gave birth to our daughter, he dragged me out of the hospital. Fresh stitches. Still bleeding. Our newborn in her carrier. He drove us to Hannah’s grave. Snow howling. Wind like a knife. He kicked me to my knees on frozen ground. “The kidnappers never touched you. You let her die because you were jealous.” He was laughing. “Hannah was so pure. So gentle. How could you let her die?” He poured ice water over my head. Left us there. I held my baby as my body turned to stone. Her cries got quieter. Then stopped. I died in the cold with my daughter in my arms. Then I opened my eyes. The warehouse. The zip ties. The same two men. I didn’t call him this time either. *** They shoved a phone in my face. “Call your husband.” I kept my mouth shut. The beatings started. I still didn’t speak. Frustrated, they dialed his number themselves. The one with the scar across his face held the phone to my ear. “Marcus Kane? We’ve got your wife. You want her alive, come alone. Old warehouse. Dockside. We need to talk.” Marcus sounded annoyed. “Olivia. Really? Hannah’s in trouble. I’m taking my team out there right now. Can you not do this today?” A string of accusations. Then the line went dead. He didn’t believe me. Hannah had spent months telling him I was unstable. Dramatic. Desperate for attention. He’d been primed to see me as the villain. I listened to his verdict. A knowing smile settled on my lips. The scarred man lost it. “You useless bitch.” His backhand sent my skull cracking against the wall. Blood flooded my mouth. He hauled me up by my collar. Spit flying. “What the hell is wrong with your husband? Make him believe it. Or I swear to God, I’ll end you right now.” I knew he wouldn’t kill me. I’d lived this before. I just hadn’t expected to land in this exact moment when I came back. I looked at his furious face. I let tears well up. “Just kill me. I don’t want to live anymore.” They froze. Scarface recovered first. “Don’t play games with me.” His hand connected with my cheek again. I broke down. Sobs tearing out of me. “Save me? He wants me dead. He mortgaged our house. Our joint house. To buy that whore presents. My baby. I lost my baby. Because of him. All of it. Because of him.” “He’s scum. He won’t come for me. God. What’s the point of living.” I started out pretending. Then last life’s grief took over. Real howling. Real tears. Scarface glanced at the bald one. Baldy walked over. Kicked my chair over. “Shut your mouth. Shut up.” He dialed Marcus again. Ten calls. All rejected. On the eleventh, the line went to voicemail. Marcus had decided I was lying. He only cared about his precious first love. Scarface was pacing. “What the hell is wrong with this guy? His wife is missing and he doesn’t care?” He shoved a filthy rag in my mouth. Oil and mold. I was barely three months pregnant. The smell made me retch. Baldy stayed calm. “We wait. By tomorrow, the sheriff’s office will notice their boss’s wife is gone. Then they’ll care.” Scarface spat in my direction. “Useless.” They dragged me to a corner. Ate microwaved pasta. My stomach burned. I couldn’t eat. Morning came. No Marcus. Even Baldy started sweating. Then he kicked me in the stomach. Pain tore through my abdomen. My face went white. Scarface pointed. “She’s bleeding.” Baldy’s expression flickered. “Hey. What’s wrong with you?” I could barely whisper. “Help me. Please. I’m going to die.” Sirens wailed outside. Baldy looked at the blood pooling beneath me. Looked at the cop cars through the window. “We’re out of here. Let this be a lesson to Marcus.” The sirens got closer. My stomach kept cramping. Was I going to lose this baby too? Tears slid down my face. Please. Please hold on.

Overnight, I lost the husband who loved me and the child I carried for ten months. Marcus Kane shredded every scrap of love that night. All that remained was bone-deep hate. Now, maybe God took pity on me. I woke up back on the day of the kidnapping. I made the kidnappers wait an hour longer than last time before they called Marcus. They wanted him to release one of their crew from county jail. They weren’t killers. Last time, they barely touched me. I was cooperative. This time, I’d made them angry. I watched Scarface’s face flush red. I let tears fall. “Just kill me. I really don’t want to live.” Scarface slapped me again. I wailed. Spilled my misery. “Save me? He wants me dead. Our house. Our joint house. He mortgaged it. For that whore. Gifts for that whore. My baby. I lost them all. Because of him.” He was scum. He wouldn’t come. God, what was the point. The words poured out. Real grief bleeding through fake tears. Scarface looked at Baldy. Uncertainty in his eyes. Baldy’s face was grim. He strode over. Kicked my chair. “Shut it. Shut your mouth.” He kept dialing. Ten calls. All rejected. On the eleventh attempt, the line went dead. Disconnected. Marcus had made up his mind. I was lying. His precious Hannah was all that mattered. Scarface was losing it. “Is this guy brain-damaged? His wife is in trouble and he’s not worried at all?” Baldy stayed cold. “Wait. The sheriff’s office will notice by morning. Then they’ll care.” They ate their microwave pasta. I sat in the corner. Rope biting my wrists. Dawn came. No Marcus. Baldy’s composure cracked. Then he kicked me in the stomach. Agony. White-hot. My vision swam. Scarface pointed. “She’s bleeding. A lot.” Baldy’s face shifted. “Hey. What’s wrong.” I couldn’t form words. Barely a whisper. “Help. Me. Please. I’m going to die.” Sirens screamed outside. Baldy looked at the blood. Looked at the cops. “We leave. Now. Let Marcus deal with this mess.” The sirens closed in. My body was failing me. Again? I was going to lose my baby again? Tears dripped off my chin. Baby. Please. Just hold on a little longer.

The door burst open. Uniforms flooded in. No Marcus. Of course. He was with Hannah. Holding her hand. Stroking her fragile, trembling fingers. My heart clenched. Then nausea rose. Every ounce of pain he gave me. Every drop. I would make him taste it all. A small figure shoved through the cops. “Olivia!” Jessica. Jessica Lynch. My best friend. My only friend. She’d called the police. “Olivia, what happened? Oh God. Paramedics. Someone get paramedics. She’s dying. Please. Help her.” Her frantic voice followed me into the ambulance. I woke up in a hospital bed. Everything hurt. Lashes across my back burned. I ignored them. My hand went to my stomach. Jessica stirred beside me. “You’re awake.” She saw my hand. Her face crumpled. “Olivia. You need to rest. Don’t be too sad, okay? The baby must have really wanted to be an angel. God just called her back early.” I closed my eyes. Tears slid into the pillow. I couldn’t keep you either. Jessica squeezed my hand. “Thank you, Jess.” “Don’t be stupid.” She wiped her eyes. “Let me get the doctor.” She walked out. A familiar voice stopped at the door. “Olivia. Really committing to the performance, aren’t you.” Marcus. Jessica spun around. “Marcus, you bastard. What the hell are you talking about?” He smirked. “Still playing victim? You took it all the way to the hospital. You know you’re wasting emergency resources, right?” I didn’t get a chance to answer. Jessica exploded. “Are you insane? Your wife was kidnapped. You’re the sheriff. You didn’t lift a finger. You took your entire office to rescue some bitch pretending to die. Now your wife just had a miscarriage and you have the audacity to blame her?” A figure in a hospital gown stepped out from behind Marcus. “Miscarriage? Really, Olivia? I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”

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“I’ll say it one last time—if that acquisition doesn’t go through before the quarterly report,we pull out of the entire northern market.” I sat at the head of the table,eyes sweeping across the board. “I’ve already lowered the base price.What’s left is whether you have the guts to bet.” The Delta on the other end froze for a second,then started to speak,but I cut him off with a wave. “No excuses.Thirty minutes.That’s all you get.” “Yes,Luna,”he muttered. I ended the call and leaned back,exhaling.Just as I was about to stand,a sharp chime came from my terminal. 【Did you see Felicity’s wedding post?Are you really not coming?】 My brow furrowed. The high school group chat—dead for ten years—had come alive like a zombie. 【She’s marrying an Alpha of Blackthron Pack!Hundreds of luxury cars at the wedding!The whole class is here!】 【You still alive?Haven’t spoken in a century—how miserable are you?】 I glanced at the terminal,my finger swiping out of reflex…and then I saw it. My heart skipped a beat. Felicity in a white gown,beaming with joy.Standing beside her,in a tailored tuxedo—Logan. My husband. The office fell into a dead silence. “You okay?”My Beta Anna knocked and stepped in.“The board just wrapped up—next up is…” “Anna,”I interrupted,my voice icily calm.“Tell the driver to bring the car around.” She paused.“Where to?” I slid my phone across the desk. She saw the photo and gasped.“Holy hell…is that Logan?” I smiled,but there was no warmth in it. “Looks like I’ve got a wedding to crash.” In the car,I dialed Logan’s number. “Hey?”He sounded casual. “Where are you?” “At work.Client dinner.Why?” “Dinners usually involve wedding tuxedos?”I asked,voice like steel. He paused for two seconds.“You saw the picture.” “Want to explain?”I said flatly.“You’re marrying someone else.And that someone is my old classmate.” “Meghan.”He sighed.“You know our marriage was just a family arrangement…” “You married me to gain a seat on the Holloway board,”I snapped.“How long have you and Felicity been screwing around?” “Don’t make a scene,”he said,voice lower.“Let’s end this gracefully.” I almost laughed.“Gracefully?After you cheated,lied,and married my enemy?” There was a pause,then a quiet chuckle.“Let’s not pretend we were ever in love.” He hung up. I stared at the black screen,fingers digging into my palm. At the wedding hall. I walked in wearing black.Like a storm wrapped in silk. Felicity was in the middle of the crowd,glowing like a star.When she saw me,her smile brightened. “Meghan!You came!”she chirped.“I thought you’d hide!” I stepped forward,eyes locked on Logan. He stiffened.“You shouldn’t be here.” Felicity hooked her arm in his.“She’s my classmate—and your…old friend.Of course she should come.” “Really?”I leaned in close,whispering,“You stole my husband and want me to clap for you?” She grinned.“Let go,Meghan.He chose me.” I turned to Logan.“Say it to my face.Did you marry me?” His jaw clenched.“Yes.” “Then what the hell is this today?” He said nothing. Felicity tilted her head.“Just love,darling.” I tore up the invitation in my hand and let the pieces scatter at their feet. “Remember this,”I said,voice cold as ice.“This isn’t the end.It’s the beginning.” That night,back at home. I stood on the balcony,staring at the moon. A silver light bathed my skin.Then I heard it—a voice,ancient and powerful,echoing from nowhere. “True-blooded Luna,your time has come.Awaken.” I spun around—empty. But my heart was pounding. I looked up at the moon,lips curling into a calm,dangerous smile. “Very well,Felicity.” “You want everything I have?” “Then prepare to lose everything you’ve ever known.”

“Welcome!Are you a friend of the bride?” The hostess at the entrance greeted me with a dazzling smile. I took off my sunglasses and met her gaze. Her smile froze instantly. I didn’t answer.I walked straight inside. The venue was a parade of decadence—crystal chandeliers dripped with imported flowers,a red carpet led to a glass altar,and a dozen photographers circled the couple like vultures around royalty. And there she was—Felicity Simons—draped in a wedding gown that shimmered like sunrise,standing beside my husband,smiling like she owned the world. Logan leaned down to kiss her on the forehead,the cameras eating it up like they were the perfect couple. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and stepped forward. The buzz in the room dimmed.Chatter faded.All eyes turned as I approached. Felicity spotted me.Her smile flickered—then returned,wider,almost gloating. “Oh!Meghan?”she chirped.“I thought you wouldn’t dare show up!” “You asked me to handle cleanup,didn’t you?”I replied sweetly.“Figured I’d come see what mess needs mopping.” Logan walked over,tension creeping across his face.“What are you doing here?” “Attending the wedding of my‘friend’and my husband,”I said,locking eyes with him.“Got a problem with that,sweetheart?” Silence rippled across the room. Guests began whispering: “Wait—is she really Logan’s wife?” “I heard it was just a business marriage…yikes.” “This is getting wild…” Felicity didn’t flinch.She looped her arm through Logan’s. “Oh Meghan,don’t be so dramatic.We just happened to find happiness first.” I stared her down.“Sleeping with someone else’s husband is happiness to you?” “Correction,”she smiled,“your ex-husband.Divorce papers are filed.Just waiting on your signature.” “You really do love promotion.”I snorted.“From‘classmate’to‘sister’to‘bride’—quite the ladder you’ve climbed.” Her face twitched.“So,you know.” I leaned in close.“You thought you could hide it forever?” “Felicity Simons,”I said slowly,“you’re the illegitimate daughter of my father and a fallen wolf tribe woman.You were never a Simons.You’re a Holloway.” Her pupils trembled,but she kept smiling.“And yet,even as your sister,Logan chose me.” I turned to Logan.“Do you even know who she is?Do you care how she wormed her way into your life?What do you love more—her pedigree or the pup in her belly?” Logan stayed quiet,gripping Felicity’s hand tighter. “You’re pregnant?”I looked at her. She stroked her stomach proudly.“Three months.You never could conceive,right?Guess Alpha blood only works for true love.” I nodded.“How poetic.” Then I pulled a folded ultrasound from my clutch and flung it at her. “Too bad I’m pregnant too.Two weeks ahead of you.” Gasps exploded from the crowd. Felicity’s expression shattered.Even Logan’s mask cracked. I addressed the guests: “I endured all his betrayal and coldness because I once believed I’d chosen him.But now I see—he was never a partner.Just a parasite.Feeding off my family,my position,and my name.” I looked Logan straight in the eye.“You weren’t beneath me—you were never even worthy of me.” Finally,he spoke,voice low.“Meghan,calm down…this isn’t what you think—” “Isn’t what I think?”I laughed,voice shaking with fury.“Then explain the wedding tux,the vows,the kissing photos.Is this some twisted theatre piece?” He hesitated,glancing at Felicity. I stepped closer,voice like a blade.“You’ve been planning this escape,haven’t you?” A pause. “You know our marriage was never real,”he said softly. “Don’t feed me that family-arranged crap,”I snapped.“You were the one camped outside my pack begging for attention.The one who begged to come to the Alpha council banquet.The one who called me‘Luna’in bed while promising forever.” His jaw clenched.“I never said I didn’t love you.” “You never did,”I said,seething.“You loved the board seat.You loved the Beta pass I gave you.You loved what I built—and you stole every bit of it.” His voice turned cold.“And you?You used me too—as your husband’s title for your own leverage.” I laughed.“If I were using someone,I’d pick a far better option than you.” Felicity tried to step in.“Alright,that’s enough.Don’t torture yourself like this,Meghan—” I turned on her.“Shut up.You don’t get to play peacemaker in the story you ruined.” I stepped right up to Logan,locking eyes with him. “You chose betrayal.Don’t expect mercy.I’ll make sure you never take another step in wolf society.Even if you crawl to the fallen tribes,I’ll see to it that you stay an Omega forever—unawakened.Forgotten.” Logan’s face finally dropped. I turned and walked down the aisle,my heels biting into the red carpet like punishment. That night,in the Holloway estate. I sat on the balcony,scrolling through dozens of voice messages from Felicity. 【You think this is over?】 【You don’t have the guts to keep that pup.】 【You think you’re the main character?Please.I’m the one your daddy left behind.Not you.】 I played every one,calm as ice. “Anna,”I said,lifting my phone. “Yes,Luna?” “I need a drone,a paternity test,a hidden camera file,and—contact Elias.” “…Beta Elias?Are you sure?” “Tell him,”I said,smiling.“The game’s about to begin.” Outside,the moon blazed too brightly.Silver light poured over me like judgment. And then—time seemed to freeze. Lunara’s voice echoed,powerful and cold: “She seeks to steal your destiny,not knowing— the true Luna cannot be replaced.” I closed my eyes and whispered back: “Then I’ll rip their masks off,one by one.”

Felicity stormed after me down the aisle,one heel missing,gown dragging behind her like a broken promise. “You can’t be pregnant!”she hissed,catching up to me.“Pack doctor said after that accident you—” I held a finger to my lips and smirked.“Shhh.Looks like you’ve been snooping more than I thought.” Her pupils shrank.“You planned this?” “Pregnancy is a blessing from the Moon Goddess,”I said coolly.“You think your tricks would be enough to steal Logan and the Alpha bloodline all to yourself?” She trembled with fury,lips pale. I turned,walking toward the exit. “Watch yourself,Meghan,”she called after me,voice suddenly smooth.“You think I’m your only enemy?You don’t even know who you are.” I stopped. She smiled—sweet and venomous. “Maybe you should ask your mother how she found out about me in the first place.” I turned back slowly.“My mother knows about you?” “Of course she does,”Felicity said,stepping closer.“You think I just coincidentally transferred to your school that year?You were thirteen,remember?Just brought back from foster care into the Holloway estate.And I—well,I was placed right next to you.” Something flickered in the back of my mind—long-forgotten images. A girl who mimicked my clothes,copied my handwriting,even stole my lunchbox.Teachers said we were“like sisters.” She pressed on.“Remember those nightmares you had?Someone stealing your father’s hugs?Not dreams,Meghan.Memories.” My throat burned. “You’re lying.” “Am I?”Her grin widened.“Then go get a DNA test.See if we share the same father.” My fists clenched.“You’ve hated me since we were kids?” She tilted her head.“Not hate.Jealousy.I have your blood,but not your face,not your title.Not your throne.” I looked at her for a long second. “So you didn’t just want Logan,”I said softly.“You wanted to erase me completely.” Her voice was almost a whisper.“You said it yourself—wolves honor bloodlines and fate.And while you were busy believing you were chosen…I’d already stolen your destiny.” I walked away without another word. Back at the estate,I unlocked a door I hadn’t opened since coming of age—the family archives,sealed with the Holloway crest. Tonight,I needed answers. Scrolls,letters,records covered the shelves like ancient bones.I found a letter written in my father’s own hand: “Regarding F.S.,her existence must be concealed.Her mother,of fallen blood,ensnared me years ago…a daughter was born…” My fingers trembled. He’d admitted it. I pulled out a silver ring—Holloway’s blood verification artifact.Prick the finger,drop the blood—if compatible,the Moon Crest glows. I bit down,let the blood drip. The ring shimmered.Twin crests emerged—my blood and hers. They matched the wolf tooth pendant Felicity wore since high school. We were sisters. That night,a video anonymously exploded across the wolfnet: 【Logan Ridley,still married to Meghan Holloway,secretly engaged to Felicity Simons.】 【Felicity Simons:revealed to be Holloway’s illegitimate daughter.】 【The two colluded to seize Luna inheritance and connect with fallen tribes.】 Comments blew up like wildfire: 【No wonder the wedding wasn’t streamed—guilty much?】 【Meghan is the rightful Luna!】 【This is more dramatic than our favorite werewolf soap—LOVE IT.】 I closed the app,smirking. “Now they’ll see what it feels like…to burn in public.” Late at night,Elias knocked on my study door. He stood tall,composed as always,but there was fire in his eyes. “You finally called me.” I didn’t answer.I simply tossed him my father’s letter. He scanned it,jaw tightening. “She really is your sister.” “She doesn’t just want Logan,”I said.“She wants my name.My blood.My place.” “What will you do?”he asked. I stared at the moon outside. “I’ll make her watch everything she stole be ripped from her fingers.And I’ll make Logan beg to lose everything.” Elias’s voice was quiet.“This path…it won’t be clean.Every step from now on is war.” I looked him dead in the eye. “I’ve never been afraid to fight,”I said.“I was just too merciful before.”

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— Aria’s POV — I gave my rival my kidney. I gave my fiancé everything he wanted. I died exactly the way the story wanted me to. I just wasn’t there when it fell apart. The day Damien brought Sienna Locke home, he gave me three demands. “First—bow to Sienna. Lower your head and thank her for not holding a grudge against you all these years.” “Second—sign the divorce papers. Make room for Sienna.” “Third—donate one of your kidneys to Sienna for her treatment. Consider it your apology for everything you owe her.” Damien waited for a long time. He didn’t get the furious accusations or the sound of things breaking. “Of course, if you’re willing to admit right now that you were wrong—” He was still talking when I walked straight up to Sienna and bent at the waist. Deep and low—once, twice, three times. When I straightened up, I looked at Damien’s stunned face and asked flatly. “Anything else? If not, I’ll go book the kidney removal surgery.” Damien grabbed my wrist, his jaw tight with anger. “What kind of game are you playing now?!” I didn’t answer. But in my mind, I had finally made the decision I’d been sitting on for ten years. It was time to leave. This story was always going to end this way. Ten years ago, when I first woke up in this world, I’d known I was inside the pages of a romance novel. Damien Ashford was the male lead. Sienna Locke was the destined heroine. The Voice had told me the storyline couldn’t be defied—those two would fall in love in the end. But I didn’t believe it. I really, truly didn’t. Because Damien had looked at me like I was the only person in the room. Every time he’d said “I love you,” it sounded like an oath sealed in blood. I thought I’d rewritten the story. I thought I’d won. But what was the result? I looked up at him. The Voice echoed in my mind once more. [Die within three days, and you’ll be free from this world.] Our eyes locked. “Let go. If I don’t leave now, I’ll miss the surgical window.” “You think pulling a stunt like this will make me feel sorry for you?” Damien let out a cold laugh and released my wrist. “A kidney. There’s no way in hell you’d actually go through with it.” I didn’t look back. I walked out of the villa. …… The private hospital. The surgeon flipped through my file and looked up. “Ms. Moretti, Mr. Ashford already sent over the tissue-matching results. We can operate today, but we’ve run low on general anesthesia. We’d have to use an epidural—half-conscious sedation only.” “That’s fine.” “With a half-sedation, you’ll feel significant pulling pain throughout the procedure. It will be extremely painful. You might want to wait until tomorrow—” “Today.” The surgeon didn’t argue. He handed me the surgical confirmation receipt. Three years ago, when the company had hit a crisis, I’d drunk myself into a stomach hemorrhage at the negotiating table and ended up in the ICU. Damien had waited outside the ward all night, shaking from head to toe. When I’d come out, he had held me so tight it hurt and whispered: We’ll get through this. And we’ll keep loving each other. Always. But now he was a different person. The surgery took three hours. When the anesthesia faded, the pain hit like a freight train. I bit down on the gauze and didn’t make a sound. After they wheeled me out, I took out my phone and signed the electronic divorce agreement Damien had sent over. Then I sent it back. A clean break. I gave up every share I held in the company, every property under my name, every title and position. No dividends. No settlement. No compensation. I even included the account number and password for my own personal bank card at the bottom. Damien saw the contents and called me almost immediately. I declined the call. He called again. I powered off the phone. By the time I got back to the villa, it was already dark. The wound at my side still throbbed with a dull, grinding ache. Sienna had already moved in. She was lounging on the sofa when I walked through the door. She stood up the moment she saw me. “Aria! You’re back. How did the surgery go?” Her gaze drifted down to my shirt, where a dark stain of blood had seeped through the fabric. The corner of her mouth twitched upward before she could catch herself. I walked past her without a word and headed upstairs. From the very back of the closet, I pulled out a metal box. Inside were two things—a journal and a ring. I had started writing the journal ten years ago, the day I’d first arrived in this world. “I saw him on campus today. He seemed to notice me too. The storyline says he’s supposed to fall for Sienna—but the way he looked at me… maybe this story can be rewritten.” “I only had five dollars left. I spent four on a cup of hot chocolate for him. He couldn’t help himself—he leaned over and kissed me.” “We got married. We built a company together from nothing. The Voice keeps telling me the plot will course-correct, but I don’t believe it anymore. I don’t want to leave this world.” The entries stopped three months ago. That was the day photos of Damien Ashford—CEO of their company—kissing actress Sienna Locke on a sidewalk had exploded across every social media platform. I walked to the fireplace and threw the journal in. The match took three strikes to light. Ten years of handwriting curled, blackened, and crumbled page by page. When the fire was at its peak, Damien suddenly came through the door. He rushed over. He saw what was inside the fireplace and shoved his hand into the flames, pulling out half a charred page with his bare fingers. The words had burned away except for the last two lines—my handwriting from two years ago. “I love him.” Damien clutched that half-page, his eyes bloodshot as he turned to me. “Have you lost your goddamn mind?!” I didn’t look at him. I tossed the wedding ring into the fireplace after the journal. “Aria! Sienna was the one who saved me ten years ago—and you took credit for it this entire time! You owe me. Not the other way around!” He grabbed my shoulders and wrenched me around to face him. The wound at my side tore under the pressure, and cold sweat broke across my skin instantly. “All you had to do was admit you were wrong! Instead you signed everything away, burned it all, walked away from the company—what the hell do you want?!” “Look down,” I said. I pointed at the fireplace. As the flames died down, he saw the sheet of paper underneath that hadn’t burned yet. The kidney removal surgery receipt. Damien’s hands slid off my shoulders. His lips parted twice without producing a sound. He took a step back. “You… actually went through with it?” I turned toward the bedroom and no answer. Behind me, silence. He didn’t follow. He didn’t even try. Two days left.

— Aria’s POV — The next morning, Sienna showed up at my bedroom door. Behind her stood the same doctor from the private hospital. “Aria, I feel terrible for bothering you so early.” “My transplant surgery is coming up, but my blood count has been dangerously low. Your blood type happens to be a perfect match for mine.” She rested her hand lightly on her side and rubbed it, the picture of frailty. “For the transplant to succeed, I just need a small favor from you.” I looked at her. “Sure. How much?” She hadn’t expected me to agree that quickly. She paused for a beat. “Eight hundred milliliters.” The doctor behind her hesitated. “Ms. Moretti, you just had a kidney removed yesterday. Your body is in an extremely weakened state. Drawing blood right now isn’t advisable—” I cut him off and rolled up my sleeve. “It’s fine. Go ahead.” When the needle went in, I turned my head and stared out the window. Blood traveled down the tube, slow and steady. Eight hundred milliliters. A body that had just lost a kidney was already running on fumes. Halfway through the draw, my vision blurred and went dark for a few seconds. Sienna sat in the chair beside me, watching the bag swell with blood, her legs crossed, a satisfied look on her face. After I sent them away, I got out of bed. I made my way down the stairs, one hand gripping the railing the entire way. The wound felt like it was being ripped open with every step. By the time I reached the front entrance of the villa, I had to crouch down. I sat on the stone steps for five minutes, waiting for the black fog in my vision to clear. Then I called a cab. To the funeral home. The staff at funeral homes had seen all kinds of people. But apparently they had never seen a twenty-eight-year-old woman walk in to pre-arrange her own burial. “Single occupancy. The smallest you have.” I had two thousand dollars in cash left. The cheapest urn was pine. Nine hundred dollars. The cheapest niche for storage was in the northeast corner. One thousand dollars. After I paid, the attendant handed me a receipt. I folded it neatly and slipped it into my pocket. Outside the funeral home, I sat on the front steps and deleted every social media account on my phone, one by one. Ten years of posts and photos—erased. Before I deactivated my phone number, I sent one last message to my college best friend, Mia Hartley. After that, I canceled the number. That evening, I returned to the villa. Damien was sitting on the living room sofa. When he saw me walk in, his eyes went cold. “You deactivated all your social media?” “I called you all afternoon. Your phone was off.” “Are you playing the disappearing act now?” He pulled out his phone from his jacket and flashed the screen in my face. It showed a screenshot from his banking app. “I froze that card. Every linked card too. You don’t have a single cent to your name right now.” His lip curled slightly. “Sienna told me—you’re perfectly healthy. You never went through with the surgery. That receipt was a fake, wasn’t it?” “You think this kind of stunt is going to make me cave? Let me be clear—it won’t work on me.” I didn’t want to hear any more. I pressed my hand against my side where blood was seeping through again, and walked past him toward the stairs. Behind me, his voice rose. “You can’t survive without me. No money, no one left—who are you going to turn to?” I shut the bedroom door behind me. Nineteen hundred dollars had already gone to the funeral home. I had a hundred dollars left on me. Enough for one more day alive.

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My five-year-old pup staggered into the house, her small body quivering as she fell to her knees in front of me. Her arms wrapped around my leg, desperate, as she whispered with trembling lips, “I never want to go back. Please, don’t make me go.” I knelt to her level, gently cupping her tear-streaked face. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? What happened at daycare?” Her golden eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she didn’t speak, shaking her head in fear. Instincts flaring, I carefully lifted the hem of her shirt—and my heart clenched at what I saw. Her soft skin was marred with deep gouges from claws, bruises blooming around the wounds. My wolf snarled within me, a growl rising in my throat. I snapped a quick photo, sending it through the pack’s communication link with a fury that could not be contained: [Who did this?!] The response came within seconds. [I told my son to do it!] The name that followed was Lucy. I growled louder, two more images appearing in quick succession. The first showed Lucy standing proudly next to my mate, Alpha Ethan, during their mating ceremony. The second was an old photo of me, my pup, and Alpha Ethan, taken years ago. [You disgraceful Omega! You had the audacity to steal my mate and bear a bastard child? It’s a miracle I didn’t let my son finish the job!] The pack chat exploded. Insults poured in from wolves who had once been allies or even friends, calling my pup and me names, mocking our very existence. Even the Beta teacher from the daycare joined in, tagging Lucy with a message: [Liam performed well today. He’s definitely getting a gold star tomorrow.] Lucy responded with a smug emoji. [If you’re upset, come find me. My son and I are still here at the daycare.] My claws twitched, and without a word, I scooped up my pup and marched toward the daycare, every step filled with the need for retribution. As I walked, I quickly typed a message to my pack’s enforcers: [Get the challenge papers ready. According to the Westwood Pact, Ethan gets nothing.] [Also, my daughter was attacked. I want the culprits punished severely.] [How dare that weakling Ethan betray me, claiming another as his Luna?] When I arrived at the daycare, Lucy was standing outside, clearly relishing the attention, surrounded by several high-ranking she-wolves who practically bowed at her feet. Their eyes were full of admiration and awe. “Lucy, you’re so humble!” one of them gushed. “If we hadn’t known better, we wouldn’t have guessed your mate is the Alpha of Westwood Pack.” “Exactly!” another added. “No wonder you exude such power—being the true Luna has its perks, doesn’t it?” “We’re all here to support you,” another chimed in. “We won’t let some lowborn Omega take your rightful place.” “And look at Liam,” said another. “He’s already showing dominance, even at such a young age! He’s the true heir to Westwood Pack.” The Beta teacher, her posture stiff, even bowed slightly. “Luna Lucy, let me know what Liam likes to eat. We’ll make sure the daycare caters to his tastes from now on.” Lucy soaked in the praise, her chin high, savoring every word of their adoration. Ever since Ethan joined our pack, my father stepped down and made him the Alpha. For years, Ethan had lived off my pack’s wealth, contributing nothing of value. I had allowed him to oversee a minor part of Westwood Pack’s trade business just to keep him occupied. Now, Lucy used that very position to elevate herself, basking in the limelight. As I approached, the whispers from the crowd turned into sneers, their eyes filled with disdain. They looked at me like I was nothing but a rogue contaminating their sacred grounds. The Beta teacher stepped forward with icy resolve. “Selene, I have orders from the Alpha. Your daughter is expelled. Effective immediately.” My wolf seethed within me. “She was attacked. And instead of seeking justice, you expel her?” The Beta’s lips curled into a sneer. “This is an elite daycare, reserved for pups born of noble lineage. An Omega’s child has no place here.” I stepped forward, my voice dangerously low. “Perhaps you should investigate who the real homewrecker is before you speak so freely.” Before I could say another word, Lucy stormed toward me. A sharp slap cracked against my face, echoing in the still air. My wolf howled in fury, but I restrained her, for now. Lucy’s smirk was laced with venom as she spoke. “How dare a rogue like you show your face here?” She bared her teeth, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction. “Did you honestly think birthing a bastard would make you the Luna of Westwood Pack?”

The sharp slap left me dazed, a sudden shock coursing through me. The pack members gathered around, their laughter cutting through the air as they pointed and jeered. “You don’t look like much, so why are you stooping to be with a rogue? And having a pup, too?” “Some wolves act so innocent, but the second they see a strong Alpha, they’re desperate to submit and be claimed!” “Rogues are a disgrace to the pack, and their pups are even worse!” The insults piled up, drawing more onlookers who began to point and laugh. A few even pulled out their phones to take videos, adding fuel to the fire. Some spat in my direction, their contempt thick in the air. Fury bubbled within me as I ripped off my custom-made Luna cloak and tossed it aside, the fabric crumpling into the trash. Turning to face Lucy, I spoke with cold precision. “You had your son bully my daughter, and now you slap me in front of everyone. Who do you think you are to act like this with no consequence?” Lucy’s response was dripping with arrogance. “It’s only fitting for a Luna to slap an Omega. And besides, I’m the Luna of the Westwood Pack. Hitting you and your filthy pup is nothing. I could take your life without a second thought, and it wouldn’t even matter!” The pack members jumped in, sneering and mocking me. “If you hadn’t been a rogue, Lucy wouldn’t have slapped you. You brought this upon yourself.” “You’re just a filthy omega. Instead of hiding your shame, you’re out here provoking us. A slap is the least you deserve.” “Yeah, so you think you can act all innocent just because you caught the attention of an Alpha? Stop pretending to be the victim. We’re not fools, blinded by scent bonding.” Even the bystanders joined in, their words biting deeper with every passing second. The more they mocked, the more emboldened Lucy became. She glanced at my car behind me, her eyes flashing with rage. “You filthy woman, spending my Alpha’s money like it’s nothing! How dare you drive a Rolls-Royce? A lowly rogue like you doesn’t deserve this!” “I hate rogue mates. Every single one of them should be driven out, or better yet, put down like the traitors they are!” With a cruel grin, Lucy pulled out a key and began slashing it across my car, leaving deep scratches in its surface. “Rogues must die!” she spat. I stared at the scratched metal, my voice cold and unwavering. “You’ll regret those words soon enough.” Lucy’s face twisted with fury. “You filthy woman, acting like you’re above everyone else just because you’re living off my Alpha’s money. Today, I’ll make sure you pay for every penny you’ve taken!” She picked up a brick from the ground and smashed it against my car’s window with a resounding crack. She didn’t stop there. She destroyed everything—windows, headlights, the hood—until nothing was left untouched. The other pack members, energized by her violent outburst, grabbed whatever they could find and joined in. They smashed the car with wild enthusiasm, tearing it apart piece by piece. Once the windows were shattered, they climbed inside, slashing at the seats and ripping apart the interior. The luxury vehicle that had once gleamed with pristine elegance was now nothing more than a wreck. Suddenly, one of the women opened the trunk, gasping in shock. “Look! There’s a bunch of expensive stuff in here!” she exclaimed. Lucy approached, pulling out a painting, her sneer widening. “A rogue mate trying to act all classy? How pathetic.” She ripped the painting in half and tossed the torn pieces onto the ground, stomping on them. “Someone like you doesn’t deserve such things. You only belong with trash!” One bystander, clearly an art enthusiast, inspected the torn remnants and gasped. “This looks like an authentic James! I’ve heard these go for 300 million at auction!” Lucy scoffed, her voice dripping with arrogance. “So what if it’s worth 300 million? It’s all my Alpha’s money! My Alpha’s wealth is mine to do with as I please. If I want to destroy my own things, who dares question me?” Her words struck me with a cold, biting anger. Let’s not even mention Ethan—he was just an Omega without a pack when I first met him. Even when I let him manage Westwood Pack’s business affairs, his incompetence had nearly cost us half the pack’s worth. If he weren’t my fated mate, I would have cast him aside long ago. Yet Lucy and these wolves treated him like some grand Alpha. They looked at him with admiration, as though he were the greatest of leaders. With Lucy leading the charge, the others eagerly joined in, tearing through my belongings. They destroyed everything in my trunk, including precious collectibles I had just bought at auction that morning. In mere moments, they turned them into worthless debris. I stayed calm, pulling out my phone. “Why aren’t you here yet? I need you in front of me in five minutes!” Before I even got a response, a pack member snatched the phone from my hand and slammed it to the ground, shattering it. “Trying to call for help? Where do you get the nerve?” “Who do you think you are, pretending to be important?” “She’s probably calling one of her lone wolf friends to put on a show for us! Hahaha!” The pack erupted into laughter, mocking me without restraint. I stared at my shattered phone on the ground, my voice low and cold. “I hope you’ll still be laughing in a few minutes.” I turned to the teacher, my gaze hardening. “You knew my daughter was being bullied at school, didn’t you?” The teacher sneered at me with disdain. “So what if I did?” she spat. “A bastard pup of a rogue mate isn’t worth anything. Liam was just putting her in her place. What’s the problem?”

The moment Lucy spoke, a wave of applause and cheers erupted from the gathered parents. “That’s why you’re Luna! You deal with everything so decisively and fairly!” “Exactly, this is a prestigious Pack. Not just anyone can belong here.” “Why would an Omega’s daughter need schooling? You should be teaching her how to seduce Alphas, like you did. Maybe she’ll even outdo you and find a more powerful mate!” Lucy’s audacity grew even bolder. “See that? This is what happens when you’re an Omega rogue. You and your daughter will always be at the bottom of the Pack, despised by everyone!” The crowd’s jeers and insults rained down on me. The more they spat their venom, the broader Lucy’s smile grew. The teacher, a timid Beta, saw an opportunity to flatter her. “Mrs. Turner, the Alpha mentioned that if you’re pleased with how things have been handled, he hopes you could do us a favor.” “You know we’re planning to expand the Pack’s territory, and all the land around here is owned by Westwood Pack. What do you think…” Lucy, arms crossed, gave a condescending smile. “Don’t worry. I’m very satisfied with how this was resolved today. When the time comes, I’ll make a call, and my husband, the Alpha, will ensure you get all the land you need.” The teacher’s grin widened. “Thank you in advance, Mrs. Turner.” “Lucy, my husband’s worked with Westwood Group before. Could you keep us in mind for future Pack business?” “My company’s looking to shift industries. I’d love to partner with Westwood Group someday.” “Lucy, here’s a no-limit shopping card from my mall. I hope we can stay close.” In an instant, parents were scrambling to win her favor, each one trying harder than the last to impress her. Some even slipped their Pack tokens into her bag. Lucy basked in the adoration, her arrogance radiating from every inch of her. She raised her chin high as she strutted past me, then sneered, “See that? This is the power of wealth and Pack influence. “You, a rogue Omega, will spend your life serving stronger men, hoping for the smallest scraps. “But me? I’ll live the kind of glory you’ll never even imagine. “I’m giving you one day. Take your bastard daughter and leave this territory. If I see you near my mate again, I’ll bury that little pup of yours alive!” My daughter clung to me, trembling. “Mom, I’m scared. My foot… it hurts so much…” Her voice quivered with fear and pain. I quickly removed her boot and gasped in horror—one of her toes was gone. The wound was grotesque, blood pooled inside her shoe. It felt as though a dagger had pierced my heart, and I couldn’t stop the tears that flooded my eyes. How had my fragile, pain-sensitive daughter endured this without a word? Fury exploded within me as I glared at Lucy. “Did your son, the Alpha pup, do this to her?” Lucy glanced at me nonchalantly. “Why are you making such a fuss? Be grateful I didn’t have my son, the Alpha heir, take that brat’s life.” Before she could finish her sentence, I slapped her across the face. The force of my anger powered the strike, sending her stumbling back. As I prepared to strike again, a Beta Pack member grabbed my hair, and other parents joined in, kicking and punching. “You filthy Omega! How dare you lay a hand on Mrs. Turner? Are you begging for death?” “Yeah, your pup isn’t dead yet. Why rush to join her in the grave?” “Your kid’s lucky Liam, the Alpha pup, gave her a lesson. With a mother like you, she deserves whatever happens to her, even death!” The teacher, full of righteous indignation, kicked me too. “Stop hitting my mom!” my daughter screamed, trying to defend me. But a pudgy pup kicked her down to the ground. The teacher patted him on the head, grinning. “Liam, you always know how to deal with troublemakers. Such a good pup. I’ll make sure to praise you in front of the whole Pack tomorrow and give you a reward!” Liam grinned smugly. “Hmph, it’s what I’m supposed to do. I’ll beat that brat every time I see her.” Lying on the ground, seething with rage, I grit my teeth. “You’ll regret this!” The crowd erupted in laughter, as if I’d just told the most ridiculous joke. “Did I hear that right? A lowly rogue Omega daring to make threats?” “Hilarious! This wench actually thinks she’s important. Mrs. Turner is the Alpha’s Luna. Crushing you is as easy as squashing an ant!” “This worthless Omega can do nothing but throw tantrums. Hahaha!” “What a disgrace. If I were her, I’d have already ended my life.” The parents held me down, continuing to mock and humiliate me. The onlookers were just as cruel, spitting at me and taunting. Lucy, relishing in the attention, shoved her sharp heel into my face. “Hahaha! Regret? I’ve never regretted a single thing. I’d love to see how someone like you could make me regret anything!” At that moment, a line of luxury cars screeched to a halt at the school gates. Strong, silent Alpha men in suits quickly poured out of the vehicles…

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For three years, I warmed the Don’s bed in another woman’s place. Every night, I endured the Don’s ruthless possession in the dark. By dawn, I would kneel before Tiffany and repeat every word he had whispered against my skin. Until one day, I finally broke. That night, lying beneath him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and begged softly, “Could you at least give me a title? Even being your mistress would be enough.” Chad let out a low laugh. His fingers caught my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “You’re nothing but Tiffany’s maid,” he said coldly. “Making you my mistress would be a public insult to her.” My eyes slowly closed in despair. Everyone in the Lynch family knew how obsessed Chad was with Tiffany. The next morning, I knelt before the old Donna and volunteered to marry her eldest son—the one born with a congenital heart defect, the one doctors claimed would never live past thirty. The old Donna burst into tears. “According to old Sicilian custom, if you marry him, then when he dies, you die with him. Have you really thought this through?” I nodded quietly. “I’ll never regret it.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Chad and Tiffany’s faces turn pale. … That night, Chad walked past my room and entered Tiffany’s. I stood silently in the hallway, listening to his low voice and her soft laughter through the door, my hands clenched tightly at my sides. When Tiffany went to freshen up, I waited a few moments before quietly slipping inside. The room was dark except for thin strands of moonlight spilling across the floor. The moment I stepped through the door, Chad pinned me against it and kissed me hard. “Why’s your skin so cold?” he murmured against my lips. “I was outside watching the snow,” I lied softly. The truth was, I had been standing outside in nothing but a thin nightgown, waiting for Tiffany to summon me at any moment. Chad said nothing else. He carried me to the bed, parted my legs, and kissed me deeply. As always, he knew exactly how to make my body surrender before finally thrusting inside me. He kept me awake the entire night. Just before dawn, I slipped quietly out of bed. Tiffany was already waiting in the dressing room next door. Ignoring the soreness in my body, I knelt on the carpet and repeated every word Chad had said during the night—word for word. Her eyes drifted to the marks scattered across my neck, and her expression immediately darkened. After she returned to Chad’s side, he suddenly opened his eyes, rolled over, and pinned her beneath him. “Was last night not enough for you?” he teased lazily. “You still have energy to run around this early in the morning?” Tiffany blushed and lightly shoved him away. The two of them kissed again while I quietly lowered my head and slipped out of the room. Tiffany came from one of Washington’s most powerful political families. She was beautiful, elegant, and fragile from birth. She had remained unmarried for years simply because no man had ever caught her interest. Until Chad Lynch. The heir of the Lynch family fell for her at first sight during a high-society gala and pursued her relentlessly afterward. Tiffany’s father and the old Don Lynch got along immediately and soon arranged the marriage between the two families. As Tiffany’s personal maid, I had truly been happy for her. Until their wedding night. Tiffany fainted in Chad’s bed. Chad had been raised by Don Lynch like a weapon—ruthless, domineering, terrifying in bed. Tiffany’s delicate body simply couldn’t withstand him. For three nights straight, their marriage remained unconsummated. Rumors quickly spread throughout the Lynch estate that the Donna would soon be replaced by a mistress. Desperate, Tiffany came up with a solution. Every night after the lights went out, I would take her place in Chad’s bed. Among all her maids, my figure and voice resembled hers the most. She promised me it would only last three years. Once her health recovered, she would give me enough money to leave the Lynch family forever. But my entire family served under Tiffany. Their lives rested in her hands. I had no choice but to agree.

An hour later, Tiffany and Chad finally came downstairs together. By then, I had already returned to my room, cleaned myself up, changed clothes, and prepared breakfast in the dining room. The moment Chad saw me, though, his eyes narrowed slightly. “Why are you dressed like that?” Instinctively, my fingers tightened around the tray in my hands. I couldn’t answer. Chad was rough in bed. He always left marks all over my body. The high collar was the only way to hide them. Even in the middle of summer, I had no choice but to keep myself covered. Before the silence could grow awkward, Tiffany gently touched Chad’s arm. “You forgot? Nancy can’t speak.” I quickly lowered my head and nodded. Tiffany had always been terrified that our arrangement would be exposed, so she told everyone in the Lynch family that I was mute. No one had ever questioned it. Chad raised an eyebrow slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Pretty little thing,” he drawled lazily. “Shame she can’t talk.” Tiffany’s smile stiffened almost imperceptibly. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked softly. “Don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to her.” Her tone remained gentle as always. But I could hear the warning underneath it. I immediately lowered my gaze. Tiffany glanced at me coldly, the look in her eyes sharp enough to make my stomach tighten. Chad smirked. “I haven’t even questioned you yet, and you’re already interrogating me?” As he spoke, he casually rolled up his sleeve. “Then explain this.” The bite mark on his wrist instantly drained the blood from my face. Last night, he had been too rough. I had cried until my throat went hoarse, and in a moment of pain and humiliation, I bit him. But to them, it looked no different from flirtation between husband and wife. I stood frozen beside the table, my fingers icy cold. A few minutes later, Chad left the dining room. The second the door closed behind him, a cup of scalding coffee splashed across my chest. I gasped and looked up. Tiffany’s face was twisted with fury. The slap came so suddenly that my head snapped sideways. “You filthy bitch!” she hissed. “How dare you bite Chad? Are you trying to provoke me?” Before I could defend myself, she ordered the servants to drag me downstairs. They tied my hands and locked me in the basement. No food. No water. Chad had gone to the docks to handle family business and wouldn’t return for three days. So Tiffany locked me there for all three. By the time I was nearly delirious from hunger, Bella finally bribed one of the guards and slipped me a bowl of broth through the crack beneath the door. Bella was my younger sister. She had entered the Lynch household with me as a maid, though she knew nothing about my role as Tiffany’s replacement. “Nancy, what happened?” she whispered anxiously. “How did you upset Tiffany this badly?” I shook my head weakly. The only thing I asked was, “When is Chad coming back?” Bella hesitated before answering quietly, “Tonight.” I let out a slow breath of relief. Then I asked about the estate. Bella sighed softly. “The old Donna wants to arrange a marriage for Mr. Boyd according to old Sicilian custom, but nobody’s willing.” Above Chad, there had once been an older brother—Boyd Lynch. The eldest son of the family. But Boyd had been born with a congenital heart defect and had spent most of his life hovering between life and death. Years ago, he withdrew completely from family affairs, which was how Chad became the Lynch family’s acting heir. And according to Sicilian tradition, if a woman married Boyd, she would be expected to follow him into death once he died. With rules like that, no respectable family wanted anything to do with him. Not even the servants dared go near him. That evening, Tiffany finally ordered someone to release me. A lavish dinner had already been prepared in the dining room. Tiffany sat elegantly at the table and smiled at me as though nothing had happened. “Nancy, I acted too impulsively that day,” she said gently. “Things have been chaotic lately, and I completely forgot about you. Don’t take it personally.” “I wouldn’t dare,” I replied quietly. After a moment of hesitation, I finally gathered the courage to speak. “I want to leave the Lynch family.” The smile on Tiffany’s face disappeared instantly. “You want to leave?” I nodded carefully. Three years. That had been our agreement. And those three years were already over. But Tiffany only smiled faintly. “My health still hasn’t recovered. Chad still needs you.” I looked at her in disbelief. She had promised me. Only three years. Tiffany slowly crossed her legs. “If you insist on leaving,” she said lightly, “then I’ll simply have Bella take your place.” My blood ran cold. “You’re sisters, after all. Similar voices. Similar figures.” For a long moment, I couldn’t say a single word. Finally, I forced myself to ask in a trembling voice: “Then… could you at least ask Chad to give me a title?” Tiffany looked at me as though I had said something ridiculous. “You want to become the lady of the house now?” She laughed softly. “If Chad wanted a mistress, there are plenty of women he could choose from. You’d be the last one.” Then her voice turned colder. “And don’t even think about asking him yourself. To him, you’re nothing but a toy.” “Even if you became his mistress, I could still get rid of you whenever I wanted.” My chest tightened painfully. “The gatekeeper has a son around your age,” Tiffany continued casually. “Next year, I’ll arrange your marriage to him. Consider it a reward for your years of service.” I felt sick instantly. Everyone in the estate knew the gatekeeper’s son was mentally unstable and violently abusive toward women. Cold sweat spread across my back. In that moment, I finally understood. Tiffany never intended to let me go. She wanted me trapped forever— a nameless shadow hidden beneath her marriage for the rest of my life. When Chad finally returned that evening, I was standing silently in the corner of the living room. Tiffany immediately rose to greet him. “You’re finally home,” she said sweetly. “Nancy accidentally broke one of the Italian antique cups, so I made her stand here and reflect.” Chad barely spared me a glance as he loosened his tie. His expression looked exhausted. “What’s happening with Boyd?” Tiffany sighed softly. “You know how it is. No decent family would willingly send their daughter to die beside a dying man.” Chad frowned impatiently. “Then find someone desperate enough.” His voice was cold and indifferent. “Money. Threats. Whatever works.” “Mother already dislikes you enough. Handle this properly, and maybe her attitude will improve.” Tiffany obediently lowered her eyes. “Yes, darling.”

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I returned early from an overseas business trip to surprise my wife, Lily Osborn. I quietly came to her gathering to find her, but instead I was framed for stealing a watch there. The man stormed up to me. “My wife is the president of Domino Group. Who the hell do you think you are, stealing from me?” He kept slapping me and even broke my hand. Only then did I find out that Lily had been cheating on me during the three years I was abroad. I was furious. I stared at Lily, who rushed over, and said, “I put you in the president position of Domino Group. How dare you cheat on me while I was abroad!” Jack swung a slap across my face. “You dare steal my watch? You’ve got some nerve!” I ignored the burning pain on my face and stared at him. “Who did you just say your wife is?” Jack thought I was scared and smiled smugly. “Listen carefully. The famous Domino Group belongs to my wife. Give my watch back right now, or I’ll send you straight to jail!” The people around us started pointing at me and whispering. “Stealing Ms. Osborn’s husband’s watch? He really got a death wish or something.” “Exactly. I heard the watch was a gift from Ms. Osborn. A limited-edition Patek Philippe worth five million. There’s only one in the world.” Shouldn’t that limited-edition Patek Philippe be sitting in my collection at home? Lily actually dared to spend my money on some kept man! What a joke. Just half an hour ago, she had texted me: [Chris, when are you coming back? I miss you so much. Love you.] I looked at Jack and gave a cold laugh. “What evidence do you have that I stole your watch?” Jack looked me up and down with contempt. “You went into the restroom with me. When we came out, my watch was gone. If it wasn’t you, who else could it be? You look like you can’t afford anything anyway!” I said coldly, “You make the claim, you prove it. Without evidence, you’re just accusing me.” Jack grabbed my collar, arrogant and domineering. “I say you stole it, you stole it. I don’t need evidence!” I frowned. “Where is Lily? Bring her to me.” The disdain in Jack’s eyes deepened. “Since you know my wife, you should know what happens when you cross me!” I pried his fingers off and took out my phone to call Lily. Before I could dial, Jack slapped the phone out of my hand. The phone fell to the floor. I bent down to pick it up, but Jack stepped on the back of my hand. He ground his foot down hard, his voice vicious. “Don’t even think about calling for help. I’m telling you right now, if you don’t hand over my watch today, you’re not walking out of this door!” The pain made me gasp. I grabbed his leg with my other hand and yanked hard. He fell to the ground. Jack glared at me in rage. “You dare knock me down? I have to teach you a proper lesson today!” He called over a group of bodyguards. “Beat him. Don’t stop until he hands over my watch!” If I remembered correctly, these were the bodyguards I had arranged for Lily before I left the country. They forced me to the ground and slapped me over and over again. Faced with so many bodyguards, I had no way to fight back. Soon my mouth filled with blood. In my whole life, no one had ever dared lay a finger on me. I stared at Jack in fury and said, “If you don’t tell them to stop right now, I swear you’ll regret it.” Jack spat down at me from above. “You piece of trash dared to steal my watch and still talk big? Crushing you is as easy as crushing an ant!” The rage in my chest surged wildly. I let out a cold snort and said, “That’s my watch. I don’t need to steal it!”

The whole place went silent for a moment. Then Jack burst out laughing. “You poor bastard, what did you just say? The watch is yours?” “You’re insane. Why don’t you just say the entire bank belongs to you?” The people around us joined in the mockery. “He must’ve lost his mind. He stole it, and he thinks it belongs to him now.” “Ms. Osborn’s husband is covered in designer brands. Everything he’s wearing looks cheap and low-end. Even looking at him makes me feel uncomfortable. How dare he claim that limited-edition Patek Philippe as his?” Although I was born into a wealthy family, I was used to keeping a low profile. I had loved Lily for many years. Because her family was poor, she always felt inferior. After we got married, she refused to rely on me and insisted on starting her own business. So I started a company for her, pulled every string I could to land deals, and step by step made her the president of Domino Group. She even said she didn’t want anyone to think she got where she was because of me. She wanted to keep our marriage a secret and asked me not to go to her company. I agreed, for the sake of her pride. I never imagined that the wife who was usually so gentle, considerate, and caring would cheat on me. I directly pulled out the receipt for the watch. “This is the invoice from when I bought the watch. It proves the watch is mine.” Everyone present froze. “Could the watch really be his?” “Did we misjudge him? Could he be some lowkey rich guy?” Jack snapped back to his senses and shouted, “Don’t listen to his nonsense! This watch was given to me by my wife. There’s no mistake!” “The receipt must be fake. He’s just a thief. How could he possibly be some rich guy!” The moment they heard Jack’s words, they believed him again. “The stamp on this invoice looks wrong. You can tell at a glance it’s fake.” “That’s right. He came in here to steal. He must have prepared this in advance. He’s just fooling us!” I let out a cold laugh. These people all worked in business, yet they were stupid enough to be fooled by a kept man. I looked at Jack. “Call Lily out right now. Everything will be clear then.” Jack kicked me. “Who do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?” I asked coldly, “You keep saying Lily is your wife. Are you married?” Jack raised his phone with a smug expression. “Open your damn eyes and look carefully. This is our marriage certificate!” Lily and I weren’t divorced yet. If this marriage certificate was real, then she had committed bigamy. Jack then showed several photos of himself and Lily to me. When I saw the background in those photos, it hit me instantly—my blood boiled. Lily had brought him back to my villa and slept in my bed. No wonder she had insisted on replacing all the housekeepers a few years ago. She did it so I wouldn’t find out. And I even felt guilty for leaving her alone in the country. I transferred money to her all the time. In the end, she spent it all on this kept guy. Jack’s phone suddenly rang. He answered excitedly. “Babe, why aren’t you here yet?” “There’s a fucking idiot. He stole my watch and even claims it’s his. I’m teaching him a lesson right now.” “Who the hell is he? I won’t let him off. Wait for me. I’m coming over right now to deal with him.” Jack had the call on speaker. Lily’s voice rang clearly in my ears. I was shaking with rage. Seeing that Lily was rushing over to back him up, Jack became even more arrogant. He stared at me viciously. “Hand over the watch, or I’ll break your arm!”

I glared at him. “Are you insane? Break my arm? It’s against the law!” Jack laughed. “A thief talking about the law? I am the law here!” He was completely deranged. I ground my teeth and said, “If you dare break my arm today, I guarantee you’ll pay the price. You won’t get away with this.” Jack showed no fear at all. He was still extremely arrogant. “Are you seriously threatening me? I’ll break your arm right now and see what you can do to me!” He then ordered the bodyguards to bring a baseball bat. I was held down tightly. Jack raised the bat and swung it down hard at my right arm. I screamed in pain. Cold sweat broke out all over my body. I stared at my blood-soaked arm and wished I could skin Jack alive. But I couldn’t move at all. I didn’t even have the strength to speak. Someone exclaimed, “He’s bleeding so much. Is he dying?” A trace of panic flashed through Jack’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. “He stole my watch, but I didn’t call the police. I’ve tried to be nice.” “Besides, it’s just a bit of blood. He won’t die.” He lifted his foot and stepped on my head. “Talk. Where did you hide my watch?” “If you don’t hand it over now, I’ll break your other arm too. Let’s see how you steal things in the future!” Someone nearby suggested, “Search him. Maybe the watch is on him.” Jack nodded and told the bodyguards to search me. They didn’t find the watch. They only found a USB drive. My eyes went red with fury. “Give it back!” The USB drive contained confidential data from my overseas company. If it was destroyed, the losses would be immeasurable. Jack toyed with the USB drive, then threw it on the ground and stomped on it hard. He laughed wildly. “It’s just a piece of junk. Seeing you so nervous makes me want to crush it even more!” I clenched my fists as I watched my USB drive being crushed. “That contains my company’s confidential files. It’s worth a billion. I wonder if you’ll still be laughing when the bill comes due.” Jack kicked me a few more times when he heard that. “You think you can extort me like that?” “A broken USB drive worth a billion? Who would believe that? Stop pretending. I’m not an idiot!” I was beaten until my whole body was covered in injuries. I said coldly, “Even if you kneel down and beg me now, I still won’t let you off.” Jack’s expression changed. “Still talking tough? Strip him. I want my watch back!” As his words fell, several bodyguards started pulling off my clothes. I struggled desperately. “Don’t touch me!” I only had one hand free. I clutched my collar tightly and refused to let go, but the buttons of my shirt were still torn open. They then reached for my pants. Looking at Jack’s arrogant face, humiliation and hatred surged together. If I had a knife in my hand, I would have stabbed him without hesitation. Jack still wasn’t satisfied. He humiliated me further. “You dare steal my watch? I’ll make sure you don’t survive this!” Just as my pants were about to be pulled down, a voice suddenly rang out. “Stop!” Lily pushed through the crowd and rushed over. When she saw me lying on the ground, disheveled and half-naked, her face turned deathly pale. Jack instantly changed his attitude. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whined, “Babe, why did you take so long?” He pointed at me. “This shameless bastard stole the limited-edition watch you gave me and refuses to give it back to me.” “I broke his hand so he’ll never steal again.” “You have to help me teach him a good lesson!” Lily suddenly shoved Jack away. “Get lost!” Jack fell to the ground, completely stunned. “Babe, what’s wrong with you?” Lily said nothing and didn’t dare look at me. After getting up, Jack leaned over again and asked in confusion, “Did someone upset you?” “Just chill. Tonight, I’ll do whatever position you want in bed, okay?” He kept talking to himself and didn’t notice Lily’s trembling body at all. She turned to him and roared, “Shut up! Stop talking!” Jack looked shocked and aggrieved. “Babe, so many people are watching. At least save me some dignity.” I used all my strength to climb up from the ground. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and looked at Lily with icy eyes. “Tell them who I am.”

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The text came ten minutes before the wedding. My fiancé sent it. “Daisy’s in the ER. I have to go. Can we push the ceremony back?” The makeup artist was still tracing my lip line with a brush. Behind me, my maid of honor was adjusting the folds of my veil. Outside the dressing room door, the wedding coordinator was already running through the timeline. The officiant’s mic checks bled through the walls. The terrace at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden hummed with champagne-bright energy. I looked down at my phone. And then I laughed. Maya caught it first. She grabbed the phone from my hand and read the screen. Her face went pale. “Has Caleb lost his damn mind?” She kept her voice low, but the fury still cut through. “It’s your wedding. He’s running off to play hero for Daisy Reed?” The room went dead quiet. The makeup artist froze. The bridesmaid stopped moving. Everyone was staring at me. I was calm. So calm it almost made me want to laugh at myself. I’d been up since six that morning getting hair and makeup done. At seven, my mom made blueberry muffins. She said it was the big day. Couldn’t do it on an empty stomach. At eight, Caleb called. He said he was on his way. Told me not to be nervous. At nine, he sent a text. “You’re going to look insanely beautiful today.” At nine-fifty, he told me he was going to be with another woman. Unbelievable. The coordinator knocked. “Amelia? Almost time to go in.” Maya’s hands were shaking. “Mia. Say something. What do we do? I’m calling Caleb right now. I’ll rip him apart so hard he’ll question his entire existence.” I reached over and took my phone back. I looked down at the text one more time. Short. No explanation. No guilt. Not even a decent apology. He was informing me. Like a wedding could be paused. Like a bride could just wait. Like two hundred guests and both sets of parents could step aside for Daisy’s emergency. Like that was the natural order of things. I twisted the ring off my finger. Slowly. It was tight. It left a red mark on my knuckle. The second it came off, something inside me let go. “We’re not starting,” I said. Maya froze. “Mia?” I looked up at myself in the mirror. Flawless makeup. The Vera Wang gown was stunning. The veil draped over my shoulders. It was just like my hopes for this wedding. Light as air. Pull one thread and it all unravels. “The wedding’s off.” *** Ten minutes later, I walked onto the terrace in my wedding dress and heels. The string quartet hadn’t even finished their piece. The guests had been smiling. When they saw me walk out alone, those smiles stiffened and died. My mom rose from her seat. Her face went white. Caleb’s parents sat in the front row. They looked panicked. The officiant tried to smooth things over. He held his mic and forced a laugh. “Looks like our groom might be preparing a very special surprise for the bride…” I reached out and took the mic from his hand. The terrace fell silent. “No surprise,” I said. “Just an announcement.” My voice carried through the speakers. Clear. Every single person heard it. “The wedding is canceled.” The crowd detonated. Gasps. Whispering. Phones coming out to record video. I looked at all those stunned faces and felt something absurd settle in my chest. I’d spent four years in high-end event planning. I’d built contingency plans for countless couples. What to do when the lighting failed. When the flower wall collapsed. When the groom was stuck on the Long Island Expressway. When the bride got cold feet. I’d prepared for every disaster. I just never thought the first wedding to go off the rails would be my own. I held the mic and kept going. “We’ll handle all gift returns shortly. The reception and dinner will proceed as planned. Please enjoy yourselves. Consider it my treat for a less-than-perfect hosting.” The silence was so absolute you could hear ice cubes hitting glass. Someone whispered, “Where’s the groom?” I looked down and smiled. “He went to be with someone more important than his own wedding.” The atmosphere imploded. Caleb’s mother shot up. Her face twisted. She started toward me. “Amelia, don’t you dare. Caleb had an urgent situation, that’s all—” “Mrs. Hayes.” I looked at her. My voice was quiet. “I’ve already been more than gracious today.” She choked on her next words. My mom stood below the stage. Her eyes were red. Her lips trembled. But she still looked up at me. I knew she was aching for me. She also knew I wasn’t the kind of woman who cried in front of a crowd. I handed the mic back to the officiant. I gathered my skirt and stepped down. Halfway to the exit, my phone started buzzing. Frantic. Caleb. Call after call. I didn’t answer. He texted. “Mia, don’t make a scene.” “Daisy’s in bad shape. I can’t just leave her.” “Hold things together at the venue. I’m coming back now.” I stared at those words. Seven years together. And it all looked like a joke. I didn’t reply. I pulled up his contact. Hit “Block This Caller.” Then I dropped the phone in my bag.

Back in the dressing room, Maya was furious. Her eyes were bloodshot. “He actually had the nerve to tell you to hold things together?” I sat down and took off my veil. “He’s always been like this.” Maya went still. She knew about Caleb and Daisy. Everyone in our circle knew. I used to cover for him. I always did. They were just childhood friends who grew up together. They just happened to leave their small Ohio town for the city together. Daisy had a complicated family background. She was all alone in New York. It was hard for her. She got conned by some guy when she was struggling. He ran off and left her drowning in debt. Caleb just wanted to help. That’s all. Just that. Too many times. Too many justifications. They piled up into a blade. By the time it finally sank into my chest, even I thought the pain was what I deserved. Seven years with Caleb. The year we graduated college, he had nothing. I lived with him in the cheapest basement apartment in Bushwick. I helped him push his dead used car through a thunderstorm. When his startup needed cash, I emptied my savings for the bridge round before his angel investment came through. His mother was distant. She never remembered my name. Every time we met, she called me “that girl.” Caleb always just shrugged. “That’s how she is.” He never fought for me. Not once. We were supposed to get married. I picked the dress myself. I pulled two all-nighters designing the venue layout myself. I dragged him to three jewelry stores to pick the ring myself. I tried so hard to marry him. If it weren’t for that text today, I might still be lying to myself. This wasn’t the first time. The night I had a 102-degree fever, he went out to get me medicine. On the way, Daisy called. Her pipe had burst. He stood outside CVS for three seconds. Then he turned around and went to her place. I took an Uber to the ER alone. I sat there on an IV drip until dawn. And the night he proposed. He booked the Michelin restaurant. He bought the flowers. I even knew the exact second he was going to pull out the ring. Then Daisy got drunk. She called from Brooklyn Bridge Park, sobbing about ending her life. He left me alone in that candlelit private room. Ran out. The waiter came over awkwardly. “Ma’am, do you still need the flowers?” I sat by the window. That was the first time I tasted what it felt like to smile while your hands shook under the table. Seven years. So many moments like that. Every time, he told me it was the last time. Every time, I believed him. Because I loved him. Because I thought if we just got married, the boundaries would finally be clear. Once that certificate was signed, I’d become his priority. Legally. Officially. Irrevocably. Now I understood. A man who puts you second on your wedding day will keep you second for the rest of your life. The dressing room door swung open. Caleb was back. His jacket was draped over his arm. His tie was crooked. Sweat soaked his forehead. He looked like he’d sprinted the whole way. The moment he saw me, relief flickered across his face. Then his expression hardened. “Amelia. What the hell is this?” I looked up at him. There was a stain on his shirt cuff. Something dark. I didn’t know whose it was. He walked up to me. Kept his voice low. “I told you to hold things together. Why did you cancel the whole wedding?” I stared at him. I almost laughed. “You’re asking me why?” “Daisy was showing signs of a miscarriage. She’s pregnant. She had no one. Who else was supposed to go?” “Where’s the father?” I asked. Caleb frowned. “You know that bastard ran off.” “So you stepped in?” His breath caught. Like he finally heard how insane that sounded. “Mia. It’s not what you think with Daisy.” “Then what is it?” I stood up. The layers of my gown pooled around me like a cloud pressing down on my chest. “Ten minutes before our wedding. You left your bride to rush another woman to the ER. Tell me, Caleb. What exactly would qualify as ‘something’?” His jaw tightened. “Can you stop being unreasonable at a time like this?” Unreasonable. I looked at the man I’d loved for seven years. He felt like a stranger. “Caleb.” My voice was soft. “Did you really believe I would always forgive you?” He flinched. “Was it because I forgave you every single time before? Did that make you certain? That today I’d stand on that stage like a good girl and clean up your mess? Wait for you to come back? Listen to you say sorry? Pretend nothing happened?” His throat moved. But his voice stayed hard. “I didn’t think that.” “That’s exactly what you thought.” I picked up the ring from the vanity and placed it in his palm. “The wedding’s off. We’re done.” His face crumpled. “Mia. Don’t be impulsive.” “I’m not being impulsive.” I met his eyes. “I’m finally seeing clearly.” He grabbed my wrist. His grip was tight. “Do you have any idea how many people came today? Do you know what you made me look like in front of two hundred guests?” That sentence. It hit me like a bucket of ice water. Even now. He was thinking about his image. Not about me. Standing alone on that stage with every pair of eyes on me. Not about my mother. Sitting in the crowd listening to people whisper. Not about the wedding I’d spent a year planning. Crushed under someone’s heel. He was worried about how he looked.

I pulled my hand free. One finger at a time. “And what did I look like in front of those two hundred people?” I stared at him. “Like a pitiful abandoned woman? Or like an accomplice covering up your lies?” Something flickered in his eyes. He opened his mouth. I didn’t let him speak. “Forget it. Don’t bother thinking about it. From now on, my life has nothing to do with you.” I gathered my skirt and walked around him. He called after me. “Amelia!” I didn’t look back. I didn’t go back to our apartment that night. Maya took me to her place. She spent the entire forty-minute drive cursing Caleb out. She didn’t repeat a single insult. I listened. I felt almost nothing. When we got inside, she kicked a pair of slippers toward my feet. Then she went to boil water. Halfway through, she ran back and threw her arms around me. “Cry if you need to. Don’t hold it in.” When she held me, my nose finally stung. But the tears didn’t come. “Maya.” I said. “I don’t think I can cry anymore.” Her eyes went red. “That’s worse.” Yeah. It was worse. The deepest pain doesn’t come with tears. It comes with numbness. Like getting punched in the chest so hard your lungs forget how to expand. I sat on her couch. My phone screen kept lighting up. Caleb. His mother. Even Daisy called. I didn’t answer any of them. Then Daisy sent a voice message. “Mia, I’m so heartbroken it came to this… Caleb was just worried about me. You know how he is. He’s too soft-hearted. You must be so strong. Not like me. I honestly don’t know what to do right now…” Her voice was light. Soft. With just the right amount of tearful quiver. A year ago I might’ve replied. Told her to take care of herself. Now it just made me sick. I transcribed the audio. Read it. Then I blocked her number. Maya came back with hot water. She saw what I’d done and froze. “You finally cut her off?” I stared at the steam rising from the mug. Gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment. “Took you long enough,” she said. I smiled. “Yeah. Way too long.” The next morning I went back to our apartment. Caleb wasn’t there. Probably at the office. Or the hospital. I didn’t ask. The apartment was in Williamsburg. Two bedrooms. Thirteen hundred square feet. I’d supervised every inch of the renovation. I picked the couch in the living room. I built the plant shelf on the balcony. The white dinnerware set in the kitchen took me weekends of browsing home stores. I used to imagine our whole future there. Marriage. Kids. Growing old. Now it just felt like a cruel joke. I dragged out a suitcase and started packing my things. Clothes. Skincare. Laptop. Documents. Photo albums. Inside the bottom drawer of the nightstand, I found a bank transfer slip. Sender: Caleb Hayes. Recipient: Daisy Reed. Amount: $5,000. Date: Two weeks ago. The memo line was blank. I held that slip for a long time. My fingers went cold. Two weeks ago. That was when we were paying the final deposit for the wedding venue and the honeymoon hotel. I’d asked Caleb why our joint account was short. He said the company needed temporary cash flow. He’d replace it in two days. He did replace it. I didn’t think twice. Now I knew. That five thousand dollars didn’t go to the company. It went to Daisy’s account. I sat down on the edge of the bed and let out a low laugh. I’d been played. Completely. Every layer of it. I took a photo of the slip. Saved it. Then I tore the apartment apart. I found every piece of paperwork connected to money I’d put in. The down payment transfer record. Renovation material receipts. Appliance invoices. Wedding deposit contracts. A huge stack. Maya stood in the doorway watching me sort everything across the coffee table. “Mia. You don’t look like you’re going through a breakup. You look like you’re preparing for court.” “I am preparing for court,” I said. Her eyes lit up. “You finally came to your senses?” I slid the last receipt into a file folder and zipped it shut. “I’m not here to talk things out with him. I’m here to settle accounts.”

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