My mate Frank was caught red - handed in a seedy car with his cousin, Julia.

The paparazzi had pounced on the juicy affair, and within moments, the news was hurtling through the pack like a malevolent hurricane.

I delved into my meager savings, emptying every last bit of the treasure I had hoarded, all in an attempt to silence the gossipmongers. Finally, after days of back - breaking negotiations with the shrewd werewolf - run PR firms, the tempest of public outrage seemed to ebb. The crisis, for the moment, was contained.

Exhausted and emotionally drained, I made my way to the car where Frank and Julia awaited.

As I reached for the handle of the passenger - side door, Julia launched into her melodramatic act.

She let out a heart - rending moan, her hand fluttering to her forehead like a wilted flower.

"Oh, the nausea! It's overwhelming me. I don't think I can bear the ride in the back," she whined.

Frank didn't even spare me a glance.

His eyes were fixed on Julia. "Julia, you take the front seat. I'll make sure you're comfortable," he cooed.

Then, as an afterthought, he turned to me.

"Sally, you're tough. You can handle the back. Julia's in a delicate state."

I silently slid into the backseat.

As the car engine roared to life, I pulled out my phone.

My fingers trembled slightly as I typed a message to my brother. "Arrange the appointment with Willson please, brother."

After sending the message, I turned my gaze out of the car window. Years ago, I had defied the vehement objections of my only remaining kin, my brother, and had blazingly followed Frank to the Silvermoon Pack.

We had been lovers for a decade, and I had stood by him through thick and thin, witnessing his journey from rags to relative riches.

I had even dug into my most precious savings, money I had hoarded for the darkest of times, to fuel his entrepreneurial dreams.

Because of his simple plea, "I don't like using protection," I had subjected my body to the harsh regimen of contraceptive pills month after month.

The effects on my body had been catastrophic.

My once - vibrant metabolism was thrown into chaos, and I suffered from chronic hormonal imbalances.

Frank drove Julia back to her home.

As they said their goodbyes, the lingering, lovesick glances they exchanged made my skin crawl.

Upon returning home, I immediately set about the painful task of sorting through my belongings.

I tossed aside the birthday gifts he had given me over the years.

As I threw them into the growing pile of discarded memories, Frank walked by.

He paused for a fraction of a second, then he simply said, "I'll buy you a new one, better than this old thing."

With that, Frank retreated to his study.

I continued my purge.

My phone wouldn't stop buzzing.

I unlocked the screen to find a flood of posts from Julia.

An array of designer handbags, their leather exquisitely crafted, and diamond rings that sparkled with a brilliance that seemed almost otherworldly.

Among them were rare pink and blue diamonds, each ring a unique, high - end creation that screamed of luxury and indulgence.

Memories of a time not so long ago came flooding back.

I had been filled with excitement, my eyes bright with anticipation as I had dragged Frank along, eager to choose a diamond ring.

But Frank's response had been a crushing disappointment.

He had barely paid attention, casually clicking away on his phone, his voice dismissive as he said, "You pick. Just order something online. It doesn't matter."

Before I knew it, Frank had silently appeared behind me.

His eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of the photos on my phone.

For a split second, a flicker of something - perhaps guilt or regret - passed across his face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"That photo. Don't misunderstand,"

Frank stammered.

"Her father passed away. Before he died, he entrusted Julia to me. I'm the only family she has left in this world."

I listened in silence.

Frank's actions had long since crossed the line.

At first, Frank's care for Julia was nothing out of the ordinary. He made sure she had a roof over her head and food to eat.

But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, his involvement in her life grew increasingly invasive.

He meddled in her every decision, from the clothes she wore to the friends she made.

I thought about the fact that in just a few days, I would be leaving this place, this pack, and Frank behind. There was no point in holding back anymore.

"Don't worry about me misunderstanding. You just keep taking good care of Julia..."

"What's wrong with you? Julia sees me as nothing more than an older brother. Do you think she's as promiscuous as you?" Frank lashed out.

He was right in a way.

Julia was nothing like me. I had been so naive, so blindly in love with Frank that I had allowed him to manipulate me, to use me.

I had been following his every command.

My eyes welled up with tears.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that..." he said, his voice softening, but it was too little, too late.

In that moment, a surge of courage welled up within me.

"Frank, I..."

Frank's phone, shattering the tense silence.

Frank snatched up the phone.

The voice on the other end, Julia's, echoed clearly in the stillness. "Frank, I'm in such agony. I have a fever... I'm so dizzy, I can barely stand," she whined.

"Hold on, Julia. I'm on my way," Frank replied.

Without a second thought, he grabbed the nearest piece of clothing, a tattered old shirt that reeked of his and Julia's shared scents, and hastily pulled it over his head.

As he reached for the doorknob, he paused for a fraction of a second, as if suddenly remembering my presence. "Julia's sick. I have to go," he muttered.

Before I could utter a single syllable in response, the door slammed shut behind him.

The next morning, I roused from my slumber to a cacophony of noise that seemed to pierce through the fog of my sleep.

My head throbbed with a dull ache, and I massaged my temples in a futile attempt to ease the pain as I groggily made my way out of bed and towards the stairs.

As soon as I reached the top of the staircase, the sight that greeted me in the living room was nothing short of chaos.

The once - orderly space was now a disarray of toppled cardboard boxes, their contents - clothes, trinkets, and other personal items - spilling out haphazardly across the floor.

Frank was hunched over, straining to heave a large, cumbersome suitcase across the room.

Beside him, Julia stood with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. She flitted about the room.

"Careful, careful! That box has something breakable in it," she cooed.

I froze in my tracks, rooted to the spot by shock and disbelief.

Frank, sensing my presence, looked up.

Our eyes met for a brief, charged moment, and I saw a flash of panic in his gaze.

But just as quickly as it had appeared, his expression hardened.

Julia, on the other hand, skipped over to me with an air of nonchalance. "Oh, darling!" she exclaimed, her voice overly cheery. "Frank was so worried about me living alone. He thought it would be better if I moved in here. Now we can be like sisters, looking out for each other. Isn't that wonderful?"

I turned my gaze back to Frank. But he refused to meet my eyes. "Julia's health is delicate," he mumbled.

"Having someone around to take care of her gives me peace of mind."

I couldn't stand another second of Julia's presence.

Without a word, I turned on my heel.

But just as I took my first step, Julia let out a sudden shriek.

Her body lurched backwards, arms flailing wildly in the air.

In a seemingly desperate attempt to regain her balance, her hand shot out and latched onto a precious crystal wind chime that I had carefully hung.

Each crystal was inscribed with runes that captured the essence of our travels together, and instead of chimes, small photo charms dangled, displaying memories of Frank and me on our adventures.

With a loud "crash," the wind chime hit the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces.

Julia immediately followed up with a piercing scream of pain.

Frank, drawn by the noise, rushed to Julia's side.

He gently lifted her up, cradling her in his arms as if she were the most fragile of beings.

Frank turned to me, his face contorted with anger.

"Sally, why can't you just leave Julia alone?!"

"Frank, please don't be mad at Sally. It's my fault. I shouldn't have come here and disrupted your lives. I'm such a burden," she sobbed, her voice quivering. As she spoke, she leaned further into Frank's embrace, a subtle smirk flickering across her face for a split second. "Sally, apologize to Julia right now!" Frank demanded.

I glared at Frank .

"Which eye of yours saw me do this?!"

Frank's brows knitted together in a tight knot.

"You've done this kind of thing too many times! Your jealousy is out of control. Every time Julia is around, you turn into a different person. Who else could it be but you?!"

Julia stood to the side.

"Please, don't fight because of me. It's all my fault. I'm such an unlucky fool. I couldn't even keep my balance and now I've caused this huge mess..."

Frank instantly stepped in front of Julia, pulling her behind him and gripping her hand tightly.

He turned to me, his eyes ablaze with a fury.

"I must have been completely blind! How could I have been so stupid to not see your true, vile nature before? You're so malicious, you can't even tolerate the smallest thing!"

Julia, not content with just causing a rift, continued her over - the - top act. She cried out in pain.

With a tender yet urgent motion, Frank scooped Julia up in his arms, carrying her as if she were the most fragile of porcelain dolls.

Suddenly, a searing, excruciating pain tore through my lower abdomen. I doubled over, gasping for air.

I need to visit the hospital.

For a long time, the continuous use of contraceptive pills had thrown my body into a state of disarray.

Nights were a torment, as I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. And when I did manage to catch a few moments of slumber, I would be jolted awake by searing hot flashes and drenching sweats, as if my body were being consumed by an internal inferno.

I dragged myself to the hospital.

But as soon as I crossed the threshold of the hospital doors, in the middle of the bustling hospital lobby, was Frank, cradling Julia in his arms with a tenderness .

Julia, like a clinging vine, nestled against Frank's chest, her arms gently looped around his neck.

Our eyes met.

Julia began to wriggle in Frank's arms.

"Frank, put me down," she cooed.

"You're hurt. Don't move,"

Then, as if only just noticing my presence, he turned to me and asked. "What are you doing here? Are you sick?"

"Menstrual cramps," I replied tersely.