BELLA

I pulled into the driveway, and the first thing I noticed was my husband's vehicle. It was parked at an odd angle, the windows fogged up.

My heart dropped as I approached the car. The sounds of grunting started growing louder.

Trembling, I reached for the car door handle and pulled it open. There was my so-called "husband" and mate, Brad, tangled up with his ex-lover Lydia right in front of our home.

After years of being disrespected and humiliated by his infidelity, this was a new low, even for him.

Lydia's head was thrown back. She was panting with a satisfied smirk on her face. Brad, on the other hand, seemed emotionless, as if I didn't even exist.

As they finally disentangled themselves and stepped out of the car, Lydia's gaze landed on me.

"Sorry, Bella," she said, the sarcasm clear in her voice. "I've always wanted to try it in the car, and Brad was sweet enough to tick it off my list. He's amazing, as always. But you wouldn’t know that since he has never touched you, right?"

She tossed a crumpled tissue at my feet. "You should probably clean that up. We made quite a mess in there."

My cheeks burned with humiliation as I stared at the tissue.

Brad's cold voice cut through the thick silence. "And while you're at it, come inside and make us dinner. I'm starving."

Dinner? After what I just witnessed? The audacity of his request made my blood boil.

How dare he treat me like his personal maid after he had just disrespected me in the worst way possible?

Lydia giggled and I wondered what the hell was funny.

"Yeah, the useless wife can take care of the chores while we enjoy ourselves." she said.

Five years of marriage, and this was what it had been reduced to.

I wanted to scream, to throw the tissues back in their faces. But instead, I simply watched them walk away into the house.

Brad had been cheating on me for years with different women to satisfy his urges. By now, I was used to it.

But Lydia was different. He was actually in love with her. And that was something I could never have.

Being alone without a fated mate was preferable to being tied to someone who didn't love me.

My heart broke every time he had declared, "You would never be my fated mate and future Luna."

Throughout our marriage, he had said those words to me five whole times!

I should have accepted his rejection the first time, but I held on, foolishly hoping he was going to change his mind.

The elegant gown I was wearing now felt like a ridiculous, overpriced costume.

Brad and I were supposed to attend the pack's gala together that evening. But of course, he had totally stood me up!

I felt so stupid, standing there alone while everyone else at the party enjoyed the evening with their mates.

I had been looking forward to this event, hoping it would be a chance for us to reconnect.

But of course, he had let me down once again, choosing to be with Lydia instead.

I kicked the tissue on the floor angrily and slammed the door shut.

That was the final straw. I couldn't keep letting them walk all over me and being the laughingstock of the pack. Enough was enough.

I marched into the house and went straight to the kitchen. I wanted to make something absolutely delicious. After all, I was a pretty damn good cook, even if Brad had always taken that for granted.

I decided to whip up my famous lasagna, which happened to be his favorite. The aroma coming from the oven was heavenly, and I felt satisfied.

Carrying the plate to the living room, I found Brad and Lydia cuddled up on the sofa. They were watching some mindless television show.

"Dinner's ready," I announced in an even tone.

Lydia's head perked up at my words, and she flashed me a sickly smile. "Oh, Bella! Finally. We're absolutely starving."

She made no move to get up, snuggling deeper into Brad's embrace instead.

Brad glanced over at me, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. "Well, don't just sit there. Serve it up, would you?"

"Actually, I'm afraid there's not enough for the two of you. I only made it for myself."

I watched as their expressions shifted from confusion to outrage.

"What do you mean, there's not enough?" Brad growled, his gray eyes narrowing. "You better get your ass in that kitchen and make us something now."

Lydia chimed in, "Isn’t that what you’re good at? Cooking and cleaning?. Fix us something to eat, right now."

I shook my head defiantly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not your personal chef. If you two are hungry, you're more than welcome to go into the kitchen and cook something for yourselves."

Brad's face twisted with fury. In one swift motion, he reached out and knocked the plate from my hands.

The ceramic shattered as it hit the floor, scattering the food everywhere.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he roared, towering over me. "Since when did you become rebellious?"

Lydia cackled from the couch happily. "Oooh, you should have dumped it on her head, darling. Maybe that would've knocked some sense into her."

I flinched at her words, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes. But I refused to let them see my pain. Instead, I rose to my feet and met Brad's furious gaze head-on.

"Listen to me for once. I'm done being your doormat. This sham of a marriage is so over."

I paused, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. "I, Bella Hale of the Shadow Wolves pack, hereby accept your rejection as my mate and Alpha!."

BELLA

Brad's eyes widened in shock. His jaw dropped as he struggled to comprehend what I had just said.

"What are you talking about?" He asked with a scoff. Maybe he thought I was joking.

My voice was sharp as I delivered the words I had been longing to say for years. "You heard me. I'm done. And I want a divorce too."

He chuckled, but his eyes betrayed his anger. "You can't be serious," he sneered. "Where do you think you're going to go? You're a part of this pack, and you're bound to me by law."

I shot him a cold smile."We're only bound by papers. You never marked me, never made me your true mate. And even if we were bound by more than just papers, I'd still want out. I deserve better than to be treated like a servant."

His jaw tightened. I could see the muscles in his neck strain with restrained anger. "You should be grateful that I married you in the first place. A lot of women would kill to be in your position."

I heaved a deep sigh. "You've rejected me, what, five times now? And every time, you've made it painfully clear that you want nothing to do with me. This is why I’m dumping your ass."

He gave me a smoldering glare."You ungrateful little brat. You really think you can leave me after everything I’ve done for you?"

"You didn't do anything for me, Brad," I said, my voice firm. "You didn't marry me for love, or even for lust. You married me out of obligation."

I remembered the first time we met, how he had saved me from those bullies who loved to torment me just because I was an omega.

At that moment, I had been captivated by his strength and courage. He had so effortlessly dispatched my tormentors. He looked at me with a softness in his eyes that I had never seen before, and I had felt my heart flutter with admiration and something deeper.

Little did I know that that moment of kindness would be the only one I would ever experience from him.

As the pack elders had informed me, I was a direct descendant of the Moonblood lineage—a rare and powerful bloodline. According to the old century's law, that was important to the pack's stability and prosperity.

They chose me to be his future Luna. Apart from that, he was my destined mate after all.

At the time, I had already harbored feelings for Brad. The prospect of becoming his mate, of sharing my life with him, made me excited.

I had thought being his mate would bring us closer together. But instead, it only seemed to drive us further apart.

He resented me, reminding me every day that he felt trapped. I was just a constant reminder of his obligation.

Brad believed I had manipulated the pack elders into forcing him to marry me. He said that I was power-hungry. He thought that I only wanted to be the alpha's mate for status and prestige. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

I loved him, truly and deeply. But it was clear his heart only belonged to Lydia.

Lydia had been Brad's lover before I met him, and her disappearance had left him devastated.

She was captured by a rival pack, and he searched for her for years but couldn’t find her. But now, she was back. It was clear that she had no intention of letting me stand in her way.

Brad wanted her too, and the thought stung. Every time I was on heat, I endured the agony alone. I couldn’t even seek comfort in anyone else's arms because Brad was my mate, and I loved him.

But now, I realize that love wasn't enough, and I was a fool.

"I'll have the divorce papers ready in a few days," I said, turning to leave.

Brad's voice stopped me. "You'll never survive without me, Bella. Have you forgotten your parents practically sold you off to me? They don’t give a shit about you."

I swallowed hard because he was right. I couldn’t make dumb decisions based off my emotions. My parents were going to be furious if I dared step my feet back home.

I was going to manage for a few more days until the divorce papers were finalized. And I was going to leave the country, far away from him and everyone. I didn’t mind being a rogue at this point.

Lydia who had walked out to use the rest room sauntered back into the room just then. It what she was wearing around her neck that caught my attention. It was a rare, priceless family heirloom that had been passed down through generations.

The necklace was a stunning piece, with diamonds and pearls that sparkled in the light. I remembered my mother telling me about it, how it was supposed to be worn by the Luna. But Brad had never given it to me. Instead, it seemed he saved it for Lydia.

"I found this in your room," Lydia said, her voice husky as she gazed up at Brad. "I hope you don't mind me wearing it."

His face grew soft and he looked at her with so much adoration. "You look beautiful," he commented, his voice low. "Just like a princess."

Her smile was radiant as she reached up to touch the necklace. "So, I can keep it?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Brad nodded, his smile matching hers. "Of course, you can have anything you want. You just need to think about it, and it's yours."

She gleefully wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. And there I was, watching them like a moron.

I turned to walk away, unable to bear the sight of their affection. But Brad's voice stopped me.

"Bella, wait," he called sharply. "I just remembered that Lydia's bags are still in the trunk of the car. Can you go get them for her?"

I turned back, my brows drawn together in confusion. "What are her bags doing in the trunk?"

Lydia's smile was smug as she twirled on her burgundy hair. "I'm moving in with you guys. Isn't that lovely?"

I forced a smile, my heart burning with pain inside. "Yeah, that's... great," I said in a soft whisper.

BELLA

I sighed as I woke up bright and early the next morning. I did so every morning, to prepare a hearty breakfast for Brad.

But as I turned to call out to him, I saw him already dressed in his wine suit, his eyes fixed on his phone.

"I have an important meeting at the company today," he said, his voice distracted. "And pack meetings. I'll be back later."

I nodded silently.

His eyes flicked to me, his expression stern. "And Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure you don't make trouble with Lydia. Make her feel at home,"

I felt a surge of resentment, but I bit my tongue. "Of course," I responded in a tight voice.

His eyes narrowed, as if daring me to disobey him. Then, he turned and walked out the door, leaving me feeling frustrated and helpless.

Just then, Lydia walked into the kitchen, yawning and stretching. She was wearing Brad's shirt, the one he had worn last night.

I felt that pang of jealousy, knowing that they had slept together in the same bed. Something I could only dream of.

She walked over to the coffee maker, pouring herself a cup. I tried to ignore her, focusing on cleaning up the kitchen. But she seemed determined to taunt me.

"Sorry if we were a bit loud last night," she said with that annoying, cruel smile of hers. "Did you hear us? I hope we didn’t keep you up."

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment, but I tried to keep my cool. Of course I had heard them. Her especially, screaming like a goddamned banshee.

"Good morning to you too, Lydia," I said, my voice neutral.

She snorted a laugh. "Oh, come on, Bella. Don't be like that. I'm just trying to make conversation."

She walked over to the table, sitting down in Brad's chair. Her eyes raked over me in a way that made me self-conscious.

"So, are you still a frustrated virgin? I mean, at 25 years old, you've never been touched. How do you survive, especially during heat?"

I felt my anger rising, but I didn't want her gloating from getting under my skin.

"My life is none of your business," I half snapped.

She just laughed again, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Oh, but it is, darling," she said. "After all, we're practically family now, aren't we?"

She stood up and moved even closer. I could smell the faint scent of Brad's cologne on her.

"I don't have time for this," I said, turning my back on her and walking away.

I stormed to my room, my heart beating fast with anger and frustration.

Opening my wardrobe, I began pulling out my clothes, shoving them into a suitcase.

I left a few clothes on the hangers, counting my days till I left that suffocating mansion.

After packing, I grabbed my phone and dialed the lawyer's number. "Hello. I was wondering when the divorce papers would be ready." I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"They'll be ready in a few days," the lawyer replied. "You'll be finally free, Luna Bella."

I felt a lump form in my throat as I hung up the phone. I was finally going to be free from all this bullshit.

Later that afternoon, I went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. I was rummaging through the fridge when Lydia strolled in, a smug look on her face.

"I'm going to bake a chocolate cake for Brad," she announced, heading for the mixing bowls.

I raised an eyebrow as I clearly didn’t want her in my kitchen. "You don't need to do that."

She shot me a smirk. "Oh, I want to. Besides, we're housemates now. We share the kitchen."

I gritted my teeth, trying not to lose my temper. "Fine. But be careful."

She rolled her eyes so far back. "Don’t tell me what to do. I can handle it."

But she couldn't. I turned back to the refrigerator, but a sudden crackling sound caught my attention. Whirling around, I gasped. Flames started licking at the edge of the counter, smoke rushing into the air.

"Lydia! What did you do?"

Her eyes went wide, and she stumbled backward, bumping into the kitchen island. "I—I don't know! The oven must have malfunctioned or something."

The fire was spreading rapidly, the heat scorching my skin.

"We have to put this out!" I yelled, already grabbing for the fire extinguisher. "Don't just stand there, help me!"

But before I could blink, she was darting out of the kitchen, leaving me to face it alone. "Lydia, wait!" I screamed, my words lost in the roar of the flames.

Cursing under my breath, I turned my attention back to the fire, desperately trying to aim the extinguisher. The smoke stung my eyes, making them water. The heat was becoming unbearable. Still, I pushed on, refusing to give up.

But then I got burned. I cried out, dropping the extinguisher with a clatter. Blisters were already forming on my palms. My skin was getting red.

I couldn't breathe, the smoke choking me, filling my lungs. My vision started getting blurry. The world was spinning around like crazy.

Just as I fell to the floor, a deep voice pierced through. I snapped my eyes open.

Brad burst into the kitchen, his face in a worried frown. But it wasn't me he rushed to. It was Lydia, who was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear.

He swept her into his arms, cradling her like a child. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern. She clung to him, coughing continuously.

I watched, stunned, as Brad carried her out of the kitchen, leaving me to deal with the fire. I was still trying to process what had just happened.

Tears trickling down my face, I started crawling on the floor. My lungs were burning and my skin blistering. In that moment, it was painfully clear that I was on my own.