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.

BELLA

I slowly fluttered my eyes open, registering my surroundings.

I was in a hospital room.

My arms and hands throbbed with a dull ache, and I could feel the weight of bandages wrapped around them.

Thank the goddess for the firefighters who arrived at the right time. Else I’d have been dead by now.

As I turned my head to the side, I caught sight of Brad and Lydia in the next room.

One of the pack doctors was tending to Lydia, who had a small plaster on her hand.

Brad was gazing at her with an intensity that made my heart twist with envy.

He was so focused on her, so concerned for her well-being.

I felt a pang of resentment towards him.

Why was he so attentive to Lydia's minor injury, while I lay here with severe burns?

I tried to push the thought aside.

The two nurses in my room were chatting in hushed tones.

But as I listened more closely, I realized they were talking about Brad and Lydia.

"Alpha Brad is really something else," one of the nurses said, her voice full of admiration. "The way he looks at Lydia, it's like he's besotted. He's always treated her like a queen."

The other nurse sighed wistfully. "I wish I had a man who would dote on me like that. Luna Bella must feel so sorry for herself, knowing she’ll never have Alpha Brad's love."

I felt a surge of anger at their words, but I was too weak to respond.

The nurses continued to chat, oblivious to my growing resentment.

"It's so sad, really," the first nurse said. "But I don't blame Alpha Brad. Luna Bella just isn't the right fit for him. She looks so out of place beside him."

The other nurse nodded in agreement. "I always dreamed of having a taste of the Alpha, back when he was still flirting with different women. I longed for him to pick me, even if it was just for one night. But since Lydia came along, he's never looked at another woman again."

I felt a wave of disgust wash over me as I listened to their exchange.

Who were these women to speculate about my marriage and my husband's feelings?

And what was with these nasty rumors about me being unable to satisfy Brad?

I cleared my throat, trying to draw their attention.

The nurses jumped, turning to me with fake smiles plastered on their faces.

"Oh, Luna Bella, thank the Goddess you're awake!" one of them exclaimed.

I glared at them, my voice sharp. "What's the state of my injuries?"

The nurse by my side hesitated before answering. "You might take a while to heal, Luna Bella. The burns are quite severe. But we'll administer some drugs to help you heal faster."

I cut her off, my tone icy. "Focus on that instead of endless babbling."

Just then, Brad's eyes caught mine. He was standing in the doorway, Lydia by his side.

He walked towards me with her, his expression detached.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" he asked, his voice without any emotion.

I felt a pang of hurt at his tone, but I refused to show it.

I glared at him, my voice icy. "As you can see, I'm still burned. All because of your mistress."

His expression darkened, and he sneered at me. "Didn't you deserve to be burned, though? Wasn't it your carelessness that caused the kitchen to catch fire?"

I was taken aback by his words. "What are you talking about? That's not what happened at all."

He scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me, Bella. Lydia told me everything. You were trying to surprise me with some food, and you ended up causing a fire. You're lucky you didn't hurt her more than she already was. Else you’d have been in big trouble.”

Anger sparked up inside me at his accusations. "That's not true! Lydia started the fire, not me. And she barely got scratched, while I'm the one who's still suffering."

Lydia pouted, her voice dripping with innocence. "I warned you to let me cook, Bella. But you didn't listen. Now look at what's happened. The kitchen is a mess, and I almost lost my life in that fire."

I was shocked by her blatant lies. "How can you be such a liar ? You started the fire, not me. And you're just trying to cover your own tracks."

Brad snapped, his voice loud. "Enough! I know you're just trying to turn the situation around. You've always been jealous of Lydia. But you're not going to get off the hook that easily. The damages to the kitchen and the renovation will be taken from your account immediately."

I stared at him in disbelief. "What? You can't be serious."

His expression was cold. "I'm dead serious. It's expensive, and you'd better be ready to pay up."

He gently took Lydia's arm and led her out of the room, leaving me feeling hurt and humiliated.

The nurses who had been watching the exchange whispered to each other as they followed Brad and Lydia out of the room.

I was left all alone feeling nothing but pity for myself.

The next day, I received a notification on my phone.

Lydia had tagged me in a video online.

I clicked on it, and my heart sank. Lydia was cuddled up next to Brad, and they were celebrating his mom's birthday in the countryside.

I wasn't even invited. Of course, who was I kidding?

Brad’s mother never liked me. She always thought I wasn’t good enough for her son.

Lydia sent me a quick message. "Everyone is having so much fun without you. Thought you had to see it for yourself. Don't worry, I'm taking good care of Brad and your mother-in-law. She seems to love all the gifts I brought. Oh, and I told her you said you didn't care about stupid parties like these and you had something more important to do. She's very cross with you. My bad. Anyway, get well soon. Or not."

I was disgusted and pained by her message. I wanted to throw my phone away and forget about the whole thing.

Over the next week, Brad never checked in on me.

All I got were updates from Lydia, flaunting her good time with Brad in my face.

I eventually had to block her.

But today was the day I was being discharged from the hospital.

I was going to leave on my own and divorce Brad officially.

I had already spoken to my lawyer, and the papers were ready.

I was finally free from the toxic marriage that had been suffocating me.

I called my lawyer and asked him to send the divorce papers to the house.

When he told me that no one was home, I instructed him to leave them at the mailbox outside.

When Brad returned from his trip with his mistress, he would find the papers waiting for him.

I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of closure. I was starting a new chapter in my life, and I was ready to leave the past behind.

But as I arrived at the house to collect my belongings, I realized that Brad had locked me out. He hadn't even had the decency to leave the keys behind.

I shrugged, not caring. I had savings, and I was going to start a new life in a different place.

I hailed a cab and left the house behind, feeling a sense of freedom that I had never felt before.