The next day, I felt much better. When my friends heard that I was returning to Silver Snow Pack to get married, they insisted I treat them to a meal.

I booked a table at the restaurant Liam and I used to frequent. The food there was good.

Midway through our meal, I excused myself to the restroom. I hadn't expected to run into Nina again.

She smiled at me warmly and said, "Maya, what a coincidence! I didn't expect to see you here. You know, Liam first brought me to this restaurant back when we were in school."

She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Back then, we used to ditch class together. We'd go home first for some intimate fun, then come here for dinner. After we ate, we'd go back to his place for the night. We could do it seven times in one night."

She spoke as if we were close friends, casually sharing intimate details of her relationship.

I gave her a small smile and turned to leave. After all, I didn't consider us close enough to talk about such things. However, she seemed to think otherwise, blocking my path again.

"Do you not like me? We actually have a lot in common. I noticed it last time, like how we both dip our chicken in vinegar."

And just like that, a long-held question of mine was finally answered.

I had always wondered why Liam insisted on dipping my chicken in vinegar before giving it to me. He once told me it tasted better that way, but I had never liked it.

So it was just an excuse. The habit was just him trying to project Nina's habits onto me.

"From the first time I met you, I wanted to say… don't you think we look alike?" Nina asked.

At that moment, I had never felt so humiliated, fleeing right before her smug gaze.

"Please excuse me. I have other things to attend to."

My inner wolf threatened to lunge at her if I didn't leave soon.

Back at the table, my friends' laughter and chatter gradually helped me push the encounter to the back of my mind.

But then, a figure suddenly loomed over our table. It was Liam. For some reason, his expression was dark, his eyes filled with barely suppressed anger.

Clenching his fists, he called my name. "Maya Thatcher, come outside."

Confused, I followed him out of the restaurant, where he slapped me out of the blue. It was the first time he had ever hit me.

My inner emerged from within me, shielding me as it ground its claws against the pavement, growling furiously at him.

He looked at my wolf, then at me. Meeting my shocked and confused gaze, his fury remained.

"Why did you push Nina? You knew she injured her foot. Why did you take it out on her when you're mad at me? How could you be so cruel?"

The side of my face burned from the slap.

From a distance, Nina limped toward us, then collapsed onto the ground with a dramatic thud. Her shirt was wrinkled and damp, smeared with stains.

Without any hesitation, Liam shoved me aside, rushing to gather her in his arms. "You shouldn't have come outside. I told you I'd make her apologize to you."

While his words were full of reproach, his tone was gentle, filled with concern.

Nina shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "It's nothing serious. She didn't do it on purpose."

Liam turned back to me, grabbing my arm and yanking me toward Nina.

He commanded, "Apologize to Nina right now! You should be grateful Nina wasn't seriously hurt. If she was, I'd break your legs."

Tears clung to Nina's lashes as she pleaded on my behalf. "Alpha, this isn't Maya's fault. It's mine."

Liam gritted his teeth, glaring at me. "You're only acting like this because you know I dote on you…"

Nina gently tugged on his arm, coaxing him, "Let it go, Alpha. If her brother finds out you hit her, it might cause tension between the two packs."

At the mention of my brother, Liam's gaze flickered with something unreadable. But when he looked back at Nina, his resolve hardened.

"Andrew entrusted me with her care. If she misbehaves, it's my responsibility to discipline her."

A laugh slipped past my lips. I couldn't help but ask, "What exactly did I do? Even criminals need evidence before they're convicted. Yet here you are, punishing without proof. Do you think this is fair? Is this the behavior of an Alpha?"

Liam's fists tightened as he glared at me. "You knew there weren't any cameras in the restroom. That's why dared to make a move in there."

I found it amusing, but also sad at the same time.

"If there are no cameras, then how do you know it was me?"

"You think Nina would falsely accuse you? Why would she? I've known her for years. She doesn't lie."

"So what? Does that make me a liar? With moon goddess as my witness, I swear on my life, I didn't touch her. If I'm lying, let me die of wolfbane poisoning. Would Nina dare to swear the same?"

"Alpha, I…" Nina whimpered.

Liam tightened his hold on her, letting her sob. And then, through gritted teeth, he looked at me and muttered, "Crazy woman."

I didn't want to say another word, so I turned and walked away.

We spent seven years together. I thought no matter what, Liam should at least trust my character. How wrong I was. In front of Nina, none of that mattered.

With a slap mark on my face, I decided not to ruin my friends' mood. So, instead of returning to the table, I went straight to the front desk and paid the bill. Then, I sent them a message and left.

Dragging my exhausted body back to Liam's house, I took my time, really looking at it for the first time in seven years.

Every corner held sweet memories of us that I once cherished.

I used to think this was my happily ever after. I even bragged to my brother, saying that moon goddess led me to my destined mate. I truly believed Liam was the one.

Now, those once beautiful memories felt like daggers stabbing into my heart.

I found a large cardboard box and started erasing every trace of my so-called happiness. Matching slippers, couple mugs, keychains… and an entire box of photographs.

Liam never came back for half a month. During that time, I nearly emptied the entire house.

The furniture I had bought, piece by piece, was either given away or sold. By the time I was done, the house looked just as it had when I first moved in—cold, monochrome, and painfully empty.

The night before I left, I figured I should tell Liam, out of respect for my brother's friendship with him. So, I called him.

However, every time I called, Liam hung up without answering. Then, after a while, he sent me a single text.

"Apologize to Nina, or don't expect me to forgive you."

A bitter laugh slipped from my lips. Fine then. I didn't need his forgiveness.

I left the house keys on the table, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out the door. The home I had once loved so much, the place I had built my dreams around—leaving it behind, all I felt was relief.

My phone buzzed with countless messages.

Some wished me a bright future, some wished me peace and happiness. Others even joked about me giving birth to a litter of wolf pups with the Storm Pack's Alpha.

Smiling, I replied to each and every one of them. With so many people wishing me happiness, I was sure I would find it!