The pack's little sick bay was void of any living soul.

I staggered out of the place on one leg as I'd sprained the ankle of the other.

I called a taxi to take me to the city's hospital.

When the nurse came to replace the water bag connected to the drip with another full one,she asked whether I had a family waiting for me outside.

She had suggested I get the drips as I looked drained and it would be best of both worlds; treating my ankle and looking after my health.

I shook my head negatively and told her untruthfully that he'd called and spoken to me on phone.

I went ahead to tell her that I was fine with it.

"Our family will not always be by our side physically. It's their feelings that wishes us well in every moments and linger around us that matters."

Her eyes pinched a little and she offered me a warm smile then left after connecting the new bag of water.

My chest was heavy, it felt almost as if I had a stone hiding there and to draw a single breath in means getting overwhelmed with thousands of pain.

I plucked my phone from my bag to make a call but a notification from Instagram popped up and I tapped on it out of curiosity.

A post created by his best friend a minute ago appeared at the top of my news feed.

"Life is fun and free when there's no tigress around keeping tabs. Joe's achilles heel is truly Nelly."

Attached to the caption was a photo of Alpha Joe Breed looking tenderly at his childhood sweetheart who was lying on the bed.

With a sharp exhale,I tapped on the love button but the photo vanished right after.

The next minute,Joe was in my inbox explaining things.

"Have a blissful night."i casually replied him.

He sent a voice note and I clicked on it.

"Racheal, why aren't you worried about me?"he sounded panicky.

..

Today was our wedding anniversary.

In excitement of this day,I had barely managed to get a pardon not to work till 10 pm like I usually do.

I had rushed to the pack - to our home to get things ready but fell on the stairs,twisting an ankle in the process.

Previously,i had sent my husband a message while at work, wondering if he could pick me up.

I had gotten a tulips flower from a good shop on my way from work.

I waited for him to come and thrust the flowers in his hand,hoping that would be a lovely surprise to him.

His reply popped on my phone some minutes later.

"Racheal,I have to catch some drinks with friends tonight. Order a nice food online for dinner."

Friends? Again?!

Enraged, I'd thrown the flower away and called a taxi to take me to the hospital to get my wound treated.

As I sat before the doctor in his office,his message came in again just as the doctor asked if I came with a family member.

"Not strangers, just friends from back in the day. More like a reunion party."he tried to clarify.

I ignored the message.

"He's out of the country for business." I answered the doctor and he gave me one sorta look.

Understanding that sounded weird,I quickly modified my statement.

"To be fair, I'm a…widow."I lied.

The empathetic look he threw afterwards made me wanna puke.

The procedure went more faster.

I was in agony,but that doesn't come from any physical injury.

My insides felt void as if I had just lost a vital organ.

After the treatment,I started heading back to the packhouse.

While in the taxi,I got a whiff of Joe's car heading to the opposite direction, towards the hospital and my stomach twisted in inexplicable feelings.

Unsettled,I brought my phone out of my bag to give Joe a call and ask what he was doing.

I shook my head. It'd be me proving them that I was an inquisitive wife if I call him.

I chewed on my nails for some minutes.

I'll just call him,I have to why he is there.

Weren't they supposed to be having drinks?

I got notified about his friend's new post on Instagram and decided to check it out.

"Life is fun and free when there's no tigress around keeping tabs. Joe's achilles heel is truly Nelly Barclays."

Attached to the caption was a photo of Joe Breed looking tenderly at his childhood sweetheart who was lying on the bed.

Their friends group consists four - three boys and one girl.

Joe Breed and Nelly Barclays has always been shipped as the jade girl and jade boy.

They would have made perfect partners in marriage if only Nelly hadn't been forced by her parents to get married to a foreigner of a man.

Joe's friends saw me at the villain in their love story,they pushed the balme on me not the woman that ran off with another man after she came back to America with a young boy who she gave birth to.

They were greatly disgruntled about Joe's engagement with me so they always manage to snag him up every night to have drinks with them.

Fully aware of Joe's weak tolerance for alcohols,I would call to tell him to come home but I would be viewed as a killjoy by his friends and he might end up spending the whole night with them.

Whenever they come visiting,I was treated like a premium housekeeper in the house.

Tonight again,Joe has chosen his beloved friends over me.

Maybe this is cool,afterall,since there wouldn't be anything in me that would want to soften.

I bit down on my lower lips before reacting to the post with love.

The post was nowhere to be found again the next second; An evidence that they forgot to block me from seeing that post.

Around three in the morning, Joe staggered into the house.

He stayed in the kitchen for a while before coming inside the room, contaminating the air with the strong scent of alcohol on him.

When he saw my eyes staring at him,a line of panic flashed on his face before he came to lie down beside me, pulling the quilt to cover me.

"No hangover soup for me today?"he asked softly.

"You can cook a pot for yourself."i replied,averting my eyes from him.

Beneath the nose-bleeding reek of alcohol on him,I could smell a faint scent of lavender which made my stomach experience a sharp pain.

A sigh left his lips as if he has more to say but got a second thought of it.

"Get some sleep. Both you and the baby need it."

was at the company where I worked at the next morning.

The supervisor raised her brows at me in surprise.

I'd mostly been running late because of being caught up in Joe's mess and cleaning up after him then providing his needs at the same time so it was natural for her to be this shocked to see me walk in earlier than before.

The supervisor called me into her office.

"Racheal, would you be interested in joining our staffs working overseas?

There's an offer,and you're the best employee worthy of it." She asked carefully.

"Your skills are top - notch and there's no one here that rivals that. I didn't want to bring it up before as I was worried fo-"

"I will take that with a bunch of thanks, ma'am." I interrupted her.

Her eyes widened a little. She cleared her throat, "Is…something up at home,Racheal? You fought with your husband or something?

I noticed you threw a bouquet in the trash can last night also."

A light smile touched my lips and I shook my head.

Fight? Nah. Joe never engage in an argument with me.

Instead,he would give me a look an elder would give to a child mindlessly throwing tantrums.

My phone buzzed twice. When I checked it out,I saw it was Joe.

His voice rang out from the phone's speaker in a gentle but slightly displeased time.

"Swamped up with many duties today? I found the dining table empty."

He stopped,taking in a deep breath. "It was our anniversary yesterday,and I prepared something for you."

"Oh?"my brows perked up.

"What something?"i tried not to sound interested.

"A ring,a beautiful one to be precise. It was one of the lead items on sales yesterday."he replied and I heard sounds as if he was looking for something.

"How come it's not here tho? I kept it in my coat,but i can't find it."he remarked and I scoffed lowly.

I remember seeing a shiny ring wrapped around Nelly's slender finger in the picture last night.

I guess the gift he got for me needed a test to be run on it on his childhood sweetheart's finger.

"It's alright; I didn't get you anything after all."I brushed his words off.

"I really did got you a gift, Racheal. You aren't,by chance,angry right?"

"Why would I be?"I breathed out.

"I have to go now, there's a lot to do here."I added before ending the call.

Starting from that day,my relationship with Joe grew into a silent wave of ocean that could decide to swerve to any direction with no questions asked.

Few days later,I was invited for dinner by his mother; a rare event since she never for once saw me as the wife of her son,only Nelly was the golden girl worthy of being her daughter in-law.

I honored her invitation, nevertheless.

I arrived there at her house by taxi.

She could have stayed in the packhouse but she wanted a taste of life in the human world so she made Joe get her a penthouse there.

When I entered,she was directing Joe's friends go set the table.

As soon as my presence was registered,the room went into a state of silence,amidst which someone muttered, "Why call her here? She would drag Joe home with her,not allowing us have drinks."

I pretended not to have heard that and took my seat.

Joe soon arrived with Nelly by his side.

I saw that the ring was no longer on her finger.

Nelly dashed into the kitchen to chat with Joe's mother like she truly belonged there.

Joe pulled the chair beside me back and sat down.

He brought the ring out of his pocket and turned to me, "it's just like I'd guessed, Racheal. It was in the car this whole time."he smiled, twirling the ring in his hand gently as if it were such a precious object.

How could he not have any reluctancy to him?

Joe took my left hand, and slides the ring in one of my fingers without taking notes of my facial expression.

I stared down at the ring,a strong feeling of repugnant in me.

How long has he been lying to me with such ease?

From the kitchen,his mother's voice came out in a warm texture, "oh,Nelly,leave all these jobs for Racheal - it's only right she do it,not you who is only a visitor here tonight."

Nelly grabbed her and and shook it lovingly, "come on,aunty,I missed you." She purred.

"You did? Oh,Nelly.." Joe's mother drawled out as she threw a glance in my direction.

"I was begginning to think you'd forgotten all about Joe and I. Everyday,I longed for your company and it seems the earth was stuck in a place.

You're always welcome to visit often,my dear."she replied pulling Nelly closer.

She then looked at me and said out of pretended innocence, "Racheal, I don't think I have formally introduced you to Nelly,or have I?

Oh,my old brain. This is Nelly,my adopted daughter.

She and Joe has been tight friends ever since so their being so close is totally natural!

You don't have to worry about it and it's no use stalking your husband when he is out. After all,you trust your man, don't you?" There was a command tone underlying her words.

"That's right,Racheal. You're always trying to find out what I'm up to and it makes me uncomfortable.

We are all good people here and we won't drag Joe in an unsolvable mess." One of his friends and active shipper of the duo,Garry Gates chipped in with a smug face.

"Besides,we are all starting a business up and as part of our start up, it's only necessary we spend long hours out from meeting investors and all.

Nelly even passed out days ago from drinking too much with a client and landed herself in the hospital bed!

If both Joe and her truly have feelings for each other,they would be together now."

My brows furrowed up in confusion.

What business are they talking about?

What company?

Wasn't Joe stable and contented in his current job?

Realizing too late that he'd allowed his mouth run too much,Garry fell into a pit of quietness as he exchanged unsettling stares with the others.

I couldn't figure out if I was the one eating the meal or the meal was the one eating me up as I just kept shoving spoonful of the food inside my mouth but my stomach felt vain.

The food tasted bland,maybe if it was tasty,I would have been slapped back to consciousness fully.

The dining table was quiet in a creepy manner after the erstwhile drama.

When we were done eating,a heavy downpour of rain started outside.

Joe approached me.

"Racheal,I have to drop Nelly off at her apartment as it would be hard to find a taxi in the rain.

Why don't you spend some time with mom pending the time I drive her home?"

"Alright."I answered as I watched him closely.

He wanted to say some other things but he dismissed it,and gave my hand a little squeeze before walking off with Nelly.

I picked my mobile phone,and booked a ride,brushing off Joe's mom insistence that i remain in her house.

In the room,the patters of the rain on the roof,the coldness it brings with it left me bare and disgraced.

Not long after,a warm temperature surrounded me.

It was Joe. His clothes were wet and his hair dampened.

He wrapped his hand around me.

"It's my fault, Racheal. I shouldn't have left you alone but Prolly is helpless,more she has a young son and I just wanted to help a bit.

It was me who brought her to the dinner,so it was also my responsibility to make sure she get home safe and sound."

"You could have stayed with my mother tho."he added with a hint of a scold.

I turned to look at him,my eyes staying glued in his eyes.

"Was you driving her home the only option available?"I questioned.

"Huh?"he was befuddled with my sudden question.

I sighed,balling my hands beside me.

"Garry and others drove there, didn't they? They could have dropped her off or better still,she could have called a cabman."

I watched as Joe's face got clouded wuth shame and guiltiness.

"I..just wanted to.."

"You just wanted to be of help."I cut him off,rolling my eyes to the side, finding everything preposterous.

Joe inspected me before speaking up.

"You aren't jealous,are you,Racheal?"he asked as if it would be a crime if I was.

When I didn't respond,he picked up his words,"Nelly is just a sister to me. She's a divorcee,single mom,and not balance financially, that's a lot worry for her to bear alone."

But what about me?

I'm physically and mentally drained. I am supposed to feel married,but I am always sleeping alone on our matrimonial bed every night.

Although I am the Luna,the pack members rarely gives me full respect.

Concerning finance, I'm a mess!

But he hasn't for once worried about me!

My stomach tightened and i gnashed my teeth,feeling my body heating up in wrath.

I looked at Joe sharply.

If my eyes are nails,that brown eyes of his would have been dug out by now.

"Good. Now you'd even quit your job to help someone? To start a new business with them?"i tried to keep my voice low. I yanked his hand off my waist, drifting away from him.

He blinked rapidly and pulled hus necktie back to order.

"You don't know,Racheal,that this business is a joint one. We are all snatching such great opportunity to build something…huge, reliable and more better."He looked at me with affection-stricken eyes which I found so disgusting now!

"You'll be a mother very soon,Racheal, stop overthinking things. You wouldn't want to give birth to a jealous child, would you?"

My heart sank.

'But the child is no more.' I wanted to reply but his phone's ringtone didn't gave me the chance.

He accepted the call,and a small vibrant voice rang out.

"Daddy,why don't you come meet me? I badly want to see you!"

Joe's eyes twitched a little and he rolled over to the end of the bed,covering the speaker of the phone with his hands.

He jumped off the bed and left the bedroom.

Moments later,he returned and waltzed into his closet. He came out,dressed in dried clothes,ready to head out.

"Nelly's little boy is a bit under the weather and he wishes to see me.

I'll go and come back soon. This is the last time I would be meeting with her like this.

After this, I'll have more time for you and our baby."he came to peck me on my cheeks.

"You should start going."I nodded like the understanding wife I've always been.

Immediately he left,I picked up my phone to follow up with ny supervisor how the relocation plans were going.

My phoine vubeated and Garry's, alongside Joe's other acquaintances, messages flooded inside.

"Sister in-law,Nelly's son is sick,can you tell Joe to go over?"

I ignored their messages, focusing on the chat with my supervisor.

After that,I logged into my social media account and after checking out two posts,I stumbled on the one on Nelky's wall.

"Two important men in my life." A picture of Joe sleeping,with her son also far into the night in his arms was paired with her texts.

I chuckled,too tired to get angry or jealous.