At our high school reunion, my fiancé, Alpha Yuri Remington's ex-mate, spilled wine all over my shoes.

Alpha Yuri, who's usually the picture of calm and charm, told his ex to get on her knees and lick them clean.

I opened my mouth to stop him, but a stream of bullet comments floated across my vision:

[OMG, spare us the fake sympathy, side chick! The male lead's all tough talk, but he's totally whipped for the female lead. Dude's heart is shattered inside.]

[Reunited after years apart, forbidden fling, CEO heartthrob vs. femme fatale-every trope is hitting me right in the feels!!]

[This fiancée side character is such a buzzkill. Can't wait for the female lead to make her move and ruin her!]

My heart skipped a beat.

I glanced at Alpha Yuri, who was lounging on the couch,

idly playing with my fingers, his touch light but deliberate.

"No licking? Fine. These heels are custom-made by Y Brand, one-of-a-kind worldwide, worth three million bucks."

"You can always pay up instead."

The private room erupted in cheers and jeers.

"Alpha Yuri's such a simp for his she-wolf! Dropping millions on shoes like it's nothing. Bet someone's kicking themselves now, huh?"

"Didn't she become bound to some rich family? Can't even cough up a few mil?"

"Rich family? Total scam! They dumped her anyway. Bet she could strip down right here and still get no takers."

[Female lead's face is pale. Why are these NPCs so vicious?!]

[She ruined the side chick's shoes on purpose to get the male lead's attention. How does this idiot not see her heart?!]

[She thinks he's still her lapdog, like back in the day, ready to come running with a snap of her fingers?]

My eyes drifted past the comments, locking onto Willa Garrett.

The she-wolf who broke Alpha Yuri's heart years ago and walked away without a backward glance.

She met my gaze, her eyes brimming with humiliation and resentment.

Alpha Yuri slipped off my stained shoes, gently wiping my feet with a towel.

His voice was casual, almost bored.

"Willa, if you can't pay, maybe hit up that bankrupt ex-mate of yours."

Willa's eyes reddened, her body trembling slightly.

"Fine, I'll strip then. If that's what makes you happy, I'll strip until you're satisfied!"

"I never said anything about stripping-"

Alpha Yuri didn't get to finish.

Willa, in front of everyone, shrugged off her jacket.

Underneath was a champagne-colored sleeveless dress, clinging to her curves, accentuating every inch of her stunning figure.

Her hand reached for the zipper at the back, then froze.

Biting her lip, she looked at Alpha Yuri, tears welling up, ready to spill.

[Heartbreaking! She's betting everything, gambling on whether he'll cave.]

Alpha Yuri gave a cold smirk.

"Willa, same old tricks. Don't make promises you can't keep."

[Heh, male lead's still hung up on how she said she loved him, then became bound to someone else, isn't he?]

[Someone spill the tea on their past! I skipped episodes, plz help.]

[Back then, male lead was fighting his half-brother for the family fortune. His stepmom sent the female lead to seduce him, steal his company's core secrets, and tank his business. He nearly went bankrupt.]

[Before she left, she told him if he rode the rollercoaster he's terrified of, she'd stay. He got on, and she walked away without looking back.]

[Whoa, that's some serious bad blood. Can they even love each other after that?]

[Yo, look past the surface. Male lead talks big, but his eyes haven't left her once!]

"I won't break my word again!"

Willa's gaze locked onto Alpha Yuri, her eyes fierce with resolve.

Alpha Yuri grabbed my hand, his grip tightening so hard it felt like my bones might snap.

"Alpha Yuri..."

My voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper.

He seemed to snap out of it, releasing me abruptly.

But he didn't look at me.

Red marks bloomed on the back of my hand, and my chest felt like it was being crushed by an invisible fist.

The crowd hooted and teased, sneaking glances at Alpha Yuri to gauge his reaction.

Seeing no objection, they egged Willa on to keep going.

Willa didn't hesitate this time.

With a grim, almost defiant determination, she slowly tugged down the zipper of her dress,

revealing a strip of pale skin.

The neckline dipped, teasing glimpses of what lay beneath.

People turned away, feigning politeness, but their eyes kept darting back.

Of course, she's the female lead.

Her figure was flawless, curves in all the right places.

Seeing Alpha Yuri unmoved, her voice cracked with a sob.

"Not enough, is it?"

She yanked the dress down to her waist.

The room went dead silent, everyone averting their gazes.

I couldn't watch anymore.

Grabbing my jacket, I stepped forward to drape it over her.

But before I could reach her, she shoved me hard.

Caught off guard, my lower back slammed into the table's edge.

A sharp pain shot through me, doubling me over, unable to straighten for what felt like forever.

"Willa, enough!"

Alpha Yuri steadied me, his eyes on Willa, cold as ice.

Willa stared back, tears streaming down her face.

"You... you really don't want me anymore?"

Alpha Yuri's hand, still supporting me, went rigid.

He didn't answer.

"Ha, then why do you care what I do?"

Willa let out a bitter laugh.

In one swift motion, she tore the dress off completely.

I couldn't fathom why Willa would humiliate herself like this, or why she ignored my attempt to help.

But then it hit me.

Alpha Yuri let go of me, rushing to her side, throwing his jacket over her.

Willa's near-naked body pressed against him, tears falling one after another, but a smile curved her lips.

"I knew it. You can't let me go."

And Alpha Yuri, he just let her cling to him.

Willa gazed at him, entranced, as he helped her back into her dress.

Every so often, his fingers brushed her skin, and she'd shiver softly.

[OMG, intense! Held my breath the whole time! Knew he'd crack!]

[So tragic! Female lead's sacrifice is huge.]

[Tragic? Willa's a master manipulator, playing her cards perfectly. Watch her reel the male lead back in, step by step!]

[Exactly! Male lead didn't spare the side chick a single glance. His world's all about the female lead's tears!]

My heart turned to ice.

Muttering some excuse about needing the bathroom, I slipped out.

Alpha Yuri and I were childhood sweethearts, a perfect match on paper.

But the fiery, all-consuming love story of his youth?

That wasn't with me.

Unlike my doting, loyal parents, his dad was a notorious playboy.

His mom screamed, fought, begged, but it didn't matter. She ended up jumping off a building.

His dad formed a new bond in a heartbeat, bringing along a stepson just a few months younger than Alpha Yuri.

I knew Alpha Yuri carried a burning rage inside him.

He poured every ounce of it into clawing his way up, diving headfirst into the cutthroat world of business after graduation.

It didn't take long for him to make a name for himself.

He was brilliant, magnetic, and of course, she-wolves threw themselves at him, some subtle, some shameless.

But he always brushed them off with the same icy line:

"I don't have time for that."

Then he met Willa.

Not only did he go all-in, proclaiming his love for the world to see, he made her his assistant,

the two of them practically glued at the hip.

I stayed in the shadows, swallowing the ache in my chest.

Their romance didn't even last a year.

His dad died suddenly, the company's core secrets were leaked, and it nearly went under.

His stepmom, meanwhile, took those secrets and started her own rival firm.

Alpha Yuri quickly figured out Willa was the mole, sent by his stepmom to get close and steal everything.

She even sent him a video of Willa's bond abroad.

Alpha Yuri spiraled, completely broken.

When I tracked him down, he was getting pummeled by debt collectors, battered and bloody.

I threw myself in front of them, sobbing, emptied my wallet, every last dollar,

and swore I'd help him pay it all back.

That night, under the flickering hallway light, Alpha Yuri sat on the floor for hours.

Finally, he staggered to his feet.

I reached to steady him, but he shoved me away.

"I don't need your pity."

I held on, stubborn, staring into his haunted eyes.

"Alpha Yuri, let me help you."

Back then, I just couldn't stand seeing someone so talented, so proud, fall so low.

I wasn't thinking about anything else.

But he sneered, "What, you want me to sell my soul to you?"

I froze, and before I could say a word, he walked away without looking back.

I helped him anyway.

I poured my savings into his ventures, lined up clients, built his reputation.

His company started to recover.

And he... he started to soften toward me.

Eventually, he proposed.

No grand gesture, no flowery vows.

Just a quiet night, when he pressed a warm ring into my palm.

I stared at it, stunned, then burst into tears, overwhelmed with joy.

I thought we'd made it.

I thought we'd grow old together, side by side, unshakable.

Little did I know, our story had a leading lady named Willa.

The bullet comments keep saying I'm just a stepping stone for their epic reunion, a throwaway villain to push their love story forward.

But why?

Why should my years of loyalty, my sacrifices,

clear the path for her so-called "destiny"?

Why does Willa get to waltz in with her "main-character" halo and tear our life apart like it's her right?

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, eyes stinging with unshed tears, and wiped them away.

I'm not done.

No one gets to kick me out of this game but me.

I stepped out of the bathroom, the comments went berserk.

[Can the side chick just get lost? I'm here for the main couple's swoony romance, not her mopey face!]

[Clown show incoming! Male lead's about to confess his love in front of everyone-so sweet it's gonna give me cavities!]

I squeezed my eyes shut, pretending I couldn't see them.