Moira's POV

I stepped into a room that wasn't particularly grand, but comfortable enough to live in. At first, I wanted to bring Mirielle with me if she agreed to come. However, she refused. She was pretty firm, and I didn't expect a child as young as her to do and say something like that.

"Mirielle. Pack your things. We're leaving," I said at the time.

"What? Where? Are we going with Dad and Aunt Bella?" I didn't answer her question, but I packed everything and waited for her to do the same. "Mom, is Aunt Bella coming with us? I don't want to go if Aunt Bella isn't coming because-"

I instinctively grabbed her arm and shook her slightly to stop her from talking. My gaze was fixed straight into her eyes, and she looked frightened.

"It's just the two of us, Elle. Do you hear me? Pack your things now, and we'll leave immediately!" Mirielle let go of my hand and took a few steps back. She looked unhappy and clearly had no intention of going with me. I should have understood from the first time she mentioned Jude and his whore. Mirielle seemed so excited about something that was so painful for me.

Seven years of marriage and living together that existed just for the sake of it. I always hoped that by being nice to him, he would eventually soften up and love me. However, it seemed like that would never happen.

"Elle, what do you like most about me? And... if I ask you to choose, would you choose me or Dad?"

She looked at me, still clenching her hands together. Her face was pale, and I couldn't bear to see her like that. I sighed, trying to control my tone so my voice wouldn't be too loud and push Mirielle further away from me.

"I choose Dad." I almost spoke again, but Mirielle had already made her decision, and it felt like my heart was breaking. "Especially with Aunt Bella around. Dad always plays with me more. Usually, I'm always alone because you and Dad are always busy at the office."

She was right, and my heart ached deeply hearing her words. Mirielle had never complained about anything before, but today she said it all with such innocent words.

"I want Aunt Bella to be my mother. That's why I'll stay here with Dad."

And here I was, deliberately renting a simple, comfortable, quiet apartment. I wanted to immerse myself and calm my chaotic emotions right now. I hoped that everything would get better after this, even if not with my marriage to Jude and my relationship with Mirielle. I had let them go.

***

"Are you sure you want to do this, Moira? You're resigning, and it's usually difficult to find a better job after that. Wouldn't it be better to think it over? Especially since Kevin has just contacted you," said Ziri, my wolf.

She was always my best friend, and I felt lucky to have her. Even if the world was against me, it wouldn't matter as long as Ziri was with me.

"I've thought everything through carefully. Kevin eventually stopped trying to change my mind because Jude didn't want me. He's sick of seeing me wherever he goes. So, enough. The sacrifices of love and my foolishness all this time have been enough. I can accept that Jude can't accept me as his wife and Luna, but not his betrayal."

Ziri was right. Kevin, Jude's beta, had questioned my reasons for stepping down. He knew exactly what my position in the pack was-just a mean of merging two large packs. I was only a tool, but Jude's charm ensnared me and made me fall in love. Unfortunately, he didn't feel the same.

For so long, the pack members had regarded me as a temporary Luna until Jude found his mate, who would become their Luna forever. Sad, but that was what I had to accept.

Even though I never asked for an exception, I still came as a she-wolf searching for my fated mate at the annual event held by the pack, where she-wolves and male wolves would attend a dance party to find their perfect match and mate. Jude stood there as the alpha being sought after. He seemed not to have found his mate yet, so he reluctantly returned with me.

Now, he has Bella, and I didn't know when their relationship had started. Right now, I just wanted to live my life well.

"Do you know about the annual event for alumni of Pack's Academy?" I asked Ziri, who just shrugged.

"They won't accept you again after what happened, Moira. You'd better not waste your time on that."

Hearing Ziri's words, I became even more determined to return to the academy meeting for the whole pack. The strongest packs from all over would come, and that brought back memories of my struggles in the past.

The rigorous training, fierce competition, and strong bonds formed between the Luna candidates and other pack leaders-I would never forget them. I graduated with the highest grades and had the opportunity to form an alliance-of course, after that, especially when my marriage to Jude was arranged, everything fell apart.

I took my phone, ignoring Ziri's opinion. I immediately contacted the academy's administration, which reserved a place for me at the meeting.

"Have you forgotten how you left the academy last time? Now you have many rivals, Moira. You have to start from the bottom again, and your opponents are young warriors. Are you sure you're ready to compete with them?"

"Come on... You know why I gave up my position back then."

"Of course. And that was the dumbest choice you ever made. I really regret it all, even though I tried to talk you out of it, you still insisted on choosing... Ah, never mind!"

"You're right. I was foolish. But I won't make that mistake again. Please..."

The other side did not respond, which, though I was sure that meant that she had granted my request and added my name to the list.

I smiled in relief and glanced at Ziri, who merely raised an eyebrow.

"Let's hope everything goes as planned," she said, and I silently agreed. Now, all I could think about was making all my dreams come true, even if I had to start over from scratch.

I wouldn't give up. I would rise to become the Moira I was meant to be. That was my promise to myself, and I would make it happen.

Moira's POV

I began organizing my belongings and arranging my room in the apartment that would now become my comfortable home, where I would spend my days without my husband and daughter. I deliberately kept myself busy to avoid constantly thinking about them and how heartbroken I was because of them.

This freedom had to be enjoyed and celebrated, as it was never something I had experienced before-especially when I was still Jude's wife and a Luna in the Night Hunter Pack. I had to be perfect in front of everyone, but no one gave me special respect just because their alpha had never wanted me as his mate.

In the end, everyone was aware of the origins of our marriage. Instead of blaming my father for the scheme he had orchestrated, almost all the members blamed me.

The alpha was unhappy; his wife and mate was not whom he wanted. That was what they said. For them, the responsibility of a leader was crucial; Jude should have been rewarded for his hard work with a woman who soothed the soul, not someone they considered a temptress like me.

Temptress... I chuckled at how some people called me that. "Scheming Luna," "Restrictive Luna," and other derogatory nicknames for me. Well, they didn't need to bother finding new nicknames because I was no longer their Luna.

I sipped the wine in my hand while reading one of my favorite novels in front of the fireplace. The seasons had changed. Autumn had arrived, and it reminded me of my beautiful teenage years when my mother was still with me. I always missed her apple cider more than sipping wine alone.

My mother had been gone because of my father's betrayal, but I refused to let myself become weak because of the same thing.

"Don't you want to contact Mirielle? I miss her. Don't you?" said Ziri, to which I only replied with a pout without taking my eyes off the novel in my hands.

"Moira, are you seriously going to ignore your daughter?"

"Enough, Ziri. She's already made her choice."

"Moira."

"Come on..." I put down the novel and fixed Ziri with a sharp gaze as she appeared before me, clearly waiting for the answer she expected. I wasn't surprised by her persistence because she was a loving wolf. "Do you want me to beg for their love? Should I force Elle to stay with me so she'll feel I'm restricting and tormenting her? Is that it?"

"No, Moira. At least ask how she is." I shook my head. "She's just a child. She's only seven years old."

"I know. However, she seemed to understand everything and dared to contradict me," I replied, the pain in my chest still lingering. "I may have overreacted because I felt hurt by the child's attitude, but I could do nothing. I'm still hurting. At least you should took my side and let me heal first before telling me to make peace with everyone."

"Alright, I understand. I'm sorry. I should have understood your condition better and the trauma of being abandoned and betrayed a long time ago. So what are you going to do now? What's your plan?"

I grabbed the TV remote and switched on one of the channels, showing Ziri what was on the screen. The Werewolf Channel was already covering the Pack Academy anniversary celebration, which included a gathering and training session.

"Get ready to attend the alumni reunion at the Pack Academy, I guess. I don't want to miss this opportunity. Since I'm no longer a Luna or an employee , I don't have any responsibilities, especially at the company-in other words, I'm unemployed-so I have to fill my life and days with something positive."

"And start over from the beginning."

"Yes, start over from the beginning. It won't hurt me, though." Ziri was lying comfortably while smiling. I knew it must be tough for her to start a new life where we had to begin everything from scratch. But... "Tell me we can do all this, Ziri. Tell me everything will be okay."

"Well, even though I'm a bit unfamiliar with this new life, yeah... everything will be amazing from now on, Moira. We can do it. I'm sure of it."

***

The gathering had already begun, though it was still in its early stages, with only a handful of alumni arriving to greet one another. I didn't miss it either. I arrived early, hoping to meet someone who would reignite the passion I had lost since marrying Jude.

I met several people who had been close to me while working on various projects during college. They were living good lives, and most had decided not to rush into marriage.

Well, that hit me pretty hard. However, at least there was some enlightenment: most men do end up making life difficult for women after marriage.

They made demands, and when women tried their best to fulfill them, the men found faults to justify their own wrongdoings.

I sighed heavily. Though I always reassured myself that everything was fine and I could manage without Jude, it wasn't that simple. But I had to do it, no matter what.

My steps halted when I saw someone with a familiar smile standing in front of a design house I recognized. He spread his arms, and I immediately ran toward to greet him. He hugged me tightly and warmly before asking how I was.

"Moira... I didn't expect you to come because you've been hard to find since..."

"I know, Dillan. I've felt lost since I decided to get married. There have been many surprises in marriage."

"At least you're here now. By the way, are you still interested in design?"

I couldn't help myself-whenever someone mentioned design, I responded enthusiastically. This time, I just nodded.

"I guess that means yes. I'm glad to see that passion still in you. Of course. Who else could replace the master, the best idea generator and designer-the design genius-on campus? We still talk about you sometimes."

"Yeah, no problem. As long as it's something good," I chuckled. He pointed his index finger at me and laughed.

"How about we talk about this in the cafeteria? Since it's such a treat to see you, I'll buy you food," he said excitedly. I thought briefly while looking around, but Dillan gave me a hopeful look, so I finally nodded.

We walked side by side and arrived at the cafeteria to order a cold latte and some snacks as "conversation companions." We started by talking about life after I decided to quit the academy. Dillan regretted my choice, especially when he heard that my decision hadn't turned out well. However, I tried to change the subject and focused on what he was currently busy with.

He answered and seriously explained what he'd been working on, and then said something unexpected.

"Now that I met you, I no longer need to post job openings on job search sites. How about joining my company? I would be pleased to have a genius designer like you."

It was a great offer. However, it made my stomach churn with excitement and doubt.

"I left that field a long time ago-for seven years, since I got married. I'm not sure I can do that as well as before."

"But you still worked at your husband's company, right?"

"Yes, in sales." Dillan's eyes widened in surprise.

"I know. I hated it. But at the time, only the marketing was willing to hire me. They felt they had a much better designer. So... it was yes or never."

"That's... you must miss the passion you once had. So do I. It would be so much fun to work together again. And... hearing your story about how your life and marriage went until you decided to divorce, this is your chance to shine again, Moira. You'll be the brightest star like you used to be." Dillan smiled with confidence shining in his eyes. "So? What's your answer?"

Moira's POV

I hadn't responded to Dillan's offer yet. It wasn't easy to accept such high praise after being away from the field for so long. I had sacrificed a lot to win Jude's heart, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how far I had strayed from myself.

If I rejected Dillan's offer, I would be ignoring the part of myself that loved design so much.

Didn't I want to shine again like I used to, and rise to become better, as Dillan said?

"How about it, Moira? I'm not offering you this because you were my junior. I thought about it, especially how well we worked together in college." He added, "As additional information that I hope will change your mind a little- Blitz AI's success is mostly thanks to you."

"Me?" I asked in disbelief. "I didn't do anything, Dillan. You don't need to exaggerate."

"It's true, Moira. Do you remember the last design we worked on? It was put on hold because you chose your fairy-tale life, where you'd be happy after marrying your dream prince. I used the remaining, abandoned design." Dillan activated the pad in his hand and showed me one of the images, which I recognized clearly. "This is the result of your genius, Moira. I named it Moi-Ra."

"Is this the AI device we developed before?" I asked. He nodded.

I looked at the screen with a surge of emotion and pride. That was right. I had learned some coding from Dillan and applied what I could to create a generating device to help professionals.

The tablet-shaped device, with its interface design and internal system, could generate simple commands and produce fictional or non-fictional images or text as needed. Everything was available at your fingertips.

"This product sells quite well, especially after I improvised by pairing it with robot mode," he added.

"Robot? Do you mean like a service robot?" I asked curiously. He looked around, then whispered something in my ear.

"Sex robot." He laughed loudly, prompting me to laugh along. "It's a pretty crazy idea, but I'm satisfied. That product is the best-selling one. It turns out that many lonely people need a friend to release their pent-up desires. And some customers buy it as an aid."

"No way... I don't think I need to ask any more questions." I laughed.

"No, you have to hear this, it's serious. One of our colleagues who works in sexology recommended it."

"You must be joking."

"I'm serious. And it's all because of you. Thanks to your wild idea." I just nodded faintly at his last statement, full of over-the-top praise for me. However, I wasn't sure everything would be the same from now on. "I need your help, Moira. You were the star of the class. You were the professor's favorite, remember? Shine again."

"Um... OK. I'm in."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. I don't want my seniors beg as if I deserve it. You can test me before deciding to put me in a certain field. I want fair treatment, considering my abilities may not be the same as they used to be," I said.

Dillan waved his hand in disagreement. "For me, your talent never fades, just like the designs you create. No matter how much we improvise, the initial framework is yours, and we still use it. My employees even admire your work, Moira. I want to know what else we can create in the future. A house- cleaning robot? You'll definitely need one later."

I just laughed at his enthusiastic words. Instantly, my heart surged with the same enthusiasm.

The ringing of a cell phone broke the silence between us. He checked the screen and, with a disappointed look, put the device back in his jacket pocket.

"I'm so glad to see you, Moira. But unfortunately, I can't stay much longer. I have something I need to do," he said, and I nodded, following him as he stood up from his chair. "Hmm, I think I have a good idea. How about you take on your first task today? I'd be thrilled to have your on board."

"What is it? If I can, I'll be happy to help."

He took out his phone and scrolled for a moment before speaking again. "Can you come with me to meet another design genius I'm interviewing today? You have a good sense, and your judgment is always spot-on."

"B,,,but I'm not officially an employee of your company yet, Dillan. And... I'm new there. How could I possibly-"

"Look at this. This is her work. What do you think?" Dillan asked, showing an image on the screen.

I was familiar with that image. It wasn't much different from what I had created during my college days. Unfortunately, I had lost the database without realizing it. That was how I first met Jude. It was a long story I would rather not recall.

A coincidence, but I agreed if Dillan called this job applicant a genius designer.

"I think it's OK. However, you should test her yourself, right?"

"Well, OK. I'll let you know how it goes. By the way, welcome to Blitz AI. See you Monday. Don't forget."

***

I walked listlessly toward the academy exit. Without realizing it, someone greeted me and approached with a few others. I just rolled my eyes. I never expected this day to come. Jane, Jude's sister, stood before me with her usual condescending gaze. She had never liked me since the first time they found out I was pregnant with Jude's child. So, it was no wonder she always tried to cause trouble whenever she met me.

"You're here? What are you doing? Are you looking for another prey to sleep with and then demand responsibility?" asked the woman in a scornful tone. Her gaze had never changed, always treating me as insignificant. However, I had no energy to deal with her, especially here.

"It's none of your business, Jane. One thing is for sure, I'm not here to cause trouble."

"Really? If that's the case, tell me your purpose."

I just sighed and was about to leave, but again, she made me stop in my tracks.

"Don't you care about Mirielle? Jude said you haven't come home for days. What else have you been doing? Mirielle keeps asking about you. What kind of mother are you?"

What was this now? I didn't want to live with guilt, but I also didn't want to keep giving in to their wishes and let them underestimate and humiliate me.

"Who is she, Jane?" asked one of the women who came with Jane. Jane just shrugged.

"Someone I know. But you don't need to know, because she's nobody," she replied coldly.

"What do you want exactly? If you're done, I'm leaving now. I have important things to do."

"Wait! I'll see you Monday. It will be Aaron's birthday, and I want you to cook a meal for the celebration. That way, you can also meet Mirielle instead of wandering around places where you shouldn't be."

What? Why did she always underestimate me as if I never deserved to be appreciated, even a little? For those who didn't know, Jude had always been the golden student at Night Hunter Academy. I'd never heard anything bad about him except for his extraordinary agility and high intelligence. As for me, no one knew I had been the star of the technology and design department because my work was always behind the scenes.

However, it didn't matter. All I needed was to make sure Jude signed our divorce papers and everything ended, so I could be free from all this chaos.