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.

Moira's POV

I was ready to start my first day at Blitz AI, as Dillan had requested. Just as I was about to step out of the apartment, my phone rang. Beta Kevin's name was displayed on the screen, and I answered the call without hesitation. Even though I had decided to leave home, I was still on good terms with him.

He often assured me that Jude would surely realize his mistake in mistreating me, but I didn't need those words. Instead of comforting me, they only had made things worse.

"Yes, Beta Kevin. Is there something important that made you call me?" I asked, and he replied with a light laugh.

"Hi, Luna Moira. I just wanted to let you know that Alpha Jude wants you to come to the office," he said. "By the way, why are you being so formal with me? Just call me by my name, like Jude does. Besides, we're not in front of the other pack members."

"I just still respect you. As for my name, I think you should stop calling me Luna. It doesn't suit me anymore," I replied.

"So your decision is final?" he asked after being silent for a moment.

"Yes. Jude may have invited me to come and talk about the divorce papers I sent to his office, right? I'll come. Thanks for the information, Kev."

"Uh, wait, Moira."

"Yes? Is there anything else?"

"I forgot to mention that Jude asked you to come to the office because he didn't accept your resignation letter and hopes you'll stay. He might be considering fixing your marriage."

Could I say that was impossible? Jude wasn't the type to take back on his words. Once he made a decision, he never went back on it. So, was Kevin lying? If Kevin really was lying, what was his motive?

I didn't say much but immediately headed to the office, and when I arrived, I ran into Jude. I should have been happy. After being apart for days, seeing his handsome face should have made me happy. However, instead of happiness, I only felt numbness.

He also seemed indifferent, which was clearly not what Kevin had described. Jude had never cared about me. He passed by me as if I were a stranger.

It didn't matter. I had already decided I was only there to resolve our unfinished business. The divorce papers hadn't been returned to me signed by Jude. Once he did that, I would finally be able to breathe easily.

Kevin approached me when he saw I had arrived. He greeted me in the same friendly way as always, seemingly on my side. He smiled and glanced briefly at Jude, who was indifferent. I just shrugged, not caring.

"There must still be something you can fix," Kevin said, offering hope that could never materialize. "How about you talk things over with a cup of coffee? You still remember what he likes, right?"

I didn't answer. More accurately, I didn't want to. If I kept trying to win his heart and affection this way, he would only see and miss the memories, not me, and I would just feel even more pathetic because of that.

Still, I turned around and made Jude coffee the way he liked. I brought two cups to his room, thinking we would talk as we enjoyed coffee and snacks. But what I saw was a sight I never wanted to witness.

Jude wasn't alone in his room; he was with Bella, who was sitting on his lap. They were kissing passionately. His hands squeezed Bella's butt as she swayed her hips and busied herself down below, as if she was unbuckling Jude's belt.

If I hadn't walked in, they would have ended up taking off their clothes and having sex like two stray dogs.

I didn't say anything. I was about to turn around when Bella noticed my presence and quickly slid off Jude's lap.

"Shit! What are you doing here, huh?! If you ever walk into my office without knocking again, I'll fire you!" Jude snapped with a loud, authoritative alpha voice, making me tremble and the hot coffee spill, scalding my hands.

It was hot and burning. It was excruciating. But my feelings were burning worse. More throbbing pain. He didn't need to worry about anything because he might have forgotten that I'd seen much worse than this.

My gaze fell on Bella, whose lips curled into a faint smile, her red eyes glowing triumphantly. I'd seen that look before. It was just what her mother had done to my mother back then.

Looking at Bella brought back the same intense pain I felt when my father first brought her mother into our house. That flawless face had charmed everyone since she was born. She had been Dad's beloved daughter since birth, born to his fated mate-a rare, pure-blooded Alpha. The bond between Dad and Bella's mother was said to be blessed by the Moon Goddess. Unfortunately, their sacred bond was a fatal sentence for my mother.

At the time, rumors spread that my father, already married to my mother, had taken his fated mate, bringing shame and sorrow to the strongest pack, and it destroyed my mother, who came from noble lineage but with an ordinary family background. She rejected her wolf spirit then, and soon after, she died.

I still remember how my strong and beautiful mother suddenly withered and lost all interest in life, until her wolf soul disappeared completely.

My father didn't wait for the mourning period to end but immediately announced his new mate and brought Bella into the pack.

As the daughter of an Alpha and his fated mate, Bella was like a goddess. Everyone bowed to her and honored her, as if she were blessed by the Moon Goddess herself.

In contrast, I had to face the bitter reality of my own life. I married Jude, the future Alpha of the strongest pack, thinking I'd finally get the place I deserved as a mate and a Luna, but the opposite happened.

History repeated itself. Bella had taken everything that should have been mine-my father's love, my mate's loyalty, and even my daughter's heart. My title as Luna meant nothing in her shadow.

I threw both cups of coffee into the trash after leaving Jude's office. I checked and treated the burns on my hands from the hot coffee. There was no point in sacrificing everything-my heart, soul, and youth-for the love of my husband and child. The reality was clear. Whatever I did would never be enough. Someone with an ordinary background couldn't compete with a pure-blooded Alpha lineage.

I had to stop fighting. I had to let go of everything.

My phone rang. It was Dillan, calling again, and I immediately answered to explain why I hadn't come to his office. He understood, but his words remained the same.

"I hope you're okay, Moira. Don't hesitate to contact me whenever you need help," he said, and I agreed.

I hurried to the cafeteria for lunch. Now that I was just an ordinary employee with no status in the pack, household, or even for Jude-the owner of a giant company whose wealth could last for seven generations-I picked a meal that matched my frugal lifestyle.

I picked a seat near the window to enjoy my meal while looking at the city from above. Whispers drifted from where I sat. Some employees were gossiping about Jude's new lover.

I didn't want to listen, but a part of me still wanted to know how others viewed my marriage to Jude. Especially considering that, even physically, I couldn't compare to Bella.

"I think they're a perfect match. He's never been open about his life, but today... She's so lucky to have Mr. Hammer," said one of the employees, catching my attention. Then they started talking about something that left me speechless, unable to believe what I heard. And the more I listened, the more my chest ached, the pain squeezing tighter.