Jade’s head snapped to the side from the force of the punch, and she stumbled but she didn’t fall.

Jade slowly turned her head back to face Felix with cold dead eyes.

For the first time, Felix hesitated.

“You hit me,” she whispered, her voice was calm, too calm.

He scowled. “You hurt Bella! Now apologize!”

“Bella is a gamma werewolf, I'm just an omega. How can I hurt her?” Jade snapped.

Felix scowled at her. “Apologize! Now!”

Jade sneered. “Over my dead body.” She spat venomously.

A look of confusion crossed Felix's face. Jade never spoke like that to him. What was going on with her?

“If you don't apologize to her, then you can say goodbye to being head healer in this pack.” He threatened.

Jade smiled bitterly. “Fine,” she said, and Felix relaxed, thinking she was going to apologize.

“I don't want to be the head healer, anyway.” she added with a shrug.

Felix's mouth dropped open as he watched Jade walk away. No, something was wrong.

Before he could call her back, Bella clutched his arm tightly.

“Ow, my head hurts.” She cried, “I think she hit me very badly.”

Felix instantly became worried for her, completely forgetting that she was a werewolf, from a gamma bloodline. An omega like Jade couldn't possibly hurt her.

“Come on, Bella. Let's go to the pack's clinic.” He said softly.

Immediately Jade got back home, she called the head of the Healer's Sanctum.

“Jade! It's so good to hear from you,” Jim greeted. “Please tell me that you have reconsidered our offer. It'll really be a—”

“Yes,” Jade replied, “I have thought about it, and yes, I'll take the position at the Healer's Sanctum. Give me a week so that I can put everything in order.”

Jim was ecstatic that Jade had finally accepted to come work for the Sanctum. “Of course, take as much time as you need my dear.”

When she finished speaking with Jim, she started packing her things.

She picked up those fake meaningless gifts from Felix and threw them into the trash.

When Felix finally came back home, he stared around in surprise. The place looked slightly empty.

Concern flashed through him. Was Jade packing? Why?

Then he snorted internally. It wasn't possible. Jade couldn't do without him.

“What’s going on? What are you doing?” Felix asked, looking around in confusion.

Jade faked a smile. “I’m just throwing away some of my old things. I don’t need them anymore.”

Felix frowned, stepping closer. “Really? All these things? That's a lot”

“It’s just stuff,” she replied, shrugging causally.

He nodded, brushing it out of his mind.

“Bella told me that she forgives you. She said she doesn’t want things to stay this way between you two, she really wants you two to be friends.”

Jade snorted, “She forgives me? I don't need her forgiveness. Bella is just a pretentious bitch.” She spat.

Felix raised his hand again, as if he wanted to hit her again, then he paused.

“Don't talk about Bella like that,” he hissed.

Jade smiled bitterly, “Of course,” she mumbled, turning back her attention to what she was doing.

Felix sighed. “I'm sorry. I wasn't going to hit you. I swear.”

Jade hummed, but didn't say anything in reply.

He sighed again, “You know what, what if I take you to that restaurant that you love so much that serves spicy noodle sauce?”

Jade faked a smile, pretending to be happy at his words. She needed something from him, so she needed him to think she was okay.

“Okay, what time?” She asked softly.

Internally, Felix smirked. He knew he could easily get Jade to soften up. He knew it would work.

“Seven?” Felix suggested, keeping his voice soft.

Jade nodded, still pretending to play along. “Seven is perfect.”

Felix leaned down to kiss her, and she stiffened as disgust coursed through her.

“Don't worry, by next week, I'll make you the pack's head healer.” He promised.

Next week, at the same time he was having his mating ceremony with Bella.

Jade watched Felix leave with a sneer on her face. He had been making that promise to her for ages.

But now, it meant nothing to her, because by next week, she'll be gone.

When it was seven, Felix was nowhere to be found. Jade sat on the couch, fully dressed and prepared, as she waited for him to show up.

Jade had done this several times. She knew how it always ended—in tears and disappointment—but she had really thought that tonight was going to be different, that maybe he would keep his promise this time.

She had even put on the red dress he once said made her look “dangerous in the best way.” She had curled her hair, and had even applied a touch of makeup. But she had just been fooling herself. She was, and had never been, Felix's.

Jade lost track of how long she sat there, lost in thought, until she dozed off. Her phone buzzed, causing her to jolt awake from her sleep. It was a message from Felix.

“Can't make it. Something urgent came up in the back. We'll do it another time. Promise.”

Jade glanced at the time. It was already 9pm, and he was just sending a message now. He had probably forgotten about it, and had just remembered to send a message to ease his guilt.

She read the message again, and snorted, shaking her head in amusement. Another time. If only he knew that there wasn't going to be a next time.

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was from Bella.

“Missing your date?” the message read.

Below the message were three photos. In the first, Felix sat beside Bella on the bed, holding a cold towel to her forehead. In the second, he was feeding her soup with a spoon, his face was full of so much concern. And in the third photo, he held her hand, looking at her like she was the only person in the world.

Bella sent another message under.

“He’s just the best, isn’t he? I told him I had a little headache, and he dropped everything for me. He said, ‘Bella, you’re more important than anything else right now.’ Isn’t that just the sweetest? I’m sure your spicy noodles can wait… forever.”

Jade stared at her screen with a blank look in her eyes. Her fingers didn’t shake. Her heart didn’t race. Not anymore. She felt nothing, no rage, or jealousy, just relief.

She deleted the pictures and the messages with any hesitation. Bella thought she was hurting her, but she didn't know that she was doing her a huge favour.

Jade stood up and made her way back to the bedroom to change her clothes. The only thing that caused her annoyance about Felix’s actions was the inconvenience of changing. The red dress hadn’t been easy to zip up.

As she wiped the makeup off her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes didn’t look as broken as they had looked that day—they just looked calm.

Her phone buzzed again, and she released a sigh of exasperation. But immediately she realized that it was Rowan, all signs of annoyance melted away, and a smile spread across her lips.

Rowan had sent two pictures of dresses.

“Which one do you prefer?” He asked under the photos.

Jade stared at both for a moment before replying.

“The first one,” she replied.

“Okay, I'll send it to you immediately,” he said.

Jade furrowed her eyebrows.

“How will you know my size?” she typed with an amused smile on her lips.

Rowan’s reply came immediately.

“Trust me, I know.”

He added a smirk emoji right after.

Jade blinked at the screen, blushing as she giggled at his reply.

She was blushing over a text. From Rowan.

How long had it been since someone made her feel wanted, and seen, like she mattered?

Alpha Rowan was her true mate, chosen by the moon goddess herself. They had met at one of the conferences that Jade had gone to represent Felix. She had been so proud that day as she spoke on behalf of a mate she believed loved her.

Jade had told him that she already had a mate waiting for her at home. Someone she loved with her whole heart, and who, she believed, loved her too. She had said it with so much confidence, and was about to reject Rowan. Rowan had pleaded with her to think about it first and give him a response a week later.

Before the week was up, luckily, Jade discovered Felix’s lies before it became too late. She gave Rowan her reply. And now, she was incredibly glad that she never made the mistake of rejecting him immediately, because with just a few messages and a smirk emoji, Rowan had warmed her heart far more than Felix ever had.

Felix didn’t return home that night.

He came in early the next morning with Bella’s scent clinging to him like a stench. Jade noticed that he hesitated at the door when he saw her already awake and seated at the dining table, eating breakfast calmly.

She watched him as he prepared what to say to apologize to her.

“Jade, baby, I’m so sorry,” he said softly, “Something came up, and I didn’t mean to stay long—I just... it wasn’t supposed to be like that, I swear.”

She said nothing, chewing her food quietly.

Felix sat beside her chair, grabbing her free hand. “Please don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to miss our dinner. I am going to make it up to you. I promise. You know that you mean everything to me.”

Still, she said nothing.

“I brought you something,” he added quickly, reaching into his pocket. “Look. I saw this and thought of you. I know how much you love jewelry.”

He pulled out a box and opened it, revealing a delicate gold necklace with a crystal pendant. Jade blinked at it, and for a moment, she almost laughed.

She knew this necklace.

It wasn’t new. He didn’t pick it with her in mind, she knew it was one of Bella’s old ones. Jade remembered seeing it in a post that Bella made weeks ago, saying she was clearing out her jewelry drawer and giving away pieces she didn’t wear anymore.

And now Felix was giving it to her. Jade stared at it for a moment longer, then raised her eyes to Felix.

“Thank you,” she said simply, keeping her voice calm. “It’s nice.”

Felix blinked. “That’s it?” he asked, confused. “You like it, right?”

“Yes,” she replied, placing her spoon down. “It’s beautiful.”

Felix was surprised. Normally, Jade would’ve been overjoyed. She would’ve hugged him, kissed him, thanked him over and over. But now, she looked as if he had just handed her a worthless piece of trash, instead of a gift. Yes, he knew it was trash, but Jade didn’t know that.

“Wait... are you mad at me?”

She smiled faintly. “No. I’m not mad.”

Jade was mad, but she wasn’t mad at Felix. She was mad at herself for not seeing things clearly before, for allowing herself to be easily manipulated.

“You’re not mad?” His voice raised in disbelief.

“No,” she said again, this time standing up. “You said something came up. I understand.”

“But—”

“It’s okay,” she cut him off. “You don’t have to explain anything.”

He searched her face, probably hoping to find some sort of emotion, but there was none. It was getting him confused, and he hated it.

“Can you stop being so damn dramatic?!” He snapped, annoyance filled his voice.

Jade furrowed her eyebrows calmly, “Excuse me?”

He released a sigh of annoyance, and stormed off.

She watched him leave, shaking her head in amusement. Her phone buzzed with a message from Rowan, and she smiled, typing back a response.

Felix returned to the dining room after calming himself down. But the moment he saw her smiling at her phone, his eyes narrowed slightly.

She hadn’t even noticed when he entered.

Felix stared at her for a moment, then slowly walked to the table, expecting to see his plate already set like always. But there was nothing there, apart from her empty plate and cup.

He cleared his throat, trying to get her attention.

Jade didn’t look up.

He cleared it again, louder this time. “Uh... where’s mine?”

She glanced up briefly, looking surprised to see him still there. “What?”

“My breakfast,” he said, pointing at the empty table. “You didn’t keep any?”

She shrugged, “I didn’t see you, so I made breakfast for myself.”

Felix blinked. “What about me?”

Jade tilted her head. “Kitchen’s right there. Eggs are in the fridge, bread’s on the counter. There’s butter and jam in the drawer.” She said it so casually, like it wasn’t anything new.

Felix stood frozen, gaping at her in disbelief. He had never once made his own breakfast in this house. Jade had always done it cheerfully without being asked.

Now she was directing him to ingredients.

He clenched his jaw. “You didn’t think I would be hungry?”

“I didn’t see you,” she replied simply, turning her attention back to her phone. Her smile returned instantly at Rowan’s next message.

Felix clenched his jaw. She was pretending, trying to get his attention, but he did not give a damn about her games.

“What kind of game are you playing now?” he snapped, stepping closer to her. “Seriously, Jade. I’m not in the mood. I’m hungry.”

Without looking up from her phone, she said calmly, “You should’ve eaten from where you’re coming from.”