Chapter 5
I turned off my phone and shifted my attention to the documents spread before me. I had chosen a single life now, something Darius had no idea I sacrificed for him. Running away from the wedding, I could finally focus on my career as a mediator, something that needed my full attention now.
The thought of what might be happening at the wedding didn’t linger long in my mind, too much work awaited me. Once I stepped off the plane, I was greeted by my mentor and senior colleagues, their faces bright with excitement.
“Welcome back, Rina!” they shouted, holding banners and handing me flowers. The welcome felt like a grand celebration, drawing curious glances from people nearby. Some might have even mistaken me for a celebrity.
“Elder, this is way too much,” I said, half–laughing.
My mentor, Elder Roman, wrapped an arm around me and smiled warmly.
“Rina, remember, we re your family and we‘ re always here for you,” he said softly.
Hearing those words after holding in so much emotion, especially after witnessing Darius propose to Alina, cracked the dam I’d built around my heart. All the pain and frustration I’d been keeping inside came rushing out in an overwhelming flood.
My senior colleague quickly handed me tissues, clearly prepared for this moment, and comforted me gently.
“Darius was a fool to let you go,” she said, patting my back.
“Exactly! If you’re upset, just say the word, and I l’fly back and knock him out,” another senior added. with a playful tone.
I bit my lip, trying to hold it together, but eventually, I broke down, crying into my senior’s shoulder. It felt like everything that had been weighing on me was being washed away with my tears. Darius had been there for me after my mom passed away. He had stood by my side when Alina and her mother mistreated me, making my father turn against me. He had been my support when I had no one else. But now, after all those promises and the love we had shared, he had left me behind.
I had told him, before I left the country, to just break up with me if he ever stopped loving me. I had said I would give him my blessing if that time came. He had cried then, swearing he would wait for me, saying he would never love anyone else. But all those words had meant nothing in the end.
As I sat there crying, I felt the weight of all those bottled–up emotions slowly lift off me. The hurt and the anger that had been gnawing at me for so long started to fade away.
The bond had even began to fade.
Later that evening, my colleagues took me home and cooked a special meal to celebrate my return. Being surrounded by their warmth and kindness, I felt grateful for the support I had in my life. It was a reminder that despite everything, life hadn’t been entirely unfair to me.
Lying in bed after the celebration, I hesitated before turning on my phone. I knew what awaited me. Darius was probably enjoying his wedding night, while I had escaped to another country.
As soon as the phone powered on, I was hit with a barrage of notifications–over a hundred missed calls from Darius, more than he’d made in the last two years combined. Messages from him flooded in, each one more desperate than the last. Just as I was about to switch my phone off again, another call came through.
“Rina, you finally picked up, his voice was a mix of relief and panic. “Where did you go? I’ve been calling and texting you all day! Why did you move out of the house?”
and I
I frowned, confused by his sudden concern. He had allowed Alina to steal the wedding from me, had left. Didn’t that make it clear we were over? Now, he was acting like he was worried about me, but where had this concern been when I had needed him?
“Congratulations on your wedding, Darius,” I said, my voice cold. “But I’m not interested in playing the clown in your wedding drama.
There was a pause, then Darius’s voice came back, breathless, clearly panicked.
“Rina, what are you talking about? What wedding drama? Did you misunderstand me?”
I scoffed.
“I waited for you at the wedding all day,” he continued, his voice shaking. “But you never showed up. I couldn’t reach any of your friends either–it’s like you all vanished at once.
His tone, the way he was speaking, he sounded genuinely upset. But I wasn’t falling for it.
“You re seriously asking me this?” I asked, feeling the anger rise inside me. “You let Alina take over the wedding, and you‘ re asking why I ran away? You and Alina plotted this, didn’t you?”
“Rina, no!” His voice was full of frustration now. “I would never let that happen. I’m your mate–she can’t steal me away. I don’t know what you think you saw, but you‘ re wrong. You‘ re being too
sensitive.”
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. The way he was gaslighting me, trying to make me question. my own reality, was infuriating.
“I saw you propose to her,” I said flatly. “I saw the pictures. I saw everything. You‘ re only marrying me out of some sense of obligation. I gave you the wedding–shouldn’t you be happy?
My wolf growled aggravated.
His voice grew more desperate, but I had already made up my mind. He couldn’t twist this around
anymore.
“You had your chance, Darius. I’m done. Enjoy your wedding night.”
