When the Alpha Lost Me

Before my wedding to Alpha Liam, he slept with another woman.

He explained to me, She's the mate the Moon Goddess destined for me. She has an irresistible pull on me. You understand, don't you?

Don't make a fuss. At least you're the only one I'm willing to Mark.

I smiled and nodded, then turned around and slept with his friend Chase, deliberately letting him find out.

But Liam just calmly pushed open the door and sat down beside us, asking mockingly, "How does it feel?"

Chase got off me.

"Not bad, just a bit awkward."

"Liam, have you never trained her? Her movements are way too stiff."

My carefully planned revenge was nothing but a joke to him. He didn't care at all.

I completely broke down and was sent by Liam to a correctional facility on a deserted island to learn how to become "normal."

He didn't know that there were no doctors thereonly a group of lunatics who took pleasure in tormenting Omegas.

A year later, Liam came to pick me up, but by then, I no longer loved him.

The facility administrator pushed the door open. "Ellie, Alpha Liam has completed your discharge paperwork. You're free to go."

I nodded numbly.

As I walked out of that gray building, I could still hear the whispers of a few staff members behind me. "Poor thing, driven to this state by her fianc."

"What's so pitiful about it? Her fianc is a top-tier Alphahandsome and rich. He just has a mistress. She should've just turned a blind eye. She really doesn't know how to appreciate what she has."

A year ago, words like these would have made me hysterical. But now, they couldn't even make me pause.

Outside in the clearing, Liam stood waiting for me beside a helicopter.

I walked up to him.

He raised his index finger, wanting to touch my face. "You've gotten thinner."

I tilted my head slightly, dodging him.

His hand froze in midair for a moment before he withdrew it.

He pulled open the cabin door. "Get in."

Climbing into the helicopter, the first thing I saw was a piece of exquisitely crafted women's lingerie on the seat.

Liam followed my gaze, froze for a moment when he saw the lingerie, then picked it up and casually stuffed it into his coat pocket.

"My assistant is so scatterbrained. Don't mind it."

I smiled but didn't reply.

That lingerie style was typical of that woman named Serena's taste.

It seemed that before coming to pick me up, they'd done something in this helicopter.

But it didn't matter. I stopped caring long ago.

As the helicopter took off, Liam's fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest a few times before he spoke. "I've cut things off with her completely. I threw out all the bedding in the bedroom and replaced it with a new setthe style you like."

"Mm." I responded lightly.

He continued, "I had the maids dust all your things every day. Nothing's gotten dirty."

"Thank you." I smiled faintly.

Liam turned his head to look at me, something dark and unclear flickering in his eyes.

He pulled out a small red velvet box from his pocket. "I had the ring reordered. The diamond's bigger than before. Want to see if you like it?"

I didn't take the box. Instead, I said, "About the weddinglet's forget it."

Liam didn't take my words seriously and just tossed the box into my lap.

"Enough with the tantrum. I slept with her, and you slept with my friend. We're even now."

"Besides, I've kept the position of my wife for you all along. You're a werewolf who can't even shift, yet you get to become the Luna of Shadow Fang Pack. What more could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"

I stared at the small box in my hands, didn't argue, just smiled bitterly.

I wasn't throwing a tantrum. I was just going home.

It wasn't as prosperous as this placejust the old territory of a fallen Pack, where my mom and dad were buried.

But there was no Liam there. No pain.

The helicopter landed on the rooftop helipad.

Everything here remained unchanged.

I didn't walk into the bedroom that belonged to me and him. Instead, I dragged my suitcase toward the guest room.

Liam blocked my way. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I got used to sleeping alone at the facility." I turned to glance at the room that once belonged to me and him. "And besides, I don't want to sleep in that bed anymore."

On the day I discovered he'd slept with that woman, I checked the surveillance footage and found out it wasn't just once.

He'd once promised me he would never accept the mate fate assigned him, that he would only ever love me.

Yet after rejecting Serena in front of me, he secretly installed her in the villa.

He slept with her almost every month.

Even that bed specially customized for me bore traces of them. When I saw that scene, my heart ached so much I couldn't breathe.

Liam stared at me for a few seconds, then let out a cold laugh. "Do whatever you want. Just don't overdo it. You always pull this stunt, then end up begging to move back in anyway."

I watched his retreating back, but the heartache I used to feel didn't come.

It seemed the "correction" at the facility really worked. I'd forgotten what it felt like to have my heart beat for him, to have my emotions rise and fall with his.

Late at night, accustomed to the hard plank bed at the facility, I couldn't get used to sleeping on this soft, plush bed anymore.

During the year I spent at the facility, Liam didn't come to see me even once.

I would always cry and beg the administrators, threatening to hurt myself to make them let me call him.

Once, twice, three times...

When the call connected, I would cry and beg him to come see me, or at least say a few words to me.

And he would only respond in that icy voice devoid of any emotion: "Ellie, reflect on yourself properly. When the time comes, I'll naturally come get you."

Gradually, I grew numb and finally stopped wanting to call him.

Feeling thirsty, I got up and went downstairs to get water.

But I saw Liam on the balcony, talking on the phone.

His voice wasn't loud, but I could hear clearly.

"Mm, tomorrow's auctionbid on whatever you want, don't worry about the price. Be good. I've been a bit busy lately, so I can't always be with you."

His tone was doting. That tone used to belong only to me, but not anymore.

I stood quietly behind him with my water glass, listening for a while.

Finding it uninteresting, I turned to leave.

But then I heard, "Ellie? When did you come down?"

He'd already hung up the phone.

"Just now..."

He wanted to explain, but I cut him off. "I was thirsty, just came down for water. Continue what you were doing, don't mind me."

He walked toward me, reaching out to grab me.

But I'd already turned and headed upstairs ahead of him.

At the staircase landing, I saw from the corner of my eye that his gaze followed me the entire time.

The next day at breakfast, Liam poured me a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

This was his habit.

Every time, I would drink the entire glass, and he would watch me with a gentle smile.

But this time, I didn't touch the orange juice. Instead, I poured myself a glass of warm water.

His smile froze on his face, but he said nothing.

Liam got up, grabbed his coat, and headed out. "I need to go out for a bit."

"Okay," I replied.

He stopped at the door and looked at me. "Nothing you want to ask?"

I paused for a moment.

Indeed, if this were before, I definitely would have interrogated him thoroughly.

Asked him what he was doing, how long he'd be gone, who he was with.

I didn't know when it startedwhen I became so insecure, so afraid of him leaving me.

Fortunately, not anymore.

I spoke, my tone flat. "No."

Liam stood there for a few seconds but ultimately said nothing.

After he left, I got up and went to my room to pack.

Actually, there wasn't much to bring.

The clothes I wore at the facilityI didn't want to take them. Seeing them would only remind me of those painful memories.

I put the photo of me with my mom and dad into my suitcase.

And a hardcover notebookthe "reflection journal" I was required to write at the facility.

I flipped through it. Each page was only allowed one sentence.

[Called him again today. 180th time. He only said to reflect.]

[Today's "correction" really hurt.]

[I miss Mom and Dad so much. No one loves me anymore. Now even he's bullying me.]

[It's my birthday today. No one remembers.]

[Haven't thought about him for three days now. The administrator says I'm almost normal.]

I closed the notebook and tossed it into the trash.

Liam returned quickly and wanted to take me to a party.

I was brought to a makeup room upstairs at the venue to touch up my makeup. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear him talking with friends in the hallway outside.

"Liam, how are things with her?" It was Chase's voice.

Liam's voice was calm. "Fine."

"She seems much more obedient nowjust sits there quietly. When she saw me, she didn't even react. I thought she was going to go crazy again."

Chase continued, "But seriously, hasn't Serena been getting a bit too showy lately? She bid on a sky-high diamond ring at the auction today without batting an eye. That's one thing, but she's been going around telling everyone you gave it to her."

Liam's voice came through. "As long as she's happy."

"Aren't you afraid Ellie will find out? She finally got back to normal. Don't let her turn crazy again and start cutting herself with knives and stuff."

Liam replied, "If she finds out, she finds out. She'll throw a tantrum for a while, then behave. Same routine every time. Doesn't she get tired of it?"

Casual. Matter-of-fact.

"Honestly, Ellie's so much easier on the eyes now that she's not making a scene. Liam, after bringing her back, did you 'train' her?"

"Enough." Liam's voice turned cold.

The hallway fell silent.

I sat before the makeup mirror, letting the makeup artist do her work, my heart calm.

After finishing my makeup, I went downstairs. Chase approached first, walking up beside me and looking me over with a smirk. "Ellie, you're looking much better. If you have any 'needs,' you can still come find me, you know."

I didn't respond.

He sat down on the armrest of the sofa next to me. "Honestly, I still remember that night last year."

"Looking at you now, you've lost so much weight. I wonder if you still feel the same as you did back then."

I remained expressionless.

He sneered. "No wonder Liam got tired of you. That cold face, like a wooden plankno fun at all."

Finally, Liam walked over and looked at me. "Stay with me. You're my fiance. Understand?"

"What time does this end?" I asked him.

He seemed puzzled, as if unsure why I was asking, but answered anyway. "Eleven."

My flight was at midnight.

So I nodded, agreeing.

Chase's face showed an amused smile.

At the party, Liam took me around to socialize, introducing me to others.

Actually, he didn't need to introduce me. That scandal from years ago had caused such an uproar that everyone remembered I was once a lunatic who slept with her fianc's friend.

Then I'd gone crazy, cutting myself with a knife, forcing Liam to send his mistress away.

Finally, I was sent by Liam himself to the island correctional facility.

Those people put on smiling faces for Liam, but when they looked at me, their eyes held something elselike pity.

I smiled politely, not caring.

"Liam." Serena's saccharine voice rang out.

She walked naturally to Liam's side and linked her arm through his. "Thank you."

As she spoke, she deliberately raised her hand to brush back her hair.

The enormous, blindingly brilliant diamond ring on her finger drew even more attention.

Liam's expression remained unchanged. He even smiled gently at her. "As long as you like it."

As if I didn't exist at all.

I felt a bit nauseous, so I withdrew the hand that had been linked through Liam's arm. "I'm going to the restroom."

Liam whispered in my ear, "If you really want to make a scene, wait until we get home. Don't do it at this kind of event. Understand? Come back quickly."

I hummed in acknowledgment, then went to the restroom and threw up.

I vomited until I was dizzy. In my daze, I remembered the times at the facility when the administrators would force my mouth open and make me swallow pills to "calm me down."

Fortunately, I wouldn't be "disobedient" anymore, and I wouldn't be force-fed pills again.

I walked out of the restroom. Passing by a terrace, I saw Chase smoking.

Seeing me, he started talking.

Chase blew out a smoke ring. "Are you just putting on a brave front? Jealous again, aren't you?"

"That Serena really is something, deliberately wearing that ring out to show off. She'll be thrilled if she drives you 'crazy' again later."

I walked straight past him without replying.

I returned to Liam's side.

Liam looked down at me, satisfaction in his eyes.

He smelled of Serena's perfume, and there was a trace of her lipstick on his neck.

No need to guess what they'd done while I was gone.

But none of it mattered anymore.

I glanced at my phone. Half an hour until ten o'clock.

Liam leaned down and whispered in my ear, "About the weddingwe'll hold it next month. I've looked at a few venues. Tonight when we get back, I'll have Beta Jordan send you the information so you can choose."

I looked at him. "I already told youforget about the wedding."

His voice carried a warning. "There's a limit to throwing tantrums. I've told you, I'll only marry you. What more do you want from me? Do you want me to beg you?"

He was getting impatient, mistaking my indifference for another tantrum.

"I don't want anything from you," I said. "I'm just not marrying you anymore."

"Enough." His voice turned cold. "Do I need to send you back to the island before you'll wake up? Don't be ungrateful."

I took a deep breath. "You still think I'm throwing a tantrum, don't you?"

"What else would it be?" He let out a cold laugh. "Isn't it all because of Serena? Getting mad at mehow many times has this been now?"

I wanted to say that I really didn't care anymore.

But before I could speak, Serena walked over again, holding a glass of red wine.

She walked quickly. As she approached us, she suddenly exclaimed "Oh my!" and the entire glass of wine spilled precisely onto the front of my light-colored dress.

"Oh my God! Ellie, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Look at me, so clumsy..." She apologized loudly, but her voice held no real sincerity. Instead, she successfully drew everyone's attention.

Liam frowned but first comforted the supposedly startled Serena.

Then he looked at me, soaked and frozen in place, his gaze cold, his tone clearly displeased. "What are you standing there for? Don't embarrass yourself here. Go take care of it yourself."

With that, he put his arm around Serena's shoulder and turned toward the lounge.

Chase's gaze landed on me like a spotlight, full of amusement and anticipation of a good show.

If this were the old me, I would've already lost it and started attacking people.

But now, I simply said calmly to the nearest server, "Could you take me to the changing room, please?"

Chase clapped his hands and approached, looking me up and down. "Damn, Ellie, which facility did you go to that's so effective? You can endure being treated like this?"

"Are you really changed, or are you planning an even bigger counterattack?"

"I have to say, this version of you is way more pleasant than when you used to throw tantrums. Liam might actually go for this. Very clever tactics."

I ignored them and simply followed the server outside.

Behind me, Chase's voice rang out. "You're really just going to change clothes? Not waiting for Liam to come back and coax you?"

I didn't pause or look back.

I didn't go to the changing room. Instead, I went straight to the entrance and said to the doorman, "Could you call me a car, please?"

I went back to the villa first to get my already-prepared small suitcase, then headed to the airport.

I boarded the plane and put my phone on airplane mode.

I slept for what felt like a long time.

When I woke up, I'd landed.

I turned off airplane mode.

Almost instantly, my phone began vibrating violently.