Reborn of the Betrayed Luna

Chapter 3

It was the day of our engagement ceremony when Jay met his true mate, Samantha Smith. She had nothing to offer him politically or aesthetically. She was humble, naive, and plain-looking, but for some inexplicable reason, everyone adored her.

Unlike me, Samantha lacked the grace, the wit, and the strength required of a Luna. She could barely take care of herself, let alone lead thousands in our pack. Yet, despite all this, people whispered that she would be the perfect Luna.

I despised her.

With her arrival, my world began to crumble. The high society that once praised me now turned away. My maids, who once trembled in my presence, snickered behind my back. My jewelry vanished without a trace. My dresses disappeared, and some were mysteriously ruined with holes, forcing me to replace them constantly - making me appear extravagant and wasteful. And the worst part? Women began showing up to events in the exact dresses I wore, even though mine were custom-made. It was humiliating. Every time it happened, I confronted Samantha, blaming her for my misfortunes. But my accusations only solidified the perception that I was the villain - the evil woman who not only stole Samantha’s mate but tormented her relentlessly.

The more I fought, the more distant Jay became. We were engaged, and with my father’s influence, Jay’s social standing and power in the pack rose quickly. His future was set. He was forced to choose me over his destined mate. A year after our engagement, under immense pressure from my end, we finally held our mating ceremony.

By then, my reputation had already been dragged through the mud. I was despised, ridiculed, pitied. Aside from my bad reputation,my stepmother Agatha almost told everyone that i'm weak. She made the members of our pack dislike me as their leader. But none of it mattered - not when I saw the devastated expression on Samantha’s face as Jay and I officially became mates. In that moment, I thought I had won. I thought that no matter what, I would be the one standing beside Jay as his Luna.

But I was wrong.

From the moment we were officially mates, Jay recoiled from me as if I were poison. He made it painfully clear that he loathed me. There were no gentle touches, no whispered affections - only cold stares and a seething resentment that burned between us. Still, I held on, clinging to the life I had fought so hard to secure. I endured the whispers, the mocking laughter, and the way Jay avoided me like the plague.

For a year, I struggled to keep our fragile union intact, but I was growing weary. On the night of our one-year mating anniversary, I decided to let go. I could no longer fight this losing battle, nor could I keep bullying Samantha.

That night, in an act of what I thought was goodwill, I poured her a glass of wine as a peace offering. I wanted to end our rivalry, to finally put everything behind us. But the moment she took a sip, she collapsed, frothing at the mouth.

Panic erupted. People screamed. Accusations flew. And just like that, my fate was sealed.

That was the end of Melody Madison - the wicked woman who stole another’s mate, tormented the innocent, and finally, in one final act of malice, attempted murder.

“Mom, there’s no need to panic. Maybe Melody just had a bad dream, that’s why she looked afraid of me.” Jay said to Agatha.

Then Jay turned to Melody again, his voice laced with quiet reprimand.

“Mels, I told you to stop skipping breakfast. Can you see why now?”

I glanced at Jay just as Dr. Evelyn, Mary, and Agatha excused themselves from the room. My heart clenched when he spoke again, his tone almost teasing - but it sent a shiver down my spine.

“I can’t have you dying just a week before our engagement.”

When I looked at Jay, who had just entered my room, all I felt was fear. The image of him slicing my father’s neck flashed in my mind like a cruel vision. My hands clenched into fists as a cold dread wrapped around me, suffocating. I closed my eyes.

“My… my father…” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Jay’s expression didn’t change. “The Alpha hasn’t come to see you. He may not have heard about the incident.”

Lies.

“If he hasn’t come to me, then I must go to him.” I pushed the blankets off and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

Jay frowned. “You shouldn’t be pestering the old man at your age, Mels…”

He reached out, intending to steady me, but I flinched away before his fingers could graze my skin. The reaction was instant, involuntary.

Jay’s eyes widened in shock. “Melody?”

I scrambled back, putting as much distance between us as the room allowed. My breath came in short, panicked bursts.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” His concern sounded genuine, but I couldn’t trust it. Not when the sight of him made my stomach churn with fear and revulsion.

I shook my head, unable to form words past the lump in my throat.

“Please… just go,” I whispered.

Jay stiffened. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue, but something in my eyes must have stopped him. His jaw tightened, and with one last, lingering look - confused, maybe even hurt, he turned and left the room.

The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I burst into tears.

Tears spilled down my cheeks in an unrelenting stream, my body trembling as I slid down against the bed frame. Sobs wracked my chest, my hands clenching the fabric of my nightgown. I had been given a second chance - a chance to live, to change things.

I wouldn’t waste it.

The goddess had brought me back for a reason.

This time, I wouldn’t beg for love.

In the life I had left behind -the life that could still become my future, my father had died protecting me. A father I had never truly appreciated, a man I had always misunderstood… and yet, in the end, he had been the only one who had stood by my side.

I would not let my foolishness cost him his life again.

This time, I would change the fate of the Madisons.

This time, I would be different.