REJECTED AT THE ALTAR, CHOSEN BY FATE

Rejection

~Selene~

I gathered myself when I heard soft footsteps approaching me.

I didn't bother to greet Edward when he entered. I didn't respect him. He could see the pull in his eyes, and I could feel it too, but I refused to admit it.

In his wedding suit, he appeared somewhat inebriated. He looked like s**t and had dark circles under his eyes. His shirt was rough and his buttons were open. He had obviously not slept at all. After his performance for the audience yesterday, he ought to be pleased. He deserves a pat on the back.

Edward had sad, misty eyes. He was shattered. I moved away from him as he attempted to touch me.

His eyes were misty and filled with regret, as though he had a wake-up call but realised it was too late. "Selene," he said, almost in a whisper, his emotions gushing out of him, but I was numb.

I remained unaffected by his feelings. It was me, not him, who was broken and humiliated. It was me who was permanently damaged and ruined. I was the trash that was thrown out.

"Selene," he repeated.

He staggered a little, demonstrating his inebriation. He didn't know how to approach me, but I could tell he wanted to.

"Selene, I apologise. I sincerely apologise. He bowed his head and wept, "I had no choice."

"I had to prioritise Ashcombe. He sobbed, seemingly trying to persuade himself that he was acting morally. "I had to put my people first." I simply gazed at him. His words were meaningless.

"Ashcombe was in danger of going bankrupt, and we needed money badly. Because Ashcombe leaders were known for their criminal past, no one was willing to help. The fact that I felt cornered does not justify what I did. He said, "I truly apologise for what I did to you," which infuriated me. Whatever the situation, I thought he had no right to act in that way.

"Please pardon me, Selene. I still adore you. I was furious when he said, "I was in a tight spot these past weeks."

"Edward, you dare not use that word with me if you don't understand what it means. I had faith in you. I put everything I had into you. It was all I had, but it wasn't much. Edward, you have my body and soul, my love, and my trust. You assured me that we are meant to be together and that nothing would ever separate us. You assured me by marking me with your scent. It is unchangeable because the moon willed it to be so. I blindly followed you. For you, I was a fool. "A f*****g fool, Edward," I uttered, shedding a tear or two. I felt foolish as the memory of our time together flashed through my head.

"Edward, did you mean those words at all? Did you consider me another conquest? Was this what it was? A match? "A damn game?" He sighed when I asked.

"A week ago, Ellen offered to assist, but she had requirements. She had requirements, but it was a business deal. She desired to harm both you and me. Our breakup was never well received by her. She did not forgive me for humiliating her for you, she said. Instead, she wanted me to be with her. He said, "I had to prioritise the welfare of my people," and I laughed while my eyes continued to well up with tears.

"Yes, exactly. Publicly humiliating me is part of prioritising their well-being. Making fun of me and treating me badly just because I'm not from here?Since Selene Philip is not one of us, let's harm her. He bowed in embarrassment when I asked.

"So you agreed with her when she suggested that you humiliate me? You consented to treat me in such a manner? Like I didn't mean anything? As if you didn't care about me. As if you didn't care about us?" When I said that, he stepped forward and embraced me. He embraced me firmly. I was crying. I battled the residual of the bond, detesting its existence and the possibility that its embers could start a fire.

"I beg you to understand, Selene. Without a pack, an alpha is nothing. "Please," he begged me, inhaling my aroma, but since he had turned me down, it shouldn't have affected him—but it did. He also sensed the residual.

I told him, "Get your hands off me, Edward," and he grudgingly moved away. Even though no one, especially not him, owned me, he continued to gaze at me with a sense of ownership.

Think about it from this angle. You are still able to operate the bakery and maintain ownership of the orphanage. You get to take care of the kids in this way, and I know you love them. I promise to find a way for us to be together. I'm unable to let you go. It's not the end, Selene, even though I might have rejected our bond to some extent. I adore you. I cherish every word I said and every second we spent together. "Please stay with me," he begged.

He was therefore aware that it was a partial rejection. How on earth was that possible? Could it have happened? Is it possible for rejection to be partial? I slapped him because I was so furious.

Edward, please release me. Complete the task you began! He refused to comply with my order. His cheeks were wet with tears.

"I am unable to. “Please, Selene, mon amour,” he begged, using his term of affection for me, “I love you, and I swear I will find a way.

"Edward, never use that word around me. Never do that. I must seem foolish to you. I guess you think I'm a moron for suggesting that we can still be together. Edward, how? It's finished. I sobbed and said, "The emptiness we both feel right now is the sign we need to know it is over."

"Together, we could have resolved the problems. We could have battled to keep Ashcombe alive. I would have stayed with you the entire time. I didn't need to be subjected to that. You made terrible remarks. You went ahead and made fun of me for things that were meant to be between us. People f*****g laughed at me, Edward, people laughed!" I wiped away my tears as I spoke.

It was one of Ellen's ailments. She wouldn't agree to assist if I didn't. She said our deal would be off, but I wanted to tell you in private. She claimed that by leaving her for you, I degraded her. I had no idea you'd take it so hard. Usually, you don't allow things to affect you. I couldn't believe his s**t when he said, "I didn't think you would hurt this bad."

"Yes, your words and treatment will hurt, and it will cut so deeply that it will leave a f*****g unhealing scar because you mattered to me, Edward! I said, "A reminder that I was foolish to fall in love," and he remained quiet.

He could see the consequences of what he had done.

"There was nothing I could do. Ellen is the only person who can assist Ashcombe at this time, and I sincerely regret it. She inherited a fortune from Beta Whitaker. My people can benefit from the fortune and maintain our territories. Please be understanding. I'll figure out how to spend time with you. I'll leave her and repay her. I'll claim you on the next blue moon. I was shocked and furious when he said, "Please don't leave me."

I'm upset that he would believe I'm immoral and consent to having s*x with a married man.

"Edward, I don't do married men. In addition, I never thought I would settle down before you. This must have been the warning that settling isn't for me. He held my wrist as I said, "Thanks for the scent, by the way; I would accomplish my goal of remaining single easier."

"Please give me some time. I'll make it right. We'll be together. I yanked my hand away from his as he said, "I swear."

"You no longer even own yourself, so how can you make that promise? Now, it's anything Ellen says. She's rich. She owns you, so you will do as she pleases. Her b***h is you. You sold yourself at my expense after she purchased you. With my heart aching, I said, "I guess I dodged a bullet."

I genuinely wished he had chosen to say and act in those ways. I would have respected him a little, but after finding out why, I felt disgusted. I felt disgusted.

He drew me back into his arms and planted a kiss on me when I moved away. I fought to escape his embrace. I wiped him from my lips after giving him a slap.

He began to say, "Please…" but Ellen cut us off.

When she entered, she was wearing her nightgown. She appeared rested and at ease. Her presence disgusted Edward, who wanted to avoid her.

The b***h gave me a smile.

"I see you couldn't stay away?" She grinned as she told me. "Now you know how I felt when you took him from me," she continued, grinning triumphantly. "Well, you've heard everything he said. There was nothing he could do. Selene, I left him with no option. You were very arrogant to assume that I would allow a riff-raff to take what was rightfully mine. You weren't supposed to be Edward's Luna; I was. No one can ever claim you as their Luna. It would be best for you to crawl back into the hole you came from because you are a bloody nobody. You and your naive companion. Before you entered the picture, Edward was mine. I only reclaimed what was rightfully mine. You believed you could get what you wanted.

"Enough, Ellen. You achieved your goal. He defended me by saying, "Leave her alone."

"Until she understands her place and you show me some decency and keep the f**k away from her, I won't let her be." I own you and everything related to you, so you're barging in here, grabbing her, and making promises that you won't be able to fulfil. I will ensure Ashcombe's survival. You had better remember that. Your neighbours would swallow you whole without me. Edward, don't misunderstand. "I am in charge here," she declared, grinning as she turned to face me.

She announced, "Go f**k someone of your class and leave my mate the f**k alone," before summoning the Watchers.

I had once experienced humiliation. I couldn't let it happen again.

I left the office after raising my hands to indicate that I didn't need anything.

Beatrice was crying in the living room. She appeared to have heard everything that had transpired.

In any case, I had found closure.

I wasn't the one. I wasn't at fault. I had nothing wrong with me.

All I needed to know was that, and I understood.

I had to be hopeful and optimistic about the future. I had to get better and move on, but I would never let my heart deceive me again. Regarding the orphanage, it appeared that our time in Ashcombe was coming to an end.