Episode 2:The Night She Lost Everything
1074 Words
The moment the ballroom doors closed behind me, my legs gave out.
I caught myself against a marble pillar before I could collapse.
My chest burned.
Every breath felt like broken glass scraping through my lungs.
The rejection bond.
I had heard stories about it my entire life.
Stories about wolves who never recovered.
Stories about mates who lost their minds after being abandoned.
Until tonight, those stories had been nothing more than rumors.
Now I understood every word.
I pressed a trembling hand against my chest.
My wolf was silent.
Too silent.
The absence terrified me more than the pain.
"Ava?"
I turned at the sound of my name.
One of the hotel employees stood nearby, concern written across her face.
"Are you okay?"
I forced a smile.
The expression felt unnatural.
"I'm fine."
It was a lie.
A terrible one.
But she nodded anyway.
People always accepted lies when the truth made them uncomfortable.
I pushed myself upright and walked toward the hotel exit.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
Outside, cold night air struck my face.
The city glittered around me.
Luxury cars lined the entrance.
Reporters waited behind barricades.
Laughter drifted from the ballroom behind me.
The celebration had already continued.
As if my rejection had merely been part of the evening's entertainment.
A fresh wave of humiliation crashed over me.
Three years.
Three years of loving Ethan.
Three years of defending him.
Three years of believing I was building a future.
And tonight, he had erased me in front of everyone.
I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone.
Twenty-seven missed messages.
Most weren't from friends.
They were from strangers.
News pages.
Social media notifications.
Unknown numbers.
My stomach twisted.
Slowly, I opened the first article.
ALPHA HEIR REJECTS SECRET MATE AT CHARITY GALA
The second was worse.
BLACKWOOD CHOOSES PERFECT LUNA OVER PLUS-SIZE MATE
The third made my hands shake.
WHO IS AVA HART? THE WOMAN ETHAN BLACKWOOD REJECTED TONIGHT
I closed the screen immediately.
The damage had already begun.
The entire city knew.
Maybe the entire werewolf world.
I swallowed hard and started walking.
I didn't know where I was going.
I only knew I couldn't stay here.
Every corner of the city reminded me of Ethan.
The coffee shop where we'd shared breakfast after late-night meetings.
The bookstore where he bought me novels because he knew I loved reading.
The riverside restaurant where he told me he couldn't wait to spend forever with me.
Forever.
The word almost made me laugh.
Almost.
A sudden vibration pulled me from my thoughts.
My phone rang.
The caller ID made my heart sink.
Maya.
My best friend.
The only person besides Ethan who knew everything.
I hesitated before answering.
"Ava?"
Her voice immediately softened.
"Oh my God."
The sympathy in her tone nearly broke me.
"You saw it."
"Everyone saw it."
Silence stretched between us.
Then Maya spoke carefully.
"Where are you?"
"I don't know."
"Ava—"
"I'm okay."
"No, you're not."
The truth hit harder because it came from someone who genuinely cared.
I wasn't okay.
Not even close.
But admitting that would make everything real.
"I just need some time."
Maya sighed.
"Come stay with me tonight."
I should have said yes.
Instead, I looked up at the towering Blackwood Global headquarters visible across the skyline.
A building I had helped build.
Campaigns I had created.
Investors I had secured.
Projects I had saved.
And tomorrow?
Everyone would look at me differently.
Not Ava the strategist.
Not Ava the professional.
Just Ava the rejected mate.
"I'll call you later."
Before she could argue, I ended the call.
The streets grew quieter as midnight approached.
My feet eventually carried me to Riverside Park.
The place Ethan used to claim was his favorite.
The irony wasn't lost on me.
I sat on an empty bench and stared at the water.
The city lights reflected across the river.
For the first time all night, tears slipped free.
Not dramatic sobs.
Not uncontrollable crying.
Just silent tears.
The kind that came when something inside you finally accepted the truth.
I had loved a man who was ashamed of me.
The realization hurt more than the rejection itself.
A cold breeze swept across the water.
I wrapped my arms around myself.
Then my phone vibrated again.
This time it wasn't a call.
It was an email.
From Blackwood Global.
A terrible feeling settled in my stomach.
Slowly, I opened it.
My eyes scanned the first line.
Then the second.
Then the third.
Each one struck harder than the last.
Effective immediately, your employment with Blackwood Global has been terminated.
I stared at the screen.
Unable to process it.
No.
No.
This couldn't be happening.
Not tonight.
Not after everything.
I kept reading.
The words blurred together.
Corporate restructuring.
Conflict of interest.
Position eliminated.
Meaningless excuses.
The truth was obvious.
Ethan wanted me gone.
Completely.
Not just from his life.
From his company.
From his future.
From every space I had ever occupied.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
The sound startled even me.
In a single night, I had lost my mate.
My reputation.
My career.
And whatever remained of my dignity.
The universe clearly had a twisted sense of humor.
My phone slipped from my fingers and landed beside me.
For several minutes, I simply sat there.
Exhausted.
Numb.
Empty.
Then a black SUV rolled slowly past the park entrance.
I barely noticed it.
Why would I?
It was just another expensive vehicle in a city full of them.
The SUV slowed.
Then stopped.
Dark tinted windows hid the passengers inside.
A man sat in the back seat.
Watching.
His sharp silver eyes never left the woman sitting alone on the bench.
The woman the entire city was laughing at.
The woman who didn't know her life was about to change.
"Sir?"
The driver glanced into the rearview mirror.
The man remained silent.
His gaze stayed fixed on Ava.
Thoughtful.
Curious.
Dangerously interested.
Finally, he spoke.
"Who is she?"
The driver frowned.
"I don't know."
The man's eyes narrowed.
"Find out."
The order was calm.
Simple.
Absolute.
The SUV pulled away seconds later.
Leaving no trace behind.
Still staring at the river, I never noticed it.
I never noticed the man who had been watching.
And I certainly didn't know that tonight, while I believed I had lost everything...
Someone powerful had just begun searching for me.
- Writer
