Chapter 1
I am the daughter of the Riverbend Pack's Alpha, born to a position of extraordinary privilege.
My boyfriend, Daniel, is nothing more than an ordinary werewolf from a poor family.
After we got together, I hid my identity and pretended to be an ordinary werewolf, starting at the bottom and working alongside him.
But on the eve of our wedding, I caught him sleeping with his female boss, Vivian.
"Emma is ugly and poor. She can't hold a candle to you. I'll be counting on you to help me advance at work."
Pain tore through my body. I forced down the urge to barge in and confront them and began planning my revenge.
What he didn't know was that Vivian was the illegitimate daughter of my father's Beta. With a status like hers, she normally wouldn't even qualify to meet me.
After tearing the contract worth 1.5 million dollars in my hands to shreds, I messaged Dad.
Emma: I'll agree to the arranged marriage. I'll come home next week.
*****
The light was still on in our shared apartment when Daniel opened the door and found me sitting on the couch.
"Emma, why are you still awake?"
He took off his coat, his voice gentle as though everything were normal.
I looked up and met his eyes.
A glaring hickey marked his collarbone, as if it had been left there deliberately to taunt me.
"Working late?" I asked softly.
He nodded, tossed his coat onto the couch, and leaned in to hug me.
"We have a project deadline. I'm exhausted."
The scent of Vivian's roses clung to him, turning my stomach.
I shifted aside and gave him a fake smile. "I'm a little tired."
After a moment's thought, I decided to give him one last chance. "Daniel, what do you think of me?"
His expression froze before he forced a stiff smile. "You're the best person in the world. You don't look down on me for being poor, and you're willing to take care of me."
My fingertips trembled as I scoffed inwardly. "That's all?"
His gaze darted between the clock and me, as if he had no idea what I meant. "Of course that's not all. I love you more than anything."
"What if someone better came along? Someone rich who could give you a future?" I pressed.
"Did you hear some kind of rumor? We're about to get married. Of course I don't want anyone else."
I stared at him, mockery filling my eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely!"
He took my hand. His palm was damp, but his voice sounded utterly sincere. "I've wanted to marry you for a long time. I just wasn't in a position to before."
He had always been like this, forever acting sincere when in reality... What a joke.
I pulled my hand away and stood, my voice icy. "What about Vivian?"
His smile froze. "What about her?"
"Nothing. Get some sleep."
My voice was quiet, but disappointment saturated every word.
Daniel and I were fated mates. We met at 18, fell for each other at first sight, and quickly accepted the bond.
When we first met, he was working part-time at a coffee shop.
His family was poor. Afraid of hurting his pride or placing him under too much pressure, I concealed my identity, pretended my circumstances were the same as his, and stayed by his side all these years.
When we joined the company together, Daniel held me and said tenderly, "Emma, I'll work hard, earn good money, and get promoted so I can marry you."
I was deeply moved. Behind the scenes, I even arranged for major projects to be sent his way.
And this was what 5 years of loving him had brought me: his infidelity and betrayal.
I took out my phone and made an appointment with a witch for a mate rejection ritual.
I had given Daniel a chance. Since he refused to take it, so be it.