Raven King’s Bride

Wish On A Star

Freya’s world shattered in an instant.

There he was—Will—lying on the bed with another woman. Rose, one of the university’s most glamorous professors. Her golden hair spilled over her bare shoulders as she lay tangled in Will’s arms, her laughter soft and melodic. Freya’s heart stopped as her eyes locked on the two of them, the intimacy of their embrace undeniable.

“She doesn’t suspect a thing,” Will’s voice cut through the air, light and casual, as if this were the most normal conversation in the world. “She’s so desperate for attention she’d never imagine I’d be after her estate.”

Rose laughed, running her fingers along his chest. “Still.. I don’t know how you put up with her,” she teased, her tone dripping with disdain.

Will chuckled, the sound deep and casual, as though he hadn’t just betrayed someone who trusted him completely. “It’s worth it,” he said. “You’ve seen the estate she inherited. The land alone is worth millions, and that’s not even counting the house and the money. A little patience, a few months of playing the doting boyfriend, and it’ll all be mine.”

Rose trailed her fingers along his chest, tilting her head with a coy smile. “You’re such a charmer,” she purred. “No wonder you’ve got her eating out of the palm of your hand. Though I can’t imagine she’s very exciting.”

Will laughed, low and quiet, pulling her closer. “Exciting?” he said, his lips brushing against her neck. “She doesn’t even know what that word means. But you.. you make it all bearable.” Their laughter followed which was followed by Rose’s moans as Will made love to her.

Freya couldn’t breathe. Her chest tightened as if an invisible weight was crushing her ribs. The gift box in her hand felt heavy, the sharp edges digging into her palm. Her knees wobbled as she stumbled back, but she didn’t make a sound.

Inside, she was screaming.

Her mind raced with fragments of memories—every moment she had doubted herself, every time she had pushed away the gnawing feeling that she wasn’t good enough. Will had never kissed her, never even held her close, insisting he was conservative and believed such things should wait until marriage. Marriage. She had thought that far. She had imagined a life with him, a future where her insecurities didn’t matter because Will had chosen her.

But now she saw it for what it was.

He had never loved her. She was nothing more than a tool, a convenient means to an end.

How could she have been so stupid? How could she have believed someone like Will—handsome, confident, and admired by everyone—could ever love someone like her?

Freya turned and ran, her heel clicking sharply against the floor. She burst through the apartment door, into the cold night air, and kept running.

Tears blurred her vision, and her breath came in short, uneven gasps as the chill bit at her skin. Her thoughts swirled in a chaotic storm, her heart breaking with every step. She replayed Will’s words over and over in her mind, each one cutting deeper than the last.

“She’s so desperate for attention…”

It was true, wasn’t it? She had clung to him, blind to the reality of their relationship. She had been so grateful for his affection, so eager to believe she was worthy of someone like him, that she hadn’t noticed the cracks.

Freya didn’t know how far she ran. The city streets blurred into one long, cold expanse until she found herself standing at the edge of a bridge. The water below glimmered faintly under the starlight, rippling with the wind’s gentle caress. She leaned against the railing, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

“Why?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Why is this happening to me?”

She had done nothing to deserve this. She had been kind. She had loved selflessly. Yet here she was, alone and broken, her heart torn apart by betrayal.

Freya’s gaze lifted to the night sky. The stars twinkled above, distant and indifferent, their beauty mocking her pain. A sudden streak of light cut across the darkness—a shooting star.

She closed her eyes tightly, her heart whispering a desperate wish.

Someone to love me unconditionally. Effortlessly. Possessively.

The words echoed in her mind, fragile and childlike. When she opened her eyes, a bitter laugh escaped her lips. How low had she fallen, wishing on a star like a hopeless fool?

Before she could sink further into her despair, a blinding light caught her attention. Her head snapped up just in time to see the glare of a car’s headlights speeding toward the bridge. The screech of tires on pavement pierced the air, and Freya instinctively stepped backward, her heel catching on the raised edge of the walkway.

Time seemed to slow as she felt herself tipping backward, her arms flailing in a desperate attempt to regain her balance. Her heart leapt into her throat as the world tilted, and then she was falling.

The cold wind whipped against her face as the railing disappeared above her. The plunge felt endless, a terrifying free fall that robbed her of breath and thought. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. The dark water rushed up to meet her, and then—impact.

The icy lake swallowed her whole. The force of the fall knocked the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping as she sank beneath the surface. The cold was like a thousand needles stabbing into her skin, paralyzing her as the water dragged her down.

She struggled instinctively, her arms flailing and legs kicking, but the weight of the water pressed against her, pulling her deeper and deeper into the darkness. Her chest burned as her body begged for oxygen, but every time she opened her mouth, only water rushed in.

Her thoughts spiraled as she fought to stay afloat. Was this how it ended? After everything—her love, her heartbreak, her loneliness—was this where her story ended? She had nothing left to give, nothing left to fight for.

The darkness grew heavier, swallowing her whole. Her limbs grew weak, her frantic movements slowing as the cold seeped into her bones. Her mind drifted back to the bridge, to the moment she had wished on a star, and a bitter thought surfaced.

“So much for wishing on a star,” she thought, the edges of her consciousness beginning to blur.

And then, everything changed.