ALWAYS THE LUNA

Chapter3

ADA

The following morning, I woke up with an intense headache. I barely slept last night. Adrian left last night. Of course, he went to Sarah. The woman who is precious. Whom he has always loved. I was just a substitute. I thought the mate bond would be enough to make him love me but I was being delusional.

I struggle to get out of bed. My body is weak, and I feel pain all over me. I wonder how long I cried. I probably cried myself to sleep. I remember all the sacrifices I made being his mate and Luna. Is this how it ends?

I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Puffy and red eyes, swollen face…… the result of crying myself to sleep. My long blonde hair is tangled. I didn’t care for it last night like I used to. Normally, I put it in two part braids before sleeping.

Having long hair is stressful, but I go through that stress because of Adrian. He loves my hair. How long and silky it is. He loves my pale look and freckles too. Now thinking of it, I wonder if he really loved them. Everything we had was a lie.

I take a deep breath as I calm myself. Stress is not good for my baby, I need to be strong. My palm rubs through my stomach as the last drop of tears falls down my cheeks. I wipe it, a look of determination appearing on my face. This is the last time I will cry for Adrian.

He said it himself, he never loved me. He only started treating me well in the course of our marriage because I was his mate. Apparently, his family values fated mate so much. I’m sure he was forced to treat me well. I was the foolish one who stayed thinking that the bond would be enough. Thinking that the man who hates me will suddenly love me because of the mate bond.

He took everything from me, my dream, my life. I was only seventeen when I left everything behind to be with him. I loved him and this pack and sacrificed a lot for them. If he can easily divorce me, that means the council and the elders are in support. Am I that easy to discard? I built this pack into what it is today with him. I did not go to college because I wanted to be a full-time Luna who would care for her mate and pack.

I won’t let them break me. I will show them how strong I am. I won’t tell him about our baby. He has always wanted kids, he will definitely take it away from me and that will break me completely. This baby is the only thing giving me strength now, and I must protect it with everything I have got.

If I had been pregnant before now, would things still turn out this way?

A little voice in my head says it will. He never loved me. Pregnancy won’t change that. After losing our first child through miscarriage, he wanted to discard me. There’s no reason to stay married since what made us get married in the first place is gone. But after finding out that we were mates, he didn’t end the marriage. It was as if we were given a new life. He became sweet, loving and caring. It was one of the things that made me endure the death of my first child.

I pack my things, waiting for him to come back so we can reject each other and finally break the bond. I wonder if rejection will be harmful to the baby. I pick up my phone and text Juliane. I didn’t tell her the details. I just ask her if rejection will be harmful to the baby.

‘Why do you ask, Luna?’ She writes back.

‘It’s just a random question.’

‘Well, rejection may or may not hurt the baby. They just have to be careful when doing it.’

Careful? How careful should I be? I didn’t ask her that though.

‘Thank you, Juliane. I will come to the hospital later. There’s something I want us to discuss.’

‘Ok. See you soon.’

Juliane and I are good friends. I believe that she will listen to me if I ask her not to tell anyone about my pregnancy, not even Adrian.

After packing, I waited for Adrian, but there wasn't any sight of him. I called him but he didn’t pick up. I called his office, but they said he hadn’t come in for the day. It's almost noon. Adrian doesn’t go to work late unless something is keeping him busy. And that something must be Sarah. A surge of pain courses through my heart.

No matter how strong I am. I don’t think this pain will go away. I’m afraid it will be part of me.

I decide to take a walk round our house and I instantly regret my decision because every corner of the house reminds me of him.

I remember a lot of sweet moments we spent together. The way he looks and dots at me…… was it really fake? How can I believe that he doesn’t love me when he has shown me nothing but love? That was until two weeks ago, when he became a bit cold and distant. That must be when Sarah returned.

It wasn’t real. None of the love he showed me was real. It was all an act and he was an excellent actor. It is getting late, and I can no longer bear to stay in this house which is filled with his scent and the memories we shared together. I remove my wedding ring and keep it on the table in our room.

I have held onto this ring since last night. I just don’t understand the foolish hope that lingered in my heart. I wanted so much to believe that all this would be a dream. That Adrian loved me. I could only dream because reality was staring at my face.

I called Owen to help me put my bags in the car. He asked me if everything was alright. I said yes. I don’t need to tell him about the divorce. They will all know very soon.

“Take me to my grandma’s place,” I say. He knows where my grandma lives since he has driven me there a few times.

My grandma is the only one I have. Right now it is her and my baby. She was never in support of me leaving my dream just to focus on Adrian and his pack.

After my parents' deaths, I lived with Sarah’s family. They were good to me, but Sarah hated it. She always instigates her parents against me. My relationship with her parents suddenly turned sour. She made them hate me. I was bullied by Sarah so badly, but no one believed me. She makes everyone think that she’s an angel while I’m the devil. Little did they know that Sarah was the devil in my life.

She made my life miserable when I slept with Adrain, got pregnant and was forced to marry him. And yet no one believed me. Not even Adrian.

It was a few minutes drive before we arrived at my grandma’s place. My grandma has always wanted me to live with her but I don’t want to be a burden to her. That’s why I endured living with Sarah and her family.

I will just stay a few days with my grandma until I sort things out for myself. Adrian gave me a good amount of alimony. I wish I could reject it, I don’t want anything that belongs to him, but I don’t have much to my name. I didn’t even go to college, so it will be hard to find a decent job that can sustain me and my baby.

Apart from the alimony, I took nothing else. Not the cars he bought for me or the expensive jewelry and other things.

I step out of the car and Owen helps me with my bags. There’s a look in his eyes. Maybe he knows. I have never visited my grandma with a huge luggage before.

I thanked him. After he drives away, I knock on the door. I wait for a second before the door is pulled open.

“Grandma….” My voice is broken.

“Ada?” She isn’t surprised until she sees the big luggage with me.

She doesn’t ask questions as she helps me inside. I fell into her arms and wept. I said I wouldn’t cry for Adrian again but the pain in my heart is so excruciating.