Chapter 8
I thought that my refusal that day had been clear enough, but one day, after finishing my training and walking out of the training grounds, I found several people I didn’t want to see standing outside my apartment building.
Dad, Mom, my brother, and even Julian.
The
moment they
spotted me, their faces lit up with excitement.
“Lu! You’re finally back!”
Aldric moved toward me, but Julian quickly pushed him aside and stood in front of me.
“Lu, it’s been so long”
He looked somewhat haggard, his eyes red, as if he hadn’t rested for a long time.
Had this been the old me, 1 probably would’ve felt some sympathy.
all I felt was irritation.
“I’ve already rejected you. What are you doing here?”
Julian’s eyes reddened even more,
didn’t accept your rejection! We were just having a petty argument.”
“I rejected you, and you don’t need to accept it.”
I said calmly, then turned to look at my family standing awkwardly at the side.
“I heard what you said that day.”
Thee
color drained from Dad, Mom, and my brother’s faces, and Julian seemed to realize
something, his eyes widening.
I continued, voicing the truth I had pieced together: “Jullan likes Vivienne. You all thought that since he’s a beta, he’s not good enough for your precious daughter, so you tried to pair him with me, not expecting that he just happened to be my mate. That way, there would still be someone who could dore on Vivienne, right?
“No, no, that’s not true..
Mom tried to argue
but she was too weak to refute me.
Dad and Aldric lowered their heads, their faces filled with shame
As for Julian, he rushed to lay his heart bare.
“At first, I did like Vivienne, but… but that was only in the beginning…We were about to seal the mate bond, how could I not have feelings for you?”
I nodded, signaling I understood.
In Julian’s gradually brightening eyes, I stabbed the final blow without mercy.
*But our mating ceremony YOU weren’t there. So we won’t be sealing the mate bond anymore.
“No, no, we can still hold another ceremony. I’ve already ordered the wedding dress from your favorite designer. I’ve also contacted the wedding planners, As long as you agree, we can hold the mating ceremony again, and I promise it’ll be even better than the last one,”
Julian placed his hands on my shoulders, his voice pleading
fated mate! I didn’t expect you to leave.
“Lu, please, let me explain. I just got used to taking care of Vivienne. The person I really love is you. You’re my fo I’m an idiot. I hurt you. I’m so sorry! I can’t lose you. Without you, my wolf would die too!”
I shook off his hands
Loolding at his red eyes, I wasn’t completely unmoved
After all, it was Julian who had been by my side when I was most in need of love, when I craved approval from others.
Back then, I thought I had found my mate, and everything would get better.
But it was precisely because of that that I couldn’t forgive him.
Forgiving him would mean betraying the version of me that had been so eager for the mating ceremony,
Chapter 8
Dreame–Read Romance Stories
“You love me? No. Love isn’t like this, Love is feeling a constant sense of debt, not taking it for granted, like you do, expecting me to forgive you over and
I continued. “Love is about mutual understanding and compromise, not one–sided sacrifice. Julian, we can’t go back. You know what I wanted.”
What I wanted was favor, a firm choice.
But none of that came from him.
Julian staggered back as though struck by lightning, taking several steps away, his face covered as he collapsed, possibly crying
I didn’t go to comfort him. After all, he was just my ex–mate, and he wasn’t worth my time.
1 had made myself clear. He wasn’t allowed to block me at the entrance of my dorm and ruin my mood.
Just as I was about to leave, I was called by my family.
That’s when I remembered there were still three people standing there
I rubbed my temples in frustration and looked at the three awkward figures in front of me.
“What exactly did you come here for? Julian’s here begging me to take him back, and now you’re here. What do you want?”
Dad sighed deeply. “Lu, after reading your diary, we finally understood how much you’ve suffered over the years.”
His voice was heavy, as though there was a major misunderstanding, and he began explaining their grievances over the years.
e spoke of how Vivienne had nearly died as a child, and after I was brought back into the pack, so many years had passed that they didn’t know how to reconnect with me. They’d forgotten how to love me.
He went on to explain that Vivienne had been spoiled by them, which was why she resorted to underhanded tactics against me. They hadn’t known about
I listened in silence, not offering any response.
Mom looked remorseful
“We’ve figured out the cause of Vivienne’s allergy. She ate almonds in the salad, not because of you. We’re so sorry, Lu. It was me who misunderstood you and slapped you Did it hurt?”
These were the words I longed to hear when I was a teenager.
Every time I was misunderstood, I imagined that one day my parents would realize the truth and tell me that it wasn’t my fault.
But now, it was too late.
I wasn’t the same girl who still had hope for them.
Seeing my lack of reaction, the expressions on their faces grew even more sorrowful.
They tried to speak further, but my patience had worn thin
“Alright, are you done talking? Can you leave now?1 have things to do this afternoon. Don’t waste my time.”
“Wasting your time? We’re apologizing to you!” Aldric said, his emotions running high.
He couldn’t understand why Luciana was b
was being so cold toward them.
Wasn’t all of this just a misunderstanding?
Luciana had once loved them so much–how could things have turned out like this?
