This was the first time I had spoken up; I was used to shutting my mouth whenever I saw something that made me jealous.
"Sienna, listen. I-I was drunk that night, and I had no idea we kissed," Alpha Griffin reasoned.
"No idea? I'm not blind, Griffin. Just looking at the picture, I know you initiated the kiss. Your hands were wrapped around her waist, and you tell me you're just drunk?" I dictated, my fist clenching in anger.
Griffin took a step forward, but I motioned him to stop. I didn't want him to get any closer to me, not anymore.
"Sienna, it's just a kiss, there's nothing to it. You're judging me because of that picture? Come on, you don't have to overthink; everyone was having fun." He shrugged it off, trying to gaslight me with his stupid lies.
I shook my head in annoyance and walked near the windowpane to breathe some air. I was losing my patience, and I should have been the one to take the first move to end everything between us, but why was I being a coward?
"Sienna…" I felt Griffin hug me from behind; his arms wrapped around my belly, and his head sank into my neck.
"I'm sorry, Pumpkin," he apologized again, but it wouldn't ease the pain I was feeling.
"It's okay, Griffin. Maybe I'm just overreacting," I mumbled, pretending I was still the naive girl they thought I was.
"You're no longer mad, Sienna?" he asked softly.
I slowly nodded and forced a bitter smile. "I'm not mad, Griffin."
For minutes, I let him hug me; this would be the last time he would feel my skin.
"You're so cold, Sienna. Are you okay?" Griffin asked, looking at me intently. Maybe he noticed I looked like a corpse.
"Yeah, I'm okay," I lied.
Griffin's eyes narrowed, and he cupped my face. "Wait a minute. Why is there blood dripping from your nose?" he said worriedly.
"Ah, nothing. It's just—" I coughed and spat blood into my hand, which scared Griffin.
"What's happening to you, Sienna?!" Alpha Griffin frantically took a white napkin and wiped the blood from my face.
Watching him be concerned like this made me burst into tears. It hurt to think everything was a lie and he had only married me to get my father's wealth. And he had betrayed me with my best friend.
"Griffin, what if I'm going to die? What are you going to do?" I asked him.
His face was painted with confusion. "W-what are you talking about? Sienna, tell me what's going on?"
My lip trembled, the confession poised on my tongue, when the door swung open. A servant, breathless, announced, "Alpha Griffin, Iris has fainted downstairs!" His departure was instantaneous, a stark betrayal etched in his hasty retreat. I'm not surprise at all; I knew Iris would always be his first choice.
With a cold fury settling in my gut, I began packing. This gilded cage, this mansion of deceit, was no longer my prison. Every item I carefully placed in my luggage was a silent testament to a life I was leaving behind.
Then, I stumbled upon our wedding photograph. I picked it up, the glossy surface cool against my burning skin. The vibrant colors, once a symbol of our joy, now mocked me, a cruel reminder of a happiness that had evaporated like morning mist.
Each detail—his smile, my hopeful gaze—was a shard of glass piercing the illusion of our past.
Before I slipped away, a letter took shape, each word a carefully chosen weapon, a final declaration of independence. It was a farewell, a severing of ties, a silent scream against the injustice I had endured. "Goodbye, Griffin," I whispered, laying the letter on his desk, the weight of my unspoken words heavy in the air.
That night, I went to my friend Quincy, who welcomed me into his cozy home. I was glad he was the person I could turn to whenever I felt I had nowhere to go.
"So you've fully decided now?" Quincy asked, giving me a cup of tea.
"Yeah, I think this is the right time," I said, now determined to change my life; I was no longer scared.
Quincy smiled and sat across from me, also taking a sip of his teacup. "I know you're going through a lot, Sienna, but don't worry. I'm here to help you."
I smiled at him; I felt relieved to have a friend who had never left my side. "I know, Quincy. I'm grateful for everything you've done for me."
For a while, we sat in the living room and had dinner, and Quincy asked about my well-being. Then I shared everything I had learned from the Emerald pack.
"They're indeed traitors, Sienna. You don't deserve to be treated like that. So don't go back there; you'd better stay here at my place," Quincy said seriously. He was also furious to discover the other things the Emerald pack had done to me and my father.
After dinner, Quincy took me to his secret laboratory and gave me another shot of medicine to stop my bleeding.
While Quincy was checking my vitals, I was scrolling on my phone and saw Beta Iris's posts flaunting the expensive shopping Alpha Griffin had bought her using my father's funds.
"Sienna, the cancer cells in your body have mutated; they're now growing and spreading faster, and antibodies can no longer help," Quincy explained.
"Then I'll take the purple serum that can save my life," I suggested.
Quincy took the vial and put it into the syringe. "Once I inject this into your body, changes will immediately take effect, and it means your old self will no longer exist," he warned.
"That's it, Quincy. I'm not settling for this anymore. I'm going to become someone new—stronger, better, and unstoppable," I declared.
