I woke up sore, my body aching from crying myself to sleep.
But today, I wanted something different. To dress up, go out, maybe even leave the pack for a few days. Just… breathe.
I walked to my wardrobe, straight to the corner where I kept the few things that were truly mine.
Not Edwin’s. Not the pack’s. Mine.
I’d saved for years—my Luna allowance, cash gifts from grateful pack members, the little I earned from homeschooling young wolves and selling written guides online.
That’s how I bought it. My Hermes Birkin 30. Over three hundred thousand dollars. My dream bag.
I reached for the box.
It was gone.
My heart skipped. I opened and closed every drawer, checked every box twice. Gone. The bag was gone.
No one had access to the wardrobe except me and Edwin.
I stormed into his study, not caring that he was on a call. “Where’s my Birkin?” I asked, breathless. “The new one. The one I kept inside the wardrobe.”
He frowned, lowering the phone slightly. “What the hell, Selene? No knocking?”
“I asked you a question,” I snapped.
He sighed like I was being dramatic. “I gave it to Laura. She’s been stressed lately. Deserved something nice.”
My chest tightened. “You… gave it to Laura?” My voice shook. “That was mine, Edwin. I saved for years. Why would you do that?”
He set the phone down, annoyed. “Because she’s the mother of my son. The heir to my throne and she deserves to look the part, something you could never understand.”
The words sliced through me, but I held my ground.
“Then buy her her own. Or collect it back. That bag wasn’t yours to give.”
He scoffed. “Are you out of your mind? You don’t deserve things like that, Selene. You wear it, and people will think some housemaid stole her madam’s bag.”
I felt my knees weaken.
“You’re old. Ugly. Bitter. That womb of yours is sealed shut, and no matter what you wear or carry you’ll never be her. So stop trying to relive what’s already dead. Count your days quietly.”
I slammed my fist on the table. “I bought that bag with my own money!”
Edwin laughed, cold and cruel.
“Your own money? Where exactly? Since when do you have money? Unless you’ve been sleeping with men behind my back.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat.
I thought of the long nights tutoring kids for their exams, the sleepless hours helping college students with projects.
The marital guides I painstakingly wrote and sold online.
Every coin I earned was from my own sweat and pain.
I never asked him for a thing—not for myself, only for the pack and family.
And now, he gave it away like I was nothing.
Edwin’s eyes narrowed, trying to focus on the papers in front of him. “Why are you staring at me like that? Stop nagging. I’ll grab you some $15 bag from the roadside later.”
My voice trembled. “Do you still love me?”
He snapped without looking up, “Stop the drama. Be grateful for once. You should be licking Laura’s shoes, she’s doing things you never will. Now hurry up, I’ve got a hangover, and I want some pepper soup.”
I turned away slowly, embarrassed. My feet felt heavy—too numb to carry me.
I didn’t know what hurt more: the stolen bag or the silence when I asked if he still loved me.
Edwin stopped me at the door. “I’m attending a pack event. Other Alphas will be there. Then a business conference after. Should give you a break from taking care of me—for two weeks.”
Later that afternoon, the whole family gathered for lunch. Rowan, his son, accidentally blurted out, “Dad, when will my suits for the events be ready? And my beach clothes?”
I glanced at Edwin, surprised. “I thought it was just an event for adults.”
“It is,” Edwin said. “But it’s compulsory Rowan attends, he has to learn the ropes of becoming an Alpha someday.”
Rowan then asked, “Aunt, what do you want me to get you?”
“A hairband would be nice,” I said quietly.
My mother, sitting beside me, slapped my hand and scolded,
“Do you even know how wrong it is to make a child talk at the table? If you had a child, you’d know how to take care of one.”
I muttered an apology, forcing a weak smile. The hurt had dulled, leaving only a hollow ache inside.
That night, as I packed Edwin’s things for the trip, a folded paper slipped from his pocket.
I almost tossed it aside but caught myself and unfolded it.
My legs went weak.
On the cover was a pre-wedding photo of Edwin and Laura.
Wedding?
I blinked as if that'd change what I was seeing, but their smiles didn't vanish.
My hands trembled as I read the details — the same Moonstone Sanctum I’d begged him to visit for our anniversary.
The venue, the events, the honeymoon plans. Then, the guest list.
Everyone was invited. My mother, our son, the pack elders — all in on it, except me.
No one said a word.
I covered my mouth, choking back a scream. My chest tightened; it felt like my heart was breaking.
Fifteen years of sacrifice, and now I was nothing but a fool — a forgotten shadow in their lives.
