The Heart You Broke, The Love You Lost

Chapter One

Alpha Modred has been my mate for five years. I don’t really understand why he hates me so much because I’m a Beta, and he’s an Alpha. He has never liked me. However, on my birthday today, I clutched this little box containing an earring and a diamond necklace. It came from Modred, who had never given me a gift in all our years together.

At least I was pleased that my mate remembered me today and gave me a gift. I shared it on social media right away, but Diana left the following comment: "Some people crave my leftovers." That’s when it finally hit me. In the same building, Modred had purchased a home for Diana. I realized that this present was intended for Diana and not for me. This building was our marital home.

In an attempt to calm myself, I balled my fists in anger and went to her house, only to be met with a startling scene. At a beautiful meal, Modred and Diana were enjoying themselves immensely. As if I had interrupted their moment together, they turned to face me. Modred yelled at me without even giving me a second’s notice:

“Really, Freya, why are you so unintelligent? We are merely discussing business. Does it even occur to you that I would still accept you as my mate if there were any relationship between Diana and me? I had the option to turn you down.”

“I hope you are happy with each other,” I muttered, throwing the diamond box and my engagement ring at him. I sneered because, if this had happened earlier, I would have disagreed with what he said and made sure he gave me the truth. Modred crushed the ring beneath his legs with an angry step, undermining my dignity and my love for him. Then he yelled fiercely, “You need to change your suspicious personality if you want me to accept you as my mate. Stop interfering; Diana and I need to talk about something important. Go contemplate your life.”

I was calm hearing his accusations I was already used to. After I left Diana’s place, I brought out my phone and posted about how Modred had not been faithful to me in the family group chat, and I called off the engagement. Just then, Modred immediately sent a photo of his laptop, saying: "Handling business with a businesswoman." This was someone who had been ignoring my messages, and now he shifted the blame on me, saying: "You’re just angry because I didn’t get you the red expensive shoes you requested, and yet you used my black card to squander money with your male friends."

Messages started dropping in the group chat. My mother’s message caught my attention: "You, this ungrateful child, apologize to Modred right now. If you let your stupid pride get in the way of this perfect marriage, I promise to kill myself to show you this was the only way." Seeing the way it turned out, I immediately exited the group chat. I was not surprised by my mother’s character because, ever since my parents separated, she had been unbearably irritating. Because of this, I had gotten attached to Modred’s gentle character, but after five years together, I realized he was nothing like that—just lies. His gentle character was all meant for Diana. His respect was for strangers, and his coldness was for me.

He has a skill for provoking me into getting angry in front of others, breaking me and making me cry, while he pretends to be the understanding one who forgives. This made people think I was the crazy one, but this time around, he was wrong. I’m letting go, staying quiet not to cause a scene.

My heart, already withered, will not be stirred by him again.

Modred returned with a pair of red shoes while I was operating my phone. He scoffed, “You haven’t made dinner. Why? Are you still angry, huh? Don’t you think it’s enough? You’ve always wanted this particular set of shoes. Here, take them. I even got red, the color you want. So stop sulking,” he said and threw the shoes at me. The shoes looked second-hand; they were thrifted.

I used to envy girls who got gifts from their boyfriends because of the happiness on their faces. I often mentioned it to Modred, but he didn’t care.

“If I knew you were such a vain woman, I wouldn’t have gotten involved with you, Freya. It’s not that I can’t afford these shoes, but do you even deserve this? You’re just a housewife, an unaccomplished woman,” he scolded, accusing me of being lazy and materialistic, forgetting that it was he who told me to quit my job with the promise of marriage.

In Modred’s eyes, I was only fit to be his maid. He was too stingy to buy me anything but had no problem gifting Diana a house and a diamond necklace.

Just earlier, I saw a post on Diana’s social media where he had helped her wear the necklace on her neck, holding her in an intimate manner. After the good time he had with her, he had the nerve to throw this thrifted, old shoe I had been begging him for at me. I was disgusted and kicked the shoe. Then I looked at him and said,

“I don’t like old, second-hand things. Neither do I like dirty, second-hand men.”