Chapter 4

In just a few words, I understood the depths of what Alpha Jay had done for Linda.

“I was able to return to the Red River Pack this time… all thanks to Alpha Jay,” she said, turning to me with a soft smile.

“Selina, I have no hostility toward you,” she added, her tone calm, almost gentle. “Let’s try to get along well in the future, okay?”

Her words sounded like a polite request, but they carried the subtle weight of moral obligation.

Linda had endured so much. All she seemed to want now was peace. Refusing her would only make me look coldhearted.

But what exactly did she mean by “getting along well”?

Before, her words might have sparked anger in me. No one wants someone else meddling in their relationship.

Now?

Now, it was almost laughable.

How could I take their requests seriously?

“Fine. Get along well,” I replied, the words slipping out with startling ease.

It didn’t matter—I was leaving soon. Why bother making a scene?

That night, Linda took the master bedroom, while Alpha Jay and I stayed in the second bedroom next door.

“Linda’s depression is severe,” Alpha Jay explained. “She cries for hours every night. The master bedroom is soundproofed, so she won’t disturb you.”

I agreed without protest, though I hardly cared.

As we lay in bed, he held me close, just as he always had—his chest warm against my back, his breath soft against my neck, a familiar ticklish sensation trailing down my spine.

And then his words pierced through the silence, cutting like a blade.

“Selina… I think Linda is different now. She’s changed, and I can’t help but feel she’s… dirty.”

I froze, my body tense.

“You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you?” He sighed heavily. “But I just can’t let go of her.”

“I feel sorry for both of you,” I said quietly.

“But believe me when I say—I will only marry you. I love you.”

The words felt hollow, their weight doing nothing to fill the growing void between us.

Perhaps he had been drinking too much with Linda earlier. That night, he rambled endlessly, sharing thoughts he should have kept to himself—things that hurt more deeply than I could bear.

When I finally began to drift into sleep, the bed felt suddenly empty.

Alpha Jay was gone.

The next morning, I woke to see him stepping out of the master bedroom.

“Linda needs to take her medication regularly,” he said casually. “I went in to remind her.”

I didn’t question him. I simply nodded, feigning understanding.

At breakfast, Linda struggled with one of the dishes.

Without hesitation, Alpha Jay rushed downstairs to a convenience store and returned with a steak.

Normally, he never cooked.

But this time, he stood in the kitchen, frying the steak himself. It was beautifully plated when he placed it in front of her.

Linda turned to me with a teasing smile.

“Alpha Jay is so good at taking care of people. You must have been so happy all these years, right?”

I smiled faintly, offering no response.

In all our years together, Alpha Jay had never cooked—not once. He couldn’t even stand the smell of oil or smoke in the kitchen.

And yet, here he was, preparing a steak with ease, as if he’d done it countless times before.

“He didn’t know how to cook at first,” Linda mused, almost boasting. “But every year, when he came to see me, he’d make steak. Over time, he got better. You know, Alpha Jay is really good at cooking, right?”

Her tone was light, almost casual, but her meaning was clear.

She was staking her claim, as if I hadn’t been the one by his side all these years.

Alpha Jay shifted uncomfortably, glancing at me.

“I’m sorry, Selina. I’ve been busy lately, but I’ll definitely cook for you more in the future.”

I laughed it off, the sound hollow.

I had no interest in his empty promises.

After breakfast, Alpha Jay hurried to take Linda to the hospital for her checkup.

I quietly dragged my suitcase out of the room.

He stopped and looked at me, confused.

“Are you going on a business trip? You didn’t mention it.”

“Yes,” I said simply.

He was in such a rush that he didn’t ask any more questions before leaving.

Perhaps Alpha Jay truly cared too much about Linda.

Otherwise, the Alpha Jay I knew—attentive, meticulous—would have noticed that all my documents were gone. That every trace of me had already been erased from the house.

“Are you leaving now?” His voice startled me, breaking the silence.

There were still three hours until my flight, yet somehow, I found myself at the crossroads of my life with him.

I had spent so many sleepless nights wondering—what would life be like without Alpha Jay? What would it feel like to walk away?

I hadn’t expected it to happen like this—on such an ordinary morning, or so plainly.

“Yes, I’m leaving now,” I said quietly but firmly.

Alpha Jay stood by the door, his hand resting on Linda’s arm. She had just complained of feeling unwell, and he was helping her.

When he saw me struggling with my suitcase, he instinctively started to step forward.

But then he hesitated.

His gaze flickered to Linda.

And just like that, he couldn’t take that step.

“I’ll take you,” he offered after a pause.

“No,” I replied evenly. “It’s not on the way to the hospital. I’ll just take a taxi.”

He exhaled softly, visibly relieved.

Turning back to Linda, he guided her downstairs with careful attention.

Before he disappeared from view, I called out softly—

“Alpha Jay… goodbye.”

He didn’t look back. He walked away quickly, as if the word meant nothing.

I wasn’t even sure he had heard me at all.

At the airport, as I waited for my flight, a message popped up on my phone.

It was the physical examination report for Linda. Alpha Jay had forwarded it to me.

[Selina, she’s in terrible condition—not just severe depression, but also a serious infectious disease. I… I can’t accept her like this.]

My breath caught.

So this was it. After years of indecision, the choice he had agonized over was finally made—not by his heart, but by circumstance.

A second message followed shortly after.

[Our wedding will be held as scheduled. Have you booked your parents’ tickets?]

I stared at the screen for a long moment, my emotions a strange, quiet storm.

Then, without hesitation, I took a screenshot of a flight to the Shadowfang Pack and sent it to him.

[I’ve waited for you for so many years, Alpha Jay.]

[I’m tired of waiting.]

[Let’s break up.]