Chapter 1

~Tamara~

I yawned and stretched my hands as the last customer left the restaurant. “Finally!” I shouted excitedly, staring at the clock on the right side of the room. Tonight marked Mark’s and my anniversary, and since I was collecting my paycheck that night, I planned to use part of it to buy him a new wristwatch and a cake to celebrate. We’ve been together for five years, and although he hadn’t proposed yet, I believed it could happen soon. He had been dropping hints for the past few days, asking about flowers and vacation locations. I couldn’t wait to get home and see him again.

The remaining part of my paycheck was for my brother, who needed surgery due to a heart condition.

“Tamara,” Mr. Lan, my boss, called as he left his office. “This is your salary for this month.” He handed over a white envelope.

“Thank you, Mr. Lan,” I said excitedly, opening the envelope. I looked at him and smiled. “Did you add extra for me?”

He smiled and nodded. “You deserve it, my dear. You’ve been working hard, and I also heard about your brother’s health.”

I sniffled and hugged him. “Thank you, sir.” Mr. Lan had always treated me like a father, and I was grateful to work for someone like him.

“Don’t worry, child. Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with, ” he reassured me.

I nodded and let go of him, heading to get my purse. Bowing my head, I walked out of the restaurant. “I’ll be going now, Mr. Lan. Goodnight,” I waved.

“Goodnight, child,” he waved back as I left.

On my way home, I bought the wristwatch I had saved for the anniversary and picked up the cake I ordered online. Arriving home, I sighed and admired the cake, knowing Mark would love it.

After unlocking the door, I entered the house and called, “Mark!” But there was no sign of him. I placed the cake on the table and walked towards our bedroom, only to notice black heels on the way – heels that didn’t belong to me. Curiosity led me to the door.

“Yes, Mark! F**k me like you mean it!” The voice was loud, and I recognized it as my best friend, Ferida.

‘’I am going to make you my mate!’’ I heard Mark scream in ecstasy.

Tears welled in my eyes as I reached the front of the door and swung it open. The room shrouded in darkness, revealed their silhouettes and the rhythmic movement of their bodies. Paralyzed, I stood there, unable to move. The overwhelming emotions of betrayal, being used, and utter brokenness surged through me. For years, I had been faithful to Mark, only to discover he had been cheating on me behind my back.

How could he do this to me? Tears continued to stream down my face as I closed the door behind me and fled from the house. Walking down the street, I cried my heart out, and every person I encountered shook their heads or pointed fingers at me, compounding the heartache.

That night, I just wanted to be alone, to drown my sorrows. I headed to the nearest bar where my best friend, Danny, worked. As I walked in, I approached the bar and saw Danny in his bartender outfit attending to an unfamiliar man. I quickly wiped the tears off my face, trying to sound joyful.

“Two shots of vodka, Angel,” I greeted Danny with our usual tone as we saw him.

“Angel!” Danny replied once he finished attending to the man he was with. When he turned to me, he asked, “What’s wrong with you, bitch? Is it Mark?”

Although I didn’t want to tell him, I never expected him to understand what was happening to me.

“He...” I bit my lip as tears welled up in my eyes again.

“What happened this time?” Danny asked.

I cleared my throat and pointed to the man whose eyes were on me, indicating that I didn’t want to talk to him then. Danny seemed to understand and didn’t ask any further questions. Instead, he handed me two shots of vodka. “I’m going to drink until I drop,” I gulped the first shot in the blink of an eye. “Why is life so unfair?” I took the second shot as I sat down beside the stranger. Just like me, he was drinking. “What do you think about life?” I asked him and said something else when he didn’t answer. “Let’s have a drink together.” I didn’t know why I mentioned that, but I just wanted to forget Mark.

The man stared into my eyes. The first thing I noticed when I looked closely at him was the tattoos on his right arm and his beautiful obsidian eyes. He had the bad boy look, and even his black suit hugged his muscular body perfectly, and his brown hair was beautifully permed, making him handsome.

The unfamiliar man was the definition of perfect.

“Why should I drink when I don’t even know you?” His voice was everything—low yet profound, and it gave me chills.

“Does it matter?” I answered back. “I just need a drinking buddy,” I told myself.

“Trust me, little wolf, you can’t handle the alcohol like me,” he said.

I chuckled. “Trust me when I say that I am better than you.” I shouldn’t have said that because I was a lightweight. I just wanted to feel included among them and show him.

“Is that a challenge?” He smirked at me, and I nodded in response. “What does the winner get?” He asked.

I blinked my eyes as he leaned closer to me. His cologne was intense, and I couldn’t even think straight because he was closer to me. “I don’t know,” I tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Great,” he chuckled. “The winner gets a kiss,” he stated, calling for Danny before I could protest.

“Have fun, girl!” Danny poured us six shots of vodka. Drink responsibly.”

I winked at him and turned to face the unfamiliar man. “Let’s get started, stranger,” I said, raising the first shot and clicking the glass with the man whose name I didn’t even know.

We had downed all six shots before I comprehended what was unfolding, and the unfamiliar man promptly ordered two more. My hand trembled as I tossed back the next shot.

“I am so furious right now because I thought I loved him, and he betrayed me!” I slammed the glass onto the table. “It’s our anniversary tonight, and I caught him in bed with my friend. How could he do that to me?” I cried, heaving a sigh, and then rested my hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Your partner is truly foolish to let you go,” he chuckled, grabbing my hand and pulling me into his arms. “You are drunk,” he whispered into my ear, sending shivers through my body.

Honestly, he was right; I was undeniably drunk. However, I couldn’t admit it, fearing I would appear defeated. “I am not drunk,” I laughed and clapped my hands. “How can I be drunk when I’ve only had one…?” I counted my fingers. “I can’t be drunk because,” I spewed.

“You lose,” the man declared, seizing my hand and drawing me closer. The background noise became an indistinct murmur, and before I could grasp the situation, the man leaned in and kissed me.

Oh my, I thought as he sensually moved his lips against mine. “You are just like her,” he said between the kiss.

I had no clue who he was referring to, but I relished the taste of his lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck, allowing him to deepen the kiss, which took me to a different world.

A world where I could forget my heartbreak.