CHAPTER 5

ASHINA’S POV

My maid huffed, crossing her arms as she glared in frustration. I just couldn’t believe that she would rant, breathless.

“Farkas is really such a shameless being. He’s just a low-level Beta and nothing else. Sure, he has a salary, but it’s barely enough to cover his own expenses, let alone the entire family’s. Don’t even get me started on his father—paralysed in bed, unable to work, and those high medical bills every single month!”

Rosy had been employed by the Veldon family for years, long before I had even married Farkas. Lord Gregor Veldon and Lady Lysara Veldon had earned their titles as soon as Farkas became the Beta and married me.

As greedy as they were, they had always wished to live like parasites, rather than teaching Farkas to man up.

At the time when Farkas and I were to be married, Farkas had sworn that he would defy Fate for me, but look, today how he decided to go back on his words.

Over time, what had initially been a professional relationship evolved into something far more personal—Rosy and I had become close friends, confiding in each other about nearly everything.

She had witnessed the struggles and changes in my life firsthand, which made it natural for her to speak so openly with me. Her honesty was never forced; it came from a place of trust and deep understanding.

“Who pays for all of that? You do!” Her voice quivered with frustration, her indignation unmistakable.

She threw her hands up, pacing the room as her emotions got the better of her.

“You have carried this entire family on your back, and yet he still has the audacity to discard you? To blame you, when all you’ve done is sacrifice for him? It’s infuriating! I can’t understand how someone can be so shameless.”

I sighed slowly, feeling the weight of her words pressing down on me, though they weren’t new. I had thought the same countless times, had turned the situation over and over in my mind until it no longer hurt—just left me feeling exasperated.

Despite the bitterness simmering inside me, I mustered a small, tired smile, an attempt to comfort her even when I was the one who should be comforted.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I murmured, my voice steady but hollow, as if I had repeated the words enough times that they had lost their meaning.

“I’ve already made up my mind—I’m getting a divorce. Whatever nonsense he chooses to spew is meaningless now. He can say what he wants and do what he wants. It doesn’t change anything.”

Rosy’s expression shifted, frustration warring with concern. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her frown deepening as she crossed her arms. It was clear she wanted to argue, to tell me that I deserved better, that I should fight back.

However, I had already fought. I had spent years fighting for dignity in a marriage that gave me nothing in return. Now, I was done. If only he knew how his so called Lord of a father and Lady of a mother were hypocrites.

But then, I beleieved that all this time, Farkas had been pretending. Their blood was running in his veins.

For a moment, Rosy hesitated, as if searching for the right words, but in the end, she simply nodded.

“If that’s what you want…” she said softly, finally accepting my decision.

Silence stretched between us, filled with unspoken understanding. She knew what I had endured, had seen firsthand the weight I carried alone. While I appreciated her anger on my behalf, I no longer had the energy to be angry. I just wanted to be free.

Yet, as days passed, I watched with quiet amusement as Farkas’ family scrambled to prepare for his upcoming wedding. A grand wedding required money—something they severely lacked.

Their desperation grew evident. They searched, they scrounged, and still, they came up short. It didn’t take long before Farkas began to notice, confusion darkening his face.

“How is this possible?” he muttered to himself, pacing the small living room.

“Where is all the money? There should have been savings!”

His frustration boiled over as his gaze snapped to me, suspicion lacing his tone.

“Did you spend all the money in my family?”

I stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words. The audacity! The gall.

Gradually, I released a breath, keeping my voice steady.

“I have never—not once—spent a single cent of your family’s money. On the contrary, I’ve shouldered the burden of your father’s medical expenses, the household costs, and everything in between.”

Farkas’ jaw tensed, but he still looked unconvinced. “Then where did all the money go?”

“Why don’t you ask your mother, the Lady that she is? ” I suggested, tired of this ridiculous conversation.

He turned to her, demanding an explanation. She hesitated, wringing her hands as guilt flickered across her face.

“Since your father became paralysed, there has been no real income coming in,” she admitted. “We... we had no choice but to use the money your wife provided.” Her voice lowered, barely above a whisper. “There were no savings left.”

Farkas’ face darkened. His entire body stiffened as reality sank in.

“No savings? At all?” His voice edged with disbelief, turning sharp, almost accusatory.

His brows furrowed, frustration tightening his features. “Then how am I supposed to give Esther the wedding I promised her?”

His mother shifted uncomfortably, her gaze dropping to the floor as if hoping to melt into the marbles. She didn’t dare meet his eyes, nor did she offer a solution. The silence stretched, thick with unspoken truths.

A bitter chuckle nearly escaped me. The irony of it all was almost laughable. Here he was, consumed with worry over planning a grand wedding for another woman, while I had spent years holding his family together, bearing the weight of their struggles alone.

Regrettably, not once—not even once—had he ever acknowledged it. Not a single word of gratitude. Just expectations, just demands, as if my sacrifices had been nothing more than my duty.

I clenched my fists, nails pressing into my palms, but I refused to let my anger show. No, I wouldn’t let anyone know what was going inside me.

Frankly, it wouldn’t even matter. Instead, I merely watched, waiting to see just how far his delusions would take him.

“You really are unbelievable,” I said, my voice calm yet laced with something cold. “After everything, your biggest concern is Esther’s wedding? Not your father’s condition? Not the fact that your family has been completely dependent on me? Just your wedding?” I shook my head. “Clearly, you have no shame.”

Farkas’ lips parted, as if to argue, but nothing came out. He had no defense because he knew I was right. Instead, his frustration turned into blame.

“You should have told me about the finances! If I had known—”

I cut him off with a bitter chuckle.

“If you had known? What would you have done, Farkas? Earned more? Taken responsibility? The truth is, you never cared to ask because deep down, you knew who was keeping this family afloat.”

My eyes bore into his, unflinching. “Now that I’m leaving, you’re finally realising just how much you needed me.”

His hands clenched at his sides, but he didn’t argue. He could not.

I turned to leave, but paused at the door, glancing back one last time. “Good luck with the wedding, Farkas. Let’s see how far your so-called love takes you when there’s no money left to fund your grand promises.”

Having said that, I walked away, finally free.