The Beginning of Betrayal

Alexa

Pain was something I knew too well. For months, I had been confined to the infirmary, fighting an illness that left me desperately searching for a compatible bone marrow donor. When we finally found one, it turned out to be my adoptive sister, Azula.

Her condition for donating was outrageous. She wanted to date my husband, Shaun, for three months in exchange for saving my life. It was an unreasonable demand, but with my life hanging in the balance, we had little choice but to accept.

I never imagined that agreeing to her condition would change everything between Shaun and me.

For three years, I had been married to the man I loved more than anything. Shaun wasn't just my husband; he was my closest companion and the person I trusted most. Being married to an Alpha wasn't always easy. His responsibilities to the Silver Crest Pack often kept him busy, but he had always made sure I never felt forgotten.

That was the man I knew. The man who made me believe I was the luckiest woman in the world.

But ever since we agreed to Azula's condition, something about him had begun to change.

Whenever Azula and I disagreed, Shaun took her side. He would tell me to be patient, to play along, and to avoid upsetting her. His reason was always the same: she was the only person who could save my life.

I kept telling myself he was only doing it for me. That once the three months were over and Azula had donated her bone marrow, things would return to how they used to be.

Today was my third wedding anniversary with Shaun. Despite still being under the infirmary's care, I had taken a day’s leave because I wanted to spend it with my husband. I had hoped we could have some time together, even if it was only for a few hours.

Instead, I found myself standing outside his partially open bedroom door, staring at something I never thought I would see.

Shaun was in bed with another woman.

And not just any woman.

Azula. My own stepsister.

No. This couldn't be happening. I wanted to believe my eyes were deceiving me, but then I heard Shaun's voice.

"Azula, you feel so good."

The words left me frozen.

I used to think I knew everything about my husband. I knew his voice, his habits, and the little things he did without even thinking. Yet, at that moment, I wished I had never heard him speak.

Azula had her legs wrapped around his waist on the very bed that was supposed to be ours.

The sight made my stomach twist. I stumbled backwards, struggling to understand what I was seeing. For a moment, I couldn't move. I could only stare through the narrow opening of the door, hoping that somehow, I had misunderstood.

Leave.

That was the first thought that crossed my mind. I should turn around and leave before they noticed me.

But why should I be the one sneaking away?

They were the ones doing something wrong. Azula was supposed to be my sister, and Shaun was my husband. I had every right to demand an explanation.

With that thought, I turned around and shoved the door open.

Azula was the first to notice me. Her expression changed instantly, and her lips curled into a smirk.

"Alexa?"

Shaun turned at the sound of my name. The moment our eyes met, he quickly pulled away from her.

"Alexa!"

I wanted to say something, anything, but my voice refused to come. I could only stand there, staring at the two people I had never imagined would betray me this way.

Azula hurriedly pulled the bedsheet over herself while Shaun reached for his clothes, as if covering themselves could somehow erase what I had just witnessed.

"Shaun, what is this?" My voice finally came out, though it sounded nothing like my own. "What exactly am I looking at?"

He hurriedly got out of bed and began dressing.

"Alexa, listen to me. This isn't what you think."

I stared at him, then at Azula, who was still sitting on our bed with the sheet pulled over her.

"Then what is it?" I asked. "Is this also part of your agreement? Is sleeping with my sister part of the arrangement too?"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," Shaun replied, his voice growing impatient. "You know why I'm doing this. I have to make Azula believe I'm serious about our relationship so she'll keep her promise to donate her bone marrow."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"So you expect me to believe that everything between you two is just an act?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. I'm doing this to save your life, Alexa. Can't you understand that?"

Save my life.

He kept using those words as though they could excuse everything. As though being ill meant I had no right to question what he was doing with another woman.

I had agreed to this arrangement because I trusted him. I knew how desperate he was to find a donor for me, and I had convinced myself that three months of pretending would be something we could get through together.

But seeing him in bed with Azula made me question whether I had been foolish to trust him so blindly.

"Move aside," I said quietly.

I turned to leave, but before I could take another step, Azula reached for my wrist and snatched the bracelet from it.

"Azula!" I turned sharply. "Give that back!"

She pulled her hand away and examined the bracelet with an amused expression.

"I think this would make a lovely gift in exchange for my bone marrow."

"What?" I stared at her. "Are you out of your mind? Give it back!"

"It's just a bracelet, Alexa. Surely you can part with one little piece of jewellery after everything I'm doing for you."

"You don't understand." I reached for it, but she raised her hand out of my reach. "That bracelet isn't just jewellery. It's the only thing I have from my birth parents. It's the only clue I have about where I came from. You can't take it from me!"

Azula tilted her head, studying me for a moment.

"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before asking me to save your life."

I lunged forward, desperate to retrieve it, but Shaun stepped between us.

"That's enough, Alexa!"

"Move, Shaun. She's holding something that belongs to me!"

"Can't you see that you're upsetting her?" he snapped.

I stared at him in disbelief. "She's the one who took my bracelet!"

"Just let her have it. Is one bracelet really worth ruining everything?"

His words struck me harder than I expected.

One bracelet?

He knew what it meant to me. He knew how carefully I had treasured it and how many times I had wondered whether it could lead me to the family I had never known. Yet he stood there asking me to surrender it as though it meant nothing.

"Shaun, please. Just make her give it back."

But he didn't move.

Azula glanced at him before looking back at me. A cruel smile slowly appeared on her face.

Then, without warning, she threw the bracelet to the floor.

It struck the hard surface with a sharp crack.

I froze.

The bracelet had broken apart, its little decorative stones scattering across the floor.

"No..."

I dropped to my knees, staring at the pieces. For years, I had kept that bracelet close, hoping it would one day help me discover who my real parents were. It was all I had, and now it lay shattered at my feet.

I slowly looked up at Azula.

Before I could stop myself, my hand flew across her face.

The slap echoed through the room.

"Alexa!" Shaun shouted.

He grabbed me and shoved me away from Azula. I lost my balance and stumbled backwards, striking my head against the edge of the bedside table.

A sharp pain spread through my head, and I struggled to steady myself.

"Are you alright?" Shaun moved towards me.

But I stepped away before he could reach me.

I didn't want his help. Not after what he had just done.

My attention returned to the broken bracelet. Ignoring the pain in my head, I crouched down and began gathering the scattered pieces with trembling fingers.

I had to save whatever was left of it.

"Look at what she did to me!" Azula suddenly cried.

I barely heard her. All I wanted was to collect the pieces before they got lost.

Then a foot came down on my hand.

A cry escaped my lips as I looked up. Azula stood over me, her expression twisted with anger. She pressed her foot harder against my hand, preventing me from pulling it away.

"Azula, stop!" Shaun said.

But that was all he did.

"Get off me!" I struggled to free my hand, but she only pressed down harder.

"Maybe you should learn not to raise your hand against me," she said coldly.

"Shaun!" I cried, looking towards him. "Do something!"

Instead of pulling Azula away, he grabbed my shoulder and forced me to remain where I was.

"Alexa, stop struggling. Just endure it until she calms down. She's the only person who can save your life. Don't make her change her mind."

For a moment, I could only stare at him.

Was this really Shaun?

The same man who once couldn't bear to see me hurt? The man who noticed even the smallest change in my mood and always tried to make things better?

We had been married for three years. I had trusted him with my heart and every part of my life. Yet here he was, holding me down while another woman hurt me, telling me to endure it because I needed her to survive.

My eyes drifted to the broken pieces scattered around my hand.

I had agreed to let him date Azula because I wanted to live. I had swallowed my anger whenever he took her side and convinced myself that everything would return to normal once the arrangement was over.

But I had never imagined it would come to this.

My life depended on Azula, and Shaun knew it. They both knew I couldn't afford to lose the only person who could save me. Somehow, that had become a reason to treat me as though I had no right to defend myself.

The pain in my hand grew unbearable. My head throbbed, and the room began to blur around me.

I tried to pull myself together, but my strength was fading.

The last thing I saw was Shaun still holding me down.

Then everything went dark.