Chapter 004: A Free Woman.

Georgia:

Evans just stands there for a moment, staring at me like I’ve lost my mind. Then, out of nowhere, he throws his head back and laughs. Loud.

“You can’t be serious,” he says, shaking his head with a smirk. “You’ll regret this, Georgia. Mark my words. You’ve got a few days to get over this little tantrum and come to your senses. Don’t forget you’re a nobody. You’ll come crawling back.”

Ah. So that’s how he sees me? An orphan with no one to turn to? That’s fine. Let him believe whatever he wants. He has no idea who I really am..or what I’m capable of.

“Evans—”

“Shut the hell up, you gold-digging bitch!”

The voice that cuts in isn’t his. It’s sharper. Nastier. I turn just in time to see Emily marching toward us, her eyes practically spitting fire.

“You seriously think you can file for a divorce and walk away with anything? Dream on. You’re not getting a single cent from him.”

I scoff and step toward her. “Who says I want anything from him?”

Without another word, I slide the diamond ring off my finger and throw it. It lands at her feet with a cold clink against the floor.

She gasps, staring at it like it just exploded.

“There. Now that I’m gone, feel free to give that to Anastasia. Since that’s what you both wanted from the start, isn’t it?”

Gasps ripple through the room, followed by a wave of murmurs. They’re stunned. Every single one of them. No one’s ever heard me raise my voice before.

I was always the quiet Luna. The obedient one. The silent shadow standing behind her husband. The daughter-in-law who never dared speak unless spoken to.

But I’m done!

Done playing their perfect little Luna!

I square my shoulders and glare straight at Evans. “Go on, Evans. Sign the damn papers. Then you can finally marry Anastasia…your precious first love.”

“Georgia—”

His voice falters, his eyes flickering with something almost soft. But it’s gone as quickly as it came. His expression hardens. He snatches the pen off the table and drags his signature across the divorce papers.

“Done. I’m finally free of you, bitch!” He looks up at me,cold. “And just like my mother said, don’t expect a dime. You’re an orphan. You have no one. And trust me, I’ll make sure no pack ever takes you in.”

I throw my head back and start to laugh.

A laugh so loud, so unhinged, it silences the room. I’m laughing so hard, my eyes well up with tears. Not from pain.

But from how unbelievably stupid I’ve been.

Two years. Two whole years wasted on this.

I gave up everything.

Even my pup was now…gone.

And for what?

All because I ran away from the only man who ever had my back—my father—just because he wanted me to marry a Lycan king everyone swore was a beast.

I thought I was doing the right thing..leaving everything behind to be with my so-called fated mate. The one the Moon Goddess herself had supposedly chosen for me.

But God… how wrong I was.

Now, I’m done being foolish. I’m going back. Back to where I came from. Back to reclaim the fortune and power I walked away from like a fool.

“Shut the hell up and get out of here, you bitch!”

Anastasia’s voice cuts through the air like a whip. She’s been quiet this whole time, but now? Oh, now she finds her voice. Of course she does. She must be overjoyed. Her biggest obstacle finally out of the way.

I glance around the room.

They're all watching.

Recording.

Whispers. Phones. Flashes. Judging eyes.

But I don’t flinch.

I don’t even speak.

Instead, I walk forward calmly, snatch the documents from the table, and storm toward the doors without looking back.

But just as my hand touches the handle, something in me pauses.

No.

I slowly turn back around, my heels clicking against the marble floor, and I meet every single stare in that room head-on.

“One more thing,” I say coolly. “There’s still something left for me to do.”

Evans only lets out a low chuckle. “I told you, Georgia. I’m not giving you a single cent.”

“I don’t want your damn money, Evans.” I narrow my eyes at him. “I want to reject you.”

A collective gasp echoes through the room.

Evans stiffens, the smirk slipping from his face. “W-What?” His voice is barely above a whisper. “You’ve gotten bold, haven’t you? First a divorce, now rejection? Trust me—”

But I don’t give him the chance to finish.

“I, Georgia Ashcroft, reject you, Evans Henshaw, as my mate!”

The pain hits instantly. A blinding wave that shoots through my chest and slams into my spine. My knees wobble, my vision blurs…but I grit my teeth and force myself to stay upright.

I won’t fall.

Not in front of them.

“Accept it, Evans,” I say through clenched teeth.

His jaw tightens. He’s trying to hold it in..the pain. He’s an Alpha, after all. But even he isn’t immune.

Finally, his lips part.

“I, Evans Henshaw of the Whitemoon Pack… reject you, Georgia Ashcroft, as my mate.”

Evans growls, loud and primal. “You fucking bitch!”

I only laugh. Deep, unbothered, and satisfied.

But then, I see it. The way his head suddenly tilts, his brows furrowing as something seems to click.

“Ashcroft?” he mutters, squinting. “Which—”

I don’t wait for him to finish. I spin on my heels and storm out of the room, the documents still in hand. My chest is burning, my body still aching from the rejection.

I head straight for the car and fling the door open, reaching for my bag.

A soft gasp breaks my thoughts.

“L–Luna?” Arielle, my personal maid, rushes toward me, her face pale with worry. “Are you… are you going somewhere? Should I come with you?”

I pause, forcing a smile. It hurts to lie to her. Arielle has been the only kind soul in that house. The only one who ever looked at me like I mattered.

“Yes, Arielle. But don’t worry, I’ll be back soon,” I lie gently.

She nods quickly. Then, I press the car keys into her hand.

“Give these to Evans when you see him,” I say, turning away before I change my mind.

With my bag over my shoulder, I pull out my phone and quickly dial the one number that still feels like home.

My brother. Deckard Ashcroft.

It rings once. Twice. And then—

“Georgia!” His voice beams through the speaker. “How the hell are you?”

“I feel like a free woman.”

“What—?”

“I just divorced Evans,” I say, grinning now. “Come pick me up. I’m coming home.”

He goes quiet. Then gasps.