Chapter 2：I Don't Care

Corie POV:

Linda ran over, wrapping her arms around me so tight I could barely breathe.

"Has Kent completely lost his damn mind?" she hissed, her voice shaking with rage.

"And Sarah—that backstabbing bitch! How could she do this to you?"

I let my heavy head sink onto her shoulder, my body trembling.

"Save it, Linda. Please... I don't care anymore."

All my strength had been violently drained; even standing straight felt like an impossible luxury.

"You fool, how could you not care?"

"Just give me a second of quiet. Please."

Linda's shoulder was the only thin shield keeping me from collapsing entirely.

After a long moment, I forced my head up, willing my trembling knees to lock into place.

"What are you going to do now, Corie?"

"I'm fine. Don't waste your tears on me."

I reached up, ripped the white veil off my hair, and slammed it into the dirt.

Without another word, I stumbled away from the blinding party lights.

"Corie!"

Linda's cry called out behind me.

I blindly raised a hand, waving her off without looking back.

~~~

As the deafening cheers faded into a dull echo behind me, I broke into a run, picking up speed.

I just wanted to run until the world vanished—until I reached somewhere completely empty.

I kicked off my agonizing high heels and surged forward barefoot.

Rough rocks and jagged gravel bit into my soles; every breath burned like cold fire in my lungs.

I ran wildly into the dark, but my brain wouldn't stop—it kept replaying every agonizing second of their betrayal on loop.

The freezing wind whipped across my tear-stained face while the leaves rustled mockingly around me, as if the whole world were laughing at my disgrace.

"Mia, are we really that weak?"

Deep inside my soul, Mia let out a pathetic whimpering cry.

"You already know the answer..."

Hot, uncontrollable tears finally burst through my defenses.

"But Kent always knew! For three damn years, he held me and swore it never mattered to him!"

Tears soaked my collar; wiping them away was useless against the endless flood.

Night fell dark and heavy, and by the time I dragged my battered feet to a familiar wooden courtyard gate, a cold realization hit me—

It was my parents' house.

In the two years since I moved out, I had only ever returned for quick, awkward holiday dinners.

I hadn't even realized my legs were carrying me here on pure, pathetic instinct.

I pushed the gate open. The main house was pitch-black; they were still at the pack grounds, celebrating their pristine daughter's victory.

A bitter, self-deprecating smile pulled at my cracked lips.

I collapsed onto the porch steps, burying my burning face into my knees.

The once-pristine wedding gown dragged through the dirt, shredded, filthy, and ruined beyond salvation.

As my adrenaline crashed, the numbness faded, leaving room for a sharp, blinding ache.

Pain—raw and overwhelming.

The soles of my feet were shredded, blood mixing with dark dirt.

Nasty scratches from briars and thorns lined my bare calves.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated violently in my pocket—Kent's name flashed across the screen in bright bold letters.

Without a second thought, I blocked his number and threw the screen face-down.

Harsh bright headlights suddenly swept across the courtyard gate. My parents were back.

A pathetic, desperate flare of hope sparked in my chest.

Sarah wasn't with them right now—could they, just for tonight, save a sliver of their love for me?

I pushed myself up on shaky legs, desperately wanting to sink into my mother's arms.

Mom caught sight of me in the dark and let out an ear-piercing shriek.

"Jesus, Corie! What the hell is wrong with you? You scared me to death, standing there like a damn ghost!"

I pressed my lips together so hard they bled, my chin quivering.

It took seconds of choking before I managed to squeeze out.

 "Mom—"

My throat locked up instantly.

The tears I thought I had drained completely filled my vision all over again.

Dad unlocked the front door without making eye contact.

Mom looked me up and down, her eyes flashing with instant disgust.

"Look at you—what a total disgrace. Get your filthy mess inside before the neighbors see."

Two fat tears spilled down my cheeks, burning like acid.

~~~

I stepped inside and hovered awkwardly near the foyer, too afraid to take another step.

My gown was shredded and covered in mud; sitting on their pristine leather couch wasn't even an option.

Mom looked stunning in her silk evening dress tonight, and I desperately grasped at straws, trying to compliment her.

"Mom, your dress is—"

I had finally dragged the words past my lips, but she turned her back on me, walking straight toward the liquor cabinet.

I choked down the rest of my sentence, forcing a hollow, painful smile onto my face.

Mom pulled out two crystal wine glasses and unhurriedly poured the deep red liquid.

"So you still remember where your home is?" she asked, her voice dripping with casual disdain.

She handed a glass to Dad.

"To our daughter becoming the Luna. Cheers."

The two glasses clinked with a crisp, elegant ring.

It sliced into my ears like a serrated blade.

Their daughter...

I was their daughter, too.

Mom took a slow sip before lazily drifting her eyes toward me.

"Care for a glass?"

I shook my head, my jaw locked tight.

She let out a harsh scoff. "Too bitter to congratulate Sarah? You heard Kent tonight. You're too pathetic to handle the duties of a Luna. Stop clinging to pipe dreams, Corie."

Dad chimed in from the doorway, his voice flat.

"Even if you somehow tricked him to the altar, he'd kick you to the curb eventually."

"He wouldn't!" I snapped, raising my voice as desperation clawed at my throat.

"Kent and I loved each other for three years. You have no right to say that!"

"Loved?" Mom cackled, shaking her head. "A man's love rots fast when you're useless to him."

"Useless?" I froze, the room spinning around me.

"Of course," Mom said, sinking comfortably into the armchair. "What do you actually bring to the table? Besides that pretty face?"

The words jabbed straight through my chest, shattering whatever fragile piece of my heart remained.

She swirled the crimson wine against the chandelier light, her eyes mocking.

"Your play at the title is over. Sarah is healthy. She's strong. She'll bear the Alpha's heirs—many of them."

The blood in my veins turned to ice, degree by degree.

Just because my birth was complicated and nearly killed mother, my parents had branded me a flaw.

They would never forgive me, and they would never love me.

Their quiet laughter echoed off the high ceilings of the living room.

For the first time in my life, a cold clarity washed over me—

I had zero connection to this house, or the people inside it.

I turned and limped into my bedroom.

Running barefoot all the way back had shredded the soles of my feet raw, the deep punctures oozing blood and dirt with every step.

The agony was so intense I could barely keep my balance.

Why didn't I just shift?

Because I was born weak, and my wolf, Mia, was correspondingly frail.

Even if I forced a shift, I could only hold my wolf form for a few humiliating minutes.

A tiny, weak runt.

Everyone in the pack mocked me for it, but my family's insults were always the loudest, cutting the deepest.

Only Kent used to stand firm behind me, shielding me, telling me to ignore their poison.

But he... broke his promise after all.

That beautiful, dreamy wedding gown was now nothing more than a tattered, muddy rag.

I peeled it off my skin, shoved it into the dark corner of the closet, and refused to give it another glance.

Nothing here belonged to me anymore.

Everyone saw the execution of my pride today.

They would forever remember me as the fragile female abandoned by her own Alpha, turned into the ultimate joke of Silvercrest.

Except for Linda, no one in this territory cared if I breathed or died.

I had no idea where to go. I had never stepped a foot outside this pack's borders in my entire life.

But standing in the quiet darkness of my room, I finally understood—

As long as I left this place behind, anywhere on earth was better than here.

I gave one final glance at the bedroom I had grown up in, and quietly pulled the door shut.

I walked out into the night, never looking back.