A cash cow

Serenity,

By the time I took the subway and arrived home, my throat had swollen like a balloon. The grip around my neck had been too tight for my body to have a normal reaction anyway.

My knees were still shaking from the impact, traumatizing me beyond fixing. I hurriedly grabbed my purse, searched for the keys, and opened the door.

I had to take medicine or I might end up passing out for sure.

Just as I placed the purse on the small chair, my attention went to the living room. My eyes widened in shock and disbelief. All the laundry I had done before leaving, the washed dishes, the sofa I bought with my yearly bonus, everything was in shambles.

The clothes were scattered around as though someone had deliberately thrown them everywhere. The dishes I had cleaned were used again, abandoned carelessly on the table.

The smell of instant noodles and chips filled the apartment.

A painful groan escaped from my swollen throat. Not only had I lost my job, but now I had to clean up again?

I felt dizzy at this point. I slowly reached the sofa and sat there. My entire body was shaking profusely.

I couldn't erase the painful memory from earlier. No matter how much I tried to push it away, his red eyes, that grip around my neck, and the way his Aura had almost choked me made a violent shiver run down my spine.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, letting my body process everything. My nails dug into my trembling palms while I bit down hard on my lower lip, forcing myself not to break apart. The bitter metallic taste of blood slowly spread across my tongue.

But when unlucky people's bad luck began, it never stopped.

Just as I was trying to take a sharp breath and calm down, Nolan's voice came from the guest room where he had his gaming setup.

" Fuck, Man. I don't have any more money to buy the new equipment for the season." He yelled aggressively, throwing something against the floor.

Then another voice came, " Ask your cash cow. She literally worships you."

A chain of snickers spread across the house.

My eyes widened. He had guests and... Cash cow? Were they referring to me?

" Ugh. Don't mention it. That bitch has always been stingy with money. I took one thousand and five hundred dollars and she threw a tantrum earlier."

" Seriously, Man? What did you do with that large amount of money? That's two months worth of rent in my area!" Another voice joined,

" I am a man. Do you think I can live with no money?"

" Yeah... Surely you can use your wife's money, although you are a 'man'." Another voice echoed with laughter,

" Shut up, Dude. She should be happy to have me around. If she wasn't my mate and she didn't have that job, I would have rejected her years ago."

" Lol. Or just agree that you are into this kind of woman. Everything about them is... Bigger, you know."

Another cruel laughter echoed through the thin walls of the apartment I paid for.

" Shut up. This is disgusting." Nolan retorted, " Every time I am with her, I feel like I am performing. Do you understand how disgusting her body is? Only fat. Nothing else. As though I am sleeping with a pig. Not a wife."

Each word stabbed me right into my chest. As though I was being slapped over and over again until I could barely breathe.

Tears stung my eyes as I took a deep breath. I used to love Nolan. He was my mate. I thought we understood each other better than anyone else. But it seemed like he had only been taking advantage of me all this time.

And over the years, he had been doing it shamelessly. Now I felt nothing but suffocatingly helpless.

I bit my lip harder, tasting blood once more, forcing the sob clawing at my throat back down. The pain inside my chest turned bitter, heavy, almost suffocating.

I stood up, wiping the tears off my face, and walked toward the guest room.

" Damn... Man. That's rude. We don't eat pigs, but imagining them, it's disgusting."

" And I am experiencing it every day-" He froze when I slammed the door open and looked straight at him.

He had three extra people there, all frozen when they saw me. The floor was filled with garbage. In just three hours, they had turned it into a trash bin.

" Se-Serenity." He stuttered, " When... When did you -?"

" Pack your things and leave my house!" I said, my voice sharp and cold.

" What?" He stood up, " What are you talking about?"

" Now!" I said, my voice calm, too calm.

" This is my house too. I am not leaving." He gritted his teeth, realizing that I had heard everything.

His friends hurriedly grabbed their things and tried to leave.

" Stop!" I said sharply, " Take your garbage with you all. Clearly you don't want to leave your dearest friend alone with a pig."

The color drained from their faces as I stood there, my eyes dark.

" Stop." Nolan hissed, " Stop embarrassing me. What the hell do you think -!"

Before he could even finish his words, my hand flew across his face, slapping him with all the strength I had left.

" If you don't leave now, I will report all the money you have taken out of the account as theft. Do you want me to do that?"

He looked like he had seen a ghost. He laughed nervously, avoiding his friends' eyes, " You... You are joking, right?"

" No. Certainly not." I said, the heartache vanishing beneath the sheer certainty that I was done. " Every single expense has been taken from my salary. In my Pack's law, a 'man' taking his wife's money without permission definitely isn't legal."

He swallowed hard, trying to find words to say.

However, before I could even feel better, Nolan smirked, " It's just money, Honey. Do you really have to send me to jail for that? Have you forgotten? I am your fated mate. I won't reject you if you don't act like a bad girl."

My eyes narrowed.

He held my hand, " We don't have anyone, Honey. You are sick. Without me, how will you -!"

" Don't touch me!" I hissed, my eyes darkening, " Nolan, I reject you..." I said, my voice sharp, trembling with rage and resignation, " I reject you as my mate."

A sharp breath escaped from everyone in the room. Nolan's face turned ashen as the pain started spreading all over his body like wildfire.