Five

ZETIAN’S POV

I grabbed her wrist, my nails digging into her skin.

“Why would you do this to me? Haven’t you done enough?!”

Cindy had her eyebrows raised in anger at first and was about to push me away, but then she softened all of a sudden. And began speaking calmly, showing off a delicate and pitiful expression.

“Sister, I know I was wrong. If you want to beat and scold someone, then do it to me, don’t blame Frank… I beg of you”,

A perfect act.

I froze, and in the next second, I watched as Cindy suddenly fall to the ground. That pose.. was as if I had pushed her.

“Zetian!!”, a loud voice rang out from behind me.

I turned sharply, and my blood turned to ice.

Frank.

“Mate!!” Gemini growled.

My eyes widened in disbelief. I hadn’t even seen him coming. He stood there, his expression cold, his fists clenched.

He brushed past me without a second glance and rushed to Cindy’s side.

“Are you okay?” His voice was soft, concerned—so unlike the way he spoke to me.

Cindy clung to him, her body pressed against his as she sniffled dramatically.

“Frank… I didn’t mean to upset Zetian,” she whimpered. “I was just trying to explain, but she got angry and pushed me…”

“That’s enough. I’ll settle everything! I will explain everything to Zetian” Frank patted Cindy’s shoulders, as he guilded her into the car before turning to face me.

I felt like I had been punched to the gut.

My mind was completely blank as I watched Frank walk towards me. I watched as his lips moved, but I barely registered his words.

He spoke of our childhood, of his struggle with his feelings, of how Cindy had confessed to him of what she did to me that night, of his anger when he found out what she had done, of his guilt when he discovered I was pregnant. He even spoke of how he had accepted Cindy’s apology

Then, finally, he spoke the words that shattered me completely.

“Zetian, I’m sorry. I can’t marry you. Not because of that night or the child, but because… I can’t let Cindy down, and I don’t want to keep deceiving myself and my feelings.”

My world crumbled.

Gemini was practically drowning inside of me. What exactly was going on?.

These few months, he had been taking Cindy with him overseas. And after getting along together day and night, it was hard for him to let go?.

Even though he had admitted that he was the one who had an affair with me that night just for the sake of covering up my pain. In his heart, he had already chosen Cindy.

He was just being pitiful. All this while, I had been a victim of mere pity.

After knowing that I was pregnant, he could not bear it any longer and immediately went to the my family to explain everything to my parents, the Andersons .

And now he thought it right to reveal the truth to me?.

“You knew all along that it was Cindy who drugged me to ruin my innocence? And for the sake of protecting her, you told me that it was you that night?” I spoke after I had finally recovered my voice, my words cold and calm as if my soul has left my body.

“Zetian, Cindy did not do it on purpose, she’s still young, and impulsive….”

“Then what about me?” I raised my head to look at Frank, my face full of despair. “Did you ever think of me? Even for a little bit?”.

Frank said nothing, and after a long while, he reached out to touch me.

“The sun is too bright here, let’s go home first…”.

“Don’t touch me. Don’t even dare”, I pushed away his hands.

My whole life had been a joke.

In order to live in the same city as Frank, I had put all my strength in my studies so I could get into the Bangkok University.

In order to please Frank, I had given my dream of acting.

In order to match his upbringing and family background, I had abandoned my adoptive parents to return to the Andersons family, clumsily trying to please those so-called distinguished figures..

And in the end, what did I get?. All I received in return was one sentence.

“I can’t let Cindy down.”

Cindy Andersons, had stolen not only my identity, and my biological parents, but now…she had even stolen away my childhood sweetheart! My mate!!!!

Cindy was still young, so her mistakes could be forgiven?

Then—who would take responsibility for my life?

I..i don’t even know who the man from that night was!.

“With all of that said,” he began without looking me to my eyes “I, Frank Radford, reject you, Zetian Anderson, as my mate.”

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The words echoed in my head. Reject. Mate. Reject.

A stunned silence fell over ny surrounding. I could feel hundreds of eyes now glued to me, now filled with shock, confusion, pity.

My wolf whimpered, her previous joy crushed, replaced by unbearable sorrow.

My surrounding spun around me. My chest tightened, and the painful howling in my mind drowned out everything else. I felt numb, standing there in the middle of the attention I had never wanted.

My face flushed with embarrassment as I struggled to maintain my composure.

Many gasped loudly, others murmured to one another in disbelief.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cindy, standing at the car door. Her lips were slightly curled into a victorious smile.

“Of course, she was enjoying this.” I thought bitterly. She had always been close to Dave, and now, seeing her here, it all made sense.

I staggered back, laughter bubbling from my lips, though there was nothing funny about it.

“I, Zetian Anderson accept your rejection.” In that instant, I felt a sharp pain stung to my heart.

Gemini howled in pain, until I could no longer feel her presence in me.

He reached out to support me, but my glare sent him back.

Heartbroken I covered my face will my palms, my body shaking fiercely as I began taking more steps away. I was already in the depths of despair. Tears blurred my vision as I turned and stepped onto the road.

Frank watched me run towards the road unthinkingly, as if in a trance. He threw away the key he was grasping between his fingers, and was about to chase after me, but was held back by Cindy, who held onto his sleeve from behind.

“Frank, where are you going?. Just let her be. She needs some time alone”.

And in the instant, Frank was hesitating until a loud noise rang out.

I had been thrown into the air by an upcoming vehicle, landing heavily on the ground.

“Help—help—A pregnant woman was hit–!!”, some stranger’s voice rang out.

In the glaring light, I saw shaking silhouettes and the two faces that made me nauseous.

The cramping pain that came from my belly was making me to lose consciousness bit by bit. I only blinked my eyes once, and a fresh blood on my forehead flowed into my eyes….

The world fell into darkness…and I fell with it.