Chapter 3

Yes, Sebastian maintained his image of being frugal.

But every time he bought luxury items, he used my card. That led everyone to believe those expensive items were mine.

And because of that, I was drowned in endless abuse.

"Alpha Sebastian won't even buy himself a decent outfit, yet she splurges with his money. Didn't you hear? She even rented a luxury yacht for three days and nights."

"I knew Selena was only with Alpha Sebastian for his money. A textbook gold digger."

"Alpha Sebastian is pitiful, stuck with a mate who wastes money like that."

I asked Sebastian more than once to step forward and tell everyone the truth, but he refused. Protecting his reputation mattered more.

"Selena, you know how this works. Managing a pack means winning hearts. If the pack members realize I'm different from the Alpha they imagine, what do you think will happen? For the sake of the pack, the grievances you suffer are nothing."

Was I supposed to take the fall just so he could maintain his image?

After I brought it up too many times, Sebastian grew impatient. He accused me of causing trouble and being petty. He threatened another cold shoulder and swore he would never use a single dollar of my money again.

Even so, I still tried calling him.

I called over a dozen times, but he never answered.

Since that was the case, I didn't hesitate anymore. I went straight to the bank, reported my card lost, and froze the account.

Less than a minute later, my phone rang.

"I was just talking to another Alpha and didn't see your calls," Sebastian said, his voice carefully innocent. "Did something happen?"

I calmly replied, "Nothing. Everything's fine."

"Your card's having issues. It's been frozen," he said.

"Oh, I know. I froze it," I said, choosing honesty over hiding the truth.

Sebastian exploded. "Are you out of your mind? Why would you freeze the card for no reason?"

"It's nothing. I don't plan on using that card anymore. And what does it have to do with you? Didn't you say you wouldn't use my card again?"

Sebastian fell silent.

In the past, no matter how much money it was, I never argued with him.

When Sebastian first took over the pack, it was already in decline. Back then, there wasn't much money anywhere in the pack. I gave him every penny I had, using all my savings as his seed money so he could invest in projects and rebuild the pack.

Back then, he was overwhelmed with gratitude. He held my hands, tears in his eyes, and swore that he would treat me well for the rest of his life. That he would never betray me.

I believed him. I thought it would only strengthen our bond. I never imagined it would make him bolder and more reckless with my heart.

Sebastian didn't think that deeply. After two seconds of silence, he sighed and launched into his usual self righteous lecture.

"Selena, you're just trying to pick a fight with me. You're upset because I didn't take you on vacation, so now you're getting back at me, right? You're a Luna, yet you're this narrow minded. How am I supposed to trust you with managing the pack?

"Fine. I promise I'll take you on vacation next time, okay? I didn't bring my card this time. Unfreeze yours first. This partnership is important to me, so stop being childish. I'll give you ten minutes. If you don't unfreeze it by then, I'm going to be angry."

He deliberately threatened me, just to force me to comply.

In the past, I would give in the moment I heard the edge in his voice. However, what he never understood was that I was never afraid of his anger. I worried about how exhausted he was from running the pack. I didn't want to add to his burdens.

But in his eyes, my consideration was just fear of his temper. So he used it against me, every time.

This time, I wasn't backing down for anything.

"Isn't Charlotte your Beta? She didn't even bother to prepare a card for you? Sounds like her professional ability isn't all that impressive. Since this trip is for her project anyway, it makes sense for her to cover the expenses."

After that, I hung up and went back to packing my bags.