Chapter 3

It was already late at night when I returned to the apartment. I sat on the living room carpet and began packing my things into a box.

Just then, the doorknob turned, and Bella walked in wearing a new pair of slippers. Ryan came in after her, his tie askew and his face marked with lingering exhaustion. "What are you packing at this hour, Allie?"

I nonchalantly closed it as he approached to see what was in it. "What is she doing here?"

"Bella is just here for the night," Ryan replied as he sat down on the couch and pulled off his tie. He then waited for me to bring him a glass of water and massage his shoulders, just like I always did.

"Allie, the witch says I have to sleep next to the one who 'marked' me at the ceremony for one night to completely escape the calamity," Bella explained as she stood at the master bedroom doorway, tilting her head slightly. "Is it alright if Ryan and I sleep in the master bedroom tonight, Allie?"

Ryan snapped, "That's enough, Bella!"

Bella's eyes instantly welled up. "I'm only one step away from getting through this, so please help me, Ryan…"

I noticed Ryan's resolve wavering, and sure enough, he spoke up a moment later. "Bella's had an exhausting day. Why don't you sleep in the guest room tonight? It's only for one night, Allie."

They brought up the witch, the calamity, and the Moonvow Stone again. They had played those cards far too many times.

If it were in the past, I would have smashed glasses and thrown books around, demanding to know who the real lady of the house was. I couldn't care less about it now. I simply picked up the box that I had packed, gripping it so tightly that my knuckles paled, and responded calmly, as if it were a trivial matter. "Alright."

Ryan was stunned, unable to utter the excuses he had rehearsed mentally. He finally sensed that something was wrong with me. I was acting far too calm.

I opened the master bedroom door, walked in, and took out my clothes. I didn't even glance at them as I walked back out. "You can have the master bedroom now."

"You're the best! Ryan and I will get ready for bed now! You should get to bed early too, Allie!"

Bella smiled as she led Ryan into the master bedroom.

Just before the door closed, I caught sight of their hands clasped tightly together, with their fingers interlocked.

I sat on the guest room bed for a while, dazed. It was so quiet that all I could hear was the wind blowing outside.

I suddenly thought of the winters we'd spent together. I remembered that whenever I came home late from work, there was always a small lamp lit in the living room. Ryan would wait for me on the couch, and even when he dozed off, he would still hold on tightly to the glass of warm milk he had prepared for me.

I remembered the time I fell ill with a fever, and he stayed up all night taking care of me. That cedarwood scent on him stuck with me for years after that. I also recalled the first time he introduced me to the Elders of the pack. He held my hand in front of everyone and declared, "This is my Luna!"

Ryan's eyes used to hold so much warmth and light when he looked at me, but all of that vanished when Bella came along.

I took out my suitcase and packed all my clothes and old books into it, yet the trunk was still half empty. It turned out even after living here for three years, the things that truly belonged to me in this place couldn't even fill a single suitcase.

Kai suddenly sent me a message. "I'll pick you up at 8:00 am tomorrow."

I replied, "Got it."

I lay down on the bed, feeling completely numb inside, while muffled giggles drifted in from the adjacent room. "You treat me so well! I wish things could stay this way forever, Ryan!"

I pressed my face into the pillow, quietly crying until a small part of it was soaked with tears. I silently told myself that this was the last time. I would leave and never wait for him again once I was done crying.