Chapter 4

Eyra’s POV

Dave said I had to wait a month before the divorce could be finalized. However, even a single week felt unbearably long, especially after Elara arrived and started staying in the master bedroom—which was supposed to be mine.

Don’t ask where my place is. Dave said anywhere—as long as I stayed out of his sight.

So why am I sitting at the dining table with them?

For Elara, the seat next to Dave has always been hers. While I, his lawful wife, am nothing more than a stranger who just happens to still be living in this house.

Unintentionally, my eyes fell on the lovebirds in front of me. The way Dave looks at Elara alone is proof enough that I’ve never truly had a place in his heart. And that fact makes me even more eager to get away from their lives as soon as possible.

“I’m done,” I said as I was about to get up from my chair.

“Hey, Eyra. You’re not busy tonight, are you?” asked Elara, who managed to stop me just as I was about to walk away. “Dave is throwing a welcome party for me. I hope you’ll be able to make time to come.”

I paused for a moment, glancing at Dave, who was still enjoying his meal but occasionally turned to look at Elara with affection.

“I’m busy,” I replied. But once again, she stopped me.

“Please, Eyra. We used to be friends and worked in the same field before you married Dave. Even though you’ll never be able to come back now…” She gave me a sly look. “I still hope you’ll come and liven things up.”

Dave didn't look pleased by the suggestion. So, why should I care?

“Fine. We’ll see if I can make time,” I replied.

“What exactly are you so busy with? You’re no longer a model, you don’t have a job, and you’re not a Luna busy managing members and the pack. You should know how to appreciate an invitation from a friend as nice as Elara,” Dave retorted coldly.

When it came to Elara, he was never shy about speaking his mind. This time, he went on and on just to spare that woman’s feelings.

“Fine, Alpha Dave. I’ll come if that’s your order,” I replied, then turned and headed up to the attic to pack the essential items I needed to take with me when I left this place.

I came down the stairs carrying a box from the attic, and when I reached the bottom, Elara—who was busy with party preparations—decorations, setup, food, and everything else—suddenly stopped me.

“Where are you going?” she asked, then glanced at the box I was carrying. She waved her hand as if to brush away dust. “I’m sorry, Eyra, but it looks like you’ll have to move all your things to the attic. I need your room.”

“Why? You’re already taking the master bedroom. Why do you want the room I’m staying in right now, too?”

“Oh, it’s not like that. There’ll be a lot of guests at the party—Dave’s business associates, the alphas from several packs along with their lunas or mates, plus my family… we’ll definitely need rooms where they can rest comfortably for a while.”

“This mansion has plenty of rooms. Losing one won’t be a problem.”

“But I don’t want to lose one,” she said, leaning in closer to me. “I want all the rooms cleared out, cleaned, and properly set up so the guests feel comfortable.”

“But—”

“Dave’s already agreed. Besides, he said you’re used to staying in the attic. You can stay in that room until my family leaves, right? So, I think you should move all your things there. You can go back to your room once everything’s done.”

She turned and walked away before I could object. My suitcase and a few boxes containing my belongings had apparently already been placed under the stairs, which meant I had to comply with her wishes.

Of course, because she was using Dave as leverage. Besides, resisting wouldn’t get me what was rightfully mine.

Elara always gets what she wants. If not, Dave will do everything in his power to ensure she wins.

I dragged the suitcase and struggled to carry it up to the attic. I even had to stop twice before reaching halfway up the stairs. One of the maids approached and looked at me for quite a while with a sympathetic gaze.

“You don’t have to do this yourself, Mrs. Hunter. Let us help you,” said the middle-aged woman, and several male servants agreed.

I nodded, and just as they began lifting my belongings, Elara called out.

“Hey! What are you doing? Let her do it herself. You have a job to finish preparing for the party. If this fails, you’ll know the consequences.”

“But, Miss…”

Elara glared at those who were trying to defend me, so they looked at me with regret in their eyes.

“Ma’am…”

I let out a heavy sigh. This was clearly not going to be easy. “It’s okay. I can do this on my own. You guys go ahead. Don’t let Alpha Dave get angry.”

“We’ll help you. Just leave it there; we’ll be back as soon as everything’s done,” they promised, then left after I nodded in agreement.

I picked up the lightest items and stayed in the attic, organizing my things and dusting the room, until I realized the clock had struck five.

I could faintly hear the commotion downstairs, but I had to finish a few things first before getting ready for the party.

My clothes were still in the suitcase I'd left downstairs, and I had to ask someone to bring it up here so I wouldn’t stand out too much and draw the guests’ attention.

I turned the doorknob and froze. My gaze immediately fell on the keyhole. I couldn’t find the key there.

Did I leave it outside?

I tried turning the knob several times and tried to open the door, but to no avail. This door had never been broken and had always worked fine before. Several possibilities crossed my mind. One of them was that someone had deliberately locked me in.

I pounded on the door quite hard, hoping someone would hear me. However, the music, which had been soft at first, grew louder and louder. On top of that, the crowd of guests seemed to drown out my voice.

It’s fine if I really can’t get out of this room. Now I have an excuse not to attend their event.

It’s just that, little by little, the room—which had always felt comforting—suddenly became unbearably stuffy, making every breath harder than the last.

With my remaining strength fading by the second, I knocked again on the door that I felt would never open, no matter how long I waited.

“Dave… open the door. Please... help me,” I called out, coughing as I clutched my chest, which was starting to feel tight.

There was no answer.

The music outside grew louder, drowning out every scream I let out. My vision began to blur, my breathing grew shallower, and on the brink of losing consciousness, the only name I kept repeating was Dave’s.

Unfortunately, he didn’t come.

He never came.