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I stared into my drink, his words sinking in despite my resistance My wolf paced restlessly within me, her
emotions a swirling mix of frustration and curiosity
I looked down at my drink, my emotions swirling. The silence stretched between us, but it didn’t feel
uncomfortable.
“I trusted someone,” I began, my voice barely audible. “Someone I thought would always be there for me.” My throat tightened, and I had to take a deep breath before continuing. “But he… he betrayed me. And now I feel like everything I believed in was a lie.”
Frederick didn’t interrupt. He just listened, his green eyes steady and calm.
“I gave him years of my life,” I continued, my voice shaking. “And he threw it all away for someone else. Worst, the person is weaker than me
I felt a dull ache in my chest as downed another glass of the drink.
“It hurts,” I admitted. The pain I feel isn’t because he cheated on me. He could cheat for all I care, but he had to discard me like I was something worthless, like I have wasted my time with him ”
I downed another glass, further bolstering my courage.
“I wouldn’t have felt anything if he had come clean to me and said he didn’t want to continue the relationship. Did he think I would hold him back? I have my pride alright.”
“How could he easily discard Eight years of relationship? It makes me wonder, maybe I had been the only one in
the relationship all along.”
“You are strong.” Frederick said gently “But even the strongest people need time to heal. It’s okay to feel this
way.”
Hooked at him, searching his face for any sign of insincerity But all I saw was understanding.
“Thanks,” I mumbled. “I just hope I could get over this quickly.” I added, downing another glass.
He nodded, his expression softening. “Sometimes, one of the worst pains isn’t that the person cheated or wronged you, but how easily they could abandon everything like as if it wasn’t worth anything, while to you it must
be worth more than gold.”
I looked at the bottle of drink that had been emptied by me and turned to look at him.
“You haven’t actually introduced yourself to me?” I said, burping mid–speech
He smiled. “The next time we meet, you would know my name. This is the second time we’ve met, which means
we are fated. Don’t you think so?”
I chuckled lightly, “Indeed.”
I paid the bill for my drink and stood up. I had noticed that people were already entering the bar and it would
soon be noisy.
“It was nice opening to someone, but I should get going. I have a reunion to attend. I said with a smile and left.
Frederick’s POV
Seeing Nia in pain was
what I wanted–far from it. Her sadness tugged at something deep in me, a place I’d tried to guard for so long. But as I watched her tonight, there was a small relief in seeing her willing to let go of
AFTERBEJECTION THE OMEGA RISES
When she asked for my name, I wanted so badly to tell her the truth. I’m Frederick, I almost said. But I stopped myself. If she knew who I was, everything would change. She’d put up walls, become formal, and the honesty I saw in her tonight would vanish. So I held back, introducing myself as just a stranger instead.
The truth was, I had been the one who sent her those anonymous messages. I knew what she needed to see- the truth about Darius and how unworthy he was of her.
But I wasn’t naïve. I knew that truth would hurt. I hated being the one to add to her pain, but I couldn’t stand by and let her keep believing in someone who didn’t deserve her love.
Do you know the worst kind of pain? It’s loving someone from a distance, knowing you can’t reach out to them It’s being forced to close a chapter you don’t want to end.
That’s what I’ve been doing for years–loving Nia silently, from the shadows. Watching her give her heart to someone else while I stayed on the sidelines, never able to step in.
But now, Darius had broken her heart, and as much as I hated seeing her hurt, I couldn’t deny the flicker of hope
it gave me.
How long had I been in love with Nia? Honestly, I wasn’t sure anymore. It felt like forever. Maybe it started ten years ago, on the day she saved me. Or maybe it was during those afternoons in the dandelion fields, when her laughter danced in the air like music meant just for me. Somewhere along the way, my feelings had grown from a small crush into something so deep it terrified me
And now, I couldn’t suppress it anymore.
If I could, I’d take Nia in my arms today. I’d marry her and take her home, showering her with every bit of love I’ve been holding back all these years. She wouldn’t have to suffer–not even a little. I’d protect her, care for her, give her the world if she asked.
But tonight wasn’t the time for that. She didn’t need declarations or promises from me right now. She needed someone to listen to, someone who wouldn’t judge her, someone she could lean on.
So I stayed quiet about who I really was, watching her, listening to her. It was enough for now. For tonight, just being the stranger she could talk to was enough.
