"Look, maybe I messed up, okay? When we get back from the trip, I'll take you out for a nice dinner. That should make up for it, right?"

"Just try to snag another ticket. Anna and I will wait for you at the gate."

His tone was so patronizing, like he was doing me some huge favor by throwing me a bone.

"No need." The words came out ice-cold.

Chase didn't get it at first, barely keeping his temper in check.

"No need for what? I've explained everything to you - why are you still being such a brat about this?"

"Do I need to tear into you before you'll listen?"

His anger didn't spark anything in me. I felt completely numb inside.

"Take the tickets and go. Don't wait for me. Hope you two have a blast."

"Quinn, what the hell is your problem?"

Chase's voice got even sharper.

"This whole trip was your idea, and now you're bailing? Are you screwing with me? Stop acting like a spoiled princess. You came from nothing - stop being such a pain in the ass!"

Ha!

I couldn't help but snort inwardly.

If I came from nothing, then there are barely any rich people left in this world.

I pushed down the bitter laugh and tried to keep my voice steady:

"I'm not bailing. I mean I'll figure out my own way there. Might not be on the same train as you guys. You and Anna just go ahead and have fun - I'll probably get there later than you."

Seeing me cave and say exactly what he wanted to hear, Chase was satisfied.

"Now that's my girl."

"You know, you're way too stubborn. Nobody else would put up with your attitude but me."

"Alright, I gotta help Anna pack. You better get on booking that ticket."

"Mm."

I couldn't bring myself to say another word - just made some emotionless sound through my nose.

After hanging up, I couldn't help thinking about how things used to be.

He wasn't always like this.

I first met Chase when I was eight years old.

Back then, Mom and Dad were busy building our pack. Every day they were either dealing with border wars against rogue wolves or expanding our pack's business ventures in the human world.

My parents thought it was too dangerous for me to stay at the pack compound, so they sent me to live with my grandparents in a remote rural area. I only got to see Mom and Dad once a year, at Christmas.

The other kids said I was some abandoned kid with no parents. They wouldn't play with me.

Not only that, but they formed their little cliques at school, excluded me, bullied me.

I remember this one time, some older girls cornered me in the bathroom demanding money.

I didn't have any, so they wouldn't let me leave.

Chase suddenly showed up, shoved the bullies away, and saved me.

That was the first time we met.

From then on, we became best friends, playing together every day.

He was the one bright spot in my dark childhood, bringing me the only joy and warmth I knew.

Later, Mom and Dad's pack became the strongest and wealthiest in the entire Northern Territory. The companies they've established in the human world span multiple industries.

I moved back to continue school at the pack territory, forcing me and Chase apart.

But I never forgot about Chase.

I kept asking my parents to secretly help his family, to help him.

With our family's hidden support, Chase went from elementary school in the countryside, to middle school in town, to high school in the city.

When he finally transferred to the big city where I was, I excitedly asked Dad for my first real favor - to transfer to Chase's school and class.

When I got my wish and tried to greet him, barely containing my excitement, he acted like he didn't know me.

He'd forgotten me.

I didn't give up.

If he'd forgotten, then we'd start over.

A few months later, I confessed to him first, and we naturally became a couple.

We've been stumbling along together ever since.

But what I never expected was this:

Chase hadn't just forgotten me - he'd changed completely.

These past few years, I've been hiding my identity, wanting to struggle alongside him, to grow together.

Dad couldn't talk me out of it. When he couldn't stand watching anymore, he donated fifty million to the school.

He specifically created a scholarship program for the two of us, hoping our lives would improve.

But still.

Chase changed.

Completely and utterly changed.

He was no longer the light that brought me warmth and joy.

He hurt me over and over again, bringing me nothing but pain.

The more I loved him, the less he valued me.

It wasn't until now that I finally woke up completely and saw everything clearly.

With Dad handling all the travel arrangements, I didn't need to worry about anything.

I'd just laid down to get some rest when my phone started buzzing again.

Chase.

Looking at his name on the screen, I raised an eyebrow, hit accept, and put the phone to my ear.

I didn't say a word.

"Quinn."

His voice had none of the irritation and arrogance from before.

"Did you get the ticket?"

"You just hung up. I haven't even finished reading the travel package details and you're already calling back."

I threw that little jab at him without much feeling.

"Oh, right, no worries, no rush." He laughed it off and kept talking.

"I mean, it's peak travel season. Tickets are hard to come by. Just keep looking and don't stress yourself out."

Chase never comforted me without an ulterior motive.

I knew he was about to hit me with some outrageous request.

In the past, I would've gotten angry at demands like this, argued with him, and eventually given in under his pressure.

But now I felt absolutely nothing.

I stayed quiet, waiting for what came next.

"Actually, there's one more thing."

"I remember you snagged a discount voucher for that photography studio, right?"

"After we get back from the trip, Anna wants to do a photo shoot. Could you let her use it and just grab another one for yourself?"

"Getting one ticket or two - it's all the same, right? Besides, you've got nothing else going on. Think of it as keeping yourself busy."

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

That voucher was for a wedding photography session.

I'd been planning to use it with Chase after graduation - stepping from college straight into marriage.

He'd been so righteous about it back then.

"We're still young. We should focus on our careers. Once we have money, we can have the good life. No point wasting cash on superficial stuff like that."

I'd been stupid enough to believe him.

Turns out he was saving it for Anna, that manipulative little snake.

Anna wasn't just stealing my tickets - she was stealing my man.

Though honestly, who'd even want a guy like that anymore?

Now that I was thinking straight, I felt completely calm.

A man like this wasn't worth my love - hell, he wasn't worth anyone's love.

My brief silence made Chase think I was upset and unwilling.

"You spend all day cooped up in your dorm anyway, not studying, just scrolling on your phone. You're turning into a total waste of space. Getting tickets would be good mental and physical exercise for you."

"Anna's going through a rough time and needs looking after. This would help her feel better faster. Don't you think?"

Disgusting.

Every word out of Chase's mouth made me sick.

How could anyone be so shameless?

I agreed coldly:

"Fine. I'll send you the voucher."

In Chase's mind, I'd caved and submitted once again. His tone got cheerful.

"Now that's more like it. Admitting when you're wrong - that's my good girlfriend."

"Check if there are any paid add-ons with that voucher. Don't want them hitting us with extra charges when we get there. That'd be a real buzzkill."

"If you can snag another one, I'll do a shoot with you sometime."

He talked about taking photos with me like he was doing me some huge favor.

"Sure." My voice was ice-cold.

"Gotta go. Anna's calling me."

He hung up in a rush, like he had something incredibly urgent to attend to.

Over the next few days, Chase called me one more time.

Under the guise of checking if I'd managed to snag a ticket, he wanted me to help him and Anna buy discounted movie tickets.

I really wanted to ask him - what am I, some kind of desperate bargain hunter glued to discount apps all day?

But I held back.

I turned him down, saying I was broke.

Meanwhile, Anna posted something on Facebook.

The photo showed her in a sparkly white wedding dress, holding a bouquet, looking up at the sky - exactly the kind of shot I'd once wanted to take with Chase.

The caption read: "Craving love like a starving person craves bread; longing to be loved like someone freezing longs to be wrapped in warmth."

Chase's comment below practically burned my eyes: "I'll always love you like a starving man loves bread."

I clicked on his profile with zero expression and blocked both of them.

Those cheesy lines were things I'd once said to Chase.

The day before the trip, someone knocked on my dorm door.

I opened it to find the two people I least wanted to see - Chase and Anna.

Anna flashed the most fake, over-the-top smile.

"Quinn! Chase and I came to check on you."

Chase just pushed past me and barged into my room.

His eyes swept every corner of the dorm, and his expression darkened.

"What do you want?"

I regretted staying up too late last night. I'd been groggy when I woke up and didn't react fast enough to stop him.

"We're leaving tomorrow. You're always forgetting things, so Anna was worried. We came to check on you."

Chase examined every inch of my dorm room.

"Did you get a ticket? Plane or train?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Anna sidled up to me with fake concern, trying to link arms with me. I stepped aside to avoid her.

She didn't seem embarrassed at all:

"Did you get a plane ticket or train ticket? What time? If we're leaving around the same time, we could share a ride to the station."

Watching their phony act, I lost all desire to keep playing along.

I didn't say a word, just shook my head coldly.

"Oh no!" Anna looked concerned but was clearly enjoying this.

"You didn't get one? What are we gonna do? You won't be able to come with us."

Chase's face turned ugly as he snapped at me:

"Quinn, I told you to get a damn ticket! What the hell have you been doing? Throwing another one of your little princess tantrums?"

Anna quickly stepped in to restrain Chase.

"Chase, don't talk to Quinn like that. I'm sure she has her reasons. It's just too bad she won't be able to make this trip."

I watched their little performance, laughing bitterly inside.

"Don't worry about me. I'll get there. I have my own way."

"You? What way could you possibly have?"