"Apologize?" I repeated, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt. "You want me to apologize to her after everything you've done?"

He stepped forward, his eyes blazing as he spoke, "We're not doing anything wrong. I'm just taking care of her. Now, apologize!"

For a moment, I considered doing as he asked, but then I looked at Solana, still smirking despite the red mark on her cheek. I realized that apologizing would mean accepting their betrayal, and I couldn't do that. I straightened my back, meeting Travis's gaze with as much strength as I could muster.

"No," I said firmly, my voice steady. "I won't apologize. Not to her, and not to you."

With that, I turned and walked out the door, my heart breaking with every step. But I knew I had to leave. I couldn't stay in a place where my love and loyalty were met with betrayal.

I was determined to leave, to escape the pain and betrayal that suffocated me. But just as I reached the door, Solana whimpered in pain, a sound so pitiful it made my skin crawl. "Travis," she said, her voice dripping with false innocence, "It hurts... Please don't let her get away with this."

Travis's eyes darkened, and any hint of the man I once loved disappeared. "Warrior!" he barked. "Hold her down!"

I barely had time to react before a massive force pinned me to the ground. Gritting my teeth, I unleashed my aura. Even though I didn't have Alpha blood, I was Travis's chosen mate, and we shared a bond that made me stronger than before.

As my aura hit the warrior, he staggered back. Just as I was about to walk away, an overwhelming energy crashed against me, making it impossible to move. Travis was suppressing me with his aura!

I struggled against the invisible weight, my heart pounding with frustration and anger.

"Stop it, Travis!" I shouted, looking up at him, hoping to find a trace of the man I thought I knew. But his eyes were cold, unmoved by my suffering.

Solana stepped forward, her expression a mask of righteous indignation. She raised her hand, and I braced myself for the blow. When it came, it was sharp and stinging, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the betrayal I felt.

"Now you know how it feels," she said, her voice low and filled with satisfaction.

Travis's aura pressed harder, making it difficult to breathe. My vision blurred with tears, but I refused to cry out. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. I closed my eyes, trying to find a fragment of strength within me.

Travis glared down at me. "You owe Solana this. Apologize, and I'll let this slide."

I opened my eyes and looked at Solana, then back at Travis. "You wish! I will never apologize," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper but filled with defiance.

Solana's face twisted in anger, and she slapped me again, harder this time. The warrior's grip tightened, and I gasped for air.

Eventually, Travis gestured for the warrior to release me. I collapsed to the floor, my body trembling from the strain.

I lifted my head, my eyes blazing with defiance.

Travis struggled to contain his anger. "Amari, don't make me angry."

In the past, Travis's displeasure always scared me into submission. His mere frown was enough for me to admit fault, without him having to utter a word.

That was because I used to care about him. But now, I care about nothing.

I glared at him and didn't utter a word.

Travis's eyes narrowed. "Amari, if you behave, I can give you everything you want, even marriage. Have you really thought this through?"

He withheld what I once longed for. Now, he used threats and promises to force my compliance.

Despite being his chosen mate, I would always be second to his childhood friend, Solana. The emptiness inside me grew, and I knew what I had to do. Enduring the pain, I responded coldly, "Travis, let's break off our bond."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Travis laughed, a sound that cut deeper than any wound. "You can't be serious, Amari. You're not going anywhere. You've always stayed, no matter what."

Contempt laced his words. His arrogance was staggering. He truly believed I was so desperate for his love that I would endure anything. My heart ached, but his next words sealed my decision.

"Besides," he added a smug smile on his face, "think about your mother's health. Didn't you say, her dying wish was to see you marry me?"

Travis, confident in my past devotion, couldn't believe I would leave him, even now that he dangled my dream of marriage before me.

Before I could retort, Solana chimed in. "Travis, I told you she was lying. If her mother were really dying, she wouldn't act like this. Don't be deceived."

I couldn't bear it any longer. "Shut up! You have no right to speak about my mother!"

The way he tried to manipulate me, even now, was sickening. I stared daggers at them, wishing it could hurt them like it hurt me.

Travis scoffed, crossing his arms. “You're just talking out of anger. I know you won’t leave. You can’t. You’ve never been able to stand on your own.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "No matter what you say, it won't change my mind. I'm tired Travis. Just let me go."

"Shut it!" he snarled.

Frustrated, I intoned coldly, "I, Amari Walker, Luna of the Wind Winder Pack, reject you, Travis Wright as my mate!"

As soon as my words fell, Travis' expression twisted in pain.

Glaring at me, he hissed, "I, Travis Wright, Alpha of the Wind Winder Pack, reject your rejection, Amari Walker!"

Clutching my chest in pain, I shouted, "Just let me go, Travis!"

"Shut up! You’ll regret this," Travis roared, then he called his Beta through the pack link, ensuring I would hear every word he said.

"Lawrence, cancel Karina's surgery."

Travis thought his threats would break me. He stared at me, expecting a reaction, but I just looked at him, unflinching.

At the other end of the line, I heard Lawrence respond. "Alpha, Mrs. Walker passed away three days ago, on the day of your wedding."

"What?" Travis was stunned, glancing at me in disbelief before asking angrily, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Lawrence, seemingly anxious to avoid blame, hurriedly explained, "Alpha, you specifically said that Mrs. Walker's matters didn’t need to be reported to you."

Upon hearing what he said, I mentally scoffed. It wasn't surprising. Aside from Solana, my existence or happiness never mattered to Travis.

He cut off the connection of the pack link and walked toward me. His face was pale, eyes glimmering with shock. "Karina passed away the day of our wedding," he said, his voice trembling. "I—I didn’t know."

"Of course you didn’t know," I said quietly, my voice laced with bitter resignation. "You were too busy with Solana to care."

He looked at me, his anger now replaced by something akin to remorse. But it was too late. There was nothing he could say or do to change the past. The damage was done, and I had nothing left to give him.

"Amari, it's not like that. I didn't know your mother... She was fine when we last met. I didn't know she was so seriously ill."

The last time Travis saw my mother was three months ago. I had begged him for a long time before he reluctantly agreed to meet her. By then, the cancer had spread throughout her body, yet my mother forced herself to prepare a sumptuous dinner for him.

At first, everything seemed fine. But less than five minutes after he sat down, he received a call and left, never to return. I didn't have to see his call log to know it was Solana. After all, he could always take him away with just one phone call. My mother, feeling sorry for me, didn't say anything, but she cried in bed that night.

That was the first time I considered breaking up with Travis. But looking at his face, I couldn't go through with it, so I held back the words that were on the tip of my tongue.

I knew my mother didn’t like Travis, and wanted me to look for my fated mate, but she kept silent because she didn’t want to make me unhappy. She held on for three months, just wanting to see me marry and have a family. But Travis didn’t show up that day. My mother and I waited from dawn until nightfall, and she finally fell into my arms and never woke up.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I pushed Travis away. "It doesn't matter anymore."

Seeing my indifferent expression, Travis finally panicked. At that moment, it seemed he could sense he was about to lose me.

"Amari, believe me, I really didn’t mean to stand you up that day. If you want to get married, I’ll arrange it. Let’s get the license tomorrow, okay?"

Scoffing, I replied, "No need."

Travis asked anxiously, "Amari, why are you so stubborn?"

Yes, if I hadn’t been so stubborn, I wouldn’t have loved him for nine years to the point of losing my self-esteem. I endured his neglect and abandonment time and again for Solana. But this time, I was exhausted. I no longer had the energy to be with him.

With scars all over my heart, I left the home I had shared with Travis for two years. This time, he didn’t chase after me.