"Rowan, your first love is back. Are you going to dump Marydale?"

For six years, I had a secret relationship with my older brother's best friend, the Beta Wolf, Rowan. We were looking forward to getting married in the future.

But tonight, I was flabbergasted to overhear a conversation between him and his friend, Troy.

"Man, I'm impressed with your boldness to date Freddie's sister and make her a rebound. Now that Heidi's back, what are you going to do with her?" his friend laughed.

"Let me handle this," Rowan said, cockiness dripping from his voice. "But you're right, I'm using Mary to make Heidi jealous. She'll regret dumping me the moment she sees me with another wolf."

Troy's voice was a low growl. "Aren't you scared of Freddie? He'll despise you when he finds out you hurt his little sister."

Rowan waved a dismissive hand. "Not a problem, Troy. Fred's in the dark. We're keeping this from him, and Mary's so naive, she'll swallow anything I tell her."

I froze in my spot, hearing those words from him. I couldn't help but feel infuriated knowing the man I trusted was just using me all this time.

The next day, Rowan took me to Heidi's welcome party, and I saw that many people had come. She was indeed popular in her own right since she came from a wealthy pack. While Rowan was acting strangely, displaying his affection for me whenever Heidi looked our way. After hearing what he said the other night, I knew he was making her jealous just to win her back.

Suddenly, Heidi walked out of the hall, and I saw Rowan immediately stand up and follow her. Also, I couldn't help but follow them outside. I was so nervous that I didn't notice the waiter coming my way, and I bumped into him, causing him to spill hot soup all over me.

"I'm so sorry." The waiter looked scared, but I assured him it was fine, even though my skin was burned. I just grabbed a napkin and wiped my wet dress. Then I continued outside and found them in the garden.

Heidi was crying in Rowan's arms, and I saw a smirk on his face as he realized his plan was working because he was using me as a tool. This was so painful to watch, so I turned my back and decided to return home rather than stay at the party with Rowan, who was desperate to get back with his first love.

I returned home in my messy dress, with burns on my arms and legs. I treated the burns and covered them with gauze. A little later, I took my phone and searched for my brother's phone number, as he was currently abroad.

"Freddie, I've made up my mind. I agree to the arranged marriage," I said seriously.

"Marydale? Are you sure about this?" My brother sounded surprised, and I could sense his confusion on the other end of the line. I took a heavy sigh.

"Yes, brother. I think there's nothing wrong with agreeing to this. I'm going to get married anyway, and I trust Mom and Dad's decision. I know they found the perfect mate for me." I tried to sound bubbly and forced a smile.

Freddie was silent for a second before responding. "I'm glad you've figured it out, Mary. So when are you coming back? Do you want to meet your fiancé before making the final decision?"

"No need, Fred. I should agree so that our pack's conflicts with alliances will be resolved sooner. You can inform them to start preparing for the wedding, and let's set the date for a month from now."

"Gotcha! Oh, by the way, do you still have contact with Rowan, my best friend? I heard his ex-girlfriend is finally back. You should reach out to him and celebrate; who knows, he might bring some good luck."

I was surprised that my older brother also knew about Heidi. No wonder Rowan had always insisted on keeping our relationship a secret from him. I felt another pang in my heart as if a knife were stabbing through it.

"Sorry, Fred, but I'm not close to him," I reasoned.

Just then, my heart raced when I heard the sound of the door unlocking. I ended the call and put my phone back in the drawer.

"Who are you referring to that you're not close to?" Rowan suddenly asked, a grin on his face.

"You, of course," I said coldly, and he looked surprised.

He walked closer to me and suddenly pulled me into his embrace. "Why would you say that, babe? Are you sulking because we didn't spend some nights together, hmm?" he whispered, and I could feel his warm breath against my ear.

Before, his touch would make me weak and set my heart racing, but now I felt nothing but discomfort and simmering anger. I tried to push his hands off me, but then I noticed a lipstick stain on his collar.

At the same time, the burns on my body ached, and my heart throbbed as if it would explode at any moment. I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

"Mary, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, worry etched on his face.

Then he wiped the tears streaming down my cheeks, unaware that he was the reason I was crying. I noticed he lowered his gaze, and his eyes widened when he saw the red marks on my arms and wrists.

"How did this happen? When did you get burned? Why didn't you tell me?" His voice trembled.

I just stared at him. "You were busy comforting Heidi."

"What do you mean?" Rowan acted as if he had amnesia, forgetting what he had done earlier.

"Nothing. I think I'm just tired," I mumbled, turning my gaze away.

"All right, stop crying now. I'll put some ointment on your wounds, okay?" He gently patted my head to soothe me as he got up to grab the first aid kit, muttering along the way.

"You're a big girl now, Mary, but still afraid of pain and always crying? What would you do without me?" He said it as if he were the only person I could depend on.

Even though he had spoiled me for a full six years, I still knew how to take care of myself and could do anything without him.

But how could I tell him that I didn't want him anymore? That I didn't want this fake love anymore?

That night, I struggled to sleep, enduring both my burn marks and my aching heart.

I tried to sleep, but how could I when the man who caused my heartbreak was lying right next to me? Rowan was sleeping peacefully, his arms wrapped around my waist. But I didn’t like him touching me, so I gently pushed his hands away.

By dawn, I felt Rowan pull me out of bed. I groaned, trying to push him away, but he just chuckled and leaned in to kiss me.

Instantly, all my sleepiness vanished, and I was irritated by his presence to the point that I wanted to slap him, but I controlled myself and tried to calm down.

Luckily, he just gave me a quick kiss, but if it had lasted longer, I wouldn't have hesitated to punch him in the face.

"Wake up, my dear Mary," he said softly.

I got up and wiped my mouth in disgust. "It's the weekend, Rowan. Why can't you let people sleep in?" I said, annoyed.

Rowan looked surprised by my reaction. "Mary, you had a fever last night. I'm waking you up because I'm taking you to the clinic."

Although I felt mostly fine, I couldn't argue with him, so I reluctantly got up. "I can go there alone; you don't need to accompany me."

"No, I'm coming with you," he insisted.

I just shrugged and went to the bathroom to wash my face. Seeing my reflection in the mirror, I noticed something had changed in me. My face looked gloomy, and anger was evident in my eyes.

When we arrived at the clinic, we walked down the hallway and unexpectedly ran into Heidi. It looked like she was having a hard time walking and struggled to hop down the hallway on her own.

I turned to Rowan and saw that he felt pity for Heidi. I wasn't surprised by his next move; I watched him release my hand to go to the woman he had once loved.

I tried to steady myself, but it hurt to see him forget me so quickly as if I no longer existed.

"Heidi? What happened to you?" I could hear Rowan's voice filled with worry.

Heidi smiled at him, then threw a glance toward me. "Oh, I just sprained my ankle; I fell down the staircase because I was drunk. What about you? Are you here for a checkup too?" she asked.

Rowan's expression froze as he glanced back at me, and I could feel him staring at me like a stranger.

"Oh, that's my best friend's little sister. He was away, and Mary got a fever, so I brought her here," Rowan lied.

I wasn’t surprised by that; I had grown used to being called a friend, sometimes a sister. The worst thing he called me was a servant.

From the moment Rowan and I got into a relationship, he always told me not to publicize it and that we should be a low-key couple. Some of his closest friends knew about us, but he warned them not to spread it.

"All right, that's good to hear, Rowan. You're such a kind guy. You better take her to the doctor first; I'll wait here," Heidi said, gesturing toward the clinic.

Heidi turned her back and hopped on her own, but Rowan didn't think twice and scooped her into his arms, startling her.

"Mary, wait for me. I'll just take her inside; she needs to be seen right away."

I was left standing there, watching them enter the doctor's room. Suddenly, I felt my knees weaken, and I grew dizzy. I leaned against the wall to keep from falling.

Rowan didn't even ask my permission; he just carried another woman, leaving me behind.

The fact was that no matter how well he acted like a perfect boyfriend when he faced Heidi, his true feelings for her slipped out, and he forgot his facade. It seemed Rowan didn’t even realize he was making a mess.

"You're busted," I forced a bitter smile and turned, walking on my own to another clinic room.

What I was feeling today wasn't just a headache. I was sick. My temperature had risen to 43.5°C, and the doctor advised that I should stay here for a day.

The burn marks had become infected, worsened by my recent emotional stress, leading to a viral infection that required IV treatment.

Out of habit, I reached for my phone to call Rowan to come over, but I stopped myself from dialing. There was no point in calling him; I didn’t want to waste my time begging.

Suddenly, I heard my phone beep and saw that it was a message from my brother Freddie.

[I've heard you're at the clinic; what happened to you?]

I didn't know what to say to my brother, but I didn’t want him to worry. I texted back and just told him I had a monthly check-up.

Hours later, I finished my IV bag and felt even dizzier. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep for a long time. I felt thirsty, but there was no nurse around, so I got out of bed by myself, almost stumbling with my first step.

Rowan still hadn’t returned, and it was already evening. There were no calls, no messages, and I had no idea if he was still with Heidi.

I took my phone again and decided to finally call him to avoid any misunderstandings. He didn’t answer right away, but on my last attempt, he picked up.

"Rowan, I'm still in the hospital. Don’t you plan to take me home?" I asked coldly. I couldn’t manage to go home alone because I was still dizzy. I needed him to assist me, just one last time.

"I'm so sorry, Mary. I was supposed to come back for you right after taking Heidi home, but she suddenly threw up, so—"

Before he could finish, I heard the voice of a waiter in the background. "Sir, your dishes are all served. Please enjoy your dinner!"

Though Rowan quickly covered the receiver, he was foolish; I had already heard everything.

"Okay, seems like you're having some fun. Go on, I can manage myself," I said, about to hang up, but he stopped me.

"Mary, just head home. I'll explain everything later."

I rolled my eyes. What would he explain? To lie just to keep me hanging? Well, there was no need because I had already caught him. I ended the call without a word and contacted my close friend to take me home.

Tonight, I was all alone since Rowan didn’t come back. I was wide awake and remembered there was a meteor shower, so I went to the window to watch the night sky.

One of the beliefs is that it brings good luck when you see a meteor shower and that you should make a wish.

I closed my eyes and wished upon the stars, hoping they would grant it. "I want to be truly loved, to be seen and heard."

After wishing, I returned to bed, but I couldn’t help but scroll on my phone and stalk Heidi. I noticed she had a new story, and when I clicked on it, I saw a romantic photo of her with Rowan under the meteor shower.

[Years apart, and then, beneath a shower of shooting stars, I found my way back to your embrace—a celestial reunion, a love story written in the heavens!] The caption was so poetic.

I stared at their picture for minutes, and I admit I was jealous, but I realized that Rowan wasn’t the mate destined for me and that he was a pathetic wolf who took advantage of me.

Feeling uninterested in prying into their affair, I turned off my phone and tried to rest. The next morning, I arrived at a fine restaurant to meet with my friends and informed them I was going to leave soon.

"But why would you leave our town, Mary?" my friend Gale asked.

I hesitated to tell the truth, but they were my friends, and I trusted them. "It's because I'm going to get married. But keep this a secret, okay?"

My friends were so shocked and curious about who my fiancé was, but I had no idea either, so it was a big mystery.

"Whoever that man is, we hope he won’t hurt you, Mary. We will celebrate your happiness," Gale said happily.

While having a great time with my friends, I couldn’t help but look around the restaurant where Rowan and I frequently had dinner dates.

Halfway through the meal, I excused myself to go to the restroom, only to run into Heidi.

"Hey, Mary!" she greeted. "I didn’t expect you’d be here too! You know, this was the restaurant where Rowan and I had our first date. We've come here so many times."

I was startled by her sharing it when I wasn’t even asking. I forced a bitter smile but didn’t say anything. I was about to leave, but she blocked my way.

"Mary, I'm not stupid. I know you're Rowan's rebound girl. Do you think I wouldn’t know? I noticed Rowan's actions, and it's clear to me he's just toying with you. Poor girl," Heidi sneered, looking me up and down.

What she said made me pause, and I didn’t know what to say. I just felt humiliated and degraded by the way she looked at me.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I tried to deny it, and she just laughed sarcastically.

"You see, Mary, even though I left him a long time ago and looked for someone else, he will crawl back to me. He can't replace me with someone like you," she bragged.

"Okay, believe what you want to believe, but get out of my way!" I demanded, but she didn’t listen.

"You think you got his heart, huh? Let me tell you this, Marydale. Those years you've been with him, he never loved you and only thought of me," she added.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I suddenly remembered a memory where Rowan and I celebrated our anniversary in this restaurant.

He always told the waiter to avoid putting spice in my food when I liked spicy foods. I thought he was just concerned, as eating too much spice isn't good for me. But I was so naive not to realize that all along, he was thinking of Heidi.