After Eight Winters of a False Mate Bond, I Walked Away

(Marisel’s POV)

Trevian immediately pulled Frista into his arms, his voice filled with worry.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

His eyes anxiously checked her body before he carefully wiped away the dirt staining her calf.

Frista bit her lip and softly insisted she was fine, yet her timid eyes kept glancing toward me.

Only after confirming several times that she was unharmed did Trevian finally turn toward me, his brows tightly furrowed.

“Marisel, you have gone too far. Frista already apologized. Why can you not let go of the past? Besides, those things back then were done by others. Frista was only watching at most.”

Hearing his unfair words, my fists tightened hard. My nails dug deeply into my palms, and only the pain stopped me from collapsing completely.

“A watcher?”

I laughed coldly.

Of course, Frista never dirtied her own hands.

As the precious daughter of a noble pack, she only needed one look, and countless students would rush to obey her commands.

Trevian knew every truth. He knew every single detail. Yet because of a few tears from her eyes, he erased all my suffering as though it meant nothing.

“Enough, don’t fight anymore. Everything already happened long ago.”

Standing behind him, Frista acted like a peacemaker. Her lips spoke gentle words, but mockery filled her eyes.

I swallowed my anger and knelt down to gather the scattered belongings from the ground.

Frista pretended to help me. Then she deliberately stepped onto the small model airship.

Crack.

The fragile toy shattered instantly.

Looking at the broken pieces, I finally lost control. My hand lifted, ready to slap her.

But Trevian moved faster.

His foot slammed hard against my leg, sending me crashing into the pile of keepsakes I had just collected.

Sharp plastic pierced my back, and burning pain spread through my body.

“Enough!” he shouted angrily. “Why do you keep targeting Frista? What is the point?”

He did not notice the blood soaking through my clothes. He also did not notice my pale lips or my trembling body.

“Those were my brother’s belongings!” My voice broke painfully. “And she destroyed them like that!”

For a brief moment, Trevian froze. But very quickly, his expression turned cold again.

“It is only a model. I will buy him a better and more expensive one.”

I stared at the man I had known for seven winters and suddenly felt like I was looking at a stranger.

He had forgotten.

Forgotten that he was the one who gifted that model airship to my brother during his birthday celebration. Forgotten that Marcellus once dreamed of becoming a proud sky rider who flew across the kingdoms.

But my brother was already gone.

No matter how expensive the new model was, it could never reach his hands again.

The desire to argue slowly disappeared from my body. Silently, I turned around to leave. But Trevian had already entered the driver’s seat of the carriage.

When he saw me walking away, he quickly drove in front of me and blocked my path.

“I already told you to stop being stubborn. Look at your face. You are so pale. You skipped breakfast again, did you not? Come. Let’s eat lunch together.”

I pressed my lips together tightly.

The severing certificate was already being processed, so I no longer had the energy to fight him.

Numbly, I entered the backseat. The seat beside the driver had long become Frista’s place. Even the scent inside the carriage had changed into the sweet perfume she liked so much.

The entire ride was filled only with their voices. Frista’s silver laughter pierced my ears like needles.

Ever since Frista returned to the kingdom, I had not experienced a single peaceful night.

To steal my place, she attacked me endlessly. She bribed servants to place allergens into my meals.

She sent dead rats covered in blood to our estate, trying to frighten me into divorcing Trevian immediately.

She even drugged me unconscious, staged shameful photos, and spread them throughout Moonbook.

She kidnapped my brother and forced me to sign a severing agreement.

Every time, Trevian swore he would punish her.

Every time, he promised me it would never happen again.

Yet in the end, he still climbed into bed with the woman I hated most.

Leaning back against the seat, I closed my eyes. The wound on my back hurt so badly that I could barely think clearly.

Suddenly, the sharp scream of brakes tore through the air.

My eyes snapped open.

A massive transport carriage was rushing straight toward us from the side.