Choose Pain Over Love

After leaving the villa, I returned to the place Ethan, Chester, and I used to live.

It was completely empty now. Just as well—I welcomed the silence.

In the few days that remained, I just waited quietly for the bone ring to finish its work and break the mate bond between Ethan and me once and for all.

The final day came.

That afternoon, I received a call from Ethan. His tone, as always, was commanding.

"Go pick up Chester from school. I'm tied up," he ordered.

Chester was still my biological pup. Hence, I couldn't bring myself to leave him alone or let him face danger.

I arrived at Chester's school early. They seemed to be holding an art exhibition. The hallway walls were lined with childlike but heartfelt drawings.

I wandered casually until one drawing suddenly stopped me cold. The title read "My Lovely Family", and the artist's signature was "Chester Grant".

In the drawing, Ethan, Angelina, and Chester sat closely together. They all had bright smiles on their faces.

Meanwhile, I stood behind the trio wearing an apron. I had my head bowed as I cleaned. Chester had drawn me as just a faceless, blurry shadow.

I had thought my heart had gone numb, but it began to ache again with each throb.

Just then, the school bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Children came pouring out through the school gates.

Chester spotted me immediately, but there was no shred of joy on his face. Instead, he seemed slightly displeased.

"Where's Daddy and Angie?" he asked with a frown.

I calmly answered, "They couldn't make it."

He pointed to a snack stand near the gate. "I want that one. Go buy it for me."

Stunned, I reached into my pocket. Only then did I remember that I had no money left.

"I can't buy it. I didn't bring any cash," I replied honestly.

A few pups passing by snickered and jeered, "What a poor thing. Even his mom won't buy him snacks."

Chester's face turned red on the spot. He felt I was embarrassing him.

The next second, he shoved me hard from behind.

Caught completely off guard, I stumbled forward and crashed to the ground. My palms scraped harshly against the pavement, and blood flowed from the torn skin.

A car drove right by me, narrowly running over my outstretched hand.

With a finger pointed at me, Chester shouted with all his might. His voice was shrill and filled with hatred.

"Who told you to come get me? I don't want a useless mom like you! Can you just get lost already?"

Those in the crowd who recognized me began whispering to each other.

"Isn't that Luna Tori? Even her own kid hates her?"

"Tsk. It's no wonder Alpha Ethan is giving her the cold shoulder…"

"What a disgrace."

These voices rose like a tide. Bit by bit, they pushed me toward the abyss.

I stared at Chester, whose small face was twisted in disgust. I felt as though my heart was being carved into with a blunt knife.

In that moment, I reached the limit of my endurance and humiliation.

Just then, a sharp car horn pierced through the noise, silencing the crowd. A sleek black car sped toward the school gates, coming to a smooth stop right outside them.

Ethan stepped out from the back seat and swept his gaze over the gathered onlookers. He hadn't done anything. Yet, somehow, the chatter died instantly.

When Ethan turned his gaze to me, his eyes were filled with condescending scrutiny and displeasure.

"Making a scene in front of the school? What kind of Luna behaves like this, Tori?" he criticized.

I stared at him, stunned. Then, I abruptly burst into laughter.

"In that case, I'll give this position to someone who truly deserves it," I retorted.

I gently touched the bone ring on my fourth finger. In the next second, it emitted a blinding white light, like a dying star burning itself out.

An unseen force inserted itself between us. It tore our bond apart with brutal finality.

Before my eyes, I saw fragments of memories I shared with Ethan.

Our heart-fluttering first meeting, the vows we made during the mating ceremony, the years of grievances and endurance—all of it shattered into ashes and dispersed into the wind.

"From this moment on, we no longer have anything to do with each other," I declared.

"Tori—" Ethan choked out.

He clutched his chest in disbelief. His eyes were locked on me and filled with horror.

Ethan could feel that the mate bond between us had vanished.