MISTAKEN GROOM

When Karl finally rushed home,the door swung open with a thud,and he froze at the sight that greeted him.

The dining table was already set with dishes that had long since cooled,their inviting aroma now gone.

Funny how all of them were his favorite dishes.

I sat there,unmoving,staring blankly at the untouched meal.My hands lay limp in my lap,my gaze distant,as if the very life had been drained from the room.

Karl’s expression softened with guilt,a look that might have once comforted me.“Aisha,didn’t I tell you not to wait for me to eat?”he said,his voice urgent and tinged with concern.He stepped closer,arms reaching out as though to pull me into an embrace.“You’re carrying our baby;you can’t go hungry!”

I drew back instinctively,just a step,but it was enough for him to notice that something was wrong.His arms fell to his sides,his movement faltering.Karl didn’t know.He still didn’t know that the baby he spoke of was gone,just like the love that had once filled this home.

A wave of sadness rose within me,pulling me under.I struggled to keep the emotions from surfacing,to hold back the tears that threatened to escape.The silence between us deepened,a vast chasm that neither of us could bridge.Though he was right there,mere feet away,it felt as if he was already miles from me.

He seemed to sense the shift,though he couldn’t understand it.His brow furrowed,and a tightness formed in his chest,as if some instinct warned him of the rift that had grown between us.Indeed his instinct was right but what could he do about it?

“Aisha,”he murmured,stepping back and raking a hand through his hair,“I’m sorry for neglecting you these past few days.Work has been…overwhelming.”He paused,his voice dropping lower as he added,“The day after tomorrow is your birthday,and I promise I’ll make it up to you.Okay?”

I forced a smile,a weak,hollow gesture.“Okay.”My voice came out softer than I intended,barely reaching his ears.

I felt that at least he remembered my birthday.

Relief washed over him,and he exhaled deeply,as if my agreement had lifted some weight from his conscience.He flashed me a grateful smile and nodded,the tension easing from his shoulders.

I watched him carefully,noting the way his eyes avoided mine for just a second too long,the way his hands fidgeted at his sides.His guilt hung in the air like a specter,unseen yet unmistakable.

---

When my birthday arrived,Karl seemed unusually upbeat,doing his best to fill the silence as we drove to the restaurant.It was a charming little French place tucked away in the city—a spot he had chosen,perhaps in an attempt to reignite the spark we had lost.

As we took our seats,he kept the conversation flowing,talking about his work,the weather,even some new investment he was considering.I nodded and responded at the right moments,though my thoughts wandered,drifting far from this table,far from him.

The server arrived,taking our orders with a polite nod.As soon as the server left,Karl’s phone buzzed,the vibrating sound breaking the fragile peace between us.I saw him glance at the screen,his brows knitting together almost imperceptibly.A familiar tension settled on his features,one that I had come to recognize all too well.

“I need to take this,”he said,already pushing his chair back and standing up.“Just give me a minute,Aisha.”

I nodded;the gesture automatic.But at that moment,I knew.I knew that whatever words he was about to speak into that phone were far more important to him than any promise he had made to me.

A few minutes later,he returned,his expression conflicted,a storm brewing behind his eyes.He opened his mouth to speak,but I beat him to it.

“Let me guess,”I said,my voice steady,the hint of resignation threading through it.“Something urgent came up at work.”

His gaze flickered,a brief flash of surprise crossing his face.“The tax committee showed up for an inspection,”he said,sounding almost relieved that I had guessed.“I have to go back and host them…”

“It’s fine,”I cut in,waving a hand dismissively.“Work is important.You’re doing it for us,for our future.I understand.”

He froze,the excuses he had rehearsed dying on his lips.His shoulders relaxed,and for a moment,he looked at me with an expression that seemed almost grateful,as if I had given him some undeserved gift.

“Thank you,Aisha,”he said,his voice full of false sincerity.“I promise I’ll make it up to you with a proper birthday celebration next time."

But I knew better.There wouldn’t be a next time.Not for this.Not for us.

After he left,I remained at the table,my eyes fixed on the candle that flickered in front of me.The flame danced unsteadily,just as my emotions did within me.I forced myself to take a bite of the cake I had ordered.

The sweetness was drowned out by the saltiness of the tears that had found their way onto the plate.I was reminded of the birthdays from my past,when I had celebrated them alone,an orphan in a crowded world.

Back then,Karl had seemed like my savior,the one who had promised I would never have to be alone again.Yet here I was,alone once more,clinging to a memory that no longer held any truth.

“Karl had lied.”

---

Over the following days,Karl made up for his absence in the way he always did—lavish gifts and extravagant gestures that only served to remind me of the widening distance between us.Each token of his affection felt like a weight pressing down on me,as though he were trying to buy my forgiveness.

It was around then that I saw the post.Tanya’s social media was always filled with little glimpses of her life,hints of her opulence and hints of her relationship with Karl,though she never mentioned him by name.

The latest post read:Big clearance sale!My boyfriend gave me too many gifts,so I asked him to take some away to sell.I’m such a thrifty and responsible girlfriend!(P.S.He only took the ones I didn’t like).

A bitter laugh escaped me as I scrolled past the image of designer handbags and jewelry that looked suspiciously like the gifts Karl had showered me with.

Without another thought,I gathered his latest batch of gifts and tossed them into the trash.It was an act of defiance,a minor victory in a battle I hadn’t asked for but was determined to win.

The next time Karl mentioned a dinner outing,I was ready.“Who are you going with?”I asked,keeping my voice casual,though the tension was unmistakable.

He hesitated,his calm facade cracking ever so slightly.“Tanya is back,”he admitted.“Our old friends are throwing a welcome party for her.It’s just a get-together.”

“Then I’ll join you,”I said,my tone leaving no room for argument.“As your wife,it’s only natural,isn’t it?”

For a moment,he was silent,his eyes searching mine as if to discern whether my words were genuine or veiled with sarcasm.But when our gazes met,he found no excuse to deny me.With a reluctant sigh,he agreed.

I decided to at least fight for once.After all,it wasn’t like I had snatched Karl from Tanya,rather she had abandoned him.

Now that I am his wife,I couldn’t abandon my marriage like that,despite being aware that what I was doing was insignificant.As the threads holding my marriage together were already snapping,I still decided to do it.

---

The venue was bustling with life when we arrived,laughter and conversation filling the air.

Tanya stood out among the crowd,her confidence radiating like a beacon.When she saw Karl,her eyes lit up,her face breaking into a wide smile.

“Karl,you’re here!”she exclaimed,wrapping her arms around him in an embrace that was far too familiar.Only then did her gaze land on me.“Oh,Aisha,you’re here too?I was just so excited to see Karl that I didn’t notice you!”

I returned her enthusiasm with a faint smile.“Not at all,”I said.My voice was calm,though I could feel my wolf stirring with irritation beneath the surface.

“That’s a relief!”she replied,her voice light and casual.“I was worried my close relationship with Karl might lead to misunderstandings.”

As we took our seats,I couldn’t help but notice how Karl’s attention never left her.He catered to her every preference,serving her favorite dishes,attending to her with a care that felt absent when he was with me.

Someone across the table scoffed,“Tanya,didn’t you leave Karl years ago when he was still struggling?Now that he’s doing well,you’re back?”

Her face paled at the remark,and tears welled in her eyes.“I didn’t come back for his money,”she stammered.She looked like she had been bullied and had suffered immeasurable grievance.

Karl’s jaw tightened as he shot a glare at the speaker.“Enough,”he said coldly.“This party is to welcome Tanya.If anyone speaks out of line again,they can leave.”

At that moment,a server arrived,wheeling a bouquet of 999 red roses toward the table.“Mr.Cooper,here are the roses you ordered for Miss Miller,”he announced,setting them down before Tanya.

The mood shifted instantly,and all eyes turned toward the extravagant display and me.

A wind from nowhere swept through the room as I sat beside Karl.

His wolfish features,which I once found comforting,now seemed distant—foreign.The tension in the air was palpable,thick like the scent of pine that always hung around these woods.

The light in the room wasn’t too bright,but its light was enough to cast long shadows between us.I felt the cool gaze of the pack members around us,observing us silently and judging silently.

Karl’s expression was the first to shift.

His face tightened as he looked at the massive bouquet of 999 red roses,their petals a deep crimson that seemed almost to pulsate in the warm room light.

The flowers filled the room with a heady,sweet fragrance,but the gesture felt suffocating to me.Passionate love,that’s what red roses symbolized—an unbridled,consuming devotion.How ironic.My mouth twitched with a bitter smile.

Karl’s eyes darted to me with a hint of panic.“Aisha, don’t get the wrong idea. This is just to welcome her back."

He said hurriedly, his voice strained as if the words burned his throat. His voice was raw with a desperation I had grown to resent. I could even hear the wavering in his tone, as if even he didn’t fully believe his own excuse.

I met his gaze--