My Mate Sold Me At Her Birthday Banquet

She liked Eleanor Walker. Not me.

Could never be me.

By the end of the party, my face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

I leaned against the wall to steady myself, my fingertips digging into my palm to barely stay upright.

Luna Carter was at the bar settling the bill, but her gaze kept drifting to my swaying figure.

It wasn't until the waiter reminded her a third time that she snapped back to sign the receipt.

She turned to get the car, telling me to take Eleanor Walker out first.

I nodded, helping the tipsy Eleanor toward the exit.

But as we passed the lake, Eleanor deliberately slipped and plunged into the water with a shriek!

"Aaaah!"

Luna raced over at the sound, catching the exact moment Eleanor fell in.

Her eyes turned icy. She grabbed my throat, snarling: "Andrew Parker! Have you lost your mind? How dare you push him?!"

I stumbled forward under her grip, my soaked shirt clinging to my skin like ice.

I met her furious gaze and shook my head faintly: "I didn't."

"I saw it with my own eyes! Don't lie!"

Luna's fingers tightened.

She stared at my pained frown, yet showed no mercy.

"If you love hurting people so much, you can taste it yourself!"

Before the words faded, she shoved me into the lake without hesitation.

"Splash-"

Freezing water swallowed me whole.

I'd already been chilled to the bone from my unhealed surgery; now, agony curled through me, and darkness blurred my vision.

Luna watched coldly, ordering the wolfguards:

"Keep an eye on him. Don't let him up."

The water bit into my skin.

My consciousness frayed.

The last thing I saw was Luna walking away with Eleanor in tow.

When I woke, I was in a guest room at the Carter mansion.

Luna sat beside the bed, a lit cigarette between her slender fingers.

Her eyes were deep, churning with emotions I couldn't read.

"You just had surgery. Why didn't you say something?"

I managed a weak smile: "Would you have stopped me if I had?"

The air went silent.

Luna crushed the cigarette between her fingers, tobacco crumbs spilling.

She stood, towering over me:

"Why do you keep hurting Eleanor?"

"I didn't," my voice was cold.

"He jumped in on purpose."

"Andrew Parker!"

Luna snapped.

"Eleanor isn't that kind of person!"

I said no more, just looked at her quietly.

I knew she'd never believe me.

Luna took a deep breath, pulled a gilded document from her bag, and tossed it on the bed.

"Make amends. Eleanor's birthday is coming-you'll plan it."

"His likes and taboos are in there. No mistakes."

I opened the file, my fingers trembling.

The meticulous notes on his preferences reminded me of someone who'd once memorized every detail about me-

Claire Carter always knew my coffee temperature, remembered the color of every shirt I owned.

Noticing my distraction, Luna frowned: "Did you hear me?"