Severed Trust, Resurgent Affection

That was my fifth anniversary with Jared and my 22nd birthday.

Last year he promised to propose to me on our fifth dating anniversary. I was eager to marry him

But as midnight approached, there was still no sign of him. So, I picked my phone to check if maybe he messaged me, since there was no mind-link coming to me.

However, the one who caught my eye was all his friends' WhatsApp statuses. It was filled with videos of the fireworks, among them were Jared and Georgia.

My face darkened. It turned out his ‘work’ was to accompany Georgia, his childhood sweetheart, to set off fireworks.

How ironic.

In the video, Jared's usually aloof and cold expression was replaced by laughter, his eyes filled with a tenderness as he looked at Georgia. That was actually a look I had never received.

I had always thought he was not a smiling person, incapable of expressing affection, that was why I did not mind it. But then I realized if he could smile broadly in front of people he was close with.

Could it be he did not find me as a comfort zone, so that he would never show his true self?

What was I to him actually, so that after being in a relationship for almost 2 years, he still could not show me his true self?

Fury and heartbreak surged through me. I destroyed the cake in front of me, turning the dining table into a mess.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I saw a message from George Madden, Georgia's twin and Jared's close friend, another of his trusted Betas. He had sent me a video link.

[George: Look at this! Jared and Georgia's firework video is going viral on X. Are you okay with it?]

The video went viral in a minute, along with lovely comments saying that they were a perfect match.

I laughed bitterly, masking my pain with a forced smile, and replied coldly, [I've watched it. It's none of my business.]

But inside, my heart shattered into a thousand pieces. My wolf, Serena, was just as emotional, urging me to call Jared and demand the truth, as she couldn't even mind-link him.

As a result, I quickly dialed his number.

He answered quickly, but his voice was as cold as ever when he asked, "What's up?"

I could hear the fireworks in the background. After a brief pause, I swallowed my tears and asked, "Where are you?"

Even though I had held back the emotions in my chest, apparently my voice was still shaking.

"My friends asked me to go to the bar after working late. What's the matter?" he replied, moving away from the noise. His tone was steady and calm, no hint of panic and no signs of a guilty conscience.

I glanced again at the video on my tablet, feeling a new wave of disinterest and hurt as I read the overflowing comments.

"Let's break up, cut all ties!" I said, my voice trembling with anger.