THE ALPHA NEEDS ME

The following morning, I arrived at my office door and immediately noticed something odd. A card rested on top of a food box, neatly placed by the door. Hesitantly, I picked it up and peeked into the box. It was breakfast—perfectly arranged, still warm. My fingers opened the card, and the words hit me like a slap in the face:

{Hey, love, enjoy the breakfast I’ve given you, and think of me always. Skyler.}

My face twisted in disgust as the memories from the night before surged back—Skyler’s effortless affection for Tia, treating her like a queen, right in front of me on my birthday. My stomach churned. Without a second thought, I carried the box out of the building, headed straight for the trash bin, and dropped it. The box hit the bottom with a hollow thud. I dusted my hands off, feeling a small surge of satisfaction as I turned to go back inside.

Then, I saw him. Skyler stood there, his face slowly twisting in anger, eyes flicking between me and the trash bin.

“What the heck did you just do?” His voice rose in fury, his fists clenched. “You threw away the meal I got you?”

His words didn’t even make me flinch. Where his anger once intimidated me, now it was just noise. I met his glare with cold indifference. “I don’t want anything from you, Skyler.”

I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm roughly, yanking me back. “What’s wrong with you, Raya? Are you still upset?”

I chuckled, mocking him with my eyes. “Upset?” I raised an eyebrow. “You used to treat me like this too, right? Shouldn’t I be used to it by now?”

“So, this is payback?” he spat, his face hardening.

“No. This is reality. I’ve realized that you don’t care about me. Now, I don’t give a damn about you either.”

“Why?” he demanded, confusion creeping into his voice.

“I used to care a lot, didn’t I? But you once said that irritated you.”

He hissed in frustration, but I kept going, the memories flooding out like poison. “I remember when you were sick, Skyler. I watched over you. That’s something you’ve never done for me. Do you remember? You had a fever the other night, and I went out to get you medicine. It was late, and I was nearly harassed by some perverts, and I managed to call you for help but you kept ending my calls. Then I made it back and found out you left. And what did you say? ‘I can’t come, Raya. Tia just returned, and I’m with her.’ You didn’t even hesitate.”

His eyes stayed fixed on mine, but there was no remorse. “Come on, Raya. I had a fever—”

“But you went to Tia’s place that same night, didn’t you? Spent the night there, didn't you?” My voice was cold, cutting through his excuses.

He faltered, waving his hand dismissively. “For goodness' sake, she wasn’t feeling well. I had to stay overnight to watch over her.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, I get it. Just like you said when I was sick. ‘I can't come, Skyler. Tia just returned, and I’m with her.’ Sound familiar?”

“Raya…”

“You two are perfect for each other,” I said, jerking my arm free from his grip. Without sparing him another glance, I walked away, my chest burning with anger but also a strange sense of freedom.

I returned to my office and threw myself into work, ignoring the buzzing phone and Skyler’s increasingly desperate messages. Flowers arrived later in the day—lavish bouquets, gifts—but I didn’t bat an eye as I instructed my assistant to reject them all.

By noon, I was numb, his desperate attempts nothing but background noise to the clattering keyboard and shuffling papers.

In the days that followed, I felt alive again. When my friends invited me to go shopping and watch a movie, I didn’t hesitate. I did whatever I wanted, finally feeling free. For so long, I had spent less time with them or myself, always glued to Skyler, doing what he said. Now, I felt joy in doing what made me happy. Without Skyler and Tia, most of my troubles evaporated, leaving only the sweet solitude of being alone.

But then Simon, one of Skyler's friends who treated me slightly better than the rest, called. "Raya, why are you keeping us waiting? We're all here, just missing you."

I blinked in confusion. "Waiting for me? Why?"

"Aren't it you and Skyler treating us to dinner? Hurry up and come over. We're waiting for you." He hung up before I could protest.

I stood stunned as my phone beeped again. Simon had texted me the address of the restaurant and the private room number.

For a moment, I hesitated. Should I just ignore this and finally make a clean break? But then, maybe this was the time to confront them, to clarify things. After wrapping up my work, I headed to the address.

It was the five-star lounge I had mentioned to Skyler so many times before, begging him to take me so we could make memories together. I had seen rave reviews about it, and everyone online was crazy about the place. But, as always, Skyler had come up with an excuse. Too busy. Too much on his plate.

I exhaled, pushed the memory aside, and walked inside the building. The hostess gave me directions to the private room. As I reached for the door, I froze, overhearing Simon’s voice from inside. “Raya thinks so highly of herself. I can't believe we had to call her countless times before she agreed to come.”

My eyes narrowed. My heart pounded in my chest as I pressed my ear closer to the door.

"I don't know why Skyler humbles himself for someone like her," Simon continued, lacing his words with spite. "She's unappreciative."

Tia’s soft laugh followed. “She’s just a middle-class girl. Of course, she gives off an attitude. People like her are insecure. But I know she’ll come crawling back to Skyler. She’s nothing without him.”

They all laughed, mocking me, and I felt the world tilt beneath me. Simon’s next words pierced through the haze. “Raya is unworthy of him. Everyone can see that Skyler and you, Tia, are the perfect match. You're better in every way. If you hadn’t left to build your modeling career, you’d still be by his side."

I stumbled back, barely catching myself. My mind reeled. Tia left for her career? Skyler had told me she left because he rejected her. My stomach twisted. He had been lying to me all along. His tolerance, his tenderness toward her—it wasn’t just friendship. It was love. She was the one he cherished, not me.

“Why are you standing here?” Skyler’s voice startled me from behind. I turned, clutching my bag tightly. He was there, standing so casually like nothing was wrong.

I met his gaze, anger bubbling up inside me. “What do you want me to go in for? To hear you announce your new true lover?”