Chapter 3 One more month

After hiding the divorce file where no other person could see it . I walked slowly toward my wardrobe.

because there wasn't enough strength left in me to rush.My body felt exhausted, Weak like something important had been pulled out of me and never replaced. By the time I reached the bed, my legs gave in. I collapsed onto the mattress and let out a long and heavy breath I didn't even realize how I was holding up

The room was quiet.

I put my hand at the stack of files under my bed, I reached out and pulled one document from the file the divorce papers. My key to freedom

My hands were shaking as I open the pages one by one. I stopped at the last one where I saw Nelson's signature that he just signed on the paper

His name sat there boldly, written with confidence. The same strong handwriting he used when signing pack documents, land deals, and contracts that shaped the future of the whole clan

I traced his name slowly with my fingertip. A bitter smile show at my lips.

He is still clumsy, so careless.

Memories flooded through my mind without warning me

I remembered Nelson in high school, standing by the highschool gate, refusing to move an inch until I agreed to talk to him. I remembered the way he smiled at me like I was something precious.

"I don't care that you're human," he had told me, voice full of certainty."The wolf Goddess doesn't make mistakes. You're meant for me." And I believed him.

I remembered how fiercely he pursued me. How proud he was to call me his. How he promised, again and again, that I was his one true mate . even without a wolf bond.

"I choose you," he whispered the night he proposed. "Now and always."

My chest tightened.

Then another memory followed.

Helen. Nelson mother.

Her eyes had been cold the first time she saw me. Sharp. Measuring. Like she was already judging how long I would last.

She even move close and quietly said to me ,ordinary ware wolf might claim to mate just to one lady for life, but an Alpha male will never be satisfied with just one woman. Especially not with ordinary human. But

I had stood my ground then

"You're wrong," I said, my voice shaking but firm. "Nelson is different. Our bond is different."

The memory hurt now.

Because I had been so sure that I'm really So foolish.

He wasn't different.

He was exactly what her mother warned me about.

He cheated with a younger wolf girl, careless enough to think I wouldn't notice. He enjoyed it, the secrecy, the vibe, the power of having two women tied to him.

He took her on his business trip and parading her as the new princess and than brought her back here.

Into my home.

My fingers tightened into the bedsheets as the truth settled deeper into my chest.

Slowly, I picked up my phone and took a clear photo of his signature.

I sent it to Helen , he signed it I whispered

Nothing more, No explanation.

No emotion.

A week ago, we had met privately.

No pack members. No witnesses.

She wanted this divorce handled quietly. She didn't want gossip. Didn't want whispers about her Alpha son being married to a human.

She wanted me gone.

In return, I demanded twenty million dollars.

"One month," I told her calmly. "Then I disappear from his life completely."

She stared at me for a long time before agreeing.

Now, it was real.

One more month.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

My body stiffened.

Quickly, I hid the divorce papers and smoothed the bed. I wiped my face and forced my expression into something calm.

"Come in," I said.

The door opened.

Henry stepped inside.

Nelson's Beta assistant.

He carried himself with respect, holding a gold-plated box carefully in his hands.

"Mrs. Ciara," he said politely. "Your husband asked me to give this to you."

He placed the box on my desk.

I walked over and opened it.

Inside was a diamond set.

Beautiful.

Rare.

Expensive.

I stared at it without feeling anything good.

Instead, my mind betrayed me.

I saw her again.

The short-haired girl.

Wrapped in a bathrobe.

Laughing softly as she held up a similar diamond necklace while Nelson kissed her neck.

Soft lights.

Messy sheets.

Fresh marks on her skin.

My stomach twisted violently.

I swallowed hard.

The bitterness rose in my throat, but I pushed it down. Just

One more month, I reminded myself.

Just one.

Henry cleared his throat. "The Alpha picked it himself," he added. "It's one of a kind. I hope you'll love it... and cherish it."

I looked up slowly.

Met his eyes.

"Thank you, Beta Henry," I said softly.

Then, after a pause, I added quietly,

"It's just that his loyalty isn't one of a kind."

Henry froze.

For a brief moment, his face showed shock. He clearly understood what I meant, even though he pretended not to.

"I... I don't understand," he said carefully.

"I know," I replied.

Silence stretched between us.

Then he bowed his head slightly."Excuse me, Mrs. Ciara."

I nodded.

The moment he left, my shoulders sagged.

I picked up my phone and contacted a luxury resale brand. I arranged for the diamond set to be sold.

Every penny would go to the orphanage outside pack territory which also belongs to my lawyer friend that I have been supporting all the time.

If this marriage was built on lies, I would leave nothing behind that carried his name or guilt.

Later that night, the house was silent.

Nelson didn't come to the bedroom.

I wasn't surprised.

I lay on my side, staring at the dark wall, listening to my own breathing.

No tears came.

I was empty now.

And in that emptiness, I found something I hadn't felt in a long time.

Clarity.

I was no longer his wife in my heart.

Only on paper.

And paper could be destroyed.

One more month.

Then I would leave

Not broken.

But free.