Chapter 5
After blocking Selina and her shameless provocations, my days passed quietly.
It had been half a month.
My body had mostly recovered.
Once I got in touch with my best friend, I bought a one–way plane ticket to go see her.
It wasn’t until after I booked it that I realized that my departure date was the exact day of the mating ceremony.
Since I was visiting my best friend, I decided to stop by a jewelry store and pick out a gift for her.
Only when I arrived did I remember:
The wedding rings Dorian and I had custom–designed were still waiting for pickup.
I’d designed them myself.
Now, it’s time to be taken back–and destroyed.
But when the clerk pulled up the records, she said with a sympathetic look, “Oh… someone already picked them up. A man–he said he was your fiancé.“,
My heart didn’t even flinch.
I nodded and turned to leave.
And walked straight into Dorian outside the store.
His fingers were laced tightly with Selina’s.
On their ring fingers were the wedding bands I had designed.
He noticed my eyes drop to their hands and fumbled to explain.
“Corinna, the rings…”
“They look great on you two,” I said flatly.
Then I turned and walked away.
He started to follow, but Selina clung to his arm.
“Dorian, didn’t you say we were going to pick out my wedding dress today?”
My steps didn’t falter.
If anything, I walked faster.
The morning of the mating ceremony arrived.
I walked out of the recovery center, hailed a cab, and headed straight for the airport.
Meanwhile, Dorian’s Betas were on a mission.
They showed up at the apartment he had rented for me, carrying a custom–made wedding gown and flanked by a makeup artist.
They rang the bell.
No one answered.
The commotion drew out the neighbor across the hall.
“There’s never been anyone living there,” she said, confused. “Are you sure you’ve got the right place?”
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The Betas were stunned.
“What do you mean? A young woman moved in last month–looked just like this!”
They shoved my photo at her.
She frowned and shook her head.
“Oh, I’ve seen her before. She lives in the building across the street. Ever since her mate died, she hasn’t been around. Poor thing. Are you her friends?”
Realizing something was off, they hurriedly grabbed her and pressed for more details.
“What the hell are you talking about? Her mate’s not dead! He’s alive and well–you’re not in on her act too, are you? Did she pay you to help her pull this stunt?”
“Tell her to come out! Her mate’s fully recovered, and today is their mating ceremony. If she’s throwing a fit like this, I’m afraid the ceremony will have to be postponed again!“.
They started shouting, right at the neighbor’s door, convinced I was hiding inside.
Then they barged in.
The neighbor tried to stop them, but it was too late.
“Seriously? Don’t even know where your own friend lives–and now you’re storming into someone else’s home? Her mate died and not one of you checked in on her? Unbelievable!”
They ignored her protests, storming through the home, checking every room.
Nothing.
Then they still convinced I was hiding in the apartment Dorian had rented for me.
“I swear, I’ve never seen a woman this dramatic,” one of them muttered. “If it weren’t for Dorian, I would’ve fucking left a long time ago.”
The neighbor crossed her arms and gave them a look.
“Are you sure you’re even her friends? Listen–she never lived here. If I were you, I’d check her actual place. Who knows, maybe something happened to her.”
She paused, thinking.
“Actually… I haven’t seen her in for a long time.”
Then her eyes widened. She smacked her forehead.
“Wait! I remember now–last time I saw her, she was tossing out a mountain of wedding decorations. Someone said her mate had died. Such a shame too… those photo albums and wedding pictures were beautiful. You could tell they were deeply in love.”
Everyone in that group knew how much I had treasured those memories.
Even a soda can tab Dorian once pretended was a ring–I’d had it placed in a velvet box.
So when they heard she’d thrown away everything, they finally realized:
Something was seriously wrong.
Just then, the locksmith arrived and popped the door open in seconds.
They stormed in.
Only to be met by silence.
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And
dust.
The apartment hadn’t l been lived in for weeks.
Everything was exactly as it had been when they’d I helped Dorian decorate it.
The
flowers they placed in the vase were now v black, shriveled,
and stinking
of rot.
The air was stale, heavy with the scent of something abandoned.
They looked at each other, faces pale.
The lead Beta didn’t hesitate.
pulled out his phone
He
and called Dorian.
Dorian was at the altar, overseeing final checks for the
ceremony.
His phone began to ring..
And ring.
His eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
Dread bloomed in his chest.
He picked up.
“Dorian,” the Beta said, voice shaking, “something’s wrong…”
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