"I want a divorce."
Charlotte tossed the divorce papers straight at her husband's face, Julian Warren. Her eyes were cold and emotionless, like she'd run out of all the love and patience she once had.
People in the cafe turned their heads toward the couple, waiting for the tea to spill.
Julian leaned forward. A tight, bitter smile appeared on his face. He asked in a low voice, "What did you just say?"
Charlotte didn't hesitate. She raised her voice. "I said I want a divorce, you filthy bastard!"
His expression darkened instantly. Rage flickered in his eyes. "You can't be serious, Charlotte. After everything I've done for you? You're leaving me?"
"Everything you've done for me?" She let out a sharp laugh. "All you've ever done is lie, cheat, and treat me like garbage. I'm done, Julian. Done!"
Julian scoffed and stood up, grabbing her wrist with force. "That's enough. We're going home. Now." He gave her a sharp glare. "You are embarrassing me."
"Oh, now you're embarrassed?" Charlotte pulled her hand back and slammed a thick stack of photos on the table. "Funny. You didn't seem embarrassed when you were busy fucking a bunch of whores behind my back!"
He'd sworn they were soulmates, that they'd be together for life. But his actions told a different story. He spread his pheromones like cheap perfume and jumped into bed with anyone who responded.
He was just a beta, but he acted like some high-ranking alpha.
Julian's face twisted in disbelief when he saw the pictures of him with many different women. "Are you stalking me now? What the hell is this, Charlotte?"
There wasn't an ounce of guilt in his face, only irritation at being exposed.
Charlotte had reached her limit. Without another word, she grabbed her iced coffee and threw it in his face.
Splash!
"Charlotte! Are you out of your mind?!" Julian shouted as the cold drink soaked his shirt and dripped from his face. His fists clenched.
A few people immediately turned their cameras on, while the Barista got ready to call the emergency number if the situation got out of hand.
On the other side, Charlotte stood up and sneered at her husband or soon-to-be ex-husband. "You should be grateful I didn't order a hot coffee!"
Crash!
The glass hit his head with a loud crack. Blood trickled down his forehead, but a werewolf like him wouldn't be brought down by a little cut.
If Charlotte hadn't remembered that they were in a public place, Charlotte might've hurled every plate and chair at him.
Was she feeling guilty? Absolutely, not.
She looked down at him with nothing but disgust. "For five years, I've seen you cheat, lie, and act like an asshole to me. I used to have a foolish thought in my mind that maybe … not maybe, but I was sure you would change and treat me better someday."
"But it never happened," Charlotte said, her voice firm, her chest rising and falling with barely contained emotion. "And for the first time in my life, I finally see it clearly that you'll always be a selfish jerk, even on your deathbed."
She shoved him in the chest. "I'm done, Julian. I can't live like this anymore."
Julian stepped forward, eyes narrowing, his voice rising. "You think you can just walk away? After I marked you? You belong to me, Charlotte. Forever!"
Charlotte touched the back of her neck, her fingers brushing against the mark he'd left—once a symbol of love, now nothing more than a scar that made her sick.
She lowered her voice so the humans nearby wouldn't hear. "You're not my fated mate, Julian."
"You only had me because my fated mate rejected me," she continued, her voice sharper now, loaded with bitterness. "And you? You're just a Beta. Your mark doesn't mean anything."
Julian's eyes widened. He had no idea Charlotte had once belonged to someone else, someone she was truly meant to be with.
Her words crushed whatever pride he had left, and that made him snap.
"You ungrateful bitch!" he growled. "You really think you can live without me? You have nothing, Charlotte! No one to turn to. No money. No home. I'm all you've got!"
Then, as if flipping a switch, his voice turned sweet, but his eyes seemed like a predator that wanted to eat his prey alive. "Let's just forget all this," he said softly. "Say you're sorry, and I'll forgive you."
Laughter burst out of Charlotte's chest. She didn't know how a man could be so shameless. And worst of all, how could she marry that jerk in the first place?
"Sorry?" she repeated, eyes wide with disbelief. "Sorry for leaving a manipulative, cheating asshole like you? Sorry for exposing your dirty secrets? Sorry for finally standing up for myself?"
Her smile vanished. "No, Julian. If anything, I should've left sooner."
Before Julian, Charlotte had been a star
She was Charlotte Dawson, a beloved actress, admired by humans and supernaturals alike. She had fame, wealth, and a future that sparkled.
Then came Julian.
He swept in like a dream, asked her to give it all up, asking her to quit acting, stay home, and be his perfect little wife.
She was 22 years old back then, so young and naive, thinking that she had found a prince that would make her happy forever. Yes, he certainly made her happy back then, but it wasn't for long.
Soon, he took control of everything.
He convinced her to pour her savings into his failing business, drained her finances, and slowly stripped away every piece of her independence.
When his business finally took off, he made sure she couldn't leave.
He isolated her from the world, forbade her from seeing her old pack, even limited her contact with her own parents.
He became a cage. And Charlotte? Just another prisoner inside his twisted idea of love.
He was a lunatic and Charlotte couldn't take his torment any longer.
She was tired of getting constant abuse and being isolated from the outside world.
"I'm done here," she said, eyes blazing. "My lawyer from the Nocturnal Order will come pick up the divorce papers tomorrow. Make sure you sign them."
She turned to walk away, but paused, just long enough to leave one last dagger behind.
"Oh, and just so you know …" She looked over her shoulder. "The higher-ups? They've already opened a case on you for fucking too many humans. They're ready to discipline you."
Charlotte wanted to walk away, but before she could take a single step, Julian snatched her wrist and raised his hand.
Slap!
Her cheek throbbed in pain as she stumbled. She could feel the sting sensation in the corner of her mouth and tasted blood on her lips.
It was just a slap, but Julian was stronger, and his strength made it feel like a punch.
For a moment, the room seemed to freeze.
It wasn't the first time Julian had hit her, but right then, as she stood there with blood on her lips, Charlotte suddenly asked herself the question she'd been avoiding for years, 'Why did I let this go on for so long?'
It hurt. God, it hurt. So much more than she could explain.
However, she couldn't say it out loud all this time because Julian would hit her harder if she cried and if she ever tried to run, he'd find her, lock her up, and punish her worse.
She had suffered in silence for five years and she finally decided to run away from him.
She would fight back as hard as she could.
Charlotte clenched her fist and slammed it into his face.
Crack.
His nose broke on impact. Blood poured down, and Charlotte couldn't help the small, savage smile that curled on her lips.
"Fuck! You bitch!"
Julian wanted to throw his hand at Charlotte, but a few men in the cafe finally stepped up for her. They pushed him and shouted, "Hey! Back off, man!"
"You seriously just slapped your own wife and now you're mad she hit you back? What kind of man are you?" one of them barked.
A woman from the corner shouted, "You did the right thing, young lady! Don't let him scare you anymore!"
That was exactly why Charlotte had chosen to do this in public.
If she had confronted him at home, he would've locked the doors, hidden her away, and no one would've known what happened to her.
"Ma'am, do you want me to take you to the hospital?" the barista asked gently, eyes filled with concern.
Charlotte touched the corner of her bleeding lips and winced at the sharp pain in her hand. She'd probably fractured her hand after punching his hard bones.
Still, she gave a soft smile and shook her head. "I'll be fine. Thank you. You can go back to work."
She knew the wounds would heal fast. That was part of the curse.
That was why Julian had always beaten her without feeling guilty.
A middle-aged woman stepped closer. "Sweetheart, do you have a place to go? I have a spare room if you need somewhere safe."
Charlotte looked at her, startled by the kindness. All of this time, she had constant fears that she would be alone if she chose to leave Julian and she would fall into her demise.
However, those fears eventually were just her anxiety talking and the reality was far from that.
She smiled, a little shaky but full of gratitude. "Thank you. But I have a place to go."
Without waiting another second, Charlotte stepped out of the café, leaving Julian behind.
Fortunately, the supernatural organization had strictly forbidden them to attack humans, except in emergency situations.
She ran as fast as she could without knowing her direction. Charlotte wanted to avoid Julian, but she knew better than anyone else that he could track her from his mark on her neck.
The only way to erase that mark was to be marked by another werewolf and he had to be stronger than her ex.
But the thought of letting a stranger mark her? That terrified her even more. What if she ended up in another hell?
She stopped running for a moment and took a deep breath, her hands trembling.
From the inside of her bag, she pulled out an old, folded piece of paper. The ink had faded, the edges torn, but she still remembered the number on it by heart.
With trembling fingers, she dialed the number. Part of her feared no one would answer. That maybe he had changed his mind, forgotten her, and moved on.
But after just one ring, the call connected.
She held her breath as she pressed the phone to her ear, swallowed hard, and whispered, "Let's renew our bond."