Chapter 4

I had always been good at waiting.

When I was a kid, I waited for someone to adopt me.

Later, I waited for the last bus after my part-time shifts.

And then, I waited for a husband who never wanted to come home.

By habit, I found myself waiting again.

Waiting for Ethan and his first love to rekindle their flame.

And then, waiting to be rejected.

My previous waits were numbing and dull.

But this time, I was scared.

Sometimes, you just have to be brave once.

So, for the first time, I went to Ethan’s office at the Packhouse.

On the way there, I practiced my questions a thousand times.

"Do you still love Sarah?"

"When are you going to reject me?"

But I was stopped right at the entrance.

The guard gave me a polite but firm smile.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. All visitors need to make an appointment a week in advance."

The guard clearly didn't recognize me. It made sense; most of the guards were on duty elsewhere on our wedding day, and I rarely showed my face at the Packhouse.

I wasn't sure if Ethan wanted the guards to know I was his Luna.

I had never visited him here before, so I didn't push or state my identity.

I dialed Ethan’s number.

Just as the phone started ringing, I heard his familiar ringtone echoing from the end of the corridor.

Ethan was walking at the front of a group.

He glanced at his phone, his brow furrowing as if debating whether to answer.

I quickly hung up.

He didn't seem to care. He slowed his pace, occasionally turning back to speak to someone behind him.

As they walked past, just a few yards away, I finally saw the woman walking beside him.

It was Sarah.

Time had left no marks on her face. She looked just as pure and beautiful as she did in the photos on Ethan’s old social media posts from eight years ago.

She quickened her steps to walk side-by-side with him.

Her voice was bright and cheerful.

"Oh? You haven't changed your ringtone after all these years? It's still my favorite song."

I had heard that back in his rebellious days, Ethan only listened to heavy rock.

But Sarah liked soft, classical melodies.

Ethan’s taste in music had changed entirely for her.

I guess that was the mark love had left on him.

Even now, the habit remained.

Only after they walked away did the guard speak to me again.

"Ma'am, as you can see, the Alpha is busy. If you need something, you can schedule an appointment with the secretary."

I forced a smile.

"Thanks. No need."

I felt so exhausted. My eyes stung.

I told myself that all I needed was to go home and sleep.

But the forum notifications on my phone kept buzzing.

"Guess who I just ran into at the Packhouse banquet hall? Ethan and Sarah!"

"Oh my god, are they finally back together? The ship is finally sailing!"

"@Sarah, spill the tea!"

Sarah posted a picture in response.

It showed a beautiful window view, a fancy dinner, and a man's hand resting on the table.

His face wasn't in the frame, but I would recognize those strong, veiny forearms anywhere.

She captioned it:

"The food here is amazing. Highly recommend."

She didn't give a direct answer, but the implication was crystal clear.

I zoomed in on the photo.

Ethan had beautiful hands with distinct knuckles.

I had held that hand countless times.

I was the one who had slipped the wedding band onto his finger.

My eyes locked onto his left hand.

His ring finger was bare.

He had taken off his wedding ring.