Chapter 1

On our eight anniversary as mates, bound by marriage, I found a pair of panties in Daven’s coat pocket that didn’t belong to me.

When I held them up to him, he replied coldly, “I just accidentally bought the wrong size for you. I knew you'd start overthinking. Should’ve thrown them away.”

I said nothing, quietly dumping the dinner I had spent hours preparing into the trash.

Later that night, Daven’s "true love" from overseas posted on social media. In the picture, a man’s hand was gently massaging her back, and on his long, rugged ring finger was the wedding band that matched mine.

Her caption, sickeningly sweet: “No matter how far, my Superman will always come get me when I want to come home.”

I gave it a casual like, then turned and picked up my ex’s business card.

“Still got a spot for me?” I asked. “I can... come back anytime.”

"Of course, Emberlyn. You know I’ve been waiting for you all this time."

I didn’t respond, though a bitter wave of emotions surged inside me.

Back then, Daven had done me a favor, and it led to a complete fallout between him and Zephyr.

But eight years later, I was still like a fool, begging to return to a past that had long been dead. Zephyr was not my mate, neither was Daven but regarding the situation that I had known Daven for a long time, I loved him and he was willing to form a bond with me even if we weren't destined to, I decided to marry him.

But now, I had nothing left. Daven had drained the last bit of love I had for him, and there was nothing holding me back anymore.

After hanging up the phone, I immediately got up to apply for my passport.

Then, Daven’s call came in, sharp and accusatory, as though I was the one at fault.

“Emily just posted something for fun—what are you getting upset about now?”

I didn’t answer, the quiet scratch of my pen filling the silence as I signed the documents.

Sensing something off, he asked, “What are you doing? You’re not at home?”

I lied, “I’m just getting the car inspected.”

“Great, I’m heading over to register Emily’s new car. Do me a favor and hold the spot in line for me. I’ll be there soon.”

I opened my mouth to refuse, but the call was cut off before I could speak.

He was as dismissive as ever, focused solely on what he needed.

I sighed quietly. Before I left, I would humble myself one last time, acting like nothing more than a servant to him.

I saw the license plate "DL2456" and it hit me—this was the same combination Daven had used as his password for years.

I had asked him about it countless times, but he always dodged the question. Finally, he snapped, embarrassed and angry.

“It’s just a bunch of numbers! Why do you have to keep asking? It doesn’t mean anything. Can we just drop it?”

I was taken aback by his outburst; it was the first time I’d ever seen him lose his temper like that. To assert his control, he even forced me to change all my passwords to match his: "DL2456."

I thought about it for a long time, and one day, staring at my phone’s keypad, it finally clicked.

I let out a bitter laugh. It wasn’t just random numbers after all. It spelled out "Daven Loves Emily."

I had thought his strange behavior started after Emily broke up with her boyfriend overseas a few years ago. But now I realized it was from the very beginning—he never really cared about me.

Knowing that, I had no reason to stay.

I sent a picture of my passport to Zephyr. He replied that he would come and pick me up personally.

I was about to refuse when he firmly insisted, “You’re a woman. You can’t make the trip alone. It’s too dangerous. I have to come get you myself.”

“And while I’m at it… I’d like to see just how far he’s willing to go, abandoning you for this so-called ‘true love.’”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I fought the burning in my throat.

I couldn’t help but remember the time I miscarried. Daven could’ve taken me to the hospital.

But instead, one phone call from Emily sent him rushing overseas without a second thought.

He had pushed me out of the car, leaving me to fall into the mud. His voice cold as he said, “The hospital’s just a block away. Emily’s alone and scared of the thunder. I have to get to her right away.”

“You’re strong. If you save the baby, I’ll reward you. If not, that’s on you.”

Watching the car drive off, my heart shattered in the pouring rain, but I still forced myself to crawl to the hospital.

Unfortunately, it was too late. I sat there, numb, staring at the lifeless fetus.

The doctor sighed and said, “If you’d gotten here five minutes earlier, we might’ve been able to do something.”

But those five minutes were ones Daven wasn’t willing to give me.

When he came back, his face was ice cold as he glanced at my discharge papers. He burned the baby clothes I had prepared, one by one.

All that was left in his eyes was pure contempt. “What a waste.”

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and softly whispered, “Thank you,” to Zephyr before ending the call.

Just as I was about to hang up, I felt a familiar touch behind me.

“Who are you talking to?”

Chapter 2

EMBERLYN'S POV

Daven stood behind me, clearly annoyed. I flinched, startled, and quickly hung up the phone.

He took a few long strides toward me, his eyes suspiciously flicking to my phone. But then his own phone rang in his pocket, and his expression immediately softened into a smile.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be driving your new car in no time.”

“Yeah, the latest Porsche model. You know I always get you the best of everything.”

He had that cocky grin on his face, like a teenager trying to impress his first crush.

I’d never seen that look on him before. In fact, I’d once asked him for a secondhand car, something basic, and he had coldly shot me down.

“You’re with me, aren’t you? That means you’re not here to enjoy the easy life. Can’t even handle riding a bike to work?”

And yet here he was, ready to spoil Emily, practically waiting on her hand and foot.

I gave a bitter, mocking smile and turned to leave, but he quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

I looked down and noticed his shirt cuff was undone.

Normally, I would’ve immediately fixed it for him without him needing to ask.

But this time, I barely glanced at it, indifferent. I continued to walk forward. I had realized in a painful way that as long as we aren't bound by fate, our relationship would be built on shaky ground.

He finally noticed the change in my demeanor and raised an eyebrow, asking, “What’s going on with you?”

I didn’t answer, just took off the matching rings and handed it to him.

He froze, staring at me in disbelief, before demanding, “You’re mad just because I asked you to hold a spot in line?”

I shook my head, not interested in explaining any further. Daven, growing frustrated, handed me a small gift box, urging me to open it.

Inside was a promotional silk scarf from this season’s Dior collection. I didn’t even need to guess who the real gift had gone to.

What stung the most wasn’t the scarf, but the fact that I wasn’t worth more than Emily’s discarded extras.

I calmly closed the box and handed it back to him. He snapped, his temper flaring.

“Emberlyn, stop being so ungrateful! This is for our anniversary, and I went out of my way to buy it for you. What more do you want?”

I couldn’t help but laugh, a cold, hollow sound.

“I’m not worth the effort, Daven. And by the way, our anniversary was yesterday.” I said, flashing him a brief, painful laugh. “we aren't meant to be, the moon goddess never approved of her bond, but you have no right to hurt me in this manner”

He blinked, clearly taken aback, then his tone softened, as if trying to fix the situation.

“Emberlyn, I swear, I didn’t know…”

I raised a hand to stop him, signaling that I didn’t care anymore. As I turned to walk away, a familiar voice chimed in from behind.

“Oh, Emberlyn, you’re here too!”

I turned and found myself face to face with Emily, dressed in a perfectly polished yet playful outfit. I looked down, nervously tugging at a loose thread on my sleeve.

The moment Daven saw her, his eyes filled with a tenderness I had never once experienced. He looked at her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

“I asked Emberlyn to hold a spot in line for you. She’s upset with me now.”

Emily widened her eyes in mock innocence, blinking at me.

“I’m so sorry, Emberlyn! I’ve only just gotten back, and I don’t really know how things work around here. I hope you’re not mad at me?”

I felt the color drain from my face. All I could do was shake my head.

Emily smiled, nodding as if satisfied, then kicked out her foot with a giggle. Daven immediately bent down to tie her shoe, as if he were her loyal servant.

The sight of it made me sick to my stomach. In the eight years we had been together, Daven had never once helped me with anything so simple, not even a coat when I was cold.

I had always swallowed my pride and told myself that he was just too busy to be bothered with small gestures like that.

But now I saw the truth. It wasn’t that he was too busy—it was that I wasn’t worth it.

“Oh, Daven, don’t do that! Emberlyn’s going to misunderstand if she sees you acting like this!” Emily teased, her eyes glinting with satisfaction as she glanced my way.

Before I could say anything, Daven cut in with a sharp tone, “There’s nothing to misinterpret here. We’re just friends. Only someone with a dirty mind would twist it into something it’s not.”

The disdain in his voice was clear, as was the disgust in his eyes as he looked at me. It was as if I had somehow intruded on their perfect little moment.

I forced a smile and said, “You’re right. I don’t belong here. I won’t overthink things.”

Without waiting for a reply, I grabbed my bag and walked away.

By the time I finished packing my things that evening, Daven still hadn’t come home.

But that was for the best. It gave me the peace I needed to wrap things up.

I pulled out my resignation letter, carefully considering how I would break the news to him.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed with notifications from the work group chat, which was blowing up.

"Did I just see what I think I saw? Our stone-cold boss Daven just walked into the office holding a woman in his arms!"

"Yeah, I saw it too! And it looked pretty intense—there was even a stocking thrown on the floor!"

"But doesn’t he have a girlfriend? I thought he’s super in love with her and keeps her all protected?"

"Yeah, I remember hearing that too. Isn’t she still working at our company?"

I held my breath as I scrolled through the messages, looking at the pictures my coworkers had secretly captured of Daven and Emily.

She must’ve just finished drinking because she was completely drunk, draped all over Daven’s body, clutching that Dior bag—the same one that came with the silk scarf.

She had carelessly tossed it on the ground like trash, and there was Daven, patiently calming her down, looking nothing like the powerful, ruthless CEO everyone feared.

As I scrolled to the last photo, my hand slipped, and I accidentally tagged Daven in the group chat.

Instantly, the entire chat fell silent. No one could believe I’d just made such a huge mistake.

Daven saw it all, read every message, and immediately added Emily to the chat.

With a sweet voice, she introduced herself to everyone.

“Hi, everyone! I’ll be heading the sales department from now on. Please take good care of me!”

The chat exploded with praise.

"Wow! Are you going to be our new boss's wife?"

"Just from your profile pic, I can tell you’re a beauty. Daven is so lucky!"

"Yeah, we’re getting paid to admire a gorgeous woman in the office now. Lucky us!"

I suddenly felt like a rat crawling through the sewers. Eight years of being ignored, of never being given a title or respect, and yet Emily could have it all effortlessly.

On a whim, I posted my resignation letter in the group chat and tagged Daven.

He quickly replied, "What the hell are you doing?"

Maybe afraid I’d say more, he burst through the door less than five minutes later, slamming it behind him.

His face was twisted in anger as he stormed over, grabbing my wrist so tightly that the coffee I was holding spilled all over me, its bitter scent filling the air.

“Emberlyn, what the hell did you post in the group chat?”

“All I asked was for you to hold a spot in line, and you’ve been throwing a tantrum ever since. Can you grow up?”

His eyes burned with fury, and he didn’t care at all about the coffee soaking into my clothes or how pathetic I looked.

I stared up at him, unflinching. “It’s exactly what it says. I quit.”

He laughed, as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

“You quit? Emberlyn, you’ve got no degree, no looks, no skills. If you leave me, what are you even going to do? You really think you’re something after eight years?”

His tone was dripping with disdain, as if I’d been nothing but a leech to him all this time.

I smiled faintly. “You’re right. I haven’t forgotten how you spoke up for me all those years ago. But after eight years together, I think I’ve repaid you plenty. We’re done.”

For a split second, I saw a flash of panic on his face, but it was quickly replaced with a mocking smirk.

“Emberlyn, do you really think I’m going to fall for your little mind games? I can’t stand manipulative women!”

With that, he grabbed his jacket and slammed the door behind him.

In eight years, our countless arguments had always ended with me apologizing first.

Sometimes, even that wasn’t enough, and he’d push me further, making me apologize to Emily just to chip away at whatever self-respect I had left.

But this time, I didn’t care anymore.

The next morning came, and I still hadn’t sent him a text to make amends.

Daven came home, his face dark with anger, and yanked the covers off me.

He was holding a stunningly beautiful dress. For a brief moment, my heart wavered, but I quickly brushed it off.

Because the dress wasn’t even my size.

Daven, avoiding my eyes, fidgeted and said, “I remember you’re good at sewing. Fix this dress for me before the end of the day.”

Chapter 3

I looked at him, unaffected by his lack of reaction. We’d been together for eight years, and he’d rarely ever bought me clothes. I couldn’t bear to spend money on new ones myself, always mending the same outfits and making them last for years.This designer dress? It was clearly Emily’s style, not mine.

I lowered my eyes, saying nothing. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, maybe realizing he’d never given me anything so nice.

“Forget it. I’ll figure something out. Just stay home by yourself.”

But I raised my head, taking the dress in my hands.

"I’ll have it ready for you by 5 p.m., but on one condition—you approve my resignation."

Daven froze for a moment, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Seriously? You’re still hung up on that? Fine, you want to quit?”

“Come see me tonight, and I’ll sign it. I want to see how well you do without me. Let’s see what kind of life you think you can have once you leave me.”

He was practically shouting, his eyes bloodshot and full of rage.

“You think anyone’s going to want you once you’re done with me? You’re nothing but used goods!”

On the outside, I kept my calm, but inside, I was already broken.

Have I ever had a good day in the past eight years?

I’d spent every day like a maid—cooking, cleaning, taking care of him. At work, I was the lowest of the low, doing the grunt work that everyone else looked down on.

If Daven had ever truly cared about me, he would have seen the toll those eight years had taken.

Without thinking, I clenched the needle in my hand, accidentally jabbing it deep into my fingertip. Blood instantly stained the fabric.

With tears in my eyes, I called Zephyr.

“I don’t want to be here anymore…”

His voice was full of concern as he reassured me, promising he’d come right away.

I focused on finishing the last stitch. Once it was done, the weight in my chest finally lifted.

We were done. I owed him nothing anymore.

I called Daven to ask where to send the dress, and he sent back a cold text:

“Keep it. I don’t want it anymore, it’s dirty.”

I stared at the few messages he’d ever sent me. In eight years, I’d always been the one reaching out.

He’d barely replied more than ten times.

Eight years of effort, and I’d never earned a single meaningful conversation.

I didn’t reply, but soon he grew impatient, sending a string of angry texts:

“I don’t want the dress anymore. Keep it for yourself.”

“I said I don’t want it! Are you blind, or what?”

Silently, I blocked him and snapped a picture of the dress, sending it to Emily.

"Miss, your dress is fixed. Where should I send it?"

She replied sweetly and almost immediately.

“Oh, so it was you! Daven said one of the maids was going to fix it, I didn’t realize it was you. I’m sorry about that! I told him I didn’t want the dress after wearing it twice, but he insisted it was special since it was the first gift he gave me when we met. I guess I couldn’t argue with that!”

“Thanks again! I’m at Zest Lounge. Oh, and while you’re at it, could you bring me a pack of condoms? Thanks so much!”

A wave of nausea washed over me, but I quietly got on my bike and headed there.

When I arrived, Daven and Emily were pressed close, dancing together. Familiar faces from work filled the room, watching the scene unfold.

Daven’s eyebrows knitted together when he saw me, his eyes filled with anger.

“What are you doing here? Have you no shame?”

Emily quickly stepped in, laughing as she stopped Daven.

“She was nice enough to fix my dress. Why are you yelling at her?”

“Besides, I asked her to come. The dress is important to us, after all!”

She pouted, and Daven affectionately pinched her cheek.

“My little princess can do whatever she wants.”

Then he turned to me, his expression cold and distant, as if I were a stranger.

“Anything else?”

I pulled out my resignation letter, looked him straight in the eye, and calmly said, “Mr. Williams, I’ve taken care of everything you asked. Please sign this.”

For a moment, the room went silent. Everyone stared at Daven, waiting for his response.

His face darkened. He hadn’t expected me to confront him so openly in front of everyone.

He tried to read my expression, looking for some sign of hesitation or regret, but found none.

"Wow, look at Emberlyn. She's really standing up to the boss, huh?" someone whispered nearby.

"Yeah, I didn’t think she had it in her."

Unable to contain himself any longer, Daven snapped.

“Fine, I’ll sign it. But don’t come crawling back later. Ungrateful people like you are useless!”

He snatched the resignation letter, signed it, and threw it at my face.

Humiliated, I bent down to pick up the papers one by one. As I did, a ring fell at my feet.

It was our matching ring.

Emily’s voice chimed in innocently.

“Emberlyn, why don’t you take this with you? Daven said it’s old, and we got new ones. You won’t mind, right?” Emily smirked in an evil manner.

She then walked towards me, slowly crouching to my ears as she whispered.

“Daven is mine, he is my fated mate, given to me by the moon goddess herself, you don't stand a chance with him”

I was about to shake my head when a strong hand lifted me up, and the ring was kicked back toward Daven.

“Don’t you have hands or feet? Pick up your own trash!”

I looked up to see Zephyr, his face full of fury. He’d arrived much faster than I expected.

Daven’s expression shifted from shock to rage as soon as he realized who it was.

“What the hell are you doing here? Emberlyn is still mine!”