Chad chuckled. "Bet that was a shock."
"I’m tired of Avery," Harland muttered. "She’s dull. Always trying too hard. I put up with her because I had no choice, but now… now, I might finally have a way out."
Ice coursed through my veins.
"She’s just so... desperate," he continued, his tone filled with disdain. "Always planning these ridiculous surprises, thinking they’ll make a difference."
My fingers dug into the edge of the box, my knuckles turning white. My breath hitched, and tears burned my eyes.
"Speaking of which," Harland added with a sneer, "there’s a giant gift box sitting in the room. Probably another one of her pathetic attempts to impress me. I don’t even want to open it."
Chad laughed. "Classic Avery."
I bit down on my lip, swallowing a sob. My heart splintered into a thousand shards. Everything I had done—all the effort, all the love—had been for him. Just to see him smile, to feel even a sliver of affection. But now I realized the truth: he never saw me. Not as his Luna. Not as his partner. Not as anything.
The faint sound of running water signaled that Harland had stepped into the bathroom. I remained inside the suffocating darkness of the box, silent tears streaming down my face, struggling to process what I had just heard.
A week ago, I learned the truth: I wasn’t the Alpha’s biological daughter. A hospital mix-up had switched me with Maureen at birth. Overnight, the parents who once showered me with love turned distant. Their affection faded into indifference, their warmth replaced by empty stares. I was no longer their cherished daughter—just an outsider in a place I no longer belonged.
So, I had placed all my hope tonight. Harland was supposed to be my last refuge, the one person who wouldn’t abandon me like everyone else had.
For years, I clung to the illusion that I mattered. That I had a place. My parents’ love had vanished. My rightful position had been taken. And now, the man I had devoted myself to had shattered my final hope.
I had sacrificed everything for Harland—endured his indifference, loved him through every cold glance. But no matter what I did, I was never enough.