Chapter 1
“Bestie, feeling better?” Natalie asked, her voice syrupy sweet but her eyes sparkling with something sharp.
She wasn’t worried about Louise getting worse, though.
She was terrified she might get better.
Louise managed a small, tired smile, even though she didn’t feel much like smiling. “Not really,” she sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. “The cancer cells are eating me alive.”
“You’re a tough wolf,” Natalie said, giving Louise’s hand a supportive squeeze, her grip warmer than Louise wanted to admit she needed.
“The doctor said my wolf was becoming weak,“Louise sighed.“She was energetic and talkative but now she seldom shows up.”
“Don’t worry, she will pull through,“Natalie said.
“Thanks for the kindness,” Louise replied with a grateful smile.
“Don’t mention it. We’re besties,” Natalie beamed, pulling Louise into a tight hug, as if she could shield her from all the world’s unkindness with sheer force of will.
Louise didn’t know what to make of Natalie sometimes. The word “bestie” danced around in her mind—foreign and familiar at once, like a melody half-remembered. Their history was tangled, a mix of step-siblings crisis, school spats and office politics… Considering the unforgivable shit Natalie pulled in school and at the workplace, it was a hard sell.
A real bestie doesn’t spread vile rumors about you, or “accidentally” spill coffee all over you on the day of your big presentation, right?
But, still, here Natalie was, reaching out when no one else did.
Louise’s heart ached with the bittersweet truth of it. After her diagnosis, Natalie was the only one who visited her.
Her own husband—David—and his family were distant shadows on the periphery of her life. David, whom she had been married to for seven long years, seemed a ghost of the man she’d fallen for—his bravery, his laughter—now buried under layers of indifference.
They hadn’t had children, a fact that Ella Salinger, David’s mother, wielded like a weapon. She never missed a chance to remind Louise how she was disappointed at her, which was so unfair.
Louise loved children; she dreamed of a house filled with laughter, but nature had dealt them a different hand. Doctors had pointed fingers at David, his body the reason their dreams remained out of reach. Yet no matter how Louise attempted to explain to Mrs. Salinger, she decided Louise was the cursed one, calling her the cause of all her son’s misfortune.
“I wish my son had married your sister instead of you,” Ella’s voice would usually cut through her like a cold wind.
“Natalie’s my step-sister, actually,” Louise would clarify softly, trying to summon the courage to stand her ground.
Ella would just sniff and observe,“Ah, no wonder. She’s much more obedient than you. She is a good woman knowing her place while you can’t even fulfil your woman duty to produce an heir. You should be ashamed.”
“To have a child is a choice, not a duty,” Louise would argue quietly, even if her voice trembled, even if she knew David’s mother would rage and dismiss her pains.
Most times, the conversation would escalate, ended by Ella’s furious yell.“How dare you talk to me like this, you cursed woman!”
Louise would remain silent, glancing at her husband for help. For a shred of support. And David would always be silent in this situation, his gaze never meeting hers, as if this was a performance and he was simply a bystander.
In some deep, secret part of her, Louise held tight to memories of the brave, kind man she’d married. He’d once been her hero. He’d saved her from a group of drunk would-be rapists after a Christmas party. She’d been so grateful to him, that she chose to be with him.
People had told her to wait. Because once you chose someone to be your mate, you could no longer sense your fated mate when you meet him.
But she found David, and in him a sense of completeness. She chose him wholly, forsaking even the bonds of fate for the love she believed they shared.
So when Louise vowed before the moon priestess—she would stay with David “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health”，she meant every word she said.
When David’s investments failed, she poured her own savings into the void. When he was sick, she stayed with him from dawn to dusk to nurse him back to health.
It turned out that she’s the only one committing to their vows.
Now as her world shattered, he stood on the sidelines, absorbed in anything but her.
Days blurred. Her pain became an ever-present companion. On the worst days, she’d reach out to David, her hope thin and waning, just yearning for a little comfort. Anything.
His dismissive tone still echoed in her ears, “There’s nothing I can do about it.” He was always too busy, too important to hold her hand as she had once held his.
Louise felt like a candle flickering in a draft, her once-bright flame now dim and fragile.
Natalie’s phone buzzed, pulling Louise out of her foggy thoughts.
“Sorry, I have to take this,” Natalie said, flashing a sheepish grin as she lowered her voice. “Work is insane. Mr. Finch is royally pissed that I took sick leave.”
Louise felt a flicker of guilt, and the name ‘Mr. Finch’ twisting that guilt into a nervous knot in her stomach.
Andy Finch was her old crush. Rich, handsome, and infuriatingly brilliant. An Alpha with the kind of arrogance that could fill a room.
Back in the day, she’d never been more than a shadow in his periphery. A plain Beta like her was utterly invisible. So she’d perfected the art of coincidental meetings, though she never dared to hope for more. Humiliating herself wasn’t on her bucket list.
Their paths remained parallel until fate landed her in his company after graduation.
And guess what? He was her boss.
The universe sure had a wicked sense of humor.
Mr. Finch clearly didn’t remember the awkward girl from university. Any brush of familiarity was purely professional, and typically critical. “Do you always fail to deliver on your promises, Mrs. Salinger?“he would always mock.
God, she detested the way he addressed her, which kept reminding her of her horrible marital status.
It was like salt in an already festering wound.
But what could she do? Ask him not to? If he caught a whiff of her vulnerability that no one is backing her up, he’d probably double down.
A mother-in-law who was never tired of devaluing her existence.
A husband who played the part of a ghost.
A body engaged in what felt like an endless battle.
A boss with the sensitivity of a brick.
These were the pillars of her life.
Still, Louise often mused whether her life’s punchline could get crueler.
She was beginning to wonder if the Moon Goddess really watched over every wolf. Has she gone on a permanent vacation? Or perhaps this was her special brand of karma for wolves who dared to skip out on their fated mates.
The noise from the hallway yanked her back to reality. Enough with the self-indulgent pity, she thought. With a resigned sigh, Louise slipped off the bed and padded across the room, making her way to the hallway. If Mr. Finch was giving Natalie an earful because of her, she was more than ready to snatch the phone and call him an asshole. After all, she’d already quit. Tolerating unnecessary drama had fallen right off her to-do list, and politeness w as entirely optional.
But as she approached, Natalie’s laughter floated down the hall.
Not the wary chuckle of a coworker placating a tyrant. It was a genuine, full-bodied laugh.
Louise froze as she realised Natalie had fed her a load of bull.
She wasn’t talking to Mr. Finch at all.
It was her husband.
“You’re a genius, David,” Natalie was saying, voice dripping with adoration. “I’ve never met anyone with such vision. Babe, I love you. You’re a born investor.”
Louise felt the walls tilt around her.
What the fuck? Natalie was calling her husband “babe”? !
The world spun faster. Louise clung to the wall, breath caught in her throat.
“How much was the insurance? A hundred grand? Holy the Moon, we’ll be rich soon!” Natalie squealed, practically gushing. “Yes, your wife’s in bad shape. Two weeks, tops, and she’ll be worm food. We can use the insurance for the new house. You want to celebrate tonight? Oh, you devil. Your place? Wink, wink. Won’t we be too loud for your mother? She likes me better than her? Oh, tell sweet Ella I said hi. Okay, got to run, or your wife might catch on. Love you, David. See you tonight. No undies.”
Louise quickly returned to her bed, arranging herself just as Natalie ended the call and returned to the room.
“Everything okay? What did Mr. Finch say?” Louise asked as she schooled her face into an innocently inquisitive expression. She hoped she well masked the swirl of emotions beneath.
“Nothing important,” Natalie replied, offering a theatrical grimace as she eased back into her chair. She took Louise’s hand with an air of well-rehearsed sympathy. “Just focus on getting better. We’re all eager to throw a party once you recover.”
More like they’re planning a party for my funeral, Louise thought wryly. “Can I really get better?” she murmured, infusing her voice with a carefully measured fragility.
“Of course,” Natalie squeezed her hand reassuringly. “You’ve got the heart of a wolf. Cancer can’t bring you down, Bestie.”
But what if your wolf is withering because your mate is a cheating bastard?
With sudden clarity, Louise understood the true source of her pain. Cancer, yes, but that was merely part of it. Her husband’s infidelity was the venomous undercurrent preventing her from getting better.
She used every ounce of strength not to confront Natalie right now.
She had to play along.
Evidence first. Confrontation later.
The plan was simple. Collect what she needed tonight, then divorce David and navigate whatever wreckage followed.
Yet, she never expected she’d die in the process.
