Chapter 2 I Hate You

• Jennifer's POV:
• I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Maya Hawkin, my best friend of seven years and my closest confidante, was tangled up with my fiancé that I was supposed to marry tomorrow.
• Each breath felt like agony. Claude's hands, which once swore loyalty only to me, were now caressing Maya's body—her chest, her waist, even her vagina. It was unbearable to watch.
• He was so lost in his desire that he didn't even notice me standing there in the doorway. I witnessed everything. I could see the satisfaction on his face as he entered her, the way Maya threw her head back and moaned in pleasure. Their bodies were entangled and utterly consumed by lust.
• But that should have been our bed. I should have been the one underneath Claude, not Maya. They had betrayed me.
• Rage and humiliation crashed over me in waves. I clenched my fists tightly and wanted nothing more than to rip them apart. I stepped forward, but then Maya's eyes met mine. She had seen me, but instead of fear or guilt, there was only defiance.
• Maya wrapped her arms tighter around Claude. She ran her hands over his back, and her moans became louder. She was doing this on purpose and wanted me to see. I couldn't take it anymore. "Claude!" I screamed, my voice raw with emotion.
• Tears streamed down my face as Claude turned. He was shocked to see me, and he quickly scrambled off Maya. His expression was frantic. In his panic, he didn't even bother to cover his naked body.
• His desire vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer terror as he fumbled to cover his nakedness.
• "Jennifer, I can explain ... "
• "What is there to explain?" I shot back, my voice breaking. "I saw everything! What lie are you going to tell me now?"
• My heart ached so much I could barely breathe, though a small part of me foolishly hoped his explanation might make it better. But before he could speak, Maya stood up. She made no effort to cover herself; her body was marked with countless bites from Claude.
• She walked over to me, smiling like she had won some kind of twisted game. Maya revealed, "Leo is Claude's son."
• Leo Hawkin. Maya's three-year-old son ... was Claude's.
• Whatever fragile hope I had left shattered in that moment. My mind reeled as the weight of her words sank in, as though the world had just collapsed around me.
• I looked to Claude, praying he would deny it and give me something, anything. However, things didn't happen as I wished.
• He didn't. His eyes lowered, filled with guilt. Without a single word of protest, Claude had silently confirmed Maya's words.
• It felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. I wanted to scream and hit him, but the pain inside me was too overwhelming. It choked me, leaving me unable to speak.
• I was furious. I was filled with hatred.
• How could they do this to me? For seven years, I had loved them both—one as my partner, the other as my best friend. But they had been deceiving me all along. They even had a child together.
• "You b*tch!"
• I couldn't hold back the anger and humiliation any longer. I slapped Maya across the face with all the strength I had left. The impact stung my hand, but it didn't compare to the pain in my heart.
• "Enough! Jennifer, don't think so highly of yourself!"
• Claude rushed forward and shoved me to the ground. He was shielding Maya in his arms. Claude pointed out the brutal truth, "You're nothing but a weak, wolfless Omega. Who else but me would marry you? If you still want to marry me, forget what just happened. Pretend you didn't see anything!"
• The pain in my body was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. How could he say such cruel words? Was all of his love a lie? Tears streamed down my face as I stood, trembling. "Claude, you promised me. You said you'd love only me. You knew how much I've been looking forward to this wedding."
• "Yes, yes, I know," Claude said, letting go of Maya and walking over to me. "So, just act like you didn't see anything, okay? I still love you, Jennifer. I'm still willing to marry you. You don't have to stop me from being with Maya. The three of us together—it could work, right?"
• "Enough!"
• I shoved Claude's hand away. His words disgusted me. Even his touch made my skin crawl. His body still carried Maya's scent.
• "I hate you!"
• I screamed the words at him, my voice breaking as all the strength drained from my body.
• Then I ran. I didn't know where I was going, but I ran as fast as I could. Running was the only thing that kept me from reliving what I had just witnessed.
• Seven years of love led up to what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Tomorrow, we were supposed to be together forever.
• But everything I saw tonight completely shattered all my dreams. Claude was no longer the man who once swore he loved me and promised to spend his life with me. He had betrayed me!
• I ran aimlessly until my legs gave out and I tumbled down a hillside. Finally, I crashed into a shallow stream. I knew where I was—on the outskirts of the Red Moon Pack territory. It was a dangerous place, somewhere I'd normally never go. But tonight, I didn't care. I didn't even try to stand. I had lost my rationality. I just sat there in the cold water, sobbing until a familiar voice broke through my despair.
• "Jennifer? What are you doing here?"
• I turned and saw Brian standing behind me. His lower body was submerged in the water.
• "Brian?"
• I choked out in shock. And then, suddenly, I realized—Brian was naked.