1. My Freedom

Celestine’s POV

"I, Benedict Alberts, the Alpha of the Wildfangs Pack, declare to divorce you, Celestine Smith."

The Alpha looks down at me from the podium as he announces our divorce in the middle of the moonlight party. I have a hint he will do this, but how arrogant he is to make a scene tonight just to embarrass me! Honestly, I expect nothing from such a fool. I should thank him later for making things easy for me, though.

"From now on, you are no longer my Luna," Alpha Benedict continues as he throws a deadly glare at me. "There is no place for you in Wildfangs Pack anymore."

Murmurs slowly fill the banquet hall as members of the pack take the Alpha’s side. They were his people in the first place. Their side comments don’t bother me much. I’m used to it ever since living in the pack after my marriage.

"You are the daughter of the cruel Alpha of the West. So, leave this place and go back to your pack," he adds with disgust on his face.

Ah! This guy is clueless. Will he make the same face when he finds out the truth?

Alpha Benedict smirks and tosses his wedding ring onto me. "Even if you don’t like it, you’re still a descendant of that cruel man. Maybe he will accept you again if you act pitiful in front of him."

"Oh my god! The Alpha is obviously not fond of her."

"I will die of embarrassment if my husband throws his wedding ring on my face in front of many people."

"Correction. She’s his ex-wife, as they are no longer married."

It seems like everyone thinks this is over. Just because the Alpha is done with his speech, it doesn’t mean that I am done as well.

"Ah. Watching this scene makes me feel sick," Beatrice, the Alpha’s lover, butts in while throwing herself at him.

Beatrice is a mere Omega and was supposedly my maid. However, with a pretty face and a sweet personality, she captured the Alpha’s heart instead. Everyone in the pack knows about her illicit affair with Benedict. Unfortunately, the majority prefer her as their Luna compared to having me, the daughter of the cruel Alpha.

"Beatrice…"

It makes me want to puke just looking at how affectionate Benedict is toward his woman while calling her name. I’m not jealous at all, but to think that I married such a fool makes me regretful and annoyed at myself.

Beatrice beams and wraps her arms around him. "I know it’s not easy to lead the pack, but I’m worried about your health, Alpha. You shouldn’t stress yourself over anyone."

There is a rumor going around in the Wildfangs’s territory. It says that Alpha Benedict is head over heels for Beatrice Campbell and that he can move even the mountains just to please her. The rumor sounds exaggerated, but it’s partially true. When Beatrice took a liking to one of my jewels, the Alpha immediately ordered me to give it to her. Although I didn’t say anything, the foolish Alpha shouldn’t have thought it was fine if he took what was mine. Sadly, Benedict knows nothing about me. I bet he would have been more careful if he had been aware of one thing I’m good at—holding grudges.

I glance over at Beatrice's neck. As usual, she’s wearing the pendant they took from my room when I wasn’t around. It is an heirloom left by my late mother, and seeing it hanging around the trash’s neck makes my blood boil.

"Ah, she’s pitiful."

"She may not be expecting this divorce at all."

"After all, she’s the cruel Alpha’s beloved daughter."

"Even if she’s a daughter of the Alpha, she has to bow down to the man she married for the rest of her life."

"This divorce is disgraceful on her part. I wonder if her father will accept her when she returns."

Contrary to everyone’s belief, my father never loved me. He is indeed a cruel Alpha, but the talk about me being his beloved daughter is not true in the slightest. But who cares about the truth?

Nobody. It doesn’t even matter. People will believe what they want, be it facts or lies.

On second thought, I know very well that Benedict doesn’t love me. We married not because of love in the first place. It was my father’s arrangement to dispose of me. He got sick of my face and wanted me out of his sight; thus, sending me off to marry was the conclusion. It’s funny how he handed me and all my rights to some unknown Alpha from a weaker pack.

With me as his wife, Benedict slowly obtains connections with stronger packs. He has barely maintained our loveless marriage for 5 years, but, in the end, his heart completely turns to his lover, Beatrice.

And Beatrice can’t be satisfied with just being the Alpha’s lover anymore. So, tonight, Alpha Benedict decides to make Beatrice, the love of his life, his new Luna while discarding me in the process. It wasn’t an easy decision for him, but the most influential factor is that Beatrice is pregnant. While I avoided sleeping with Benedict for five years, Beatrice fulfilled his carnal desires without hesitation.

"It’s the end. I didn’t plan to do this at first, but I can no longer tolerate your arrogance," Alpha Benedict blurts out. "I hope to never see your face again, Celestine Smith. Go back to the place where you belong and live well."

"This cheating bastard," I whisper in exasperation. I want to keep quiet until everything is over, but he seems to enjoy humiliating me, and I can’t just stay still while he does that. "Divorce, you say?"

I put down the glass of wine I’m holding and look him straight in the eyes. "Then I don’t need to keep my respect for you anymore." I smile while looking at how his facial expression changed.

"What... What did you say?"

I shrug. "Well, you are no longer my husband."

"What are you plotting now, Celestine? This wouldn't happen if you weren’t so arrogant."

"Is the divorce process finally over?" Ignoring his yapping and asking him something else instead makes him contort his face even more.

Benedict clenches his jaw. "You lost your mind because of the divorce, huh? It looks like you still can’t believe this is happening."

Wow, he’s a fool until the end. If there’s one thing I still can’t believe, it's how stupid he can be to be divorcing me at this crucial moment.

Flashing him my sweetest smile, I thanked Benedict, which only gets on his nerves. "Thank you very much. Now that it’s over, I can finally do whatever I like. You know, the past 5 years have been really hard for me."

"Celestine Smith, don’t you understand the situation right now?"

"Oh, no. I totally get what you’re doing, and I’m grateful for it." I grin as I try not to laugh. "This is exactly what I wanted. Thanks for taking care of it in advance."

"How dare you?" Alpha Benedict growls in anger. His pride is probably shattered right now, but who cares?

"I’m sorry, but it’s not me who doesn’t understand the current situation, Benedict. It’s you."

"After all, what are you trying to scheme?"

Ah, seriously. It’s tiring to keep a conversation going with a foolish man.

"Hey, isn’t it time for you to show up?" I turn to the door and wait for it to be kicked open. "This one loves to make an entrance, huh?" Sighing at the pitiful sight of the door, I land my gaze on the newcomer.

A tall and handsome man walks in with his head held high. His glowing red eyes scream power and strength. Everyone can tell who he is at first glance, including Benedict.

"What?" Benedict looks at me with confusion all over his face. "Celestine, what is he doing here?"

"How rude!" a deep, authoritative voice roars in the hall. "I didn’t expect anything from lowly people like you, but to think you can’t greet a guest properly..."

I raise my hand to get the man’s attention. He isn’t in a position to tell Benedict about proper manners when he just broke the door to barge in.

"Here," the newcomer says, handing me a glass of wine after he takes a sip from it. "Your throat must be hurting, so drink this."

Staring at the glass, I accept his offer and drink the wine. "Thank you, Alpha Cadmus."

Alpha Cadmus smirks upon hearing me call his name. He bends his face down and cups my cheeks with his right hand while the other tosses the glass to the ground. "I’m glad it helps.

"...my Luna."