9. No Safety Net

I spent days searching for a job. Each morning, I woke with a knot of anxiety in my stomach, knowing that I would face another round of rejections.

The world outside Castor’s grip was cruel, and I had never realized how dependent I had been on him. The rejection was hard to take. I didn’t have a degree, and my resume was little more than a blank page. Most companies barely let me finish speaking before they cut me off.

Some knew who I was the second I introduced myself.

“Lila Roman? Castor Roman’s wife?” The interviewers would stare. They didn’t say it outright, but I could tell they were afraid. Afraid of hiring someone tied to the most powerful Alpha in the city.

I wasn’t a person to them.

I was Castor’s property, even if I was trying to leave him. No one wanted to be caught in his orbit. No one wanted to take the risk.

I tried to hold onto hope. I couldn’t go back to Castor, not after everything. But the weight of the rejections piled up, making me feel smaller each day. I wasn’t