Chapter 49 The Truth About Him is Killing Me Slowly
Quinn’s POV
I couldn't hold back my laughter even though people on the bus were looking at me strangely.
It’s really funny.
I wish Grayson would chase after me and stop me from leaving. I wish Grayson would shout my name and understand what I'm saying. The truth is, it's only in my imagination. The truth is, Grayson let me go without denying that he had found another woman to replace me. Which confirms that he has indeed found a replacement for me, and most likely his fated mate.
That's why I can't stop laughing because I believed him so easily. I trusted Grayson more than I trusted Owen in the past. I believed what Grayson said that night because it sounded so sweet and like something I wanted to hear. So now I'm even more hurt and disappointed.
If someone now calls me foolish, I’ll accept it.
I am stupid for believing a man who previously slept with many women. I am stupid for believing a man who said he never confirmed the rumors about the women he gossiped about because he hadn't met his fated mate yet. But maybe that was just Grayson's excuse so he wouldn't look like a playboy or a jackass.
It was truly the most shocking twist I’ve ever faced.
I also deeply regret it. I should have learned from the past. I shouldn't have let myself fall in love again. I should have just focused on Dylan and myself. Because involving men is really complicated.
“Sweetie, sit next to me.” An old woman tapped the empty seat next to her.
“Thank you. But I think I’ll prefer to stand,” I replied politely.
But she pulled my hand, so I had no choice but to sit next to her.
“Do you have a problem?”
That's when I suddenly felt my eyes become hot and blurry. The sadness that I had been trying to hold back since leaving the ambulance suddenly gathered again and became as big as a mountain. If someone asked me about my feelings again, I was sure I would cry.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it. But you can use my shoulder if you need a place to lean on. Here, it’s okay.” She patted her shoulder.
I nodded and then leaned my head against her shoulder. It felt comfortable. That’s what I wanted.
I also just realized that all this time, I really needed a shoulder to lean on, not just offering my shoulder for others to lean on. As a result, because I was too often a support for others, I eroded, and I only feel it now.
I didn't expect the old woman to stroke my hair. With her wrinkled hands, she managed to calm my heart a little. At least not as agitated as before.
"Sweetie, you have to know that you don't have to be a rock all the time. You can be a cloud, cotton, or a soft pillow. You can let the world see when you're sad or fragile because you're only human."
I nodded silently because I was sure my voice would be hoarse. But I wanted to thank her for her comforting words. So I used one hand to hold her hand. While my other hand continued to scroll through the news.
But no matter how many times I scrolled through the screen, Grayson's name kept appearing. Various articles ranged from those discussing his game, the injury he had just suffered, to articles about... a woman who was suspected of being his fated mate.
I was too curious, so I clicked on one of the articles that contained a video. In the video, Grayson was seen holding the hand of a woman who looked as beautiful and sexy as a model. The article stated that Grayson had finally reunited with his childhood friend, an Alpha werewolf and former social media intern at Frost Maple named Kelly Harper Swan. At the end of the article, there was a question that was also on my mind: Is this woman just a childhood friend, or is she the fated mate Grayson has been waiting for all this time?
I immediately flipped my phone after reading the last sentence. It felt like something suddenly hit my chest really hard, making it feel suffocating, so I had to squeeze my shirt because it hurt so much.
But I had to look at my phone again because there was a message coming in. It was from the general manager.
Instead of reading it, my eyes were more focused on another article below the previous one, which explained that Kelly was Grayson's first love who disappeared 10 years ago. Because of her sudden absence, Kelly caused Grayson to go crazy on the day of his team's victory in the season he first joined Frost Maple.
This second article managed to break through the defenses I had built. My tears fell uncontrollably. They flowed faster and faster. Now it felt like not only my chest hurt, but my whole body.
It turns out that all this time I thought I knew everything about Grayson except for his family, but it turns out I knew nothing about him. I didn't even know he had a female best friend who was his first love, his fated mate, and the reason he got the nickname "the wild wolf." I didn't know that he had also loved another woman because I thought I would be the first and only one.
Turning out, my hopes were just too high. Only I thought our relationship was special, while Grayson didn't. Grayson probably just saw me as his prostitute, nothing more.
Ugh, damn it. I was too confident.
I slapped my own cheek to remind myself that the reality of my life is truly miserable. I'm just an ordinary human trying to find safety, comfort, and peace with an Alpha werewolf. Meanwhile, that Alpha already has someone he's been waiting for, someone he's been anticipating for the past 10 years.
Even though I had thought that I might be replaced someday in Grayson's life, I was still shook by the fact that my position would be replaced. I... I am not ready to accept several facts about him at once like this. It's like a series of missile attacks that are difficult to handle.
Now my fears are becoming reality. Whether I like it or not, I have to rebuild my life. I have to go back to being Quinn before I met Grayson. Quinn who works part-time at multiple places in a day, Quinn who only focuses on herself and her brother.
Such a funny plot twist in life, coming from someone so ruthless.
Congratulations, Grayson, you’ve truly shattered me inside and out. Congratulations, you’ve won, not just on the rink, but you’ve also won in tearing apart my life and my heart.
Don’t blame me if you don’t see me again after this. I’ll make sure you never see me again.
Congratulations on finding your fated mate.