Chapter 23 023
Chapter 24
Thalia POV
"Then why didn't you just pick Shelly? Why didn't you choose to be with her instead of me? Why did you hold me back from becoming a healer?" I screamed, unable to control my voice and not wanting to, either.
He released Shelly and stood up to his feet, shooting his eyes down at me in spite. "My parents provided several opportunities for you to go back to school. You were the one that didn't take them, so don't pin that on me."
I felt my chest immediately tighten. "How was I supposed to go back to school and abandon the twins? You might have not held me down under lock and key, but you reminded me every day how it would look if I couldn't be a present mother. You kept feeding it into me that it would be better to just stay here and be your Luna for your sake! I threw away my dreams, Varian. I gave you my heart and body, and was that still not enough?"
Shelly stood up too, her eyes already teary as if she deserved to cry—as if she had the right to when I was the one who was hurt here.
"Talia, I know it looks complicated," she said, wrapping her hand with Varian’s and leaning into his touch. He placed his fingers over her arm, gently massaging it.
I had to scream. I had just found out about the affair, and yet they looked like they were about to get onto it right in front of me. "What is wrong with the both of you? Can’t you at least pretend like you have been pretending for the past ten years?"
Shelly’s entire body went taut with tension, and then she relaxed again as Varian began to stroke her back.
"THALA, don’t you think you should be the one apologizing to me right now?"
I pointed a finger to her and then back to myself, towards my chest. "You slept with my mate and husband, yet I’m the one who should be apologizing to you?"
She nodded. Perhaps she bought all the audacity reserved in the world, because how else would she make such a statement with a straight face?
"I have always loved Varian, and I knew that he was the one for me. But even after being fated to him by the Moon Goddess, he rejected me because of you. He said that he was sure you were meant to be together. At first, I was upset. I kept my distance between the two of you—though not making it so obvious—but after having you, he realized that there was still a hole in his heart... The night that both of you became mates, he came to me and—"
"Stop!" I screamed at the top of my voice, pressing my palms against my ears, but she continued, going into crude detail that almost sent me running to the toilet to puke out whatever was being stored in my guts.
"In truth, what we had was a 'friends with benefits' situation for the first two years, but afterwards he decided he wanted to have the both of us. I thought about it, and if I had to share Varian with anyone, at least I could tolerate it with you..."
My left eye began to twitch. "Are you crazy? What do you mean by that?"
"Didn’t you hear what she just said?" Varian cut in. "She said that you were the only one she could tolerate to be my second mate. She was so understanding, even though we were the official relationship. And we have been using protection all this time so that she wouldn't get pregnant."
Shelly began to smile, and then she rubbed her growing belly. "But one thing led to another and somehow, despite the protection, I still got pregnant anyway. That’s why I’m going to have this baby, and I think it’s such a wonderful timing considering what’s happening with Liam," she said in almost a whisper, allowing the last words to fade.
But I didn’t miss them. I would have lunged for her, but Varian positioned himself between us.
"Talia, I am only going to give you this warning once: if you ever dare to lay a single finger on Shelly and the baby, I will never forgive you, and I will make you pay for it for the rest of your life."
I stared at the man that I had loved ever since I knew the meaning of the word. My legs gave way, and before I knew it, I had crumbled into the nearest piece of furniture. I wanted to cry so much that my eyes would go red at the rims, but I didn’t. Instead, something inside of me went cold. Disconnected.
I had given up everything for him—my dreams, my goals—all for us to have the perfect family that he wanted. I convinced myself that there was no gaping hole in my heart where my ambitions had once lived; I told myself that I didn't need all of that to be happy. But in truth, it was all a lie. I had given him everything, and this was my reward? Playing second fiddle for him and Shelly?
I dug my fingers into my hair, trying to wrap my head around the insanity in front of me. "So, what are you expecting from me? Am I supposed to throw my hands in the air, thank you for all the lies that you have told, and then just go along with this madness?"
Before any of them could speak and infuriate me further, I decided to stop them. I stood up to my feet. I had already tolerated so much; this was where I was finally going to put my foot down. No more would I allow them to spit in my space and make a fool out of me.
I looked straight at the man I had foolishly loved for so long and told him, "Varian, I want a divorce."