He paused for a moment, and then continued. "I'm sorry for how I treated you back then. I never should have treated you so harshly. You were an amazing Omega, and I will never forget you."
It’s not a coincidence that my Alpha’s time has been spent with Magdalene instead of me.
We’ve all been cooped up in the penthouse for days, trying to figure out if we’re safe here.
She and I are in the living area. She sits on the couch, lounging like a cat in the sun, sipping coffee. She’s still wearing his shirt from last night and a pair of dark blue sweats. I have a feeling she’s going to wear them to breakfast, and I want to roll my eyes.
Giorgio comes out from his bedroom, and his face lights up as he looks at Magdalene. It’s the same expression he has on his face when he sees me, only different.
She smiles up at him, and he sits next to her on the couch. They’re practically wrapped around each other, and it makes me feel like a third wheel.
I turn away from them and go to the kitchen. My stomach growls as I scan the room for any leftover breakfast.
I’m sure he’ll want to order in today, but I don’t know if I can stomach anything.
I’ve felt so abandoned and unworthy since yesterday evening. I know I’m not his first choice anymore. I’m a secondhand Omega, a replacement wife, a broken girl who can’t even be a real mate to him.
He doesn’t want me like he used to want her.
It’s clear to me now that Giorgio is back to being obsessed with her, and that she’s here to stay. We’re stuck in this room with her and I have no idea how to get away from her, so I’ll be reminded of his feelings for her for the rest of my life.
I’ve been treated like a little girl for months. Given little pats on the head and told that everything was going to be okay.
It’s not going to be okay. It never will be, not again.
He’ll never truly love me. Not the way he loved Magdalene.
I see what it’s like to be cherished, loved, and protected, and I will never be enough to deserve the same love he gives her.
I open the fridge, looking for any food. We’ve ordered takeout every day, but there’s not much in the fridge that would make me feel better.
Giorgio has always been a good provider. I’ve never lacked for anything. Not even food.
The first time they slept together, I thought it was the worst pain I’d ever experienced. But now I know that it wasn’t even a taste of what true heartache feels like.
They’ve spent the last two nights together. Last night he didn’t even bother to kiss me before he left me, telling me that he was going to check in on her.
They’ve been sleeping in the guest bedroom, just across the hallway. The door is open, and I’ve seen her underwear on the floor and smelled her arousal in the air.
I know what they’re doing. I can hear them if I focus. I can feel their pleasure, and it’s a reminder of his betrayal.
I close the fridge and walk over to the sink. I look outside, trying to imagine what it would be like to leave this place behind.
To have a new home in a new city. To have a life without Giorgio.
I want to be strong. I want to tell him I’m going to leave him, that I can’t handle this anymore. I want to pack up my things and go to the airport and just go.
But where?
I’m not strong. I’m weak and small and broken. I don’t have the courage to go out in the world again.
I don’t think I’ve ever been truly strong. Not even before Giorgio left me. I was just trying to convince myself of something that wasn’t true.
I wipe my eyes and look back in the living room. He and Magdalene are holding hands.
His eyes meet mine, and he frowns. He pats her leg and stands up. “Be right back.”
Magdalene looks at me, a smug smirk on her face.
My husband walks across the room, coming over to me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I whisper.
He frowns, his face dark. “You don’t look fine.”
He comes in closer. He leans in like he’s going to kiss me, but he stops short. “I can smell you.”
“What?” I gasp.
“You’re in heat,” he whispers.
My cheeks are hot as he grabs me around the waist, pulling me close. He breathes me in, his chest pressing against mine. His fingers trail down my spine, and his lips are pressed to my ear.
“I want you,” he murmurs. “I want you so bad right now.”
“We can’t.”
He looks up at me, his eyes dark. “What do you mean?”
I clear my throat, my heart pounding. “You have her now.”
“What?” he whispers.
“You and I...” I shake my head. “You’re with her now.”
He takes a step back and looks over his shoulder to the living room. Magdalene stands up from the couch and looks back at us, her face worried.
My stomach hurts as she walks towards us, her bare feet soft on the tile floor.
She grabs his hand in both of hers, her face filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Giorgio. I’m so sorry.”
He doesn’t look at her though. He looks back at me, shaking his head. “What are you saying?”
“We’re not married anymore,” I whisper. “You can be with her now, and I can... I can go.”
“Where will you go?” he whispers, his brow creasing.
I shrug. “I’ll find somewhere to live.”
“No,” he growls. He holds both of our hands in his and squeezes us close. “No, baby girl. You’re mine, do you understand me? I won’t let you go.”