Chapter 5

Olivia Summers POV

After hanging up on Liam's mother, I remembered the wedding dress.

It was the main gown I had designed for the Marking ceremony. I'd gone to the studio over a dozen times to work on it myself.

Since I'd decided to end things, I needed to deal with it. At least pay the remaining balance or see if I could return it.

I took a cab to the haute couture bridal boutique.

I had just reached the VIP fitting room door and hadn't even pushed it open when familiar laughter came from inside.

"Wow, Liam, does it look good?"

My hand froze on the door handle.

That was Ava's voice.

Immediately after, Liam's voice came, full of affection:

"Beautiful! It's like it was made just for you, Ava. You look gorgeous in a wedding dress."

I shoved the door open.

In front of the full-length mirror, Ava was wearing the mermaid-style white gown that should have been mine.

Those layers of lace were details I had stayed up late drawing and revising.

Now, they were on another woman's body.

Ava stood on her tiptoes and kissed Liam on the lips.

And my fated mate Liam didn't refuse.

Sometimes I really wondered if everything I'd learned about werewolves at Moonclaw Pack was fake.

Didn't they say fated mates were destiny arranged by the moon goddess, the existence werewolves valued most?

Why could Liam betray me so easily?

Hearing the door open, both turned around at the same time.

Seeing me, embarrassment flashed across Liam's face.

"Olivia? What are you doing here?"

Ava lifted her skirt and came over with an innocent expression.

"Olivia, don't misunderstand. I just thought this wedding dress was too beautiful and couldn't resist trying it on. Don't worry, even if I'm wearing the wedding dress, Liam will only Mark you. He'll only recognize you as his mate."

She twirled, the hem of the dress sweeping past my feet.

"Olivia, you don't mind, right? I'll only wear it for ten minutes."

I looked at her, then at Liam.

"Take it off."

Liam frowned.

"Olivia, what are you throwing a fit about now? Ava just wanted to try it on out of curiosity. It's not like she can damage it."

"This is my wedding dress."

I stared at Liam.

"It was custom-made for me. I was supposed to wear it at the Marking ceremony. Liam, do you have any sense of boundaries at all?"

"Are you done?"

Liam impatiently put down his phone.

"Ava is my best friend. It's just a dress. Is it really worth getting this angry over? At worst, I'll just give her this wedding dress to use for photos from now on."

Give it to her?

I laughed in disbelief.

The wedding dress I had custom-made had become, in his mouth, something to make another woman happy.

"Oh no, Liam, don't scold Olivia. It's all my fault..."

Ava looked like she was about to cry and frantically tried to grab my hand.

Just then, the cup of bright red strawberry tea in her hand accidentally slipped.

The red tea spilled out, most of it splashing onto the white wedding dress.

Large dark red stains quickly spread across the snow-white lace.

"Ah!" Ava screamed, covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Liam's first reaction wasn't to look at the wedding dress.

He grabbed Ava and nervously checked her hands and clothes.

"Are you okay? Did you get your clothes dirty?"

After confirming Ava was fine, he turned to look at the mess on the floor and frowned at me.

"Look what you did. You came here to yell at her and scared Ava so badly she couldn't even hold her cup. Fine, it's just some tea stains. Have the staff dry clean it. Don't make such a big deal out of it."

I looked at the ruined wedding dress, my heart turning cold.

"No need to wash it."

I raised my head.

"I find dirty things disgusting."

Liam froze. "What do you mean?"

I turned and walked straight to the counter, slamming the invoice I hadn't yet paid the balance for onto the desk.

"Manager, I'm not returning this wedding dress. I'll settle the balance now."

"Since Ava likes it so much and has ruined it, please have Liam pay in full. Liam, didn't you just say you wanted to give it to her for photos? Pay up."

Liam's eyes widened.

"Olivia, are you insane? This costs hundreds of thousands!"

"What's wrong? Not willing to spend money on your best friend?"

I said.

"Weren't you being pretty generous just now?"

The staff and customers around us all cast watching eyes, pointing and whispering.

Liam couldn't save face. He gritted his teeth, pulled out his bank card, and slammed it on the desk.

"Fine! I'll pay! It's just a broken wedding dress! Only you would treat it like a treasure! I'll buy it and give it to Ava so you can stop being sarcastic here."

The card went through successfully.

Ava was still pretending to object on the side.

"Liam, it's too expensive. I can't accept it..."

"Take it!" To save face, Liam's voice was loud.

"Wear it whenever you want from now on!"

I nodded, looking at Liam.

"Remember what you said today. This wedding dress belongs to you two now."

With that, I walked out of the bridal boutique.

Behind me came Liam's exasperated voice:

"Olivia, stop right there! What kind of scene are you making now? You're getting more and more unreasonable!"

I didn't stop.

Tears fell, but I quickly wiped them away.