Scarlet ~

“I, Leonard, reject you, Scarlett, as my mate.”

Those words echoed again, as if the universe wanted to make sure I heard them, every syllable slicing straight through my chest. Rejection? Leonard was rejecting me?

For a second, I just stood there, frozen in the middle of the class, staring at the boy I thought I loved. The boy I knew I loved.

“W-what are you saying, Leo?” My voice trembled, tears stinging my eyes before I could stop them. “It’s me. What's happening? I don't get you.”

He didn’t even flinch at my words.

“Do you need me to spell it out for you?” His voice was loud now, cruel. “I reject you, Scarlett! I don’t want you as my mate. Don’t you freaking get it, or are you just too dumb?”

My chest caved in. It felt like someone had reached inside me and ripped my heart apart with their bare hands.

No. No, this couldn’t be real. This had to be some sick joke.

I forced a shaky smile, trying to laugh through the horror. “You’re pranking me, right? Tell me this is a joke, Leo. Please. Where's the camera?”

He scoffed and shook his head. “Geez, Scarlett. Are you sick in the head or something? I don’t want your pathetic ass in my life. No one would. I knew you were my mate all along and maybe my wolf craved you but you couldn't even give me what I wanted because you were so far up in your head. It didn't help that you were a downplay to my person.”

Laughter rippled through the class at my devastation.

My lips parted, but nothing came out. My throat burned with the words I couldn’t say. ‘How could you?’

The tears finally fell, hot and uncontrollable. I hated that everyone could see me cry. I hated that he made me look weak. I hated that this was happening. I hated him….

I couldn’t stay there for another second.

Before he could say another word, I turned and ran through the whispering crowd, through the corridor, out into the bright sunlight that suddenly felt too harsh and cruel.

My feet pounded the pavement as I ran home, my heart pounding louder than my steps. By the time I burst through the door, my chest ached, my lungs were on fire, and my vision blurred with tears.

“Scarlett?” My mother’s voice came from the kitchen, filled with surprise and concern. “What’s wrong?”

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. I flew up the stairs, slammed my bedroom door shut, and collapsed onto my bed. The tears came harder this time. Deep, broken sobs that shook me until I couldn’t breathe.

“Why?” I whispered into my pillow. “Why?”

The door rattled under my mother’s fists. “Scarlett, open the door. You can’t just come home crying like this…. Talk to me.”

Her voice cracked, and it made my tears worse. I didn’t want her to worry. She’d already been through so much. But the pain clawing through me— through my chest was too strong to hide.

“Scarlett!” she called again, firmer now. “If you don’t open this door, I swear I’ll break it down.”

That was no empty threat. My mom wasn't one who made empty threats. She would.

I dragged myself to the door, wiped my cheeks, and opened it. The moment I did, she wrapped me in her arms. And just like that, all the walls I’d tried to build crumbled. I cried harder, clinging to her like a child. I was a child— her child. And I've been so stupid to believe that Leo….

“It’s okay, honey,” she murmured, stroking my hair. “Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”

Her voice was steady, grounding, but I could hear the tremor hiding beneath it.

“My mate….” My voice broke. “He rejected me, Mom.”

She froze. “What?”

“Leonard,” I whispered. “It’s him. He’s my mate. Or he was. He said he wanted nothing to do with me. That no one would.”

Her face fell. For a long moment, she said nothing, just held me tighter.

When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, but heavy. “Oh, Scarlett….”

The pain of rejection burned through me again. It wasn’t just emotional, it was physical and so darn painful. My wolf had gone silent, retreating deep inside me, leaving me hollow. Was this what it felt like? Was this the excruciating pain one had to pass through?

My mother guided me to sit and poured a glass of water from the jar on my nightstand.

“Did you do anything wrong?” she asked gently.

I shook my head. “None that I can remember.”

“Then there has to be a reason,” she said firmly. “You can’t just accept this without knowing why. Go talk to him, Scarlett. Don’t let it end like this. Fight for your mate.”

Her conviction sparked a small ember in me. Maybe she was right. Maybe there was something I didn’t understand yet.

“Leo loves me,” I whispered, half to myself. “He has to.”

I hugged her one last time before rushing out of the house, heart pounding with a fragile kind of hope.

****

I searched everywhere for him. Through the courtyard, down the corridors until one of the girls in my class whispered that she’d seen Leonard heading toward the janitor’s closet.

Weird. But I didn’t care.

Maybe he just needed space. Maybe we could talk things through. Maybe—

The sound stopped me mid-step.

Soft, breathy noises. Rhythmic and familiar in the worst possible way.

No. No, it couldn’t be.

Still, I pushed the door open withstanding my better judgement.

And there he was.

Leonard.

My mate.

With her.

Clara. My rival. My enemy. My nightmare. The one who made it her life mission to torment me at every given opportunity.

They both froze, eyes meeting mine in a split second that felt like eternity.

My heart dropped, the air leaving my lungs in one sharp gasp.

“Wow,” I breathed, a bitter laugh catching in my throat. “Happy birthday to me.”