1: Rejection

No one knows how heartbreak feels until they feel it. No one knows how rejection is until they get it. I am that person. I never believed heartbreak was that hurting until I felt it and it only gets worse because the one that molded my heart broke it.

My entire world collapsed the moment the love of my life spoke does words to me. The words I never thought I would hear him utter. "I reject you, Anastasia."

The wind stands still as I feel my soul slipping away. My heart starts to beat out of my rib cage as confusion strikes in making my eyes blur with reality. I couldn’t comprehend what was going on as I found myself in complete shock and stunned. It doesn’t feel like a reality, it feels fake like it’s just a dream… rather a nightmare that I am finding hard to get out of. I have never in my life thought that the love of my life would reject me the day he discovered that we’re mates. Being mates is all we hoped for and when we finally got it. He doesn’t seem to accept, in fact, it looks like he hates being mated to me.

Droplets of rain poured down the streets as the wind blew through me nearly making me lose balance. I didn’t know what to say, my body and my mind were in shock and I felt devastated.

It only gets worse because today was supposed to be special. It was our anniversary and we were mated by fate but somehow, out of nowhere he said those words to me and it hurt me.

My hair clung to my face, soaked by the rain, my body shivering from the cold, but it was the ache in my chest that was the most unbearable. In a moment of disbelief, I found myself exclaiming, "No!" I stood my ground, unwilling to come to terms with the harsh reality unfolding before me.

"You don't get a say in this, Ana," he asserted firmly.

"But I do have a say, Chris. I know you're not thinking clearly," I countered, taking a step closer as the rain intensified. "We've longed for this moment, and now that it's here, you can't just walk away."

"You need to understand, Ana," he murmured, avoiding meeting my gaze.

"No, there's nothing to understand. You are being delusional and you’re…." I halt as realization wash over me "Is this because of your family or mine?" I questioned, mindful of the longstanding tensions between our loved ones.

I am an Omega making me less as important and useful as the others. Chris is from the family of great warriors and his father is a Beta making him the second in command. According to everyone, I don’t deserve him, I deserve someone lower than him while he deserves a better girl that is higher ranking and much more powerful than me. Thst fact never bothered Chris nor I but our families thinks otherwise, especially his.

"No, this isn't about anyone else. I'm choosing this because it's what I want," Chris responded firmly.

"I refuse to accept that," I declared immediately. "You and I made a promise; we are destined to be together, and it's mutual, so don’t tell me anything about your decision because I know it’s not your decision."

Chris is fond of doing this to me, breaking up with me because of his family history or reasons I never quite understood. And at this moment, I believe he's doing it for a reason, though I don't understand why because we're mates now, and with our strong connection, no one can break up except for us.

"It is, and please don't be stubborn about this. I don't want this anymore, Ana, and you don't have a say in it," Chris insisted.

"No, I've never had a say in anything, but I won't stay silent now. After all these years together, the love we shared, I won't accept rejection," I asserted.

"Ana, please," Chris pleaded.

"No, you don't get to control everything. You've always been the one making decisions, but not this time. I won't let you decide. I've given you my everything, Chris, and I believe we want the same things. Stop this act and tell me why you're doing this. I know you still love me, so..."

"I don't," he interjects. "I don't love you anymore, Ana." He looks at me and sighs. "I'm sorry, okay, but I don't like you like that anymore." His words hit my heart as the sound of thunder plundered in the air.

He doesn’t love me anymore. I never thought I would hear him say those words. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a tight grip as his words sank in. "There is another girl," he admitted with a heavy sigh.

Tears welled up in my eyes, a mix of hurt and realization flooding my mind. I should have seen it coming, knowing there was someone else in the picture. He wouldn't just walk away if there wasn't someone else. Swallowing hard, I managed to ask, "Do you love her?" My voice was barely above a whisper, filled with a mix of pain and curiosity.

Chris paused for a moment, the silence stretching between us before he finally replied, "Yes."

Like a trigger, I feel my heart shattering the image of our forever. I had believed in us, in our love, but now it seemed like a distant dream. It was clear that I was the only one holding on, the only one envisioning a future together. All he cared about was her.

"She’s my…" he began, but I couldn't bear to hear more. "I don’t need to hear that," I cut him off, my voice firm despite the cracks of hurt beneath the surface. I needed to stand my ground, to speak my truth, even in the face of heartbreak.

I wiped my tears away and said, "I don’t need to hear anything else, you love her and you want to be with her right?"

He nodded quietly, his eyes avoiding mine.

"Well, then it’s settled. You and I are done forever. If this is what you want, then you got it," I declared firmly, trying to mask the pain in my voice. "I, Anastasia Robin Howard reject you, Christopher Chandler Smith."

As the words hung in the air, a distant rumble of thunder echoed through the sky, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the dark clouds above. Chris stood there, raindrops cascading down his face, a mix of shock and realization in his eyes. It pained me to see the image of us shattering before my eyes, the dreams I held onto fading into the storm.

"Goodbye, Anastasia," he spoke my full name, a rare use that pierced through the tension between us. He turned to leave and with each step he took, a part of me wanted to call him back, to mend what was breaking inside me, but I stood firm, watching him walk away into the downpour.

This is what he wants and I think it’s best for me too. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t envision a future with me. Tears started to flow freely down my cheeks as I watched him walk away, each step echoing the distance growing between us. The rain poured down, a fitting backdrop to my shattered heart. I collapsed into a pool of water, the storm mirroring the turmoil within me. With each sob, I released the pain and love I held for Chris, letting the rain wash it all away.

As the storm raged on, I screamed into the heavens, my voice lost in the thunder. Every emotion I held inside poured out with the rain, a cleansing release. I knew I had to let go of this chapter, of Chris, of the very idea of mating. It was time to carve a new path, one free from heartbreaks.

At that moment, as I lay there in the rain, I made a silent vow to myself. I released my heart to the heavens, a symbol of freeing myself from the burden of emotions, paving the way for a new beginning where pain wouldn't hold me captive.