CHAPTER 2 COMPENSATION

CLAIRE "What services?" I gaped at Hudson's handsome face as water trickled down his chin from his dampened hair from the shower. I tried to sift out the humor in his words. But Hudson never had a good joke day, at least not with me. I stared incredulously at him, waiting for my brain to interpret his words. But all that was splayed on his handsome face was displeasure. He wanted to be more satisfied with my question and my tone. I had sounded a little hard, exactly as his words hit me. "I'll send you the divorce papers alongside the contract termination papers." His passive tone rang heavily in the room. "You're divorcing me?" I sank my teeth into my tongue, holding myself from adding, 'Why?' This had been going on for three years, and he was just going to call it quits without warning. The pain in my heart started building again, and this time, it was from how hard my chest was thumping. My heart was thrashing frantically. I clutched onto it above the duvet on my bare chest. The doctor had specifically instructed that extreme strain on my heart could kill me before the stipulated three months I had to live. Yes, I realized I didn't have such a long time to live yesterday. That was how screwed up my world had grown. Now, a divorce? "We can revisit the terms of the contract, and if I have gone wrong anywhere, I am ready to make amends," my voice pleaded. "Our contract is supposed to last for five years!" My wolf purred at the indifference in his gaze as though my words were going in one ear and out the other. "You don't have a choice of when this contract gets called off. You are to obey." He growled. "Aren't I supposed to get a couple weeks' notice?" "You have too high an opinion of yourself." His scorn was perceptible in his eyes as he regarded me. "Domingo will bring you the papers." My eyes were still fixed on him as I tried to understand where and how everything went wrong. I was not treated with the same warmth he offered to the people around him; I was not even recognized as the Luna of his pack. Then why was it so hard to let go? "You didn't imagine I'd want you, now did you?" He scoffed at me as though I were some dung in the field. "No, I didn't; I'm just shocked to think this is ending way earlier than I expected." I blinked repeatedly before adding incredulously, "Cool.". "Sign those papers and never come here again." He didn't have to repeat himself so bluntly. There was a triumphant smirk on his face. Since he was the Alpha with much more money than thoughtfulness, he was flattered to see me broken by his abrupt divorce slapped in the face. "So I can now travel to the West and spend all day in the sun doing nothing but sunbathing and skinny-dipping with an actual lover?" I tried to sound as sunny as possible, hoping to make it seem like he was doing me a favor by calling this quit. "Waking up to news like this is just a header; their goddess still has her ears stubbed out in my direction." I grinned as I managed an overjoyed exterior, while my interior was nothing but splitting aches in my chest and an overwhelming fear. Fear of dying in solitude. "I can milk out better sex from some actual man," I asked tactfully, hoping to get a reaction from him. He had specifically stated that my body belonged to just him for the next five years, and two more were left. But his face remained expressionless, and his eyes maintained their sheer smugness as they walked away from me. "You can do whatever you want." He deadpanned, moving back to the closet to get dressed. I thought about getting dressed too and leaving. My gaze darted around the room to my discarded dress on the floor. Just as I was about to get up and go to my dress, the door opened, and Mr. Domingo, with his inscrutable face and stiff figure, walked into the room. I made sure the duvet was as secure around me as I could. Hudson's right-hand man tossed the file before me on the big bed. His actions and treatment toward me were usually condescending. It was nothing new. "You didn't picture forever with Alpha Hudson, now did you?" He chuckled in gross mockery. "No, and should you, especially now that he thinks your services are growing rusty and you need to retire?" I lied. The jeers on the older man's face dropped off like a discarded cloak. Good. "You goddamn liar!" He sneered, his face flushing with rage. I found the pen and glanced through the papers, looking for where to sign. "Nay, uh," he clucked his tongue as he delved into the inner pocket of his tailored suit. I already knew what he was searching for, and when he brought out the afterpill, he took out one and stretched it to me. "I know what your kind is capable of." He was acting so lowly toward me, and I tried not to let it get to me. Yes, I needed an after-pill; at least for the first time, I felt it was necessary. I didn't want to die with a child growing inside of me. I took the pill from his hand and stared oddly at it before I shrugged and put it in my mouth. It was more bitter than the rest of the pills I had taken in the past, but I forced it down my throat. "Now stick to the benefits. Don't try to add child support to the divorce benefits." His mouth twisted slyly. "I would never do that." "Yeah, right?" His sarcasm was pretty stinging. When Mr. Domingo heard Hudson's footsteps approaching the room, he switched from his rude remarks to an official tone. Ms. Barn, this is Mr. Darkwood's liberal compensation for you. In addition to the real estate investment, Vyne, and cars, nine million dollars. " My gaze settled on Mr. Domingo's check on the file next to my hand. But my thoughts were on Vyne; my interest was solely in the wine brand I had been so passionate about. Was he giving that to me? "Vyne is dead." Mr. Domingo's voice broke into my reverie: "Wrong move to toss this compensation money to Rey to revive it." Vyne was folding up. Nothing could save it. That was why he was handing it to me: so it could die completely in my hands. But I was going to die first, before the wine brand. All these compensations made no sense to me, as I was just a few months from dying. Hudson's handsome face popped back into the room, this time all dressed. I couldn't help but gawk at how handsome he looked. It was the last time I was ever going to see him. It was the last time we were ever going to share the same air. I observed Domingo take the file from which I had signed all the sheets and handed it to him. He confirmed my signature and nodded in satisfaction. My gaze was glued to his as he turned towards the door, and without a last glance, he left the room with Mr. Domingo towing. To Hudson, I was now like chalk marks on the board. Just as they left, Kiara, Hudson's assistant, walked in to confirm that I had left without causing trouble, as always. She stopped abruptly when she noticed I was sobbing. She was the only nice person I had ever met. “Claire," she began softly as she made her way to me on the big bed, “it's alright." She hushed. I sniffled and gestured to my dress on the floor. She brought it for me. I delved into my hip pocket and brought out the last thing in there—my debit card. I took her hand, dropped the card, and checked in, closing her hands above them. “All the payments I've ever gotten from Alpha Hudson are there. The pin is the day we got married. Take them all. I don't want them. You can sell the estate if you know where to take the money. I don't want anything out of this insanity.” "I can't.” Kiara released the card like a hot coal. "I can't accept this.” "Keep it, just in case you change your mind.” I got up to get dressed. The pain was heavier now, but I managed to make it work. I gave the room one final glance. It was an atlas.