Chapter 4

　　Serena’s POV. 　　"Ross..." The word barely escaped my lips as my ice cream slipped from my hand. 　　Ross quickly pushed the woman away, but his expression changed when he saw it was me. 　　He sneered and pulled her back into his arms. 　　"How... how could you?" I whispered, my voice shaking with disbelief. 　　"What? Did you think I'd leave my gorgeous girlfriend for you?" he scoffed, pulling the woman closer. Then, he kissed her—slow, deliberate, right in front of me. 　　There was something cold in his eyes when he looked at me. 　　"You were just a distraction. My girlfriend and I had some problems, and I needed someone to keep me company." 　　"You used me?" The words felt like a punch to the gut. 　　Ross shrugged. "You were easy. And naive." 　　My throat tightened, but I refused to cry—not in front of Ross and his girlfriend. 　　"Come on, Serena. Look at yourself. Would you even want to be with you?" He sneered, his eyes sweeping over me like I was nothing. 　　"Why?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I never begged you. I told you I didn't think we should be together. But why did you keep pushing?" 　　"Honestly, I just wanted to make my girlfriend jealous. You were easy to use—and Penny was the one who suggested you." 　　My eyes went wide. "Penny?" I whispered, barely able to speak. 　　Ross nodded, a fake innocent look on his face. 　　"Yeah. She knows you and Richard are fated mates, so she asked me to keep you distracted—make sure you two couldn't be together." 　　"I...I thought you saved me from Penny's bullying," I stuttered, trying to process the truth. 　　"That was all part of the plan, Serena." Ross chuckled, the sound cold and calculated. 　　I felt like a fool. My trust was broken in seconds. Just then, my phone rang. Without even looking at the screen, I muted it. 　　"I trusted you, Ross," I said, trembling. "I thought I'd found a friend, maybe even something more. How could you do this to me?" 　　I demanded, my fists clenching as I pushed against his chest. 　　Suddenly, I was pulled back, and a slap hit my cheek. I gasped, instinctively reaching up to cover my face. 　　Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked up and saw Ross's girlfriend glaring at me. 　　"How dare you touch him?" she spat, her face full of rage. "You're disgusting!" 　　I just looked at her, speechless. 　　"You should be grateful to him." 　　"Grateful?" I repeated, my voice full of disgust. 　　"That's right. Do you think Penny left you alone today by chance? It was all thanks to my man. You should be grateful." 　　I stared at her with my eyes wide open. Her words hit me like a slap, a reminder of how Ross had used me. 　　It felt like I'd been living in a dream, and now the harsh reality was slapping me in the face. 　　The weird looks, the less bullying from my classmates—everything suddenly made sense. 　　She grabbed Ross's hand, her voice sickeningly sweet. 　　"Let's go, darling." 　　As they walked away, Ross glanced back at me, his smirk sharp and cruel, like he was enjoying every second of my pain. 　　"Bye, Pookie. Oh, and one more thing—work on your kissing. You're boring as hell." 　　His girlfriend laughed out loud as they walked away. 　　I sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees as the tears streamed down. The pain, the humiliation—it all crashed down on me, suffocating. 　　What had I done to deserve this? Was wanting love a crime? 　　All I've ever wanted was to be loved, to be seen for who I was. But it felt like being an omega made me worthless, a flaw in a world where power ruled everything. 　　I buried my face in my knees, letting the tears fall. 　　Why hadn't I seen it? No one could ever really like me. The way he asked me out without even knowing me... it seemed so off now. How had I not seen it? 　　I bit my lip, frustration, and anger welling up inside me. 　　The sound of students talking grew louder, and I quickly wiped my face, trying to pull myself together. 　　I opened the classroom door, keeping my head down, and walked into the hallway. I didn't want anyone's pity or fake sympathy. I just wanted to be alone. 　　Without thinking, I headed for the restroom and locked myself in a stall. 　　My phone rang again, and I sighed in annoyance. Just as I was about to answer, the call cut off. 　　I stared at the screen in shock: twenty missed calls from my mom. 　　A wave of panic hit me. What was going on? Why was she calling so urgently? 　　I dialed her number, my hands shaking, but it went straight to voicemail. Her voice on the other end only made me more anxious. 　　"Serena, come home, please." 　　I rushed out of the school and jumped into the first cab I could find. My heart pounded in my chest as I dialed my mom again and again, but she didn't pick up. 　　I left a voicemail, my voice trembling with fear, but still, no answer. 　　My mom was everything to me. She was the only person who had ever truly loved me and who gave up everything for me. 　　She did everything to give me a better life. The thought of losing her was too much for me to bear. 　　As a beta, she never understood why I was born an omega. My father had accused her of cheating and abandoning us. 　　I stared out the window, my mind spinning. I tried to think of something positive, anything. 　　I ran through the gate, my heart pounding with every step. The front door was wide open—something was wrong. 　　"Mom!" I shouted, rushing inside, my eyes scanning the room. But there was no one there. 　　I rushed into every room, my voice getting louder with each call. 　　"Mom! Where are you?" 　　I turned a corner, and my foot hit something on the floor. I froze, my gaze falling on what lay before me. 　　My mom was lying on the floor, surrounded by blood. 　　A scream caught in my throat as I stumbled back, my mind racing, trying to process what I was seeing. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. 　　I fell to my knees, staring at my mom's body. "No, no, no," I whispered, my voice breaking. "This can't be real." 　　A note was lying next to her, and I reached for it, my hands shaking. 　　It was written in blood: Serena, watch your back.