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.