Once Love, Double Betrayal Chapter 07

Once Love, Double Betrayal Chapter 07

The slap detonated in my chest, pain bursting through me until my wolf let out a ragged snarl.

I staggered, the world spinning, fighting just to stay upright.

As I struggled to breathe, Candy’s voice cut through the haze like a blade.

“Claire, why does everyone have to bow down to you? You’ve been like this since we were kids acting like you don’t care about anything, yet you love stealing the spotlight. You love watching people beg to be your little lapdog. Does that make you feel special?”

The girl glaring at me was a stranger. I’d never seen this side of her-not once.

“I’m done with you, Claire! You’ve always taken whatever I wanted-people, things, everything. And now all I want is Adrian. Just Adrian! Why do you have to steal him too?”

Her face twisted into something feral, nothing like the best friend I used to know. I couldn’t even picture us laughing together anymore.

I’d once tanked a whole SAT section on purpose because Candy had cried, ‘Claire, I’m not as smart as you. What if we end up at different colleges?’

She’d sobbed, ‘Claire, I don’t want to lose you.’

Candy didn’t want to lose me-but she never wanted to study either.

So I’d smiled and promised, ‘We’ll never be apart.’

I bombed the test on purpose and followed her to the local community college.

Friends pitied me. Teachers pulled me aside. Even my parents-who’d always been proud of me- looked disappointed for the first time.

I thought it was worth it.

Now, staring at the girl screaming in my face, all I felt was a crushing wave of disappointment.

Candy kept shouting, “Claire! You’ve always had everything-better looks, an Alpha father, better grades!”

Tears blurred her eyes. “Every guy I like only has eyes for you. When you’re around, I’m just your shadow-forgotten, invisible. Why, Claire? Why?”

She broke down crying, raising her hand for another slap. This time, I caught her wrist.

Shock flickered across her face. Before she could react, I swung and cracked my palm across her

cheek. The blow sent her stumbling back a step.

She was the one who got hit, yet pain exploded through me so fiercely I thought I might collapse right there.

Watching her choke on her sobs, I felt my own tears spill over.

“I never wanted to compete with you, Candy,” I said, wiping the wetness from my cheeks. “I never wanted to beat you at anything. But today, you need to hear this-”

“Candy, we’re not friends anymore.”

“Starting now, we’re done.”

I turned to Adrian, who hadn’t dared to speak, and let out a bitter laugh.

“You know what? You two actually deserve each other. Perfect match in all the worst ways.’

When I stepped out of the apartment, my parents were hurrying up the walkway. Dad stood a few feet away, his face etched with heartache.

The moment our eyes met, he opened his arms. “Claire, come on, sweetheart. Dad’s taking you

home.”

I ran straight into him. “Dad!”