A Kind Alpha's Comfort in the Night's Despair

I couldn't stop crying as I limped away from the club, each sob tearing through my chest like a physical wound. Raina had offered to drive me home, but I'd insisted on walking—I needed fresh air, needed to clear my head, needed to be alone. Now, on this dark, empty street, I regretted that decision.

My ankle throbbed with each step, a sharp reminder of how Rhys had shoved me to the floor like garbage. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the humiliation burning through me.

*Dirty women. Whore. Nothing pretty. Leftovers.*

His cold voice echoed in my head, each word a fresh stab to my heart. Four years of rebuilding myself, becoming stronger, and he had reduced me to nothing in seconds.