I’m the beta everyone loves to hate. I posted on the school forum, asking what to do if my fiancé doesn’t like me. The top comment read: “If he doesn’t want you, I do. My family is just as powerful as the Hawthornes.” An idea started to form in my mind. Not long after, my usually calm and composed fiancé got into a physical fight with an omega. “Do you have any idea you’re hitting on my wife?” The omega just laughed. “You call him your wife, but would he even answer to that?” 1 I’m the social pariah of the prestigious Blackwood Academy. It all started with a compatibility report that predicted a near-perfect match between myself and Asher Hawthorne. Because of that report, I was raised as an omega my entire life. But then, when I was eighteen, my family went bankrupt. To make matters worse, I presented as a beta. My stepfather, in a desperate move, sold our house to get me into Asher’s school. Before I left, he told me, his voice grave, “Failing to present as an omega was a disgrace. If you can’t secure a connection with the Hawthorne family now, you know what will happen.” But I was clumsy. I tried everything I could think of to get close to him, and in the process, I only managed to make everyone hate me. Including Asher himself. He was always cold to me. Time and time again, he would ignore me, watching with detached amusement as I made a fool of myself. "Can you stop with the pathetic schemes?" he'd say. "Even if you had presented as an omega, I would never marry someone I don't love just because of their pheromones." One day, I went to find him, a homemade lunchbox in hand, and overheard him talking to an omega nearby. "Of course, he's not my real fiancé," he said, his tone casual. "He's like a little stray dog, always following me around. What, are you interested in him or something?" Beyond the disdain in his voice, there was a faint, almost imperceptible hint of a boast. The omega beside him raised an eyebrow, his smile dazzling. "Seriously, Asher? Is that what you really think?" Asher didn't say anything more, but for someone as reserved as him, silence was a confirmation. I recognized the omega with him. He was the untouchable gem of the academy, widely considered the perfect match for Asher—an S-class omega named Terence Croft. A notification popped up on my phone. It was a voice recording from Terence. His chat icon, pinned at the top of my list, blinked insistently. "Steven, he doesn't like you." "You're so wonderful, and Asher just tramples all over your feelings. You'd be happier if you left him." I thought for a moment, and the conclusion was obvious: Terence was in love with Asher. He was too nice to say it directly, so he was gently trying to persuade me to back off. It all made sense now. Why he always seemed to appear whenever I was bothering Asher. The resentful looks he always gave me, like a husband whose wife was cheating on him. The time he blocked my view of Asher and smilingly invited me to the library instead. It was all to keep me away from him. And I had actually dared to hope, even for a second, that maybe, just maybe, he liked me a little bit. 2 I have a secret. I’m in love with Terence. I sighed and turned to leave, feeling defeated. But then Terence’s smile widened, a triumphant glint in his eyes. Seeing them together, so perfectly matched, a wave of despair washed over me. I ducked my head, wiping away the tears that had started to fall. I cried for a long time before I remembered Terence’s message. With trembling fingers, I finally managed to reply. "Okay. I will." "From now on, I won't bother him anymore." It was going to be a sleepless night. I couldn't stop tossing and turning. I opened the forum again, the one titled "When will Steven finally stop chasing Asher Hawthorne?" 【Daily question: Have Asher and Steven broken up yet? Does he even deserve him?】 【Why was Steven crying by himself on the path? Pic attached.】 【Ugh, he’s so annoying, always putting on a show. The guys on the street were staring… he’s probably just trying to hook someone new.】 【Where is this? No reason, just think the scenery looks nice.】 【Wait, he’s crying that hard. Did his fiancé dump him?】 【Could there be such good news? I mean, I’ve never liked Steven anyway.】 The picture attached to the post was of me, earlier that day, crying as I ran back to my dorm. Seeing it just made me cry harder. I couldn’t wipe the tears away fast enough. So I made a new post. "I'm a friend of Steven's. Why does everyone hate him so much? If it's because of Asher, he's not going to chase him anymore." The replies were a string of question marks at first. Then, as if it suddenly dawned on them, the comments started flooding in. 【LMAO, I’m laughing so hard my abs hurt (and I have an eight-pack).】 【Hey, I'm 6'3", nine-figure net worth, pure, innocent, and very gullible. My contact info is…】 【My family is just as rich as his. Why not marry me? If he doesn't like you, he's blind.】 The last reply wasn't anonymous. @AsherHawthorne: "? Since when." 3 I frantically deleted the post. The comments were probably just a new way for them to mess with me. Asher’s words from earlier echoed in my mind, and I felt a wave of despair. No matter what I did, he would always hate me. But if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to be the gold-digging parasite everyone thought I was. I secretly opened my contacts and blocked Asher. The next day in class, I was a mess. The news of my forum post had already spread, and I could feel people's eyes on me. When I saw Terence, I awkwardly tried to avoid him. But he caught me when no one was around, pulling me into his private lounge. I was mortified, and I stumbled over my words, trying to distance myself from Asher. "I'm really not going to bother him anymore. I heard what he said. He doesn't like me at all. You don't have to worry. I won't get in the way of you two being together." Terence smiled gently, but there was a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He stepped closer, pointing to my eyes, which were still swollen from crying. He handed me a tube of ointment. I took it, stunned. His low voice was a murmur in my ear, his breath tickling my skin and making the tips of my ears turn red. I couldn't tell if he was doing it on purpose or not. "I'm glad you're not sad over him anymore. But I think you've misunderstood something." "I don't like him. I like you." 4 The sudden confession felt like a dream. I looked up at him, my eyes wide with disbelief. The deep-seated insecurity I carried made me instinctively take a few steps back. Even if he did like me, omegas were naturally drawn to alphas. And I… I was just a beta, with no scent to offer. My family, my gender… I wasn't good enough for him. I knew that even if we did manage to be together for a little while, it would never last. He seemed to sense my rejection. He muttered to himself, "So you still care about him more?" I didn't quite catch what he said. I was about to ask him to repeat it when he spoke again, his voice softer. "I won't interfere with your choice. It's okay if you don't like me back." "But... can we be friends? Steven." I nodded slowly. We hadn't locked the door when we came in, and now Asher’s voice cut through the air. "What are you doing, Steven? Have you forgotten you're my fiancé?" My heart leaped into my throat. I turned to see Asher standing there, looking down at me. His eyes were fixed on where my hand was still clasped in Terence's. His expression was dark. He let out a cold, contemptuous snort. "Do you really think you're some kind of seducer? That you can just wrap anyone around your little finger? You're such a slut…" I couldn't believe it. I never imagined the proud, aloof Asher could say something so vile. I shook my head, my voice firm. "Terence and I are not in an improper relationship. And I am not your fiancé. I didn't present as an omega, so the engagement is void. You told me that yourself the first time we met." I looked down, remembering our first meeting. He had been frowning, his face unusually grim. He shot a glare at Terence, then held out a hand to me. "Be a good boy and come here. I won't hold this against you. But if your family loses the Hawthorne investment…" 5 Not only would my family have no chance of recovering, but they would lose the last of their ancestral property. The threat in his voice was unmistakable. But he had no idea what my life was like at home. My mother had been forced to have me, and she died shortly after the arranged marriage. I was abused and ridiculed by everyone in that house. I was secretly hoping the family would fall, so they could no longer control my life. So I lowered my eyes and shrank further behind Terence. Terence felt me trembling with a mixture of pain and rage. He patted my back gently, as if soothing a child, trying to calm me. He then stepped between me and Asher. Even though he was just an omega. "This is my lounge. You're being a little loud. Don't you think you should stop forcing him, Asher? Since he doesn't want to go with you, you should respect his choice." Asher watched me hide in Terence's arms, a look of understanding dawning on his face. In his anger, the air filled with the almost frantic scent of red wine—his pheromones. But I was just a plain beta. I couldn't smell a thing. All I could see was Terence covering his mouth and nose, staggering back as if he was about to be sick. Asher ignored him completely. He looked at me, his voice deliberate and heavy with meaning. "Fine, Steven. You're so fine. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. Go get close to whoever you want. Just don't regret it. I'll be waiting for you to come crawling back to me." I knew my family's finances were completely dependent on him. After today, he would likely cut off all support, and maybe even actively work against them. But he didn't know that I didn't care at all. Asher practically slammed the door on his way out. The moment he was gone, Terence slumped against the wall, his head in his hands. His eyes were bloodshot, and an unnatural flush had spread across his face. I suspected Asher's pheromones were to blame. The raw, burning desire in his eyes was impossible to miss. His voice trembled. "You should go. Don't worry about me." He was grinding his back teeth, a clear sign that he was fighting the urge to bite the back of my neck. But this… this was… this was an alpha’s rut. My voice shook as I asked, "Are you… an alpha?" He didn't hesitate. "Are you scared of me? Scared I'll break you?"
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