Divorced by the Billionaire, Mated to the Alpha

The candlelight flickered softly, casting small shadows on the white tablecloth. The roasted lamb sat in the middle, the smell of rosemary filling the air, mixing with the scent of the roses I had placed on the table. I had spent hours preparing everything-the candles, the meal, the music. Tonight was supposed to be special. It was our third anniversary. But as I looked at the clock for what felt like the tenth time, a tight feeling in my stomach wouldn't go away.

8:30 PM.

I tugged the strap of my red dress a little higher, trying to ignore the growing anxiety inside me. This dress, the one he had once told me looked beautiful on me, was the only thing I could focus on. I hoped, just maybe, tonight I could see a glimpse of the man I thought I knew. The man I had loved ever since our parents arranged our marriage. Sure, he never loved me the way I loved him, but I had hoped-no, I had believed-things could change.

But that was before Ava.

I pushed the thoughts away. He would be here soon. He always came home eventually, right?

When the clock hit 9:00, I heard the sound of the front door unlocking. My heart gave a little jolt. It was a mix of excitement and worry. I forced a smile and stood up, smoothing my hair in the hallway mirror.

He stepped inside, looking like he always did-perfectly dressed in his suit, as if nothing had changed. But his face... his face looked different. It was distant, tired, like he was somewhere else. He barely glanced at me as he walked in.

"You're late," I said quietly, trying not to sound disappointed.

"I got caught up at the office," Zane answered, his voice flat. He pulled at his tie like it was a burden, his eyes not even meeting mine.

I nodded, holding back the feeling of frustration. The office? Again?

"I made dinner," I said, pointing at the table. "It's our anniversary, Zane."

He paused and looked at the table for just a second, then said quickly, "Oh. Right. Happy anniversary."

His words were empty, like they meant nothing.

I tried to keep the smile on my face, but it felt fake. I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around him, hoping for some kind of connection. But then, I noticed something I wasn't expecting-the smell of perfume. It wasn't mine.

My arms stiffened, and I pulled back slightly. My heart sank.

"You smell... different," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Zane frowned and looked down at me. "It's nothing. I was at a meeting, and someone must've worn too much perfume."

"A meeting?" I asked, feeling something heavy in my chest. "Right... of course."

I forced a smile, taking a step back. "Let's eat before it gets cold."

Zane barely looked at me as he nodded. His attention was already on his phone. He sat down at the table and started typing, not noticing the hurt building up inside me. It wasn't just that he wasn't physically here. It was like he wasn't really here at all-emotionally, mentally. He was distant, unreachable.

I tried to start a conversation. I asked about his day, his work, what he thought about the future. But his answers were short, uninterested. He didn't even look up from his screen. I felt like I was talking to a wall.

My heart sank deeper as I pushed my food around on my plate. He hadn't even asked about my day. He didn't care about the effort I put into tonight.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Do you remember our wedding day?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "The way I walked down the aisle... the vows we made?"

Zane glanced at me for just a second, but his face didn't change. "Of course. It was... nice."

Nice. That was all he had to say? The most important day of my life, and he called it nice?

I blinked back the tears, trying not to let them show. I pushed the food around on my plate, the lump in my throat growing. "I remember everything about it," I whispered, mostly to myself. "The dress, the flowers, the way you looked at me when I walked down the aisle. I thought that if I could just get you to see me-really see me-things would be different."

Zane didn't answer. He didn't need to. His silence told me everything I needed to know.

"Zane," I said, my voice shaking, "do you ever think about... Ava?" The name felt like a knife in my throat.

His jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything. I pushed on, "You know, I've loved you ever since I found out our parents were arranging our marriage. I didn't mind. I thought you'd come to love me. I thought... maybe you'd be happy with me. But all you ever did was love her."

Ava. My younger sister. The one he had always loved, even after she was gone.

The air between us grew heavy, and his eyes darkened with something I couldn't understand. He gripped his glass tighter. "I think I'll call it a night," he said suddenly, standing up.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest, but I didn't stop him. He turned and walked toward the stairs without looking at me.

I stayed at the table, staring at the dimming candles. I cleaned up without really feeling anything. The loneliness felt like a weight on my shoulders, pressing me down more with each second.

Later, I found myself standing in front of his study door. It was barely open, a little bit of light shining through. I stood there for a moment, debating whether or not to go in. Something told me not to, but I opened the door quietly and stepped inside.

"Zane?" I called out softly, not really expecting an answer, just hoping to hear his voice.

He didn't answer. I saw him sitting at his desk, his back to me. His hands were wrapped around something small. When I got closer, I saw it-a photo.

I stopped, my heart racing. It was Ava. Her face, smiling in the picture.

"Who's that?" I asked before I could stop myself, my voice trembling.

Zane turned quickly, startled, and hid the photo. "Aria," he said, his voice tight, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I said, my chest aching. "What are you looking at?"

"It's nothing," he said quickly, standing up and turning the photo facedown. "You should go to bed."

I didn't move. "You're still thinking about her, aren't you?" I whispered.

He opened his mouth, but I didn't wait. "Do you even see me, Zane? Or am I just... just a replacement for her?"

The room went silent. He didn't say anything, just looked away, avoiding my eyes.

I didn't need him to say anything. His silence was enough. I stepped back, my eyes welling up. "I can't keep doing this," I said, my voice cracking. "I can't keep pretending this marriage means anything to you."

"Aria," he started, but I was already walking to the door.

I stopped when I heard him speak again, his voice barely a whisper. "Ava..."

My heart froze. He wasn't calling out for me. He was calling for her.

I didn't look back. The tears fell as I walked away, the weight of his words crushing me. I wasn't just in a marriage with a man who couldn't love me. I was trapped in the shadow of the woman he could never forget.