A Luna Lost

No Longer Mrs. Cooley: The Architect's Return

Xiao Xiaosu

I went to the City Clerk’s office for a routine copy of my marriage license to finalize a trust fund audit. I expected a simple piece of paper, but the clerk’s pitying look told me my entire life was a lie. "The license was never finalized, Ms. Oliver. In the eyes of the state, you are single." The three-hundred-guest wedding at the Plaza and the Vogue features meant nothing. My husband, Gray Cooley, had intentionally filed the documents with a "procedural defect" so he could discard me without a legal divorce. Moments later, an iCloud invite titled "Our Little Secret" popped up on my screen. It was a photo of my best friend, Brylee, holding a positive pregnancy test at our Hamptons estate. Gray’s text to her was the final blow: "Happy anniversary, babe. This baby is the best gift. Once the trust unlocks today, we’re done with the charade." I soon discovered they were even stealing my career, reassigning my architectural masterpiece to Brylee while preparing my eviction notice. Gray's mother called me a "barren mule" in a leaked recording, mocking the infertility I suffered after saving Gray’s life in a construction accident. I wasn't a wife; I was a three-year placeholder used to secure his inheritance. How could the man I bled for treat me like a disposable prop? How could my best friend carry his child while pretending to comfort me through my darkest moments? The betrayal burned until it turned into a cold, hard stone of fury. I didn't cry. Instead, I walked into the penthouse of the Barretts, the Cooleys' most powerful rivals. I signed a marriage contract with Kane Barrett, the man the tabloids called the "Beast of Wall Street." "I want a wedding," I told his father, my voice steady and lethal. "Bigger than the one I had with Gray." If they wanted me gone, they would have to watch me become the woman who owns their world.

Modern Revenge Divorce

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The night was alive with whispers of danger. Amanda's small hands clung tightly to her mother's skirt as the forest around them rustled with unseen movements. She was only six years old, but her heart pounded with fear as though it already understood the weight of the moment. Her parents' faces were tense, their eyes darting into the shadows as they hurried through the darkened woods.

"Amanda, do not let go of me," her mother whispered urgently. "Stay close."

"I am scared," Amanda whimpered, her big amber eyes filling with tears.

Her father bent down for just a moment, brushing her hair back from her face. His eyes were full of love, but beneath it, there was worry. "Be brave, little moonlight. We are almost safe."

The words were meant to comfort her, but Amanda could feel the tremble in his voice. Something terrible was happening.

Behind them, the sound of snarls echoed through the trees. Wolves, savage and relentless. Her parents picked up their pace, almost dragging Amanda between them as they ran.

Suddenly, the clearing opened, and Amanda could see the faint lights of a village beyond. But before they could reach it, shadows burst from the trees, blocking their path.

Her mother cried out, pulling Amanda close. Her father shifted, his body trembling as fur rippled across his skin. In moments he stood in his wolf form, tall and strong, his golden eyes glowing with determination. He lunged at the attackers, his growl shaking the air.

"Run!" her mother screamed, shoving Amanda forward.

Amanda stumbled, confusion and terror swirling inside her. She turned back in time to see her father clash with dark figures, his growls meeting theirs in a violent storm. Her mother's hands grabbed her again, dragging her away even as tears streamed down her face.

"Do not look back, Amanda! Keep running!"

But Amanda could not stop herself. She turned one last time and saw her father fall beneath the weight of three shadows. Her scream tore through the night.

Her mother's arms lifted her up and ran, but the attackers were fast. Amanda heard a cry of pain, and then her mother stumbled. The ground tilted, and Amanda was thrown forward into the underbrush.

She looked up just in time to see her mother surrounded, fighting with all her strength, before the shadows dragged her down.

"Mama!" Amanda cried. Her little hands clawed at the ground, but before she could rise, a heavy blow struck her head. Darkness swallowed her.

When Amanda woke, she was no longer in the forest. She was inside a grand house, lying on a cold bed in a strange room.

A woman with sharp eyes and painted lips smiled down at her, though the smile did not reach her eyes. "Ah, you are awake. Poor little thing, all alone. Do not worry, you are safe now."

Amanda blinked, her small body trembling. "Where is my mommy? Where is my daddy?"

The woman's smile tightened. "They are gone, child. But you are fortunate. My husband and I will take care of you now. You will live with us."

Amanda shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "No. They will come for me. They promised."

The woman's eyes hardened, and she gripped Amanda's chin with cold fingers. "Listen carefully. Your parents are not coming back. You belong to us now. Do you understand?"

Amanda sobbed, her heart breaking, but she could not fight the steel in the woman's voice.

That night she was taken to a small attic room. The walls were bare, the mattress thin, and the blanket smelled of dust. Amanda curled up, whispering to herself, "Mama said the moon always watches over us. The moon will find me."

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