Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie) novel Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Compete**

**Natalie’s POV:**

I found myself completely blindsided. There was no need for Rebecca to remind me of the undeniable truth that Landon harbored feelings for someone else. Yet, the reactions from those around us were strangely unsettling. It wasn’t the typical curiosity or skepticism one might expect when gossip surfaces; rather, it felt like an unspoken agreement hung in the air, a shared understanding that left me feeling isolated and exposed.

As it turned out, a significant number of people were already aware of the relationship between Landon and Aaliyah. Here I was, the lone fool, entrapped by the illusion of love, living in a web of deceit they had meticulously spun over the past six years. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

I couldn’t help but reflect on the blessings and envy I had received throughout my school years. I had once, in my naivety, believed I was the favored child of the Moon Goddess, graced with fortune. But now, a wave of self-contempt and simmering anger surged within me, threatening to spill over.

“Rebecca, are you just being a sore loser? You haven’t even found a mate yet! Maybe it’s time you stepped back into the dating scene!” Alice interjected, her voice rising with a fierce protectiveness, like a mother wolf defending her cubs.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Alice! Mind your own business! Landon only settled for Natalie because he couldn’t have his true soul-bound mate!” Rebecca shot back, her tone sharp, her agitation palpable as her pheromones crackled in the air.

Her words struck me like a venomous dart, piercing straight through my heart.

“I’m merely stating the truth. Who knows better about love than the parties involved? What reason would I have to envy Natalie?” Rebecca scoffed, her gaze filled with contempt as it flicked in my direction.

“Come on! You’re jealous of Natalie’s looks, her intelligence, and the affection she receives from Landon! Everyone knows you’ve been trying to outshine her since our school days!” Alice countered fiercely, refusing to back down.

Alice had hit the nail squarely on the head. The jealousy radiating from Rebecca was almost tangible, a thick tension that filled the space between us.

In school, we were always set against each other, like two rival teams. When I basked in the spotlight, she faded into the background; when opportunities came my way, she was left to pick up the scraps. Everything she desired seemed to slip through her fingers and into my grasp. It was a bitter rivalry that had festered into a deep-seated resentment over the years.

Back then, I had been blissfully unaware of the growing animosity.

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