Chapter 102
His attitude was so cold that it was hard to believe he was dealing with someone he had once shared his life with intimately.
“This is insane,” Cheong-yeon muttered to himself after a long pause. His hands and feet felt ice-cold while his stomach churned with nausea.
It was utterly baffling and frustrating why Do-heon, who had hardly spared him a glance throughout their marriage, was now obsessively fixated on him, resorting to such despicable methods.
Who exactly was this man, Moon Do-heon, whom he thought he knew? Why had he been so excited, lingering around just for a chance to catch his eye?
He had wanted Do-heon’s approval and love, and wished to give even more love in return. Being a Recessive Omega, he wanted to compensate for his inadequacies through effort.
It would have been fine even if Do-heon had taken him in out of guilt toward his uncle. He had even been grateful that Do-heon felt sympathy for him.
He had tried to become someone worthy of Do-heon, so that Do-heon wouldn’t be pointed at behind his back as a foolish Alpha bewitched by a Recessive Omega, even if his sacrifices went unreciprocated.
But where had all those emotions and efforts gone? Was the Moon Do-heon standing before him now really the same person he had loved so passionately?
It was heartbreaking to realize he could be so disappointed in someone he had once been willing to give everything to be with.
“You said before that you’ve always cared for me,” Cheong-yeon said, unable to hide the tremor in his voice.
“If this is how you treat someone you once cared for, then you’re truly garbage.”
He felt disgusted remembering how Do-heon had claimed with an indifferent face that he had always cared for him.
“Don’t you think I’m being lenient because I care about you?”
“Lenient? This? Should I be grateful?”
Cheong-yeon let out a hollow laugh.
In response, Do-heon’s persistent gaze scrutinized Cheong-yeon from head to toe.
“The clothes you wear, the places you stay, the people you meet, the things you use, the work you do, even the food you eat. Why don’t you understand that I’m paying attention to every detail because I care?”
Do-heon spoke as if frustrated, but his professed affection didn’t resonate with Cheong-yeon at all.
“Now I see that Director is more abnormal than I thought and just can’t bear to let me go,” Cheong-yeon sneered with a somewhat caustic tone.
“I thought we’d already seen the worst of each other, but apparently not.”
Do-heon looked down at the contract on the desk, then firmly pressed his thumb over Cheong-yeon’s wine-stained fingerprint.
After a moment of silence, Do-heon spoke.
“Let’s just say there were still depths remaining.”
“…”
Do-heon was saying that if they had seen each other’s rock bottom before, now it was time to see the abyss.
So he was determined not to stop this absurd contract.
It was an announcement that despite being divorced, he intended to continue this abnormal relationship—meeting while there was still a possibility of pregnancy, mingling bodies against Cheong-yeon’s wishes, and paying for it—using the people around them as leverage.
Do-heon’s conclusion was simple, as if he didn’t even need to consider how much Cheong-yeon might be hurt in the process.
Cheong-yeon’s face turned pale. He felt disgusted and somehow empty at the same time.
Unable to hide his choked-up expression, Cheong-yeon’s lips quivered.
“I really… loved you. I regret my past feelings so much.”
“You can love me again.”
Do-heon took a step closer to Cheong-yeon.
“You can come back. I’m giving you the chance.”
He spoke as if it were all so simple. Cheong-yeon stared intently into his dark eyes, noting the peculiar mix of threat and longing in his tone.
Do-heon had always found it so easy to tell him to come back.
“As if nothing happened?”
“That’s right. As if nothing happened.”
“…”
How could he be so nonchalant when everything was such a mess? He seemed to believe that if Cheong-yeon just returned to him, all the complicated emotions and current problems would be resolved.
“That would be fake.”
But the truth was different. Even if he went back, how could things be as if nothing had happened?
“It becomes real when you come back. Why would that be fake?”
“Because even if I went back to you, it wouldn’t be with the same feelings as before. I wouldn’t love you like I did then. Why can’t you understand that things can never be the same again?”
“That’s why you’re paying the price.”
“…”
The word ‘price’ momentarily left him speechless.
“This is something that can’t be reversed, no matter what the price.”
“You’re wrong.”
“It’s not something that can be exchanged for material things like you say!”
“There’s nothing money can’t buy.”
Cheong-yeon was firm, and Do-heon’s voice was equally resolute. The two were facing each other, but their intentions were completely misaligned, as if they were looking at different places while talking.
Watching Do-heon look down at him with his chin raised, declaring that there was nothing money couldn’t buy as if it were the truth of the world, Cheong-yeon recalled fragments he had heard about Do-heon’s childhood.
‘Sadly, the next problem was my mother. She disappeared right after handing me over to my father. I didn’t know it then, but she probably took some money and disappeared.’
Come to think of it, Chairman Moon of JT Group essentially bought Do-heon from his mother. His birth mother had taken money and abandoned her son overnight, so perhaps to Do-heon, money represented some absolute value that took precedence over abstract emotions or trust.
Approaching it from that perspective, Do-heon made sense in a way, while also remaining incomprehensible.
“There are things in this world that money can’t buy. Many more than you think.”
Cheong-yeon thought someone needed to tell him this fact.
“Then why are you here right now?”
Do-heon retorted as if Cheong-yeon was the one who was mistaken. Taking another step closer, he reached out to hold Cheong-yeon’s chin and lifted his face.
“What do you think allows me to sleep with you, who left me because you couldn’t stand me, and to touch you right now?”
Cheong-yeon knocked away his hand with a disgusted expression. His heart was beating so fast it felt ominous, making him feel twisted inside.
Do-heon’s pheromones, which hadn’t bothered him for a while, once again uncomfortably stirred his nerves.
“You…”
Knock, knock.
Just as Cheong-yeon was about to speak after a long pause, there was a knock. The gazes of the two, who had been facing each other, turned toward the door.
“Director. I’m coming in for a moment.”
Secretary Shim’s voice was heard first, and a few seconds later, the door opened. Watching him enter the office with a file of documents, Cheong-yeon took a step back from Do-heon.
“According to your schedule, you need to leave in five minutes. And here are some parts that need your review in advance.”
Seeing Do-heon accept the documents, Cheong-yeon swallowed a sigh. He was no longer in the mood to continue the conversation, and Do-heon also appeared to be out of time.
Cheong-yeon didn’t even feel any new emotion toward Do-heon, who began reading the documents without a word of apology despite their unfinished conversation. He had always been that kind of man.
Realizing that staying here would only hurt himself more, Cheong-yeon decided to leave the office.
“Take him home,” Do-heon instructed Secretary Shim with a gesture of his chin, only when he saw Cheong-yeon turning away. Secretary Shim immediately bowed his head and replied.
“Understood.”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll go by myself.”
Cheong-yeon refused and walked quickly toward the door. Do-heon put down the documents and grabbed Cheong-yeon as he tried to leave the office.
“Listen to me.”
“Can’t I even go home as I please?”
Cheong-yeon raised his voice as he urgently knocked away Do-heon’s hand. Do-heon looked down at his rejected hand and slightly contorted his eyes.
“Have you forgotten? You’re an actor now. What if people recognize you when you’re out?”
“So what if they recognize me? It’s not like they’ll annoyingly cling to me. Why does it matter?”
It was ridiculous how he acted as if going home alone was some major issue.
“Because there’s a possibility, that’s why I’m telling you not to go alone.”
“…”
“From now on, take someone with you when you go out.”
It was irritating how he seemed to be trying to control every aspect of Cheong-yeon’s life, bringing up his status as a recognized actor as an excuse, as if he hadn’t already assigned people to watch over him even before he started acting.
Regardless of what Do-heon said, Cheong-yeon didn’t want to talk to him anymore today. Ignoring his last words, he turned the doorknob, and the quick-witted Secretary Shim urgently stepped forward.
“Mr. Cheong-yeon. If you leave now, it’s lunchtime, so public transportation will be crowded.”
“…Please just move aside. Can’t you all just leave me alone for once?”
“If you leave the Director’s office in this state, people will likely gossip. For your own sake, please let me drive you.”
Despite Cheong-yeon’s churning negative emotions toward Do-heon, Secretary Shim persuaded him with an infinitely gentle and calm tone.
As he listened carefully to his words, the prospect of returning to the officetel alone suddenly seemed too laborious and exhausting. The route was still unfamiliar to him as well.
“…”
Talking with Do-heon had drained him to the point where he wanted to collapse right there.
Noticing that his hand holding the doorknob was trembling, Cheong-yeon clenched his fist tightly.
Both his emotions and physical condition were a mess. However, he absolutely did not want to show tears in front of Do-heon.
What Cheong-yeon wanted was a moment of rest to clear his complicated thoughts, however brief.
Secretary Shim patiently waited through the long silence.
When Cheong-yeon slowly nodded, Secretary Shim opened the office door, saying he would guide him to the first floor.
Do-heon’s lips clearly contorted as he watched Cheong-yeon’s back as he obediently followed Secretary Shim out.
He bit down hard enough for his jaw muscles to protrude, then compulsively straightened and tightened his tie.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
