Chapter 2
With this, Moon Do-heon’s marriage was deemed a failure. Born as the illegitimate son of Chairman Moon of JT Group, he was only taken in by Chairman Moon at the age of ten, but the family members gossiped behind his back, saying his origins were vulgar.
When it came time for Do-heon to marry, he cast aside the submissive Dominant Omega who was suitable as a monitor and selected by the family, instead choosing Yoo Cheong-yeon, a Recessive Omega and former failed idol.
Naturally, there was strong family opposition at the time of marriage, and throughout their married life, gossip followed them like a tag.
That’s why Cheong-yeon never wanted to disappoint Do-heon who had chosen him. He wanted to become an Omega worthy of JT family, perfectly suited for Do-heon, a Dominant Alpha.
But it was an impossible wish from the start. The problem began with being a Recessive in the first place.
When he received the infertility diagnosis, he felt like the ground was collapsing beneath him, imagining how disappointed Do-heon must have been, and how much he must resent him for causing this outcome by abusing suppressants without prescription.
Of course, even during the discharge process, Do-heon maintained his typically dry attitude, but that was what made Cheong-yeon feel terribly miserable. After desperately trying to impress him throughout their three years of marriage, it was proven that his desperate struggles meant nothing.
To Moon Do-heon, Yoo Cheong-yeon was someone who couldn’t cause even the slightest emotional response.
Even the doctor looked at Cheong-yeon with sympathetic eyes because of Do-heon’s attitude.
“…”
Outside the bedroom was quiet. There wasn’t even the faint noise usually heard when Do-heon came and went. He couldn’t tell what time it was. He had cried so much that the pillow had been damp for a long time.
Since he and Do-heon had separate rooms from the beginning, unless one of them visited the other’s room, they wouldn’t run into each other in this spacious mansion.
Cheong-yeon turned his head and stared out the window. It was raining.
Suddenly, he had the thought of wanting to jump out through that window.
*
It must be because of the rain that he’s not coming. Because it’s raining.
After being discharged, Cheong-yeon rationalized that Do-heon never visited his room purely because of the bad weather. But even after a week passed and the sun came out, Do-heon never opened the door and entered.
Now his tears had dried up, leaving his eyes parched.
And exactly ten days after being discharged, Cheong-yeon’s swollen eyes had completely subsided. Despite living in the same house, Do-heon never sent anyone to ask even a brief “How are you?” or “Are you feeling alright?”
He was always that kind of person. Cheong-yeon knew this, and he had thought it was fine with him, but now he had to admit it—it wasn’t fine at all.
There was a small refrigerator in the room, and he had survived like a corpse, occasionally drinking beverages from it, but even those ran out, making him think he might really die.
Cheong-yeon cautiously opened the door and stepped outside his bedroom for the first time in ten days. The house was as quiet as a grave, as always. With a burning thirst, Cheong-yeon took staggering steps down the stairs to the first floor.
“Well, if the Director is seeing another Omega, there’s nothing we can say.”
At that moment, Cheong-yeon’s steps came to an abrupt halt at a whisper from the kitchen.
“Is he actually seeing someone?”
“With how late he’s been coming home lately, and the other day I heard he had dinner separately with someone outside.”
“Come on, when you work, you eat and do things. That’s reaching.”
“No, he went to the department store recently too. He didn’t say who it was for, but he was personally shopping for a gift!”
“Really? Oh my goodness. The poor person upstairs can’t even eat and is bedridden, and yet…”
“I know. By the way, I wonder how they became infertile…”
House employees’ gossip was normally forbidden. However, Cheong-yeon was in no state to point this out, and they probably didn’t expect that Cheong-yeon, who hadn’t left his room for ten days, would hear the entire conversation from upstairs.
Cheong-yeon was shocked to hear that Do-heon had personally visited a department store to buy a gift, but at the same time, he accepted the situation rather readily.
It was unlikely that a Dominant Alpha like him, with such a critical complex about being born illegitimate, would continue to keep a Recessive Omega like himself who couldn’t bear an heir. It was more like Moon Do-heon to quickly acknowledge the failure of the marriage and bring in a new spouse.
Cheong-yeon forgot his thirst and went back upstairs to Do-heon’s room. He opened the door without knocking and, as expected, the room was empty.
Cheong-yeon involuntarily hunched his shoulders upon detecting the Dominant Alpha pheromones permeating Do-heon’s bedroom. Cheong-yeon always responded immediately to his pheromones. It was an unavoidable characteristic of Recessives, but Cheong-yeon’s reaction was severe.
Sighing, Cheong-yeon began searching the room as if possessed. As soon as he entered the dressing room adjoining the bedroom, he spotted an unfamiliar shopping bag on the low display cabinet where watches and ties were kept.
“…”
Inside was a neatly packaged limited edition ring and bracelet from a famous brand. Looking at the receipt date, it was purchased the day before yesterday.
There’s no way he would give such a gift to someone like him, who not only had a weakened body from suppressant abuse but also received an infertility diagnosis. Perhaps it was for the Omega they said he had been meeting recently. He wasn’t sure if what the employees were gossiping about downstairs was true.
Cheong-yeon bit his lower lip hard.
“Moon Do-heon, you bastard.”
For a moment, he felt the urge to steal them and wear them himself, but he barely suppressed the impulse, realizing it would be too pathetic.
The anger only lasted a moment. Somehow, rather than shock, a sense of relief from curiosity being resolved washed over him. And Cheong-yeon instinctively knew that his relationship with him was truly over now.
He put the expensive gift back in its place and left the room without any lingering attachment.
*
When Do-heon returned home after work, Cheong-yeon was unusually sitting at the dining table.
“Yoo Cheong-yeon.”
He approached Cheong-yeon in the same impeccable suit he had worn when leaving for work that morning. Cheong-yeon, who had finally emerged from his room after ten long days, faced Do-heon directly and held out a brown envelope.
“Let’s divorce.”
Instead of taking the envelope, Do-heon stopped in his tracks. Regardless of how he might react, Cheong-yeon continued with what he wanted to say.
“If one party is infertile, that’s sufficient grounds for divorce. I’ve heard the deliberation period is almost unnecessary. Even though I’m the one who caused it, that’s what the law says.”
“…”
“I think we’ve seen all there is to see at this point, so let’s end it here. Please divorce me, Do-heon.”
Do-heon reached out and took the documents Cheong-yeon was offering.
While he checked the contents, employees hiding throughout the house watched the two cautiously. But not even the slightest noise came from anyone. Only the sound of papers flipping could be heard as Do-heon turned the pages of the document.
This silence had become unbearable.
Cheong-yeon barely suppressed the lump in his throat.
“I don’t expect any assets. I can’t return everything I’ve received, but… I have absolutely no intention of touching or taking anything more.”
Do-heon finished checking the documents and put them back in the envelope.
“Let’s talk about this another day, not now.”
Just as he had been for the past three years, and just as he had been at the hospital ten days ago, he remained expressionless. Even at this moment of being notified of divorce, he seemed unaffected, as if it were someone else’s business.
“Now!”
Cheong-yeon’s emotions intensified.
“Let’s talk about it now.”
Cheong-yeon’s cry pierced through the silence. At that moment, feeling something flowing from the corner of his mouth, Cheong-yeon unconsciously rubbed his lips with his hand. The skin of his parched lips had cracked, causing them to bleed.
After roughly wiping away the blood with the back of his hand, Cheong-yeon stared directly at Do-heon as if demanding an immediate answer. In Cheong-yeon’s eyes, which hadn’t properly slept, there were bloodshot vessels instead of vitality.
Do-heon placed the envelope back on the table with minimal movement. Then he checked the watch on his wrist.
“I need to go back to the company.”
“That’s even better. If you’re going, sign this and go.”
Cheong-yeon jumped up from his seat and placed a pen in his hand. At the momentary contact with the Dominant Alpha’s pheromones at his fingertips, he unconsciously clenched his fist.
Do-heon, perhaps sensing Cheong-yeon’s reaction, frowned and stepped back. It was the first expression to appear on his otherwise emotionless face.
Cheong-yeon’s face contorted in response. Ah. Moon Do-heon hates Recessive Omegas who can’t even control their pheromones.
Though familiar, Do-heon’s consistent response even in this moment was resentful.
Do-heon’s gaze lingered on Cheong-yeon for a moment. Cheong-yeon barely endured his reddening eyes as he waited for him to sign.
A few seconds later, Do-heon spoke.
“Secretary Shim. Please organize the documents.”
“Yes, Director. I’ll deliver them to the lawyer immediately.”
Whether his statement about needing to return to the company was true or not, Secretary Shim was standing by the entrance.
“And… if you want to attend the meeting on time, we need to leave now.”
“A lawyer will come. Think of him as my representative and organize the documents as you wish.”
His voice was remarkably calm, making it hard to believe that this was a moment when his spouse was demanding a divorce.
