From Divorce to Dusk Chapter 7.4

「Sigh….」

When will I be able to stop crying? I might be an Omega, but I’m still a man. Honestly, before marrying Han Taesuk, I didn’t know I was someone with so many tears.

「I wish someone were by my side.」

He wished and wished for it, but there was no one by Jaekyung’s side right now. Perhaps even the child he thought would hold him had left before he could even take it into his arms.

◆

He met Han Taesuk a day after being discharged from the hospital. Coming home after work, he looked at Jaekyung with his usual face and nodded, offering a greeting that wasn’t quite a greeting.

Jaekyung followed behind the chilly man and organized his clothes. Until then, the man said nothing and sat in a chair. It was suffocating. But still, he had to offer an apology.

「I am sorry.」

Han Taesuk’s gaze, which had been on the laptop he was turning on while sitting in the chair, shifted toward Jaekyung.

「For what?」

「…The miscarriage…. I mean….」

「I don’t think that is something Mr. Jaekyung should feel sorry for.」

「Pardon?」

「If you think carefully about the situation back then, it’s not like Mr. Jaekyung collapsed because he wanted to, and the doctor said your body was struggling because of the child, causing a temporary state of shock. So it’s not Mr. Jaekyung’s fault. It’s not like you tripped on purpose.」

He had nothing to say to those logically sound words. On the other hand, he felt a chilling sense of dread. How could someone be so cold? He was told the child of his own blood was miscarried…. The way he talked about it like it was someone else’s business made him look like a cold-blooded person with no heart.

「Ah….」

While he was shrinking back slightly because he was scared of him, he saw a bandage wrapped around Han Taesuk’s forearm as he moved the keyboard.

「Are you… hurt somewhere?」

At Jaekyung’s question, Han Taesuk furrowed his brow slightly, then realizing what he was talking about, he pulled his sleeve down further to hide it completely.

「It is nothing.」

「…Yes. Then.」

Jaekyung closed the door, stepped out, and sighed. Even if he had stayed pregnant, it probably would have been like this. Nothing would have changed. Rather than being born into such a suffocating household… no. Let’s not think like that. Because then both the child and he would become too miserable. Jaekyung plodded down from the second floor and went to his room.

◆

「Ugh….」

Jaekyung was drenched in sweat, curled up tightly and letting out painful groans. The housekeeper was restless, wiping the sweat from Jaekyung’s forehead while looking at the man standing indifferently by the bed.

「Should we call a doctor….」

The housekeeper had suddenly woken Han Taesuk in the middle of the night. She told him Park Jaekyung’s condition was bad. She said that when she was heading to the bathroom after waking up, she heard moaning coming from the main room. When she opened the door just in case, he was pouring sweat as if he’d been caught in the rain, and no matter how much she called him, he wouldn’t regain consciousness. Is it the aftereffects of the miscarriage? Or is it because of the aftereffects of that drug?

「Hic… ugh… it hurts….」

「Oh dear, what should we do.」

The housekeeper kept muttering that they should call a doctor. But Taesuk made her step back.

「I will handle it.」

「Pardon?」

「Leave.」

「Ah… yes.」

The housekeeper hesitantly closed the door and left, and Han Taesuk looked down at the pale Jaekyung who was dripping with cold sweat before sitting in the chair next to him and wrapping him in pheromones. Crossing his legs and leaning his arm on the armrest while propping up his chin, he watched Park Jaekyung. Although the signs of pain gradually disappeared, he was still furrowing his brow as if struggling and shedding tears.

「Ugh… it hurts… someone save me….」

If it hurt this much, the person he should naturally be calling for would be his mom or family… but Park Jaekyung was saying “someone.” Suddenly, a conversation he had with Chairman Park when he wasn’t even thinking about marriage came to mind.

‘I have an Omega son at home, and that child is my own flesh and blood, but he is very lacking. He’s so lacking that he’s a recessive Omega. If he were just a regular Omega, I’d marry him off to a good place, but since he’s recessive. Besides, he’s not an affectionate fellow and is just quiet and boring—so where could I possibly send him? It’s a disgrace to the family.’

That was a gathering where not only himself but other businesspeople were present. From elders in their 80s to young CEOs in their 30s. Bringing that up in front of them—what could it be if not a will to use that Omega son as a connection?

And just by listening to Chairman Park’s words, one could tell how he treated his son. Having been treated like that, the fact that he grew up upright and thinking of his family could only be explained by him being born with a kind nature.

「Hmm.」

Han Taesuk looked at Park Jaekyung’s face. Then he slowly looked at the stomach he was clutching while curled up tightly. It was hard to believe his child had been in there. And surprisingly, no thoughts came to mind. Director Ji was angry, but Han Taesuk himself felt neither regret nor sorrow. What surprised him more was when he suddenly tumbled forward in front of the stairs. He had quickly snatched his arm, but because he couldn’t get a proper grip, he ended up falling to the floor. He wasn’t hurt much, but even after hearing the doctor say he had miscarried, Han Taesuk only thought, “Is that so?” Maybe the thought that he could just have another child anyway was stronger. Perhaps he really is heartless. Maybe he’s been too buried in work. His emotions have dried up.

Han Taesuk gave a short laugh and buried himself deeper into the chair. He had to give him more pheromones. Right now Park Jaekyung was saying “anyone,” but right now the only one who could save him was his imprinted Alpha.

「Mmm….」

His body felt light and comfortable. Until yesterday, it felt as heavy as water-soaked cotton… his eyes even snapped open… Jaekyung was surprised by his physical condition which was completely different from yesterday, and almost tumbled backward upon opening his eyes. Han Taesuk was sitting on the sofa next to the bed with his eyes closed. At first, he thought it was a dream. So he even pinched his cheek, but it hurt. It wasn’t a dream. My god. Why is Han Taesuk… why is he sleeping here? He looked around wondering if he had accidentally fallen asleep in the study, but it was his room. This was the first time he had come to this room since the wedding.

「Stay lying down.」

As he tried to get up to check if he was okay, the other man spoke first.

「Because you need more exposure to pheromones.」

「Ah….」

Jaekyung quickly lay back down from his slightly raised position and looked at the wall clock. 6 AM… isn’t it almost time to go to work? No, just how long has he been doing this?

「I am okay now. It doesn’t hurt.」

「You were in a lot of pain during the dawn. Do you not remember?」

「In the dawn, I… was in pain?」

「Yes.」

「Ah… that’s strange. I was fine when I went to sleep. I’m sorry.」

「I said this yesterday too, but Mr. Jaekyung has no need to apologize. That was an accident.」

An accident… Jaekyung’s face stiffened in an instant. Right. It must be an accident. The fact that I’m hurting like this is an accident….