KISS THE SCUMBAG Chapter 21

He let out a breathy laugh, drawing out his words as if to emphasize them, and furrowed his brow.

“There’s no other way.”

No, there must be. There has to be. Yujin blurted it out in desperation.

“You know what it takes to have a child, don’t you? I have to sleep with you. We have to have sex.”

He had expected even Winston to be flustered this time, but he was wrong again. Winston replied nonchalantly.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s no different from spilling into some omega hustler at a pheromone party.”

He must have already turned this over in his mind countless times. Every problem Yujin could point out had surely been repeated in his head over and over, and he would have considered every possible outcome.

And in the end, he had reached this conclusion.

Nothing Yujin said would change a thing. He had already made his decision, and nothing would sway him. That was just the kind of man Winston Campbell was.

But Yujin could not do it.

“But the child, having a child is…”

Winston ruthlessly cut off Yujin, who had forced the words out as if wringing them from his throat.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to ask you to raise the child.”

He continued smoothly, as if he had expected this very reaction.

“Once the child is born, it’s mine. You just need to take the money and leave. Oh, and take that kid you brought with you, too.”

There was no error in Winston’s logic. But something still bothered him.

“…You’re going to raise it?”

Yujin couldn’t help but ask, surprised by the unexpected phrasing coming from a man who didn’t seem to suit childcare at all. Sensing his thoughts, Winston wrinkled his brow and sneered at Yujin.

“Isn’t that obvious? Did you think I would entrust my child to you?”

Since he hadn’t even imagined a situation like this, he hadn’t thought about what might happen afterward. Without giving Yujin any room to breathe, Winston continued.

“Or perhaps you were worried that you’d end up saddled with another unwanted child?”

“What are you talking about?”

He couldn’t help but react sensitively to that. At the sharp tone that leaked out, Winston shrugged, both hands shoved deep into his pants pockets.

“Mate, we know each other down to the bedrock. Save the performative acting and wrapping yourself up for someone else.”

Narrowed purple eyes looked down at Yujin. Full of nothing but contempt.

“It’s disgusting.”

His words and actions were no different than they had ever been. As if insulting and berating Yujin was his rightful prerogative.

He could have endured any amount of scorn directed at himself. But he could not tolerate the insult to the child.

“Don’t talk about Angie like that. You don’t know anything.”

Winston let out a short, airy laugh and retorted sarcastically.

“I don’t know anything?”

“That’s right.”

Yujin glared at him as hard as he could and warned him.

“You can say whatever you want about me. But not Angie. If you ever bring her up like that again, I will never forgive you.”

He said it with all his sincerity, but the man’s reaction was lukewarm. As if to say, What are you going to do about it? And, frustratingly, it was true.

“So you don’t want to talk about the child?”

Winston asked in a detached tone. Without waiting for Yujin’s answer, he continued.

“Of course you wouldn’t want to mention it. That child is probably the price you paid for the promiscuous life you’ve led.”

Despite the warning, Winston was skillfully mocking Yujin by bringing up the child. As if the child were a punishment from God inflicted upon Yujin.

“Angie is a blessing to me.”

Yujin snapped back immediately, but Winston still scoffed and retorted.

“Do you even know whose kid it is?”

“It’s mine.”

“Hahaha.”

At the words spoken without a second’s hesitation, Winston laughed out loud. It was a sound that mocked Yujin, whoever heard it. But Yujin held his ground.

“I don’t need a father. We’re fine with just the two of us.”

He had always thought so, and it had been true in reality. It would stay that way in the future, too. Unlike Yujin’s resolute expression, Winston spoke with a blank face.

“I’ve prepared the contract. We’ll go through the procedures right after you sign.”

“What contract?”

Yujin was puzzled by the sudden remark, to which Winston smirked and said:

“A prenuptial agreement, of course. You didn’t think I’d marry you unconditionally, did you?”

The man was certain. That Yujin would do anything for money. While he had come prepared for that, this was the one exception.

“I’m not going to marry you. And I’m not having your child.”

Yujin straightened his back and spoke firmly.

“Find another way. If there isn’t one, then I have no choice but to give up the inheritance.”

“Give up the money? You?”

He chuckled as if it were a preposterous thing to say, but Yujin’s stance was rigid.

“That’s right. And what would change for me even if I did? I’d just be going back to the life I’ve been living all this time.”

Of course, it was a bluff. He could handle rolling in the dirt himself, but Angela couldn’t. The only reason he had come back to sit here facing this arrogant man, even after having his pride trampled so thoroughly, was for Angela’s sake. His desire to raise the child in a safe and comfortable environment, no matter what, was no different from any other parent. Yet, there was only one reason he could act so bold.

Winston will never give up the inheritance.

If that was the case, Yujin was an essential requirement for him to achieve his goal. For a man who had nothing, this was his only weapon. And he would not back down.

“I am never marrying you.”

If I hold firm and insist that I will never marry, he’ll have to suggest another way.

As he looked at him with conviction, unexpectedly, Winston wore a strange expression.

“No, you will.”

“Me? Why?”

Yujin furrowed his brow and mocked him.

“Aren’t you a bit too full of yourself? Sorry, but absolutely not. Even if you were the only alpha left on earth, I would never marry you, nor would I ever sleep with you.”

Winston said nothing to the firm refusal. It felt like the first time he had taken the lead against him. He vowed to never let it slip away again.

Staring at Yujin with narrowed eyes, Winston spoke slowly.

“Mate.”

Just as he felt a foreboding, the man twisted the corner of his mouth and let out:

“Do you really think I don’t know whose kid that is?”

For a moment, Yujin’s head went blank. “Empty” would be a more accurate description. His heart, which had seemed to pause for a second, began to pound like crazy, and his mouth went bone-dry. What was that? What did I just hear?

What did this man just say to me?

“Wh-whose kid? I told you, it’s my child.”

At Yujin’s reaction, which was markedly different from before, Winston narrowed his eyes and smirked. Yujin also realized that he had made a colossal mistake. Nothing would improve regardless of what he said here. To avoid the worst, it was better to keep his mouth shut.

Even though it felt like everything was already over.

“Don’t do anything futile. I know, everything.”

Watching Yujin’s visible panic, Winston continued slowly.

“Don’t even think about trying to outsmart me. It’ll only end up exposing how low you are.”

“Liar…”

A feeble voice escaped Yujin’s lips. Winston retorted to his eyes, which were trembling as if he were having a seizure.

“A liar, am I?”

“Yes!”

Anxious, Yujin shouted desperately.

“How would you know that? That’s absurd! You think you can fool me with lies like that? You think I’m that easy to take advantage of?”

In contrast to Yujin, Winston was overflowing with composure. After taking a puff of his cigarette, he smirked. The moment he felt a chill, Winston opened his mouth.

“I saw the child’s birth certificate.”

At his slow tone, Yujin asked in a startled voice.

“You investigated me?”

Winston twisted his lips into a cynical smile.

“Isn’t that obvious? Did you really think I’d still be playing into your hands?”

The initiative had completely shifted. But Yujin tried his best to deny him.