Divorce Contract C3

Chapter 3

Go Igyeol glanced at the seat where Na Seunghui sat and murmured softly. Seo Dohyeon was quick to take hints; he would not allow the conversation to linger on the same subject any further. Seunghui, on the other hand, watched the two of them with an air of fascination. Something about them did not quite fit a married couple. He had given up all hope when Dohyeon got married, but now he wondered if there might still be a space he could wedge himself into.

“Did I bring up something I shouldn’t have and make things difficult for you, Mr. Igyeol? Was the fact that you stepped out that day supposed to be a secret from Dohyeon?”

“It’s not like that.”

Seeing Seunghui’s faintly troubled expression, Igyeol shook his head, signaling it was fine. As they waited for their food, Dohyeon and Seunghui slipped into conversations made up of memories Igyeol had never shared. Stories from a time when he was not present. Every now and then, as though bestowing charity, they threw a question in his direction, where he sat at the table like a piece of misplaced furniture.

“Come to think of it, you two don’t have any baby news yet, do you? Was it on purpose? Haven’t you had enough of the honeymoon stage by now? Been married for quite a while, haven’t you? Sure, Dohyeon always said he disliked children, but you, Igyeol—I bet you’d love to have one.”

At those words, Igyeol’s expression stiffened. Surely Seunghui couldn’t know anything—yet unease gripped him nonetheless. What if Dohyeon picked up on the truth of his pregnancy?

“Why don’t you mind your own business.”

“I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“And why should you be curious about that.”

“How could I not? You’re the only married person I know. Igyeol, what about you? A child of you and Dohyeon would be beautiful. If I were you… I’d have as many children who looked like Dohyeon as I possibly could.”

Fearful that his secret might slip, Igyeol completely missed the lighthearted implication in Seunghui’s innocent words. His heart felt as though it was dropping, again and again. And then, the steak arrived—the rising smell of seared meat churned his stomach violently. He tried to quell it with sips of cold water, but it wouldn’t settle.

“Hmm? So, what do you think?”

“I believe… when the time is right, it will naturally come.”

“Wow, I see. Guess it’s harder than expected, huh? Even if you’re a recessive, Dohyeon’s a dominant, so I thought he’d be a father in no time. Not to mention you’re so much younger.”

Igyeol forced an awkward smile, concealing his discomfort. “Is that so,” he murmured faintly, picking up his knife. Before he could use it, Dohyeon switched their plates, handing him one where the steak was already cut.

“Are you jealous because Igyeol’s so much younger, while you’re the old one?”

“What?”

“You keep talking about age. I figured maybe you were envious.”

Igyeol’s eyes flew wide at the blunt, impolite remark. “Eat,” Dohyeon muttered under his breath. Igyeol whispered a small thank you, then cautiously picked up his fork, wary under Seunghui’s gaze.

“So when are you going to marry, huh? Even if you’re a dominant, you’re not young anymore. You’ll need a younger alpha if you want children quickly.”

Sensing Igyeol’s discomfort, Dohyeon diverted Seunghui’s attention. Realizing he’d crossed the line, Seunghui furrowed his brows and gave an embarrassed laugh before apologizing to Igyeol.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.”

“…It’s all right.”

“It was a mistake. Sorry to you too.”

Dohyeon contented himself with a simple nod. The frozen air finally softened as the subject shifted. As conversation resumed between Dohyeon and Seunghui, Igyeol found himself unable to take even a single bite of steak. His stomach churned violently until, under Dohyeon’s gaze, he forced himself to chew a piece.

The tender meat broke apart, the juices releasing—and nausea surged uncontrollably. He covered his mouth, unable to stop himself from rushing away. In the bathroom, crouched in the farthest stall, he heaved up the contents of his empty stomach.

“Ugh—hhk, ngh…!”

That was when he heard footsteps—and Dohyeon’s voice rang out. Igyeol held his mouth shut, fighting another wave.

“Igyeol.”

“……”

Pressing tissues against his tear-streaked face, he flushed and opened the stall.

“Didn’t I say you weren’t well.”

“I’m fine now—hff. I’m fine. Sorry.”

“Indigestion?”

“I think yesterday’s dinner didn’t sit right. Even after taking medicine, it wouldn’t settle.”

His eyes held worry—without the faintest trace of suspicion. It was fortunate; he was a man convinced he made no mistakes. Dohyeon steadied the weaving Igyeol, guiding him to the sink and waiting as he rinsed his mouth before handing him paper towels.

“It’s better if we leave now. We can meet Seunghui another time.”

“I’m… okay, really.”

“Have you not looked in a mirror?”

“…Pardon?”

With a soft smile, Dohyeon brushed the dampness from his chin.

“You don’t look okay. If I’d known you were this unwell, I would have canceled.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No more apologies. Let’s go home.”

Back at the table, he called a server for his jacket.

“Leaving already?”

“Yeah. We’ll meet again another time.”

“Sure, but… could Igyeol be pregnant? Isn’t this morning sickness?”

“It isn’t. Stop prying. Why are you so obsessed with Igyeol’s pregnancy?”

At Dohyeon’s cold reply, Seunghui laughed awkwardly and whined at his tone. Igyeol, unsettled by Seunghui’s manner toward Dohyeon, dropped his head lower, fearing further conversation might expose him.

“Yesterday’s food upset my stomach. I even took medicine, but it didn’t help. I’m sorry.”

By stressing it wasn’t pregnancy, Igyeol convinced him. Seunghui nodded, suspicion fading, and instead expressed concern, promising they’d meet again.

“Take care, Igyeol. Get some good rest.”

“Thank you.”

“See you.”

Leaving Seunghui behind in the restaurant, they stepped outside to find their valet car waiting.

“Thank you,” Igyeol said out of habit to the valet. Once Igyeol was settled in the passenger seat, Dohyeon bowed to the staff himself and climbed into the driver’s side.

“The hospital.”

“I’m fine. Really.”

“Don’t be foolish just to endure it.”

“…It’s not that. I’ll be fine with some rest.”

Undoing the top button beneath his collar, he slowed to a stop at a red light. Once fully halted, he turned, studying Igyeol’s face carefully.

“You look fine now.”

“……”

“Then explain earlier.”

“What do you mean.”

Even as the light changed to green, he didn’t move—forcing the cars behind to honk. At last, he started forward again.

“They said you were crying.”

Though he knew Dohyeon’s sharp memory wouldn’t let it go, he hadn’t expected the question so soon. Cursing his lack of preparation, he bit gently on the inside of his cheek.

“Igyeol.”

“I was waiting for a bus. Some dust flew into my eyes.”

“And that made you cry?”

“Even an eyelash in the eye can bring tears.”

Not bad, for a rushed excuse. Dohyeon exhaled deeply, then spoke again.

“Why didn’t you take the car I gave you. Instead you go out and show everyone that pitiful sight.”

“…Sorry. I’ll use it from now on.”

“You said his name was Seunwoo? A cousin?”

“Na Seonwoo. Our class representative back in college. Not really close. We just met by chance, it had been a while—so we talked.”

At his hesitant voice, rattling off explanations, Dohyeon finally nodded, appeased.

“Today, my mother asked about you. Said she missed seeing you.”

“I’ll visit tomorrow.”

“And your father—he wants some golf equipment. Make sure he gets it.”

“…I’ll speak with him.”

Deliberately, Dohyeon had used your father—as if recalling the words Igyeol had spat the other day.

Seo Dohyeon’s mother, Im Yeonhui, only daughter of Im Cheongyeon and CEO of LCY Financial, was a dominant omega raised like precious jade. Unlike the vulgar air so often associated with the loan industry, she was known publicly for her elegance and refined bearing.

“You’ve come.”

At least, that was her reputation. Igyeol, however, thought her a woman born gifted with the art of wearing down another’s nerves to the breaking point.

“How have you been?”

“How have I been? And it’s me who always has to summon you! You never once pick up the phone first. Tch. This is why poorly-raised children turn out worthless.”

LCY, now one of the largest providers of capital to both political and financial circles, had begun as a family of loan sharks—a fact that had always been Yeonhui’s deepest shame. That was why she wanted, above all, to secure for her son a flawless wife from an impeccable background. But even that long-cherished hope was shattered by her father-in-law, Seo Jeongjae, head of SJ Group.

On nothing more than a drunken promise made with an old drinking companion, he had chosen already who Dohyeon’s spouse would be.

Yeonhui had asked persistently whose child this was to be. The answer she received was a vague reassurance: that the boy had been raised properly, well-mannered and upright. From that moment, she knew—the one her son would marry was a nobody.

At once, she tasked her father, Im Cheongyeon, with investigating Go Igyeol. Within two days she received the report, read it cover to cover—and fainted.

She had, at the very least, hoped he had grown up in comfort. Instead, she was faced with an upbringing riddled with poverty, an empty financial state, a recessive omega, his appearance, even his age—nothing met her standards. Not a single thing.

As if in protest, she fasted, haranguing her husband Seo Taehyeok day and night. But he had no courage to oppose his father.

Even as his mother wasted away, Dohyeon still comforted her, even as he remained ignorant of the omega he had been matched with. When the time came for their families to meet, Yeonhui spent days in near-collapse.

But she accepted it, at last: she could not undo her son’s marriage. Once resigned, her spirit quieted at last.