Divorce Contract C99

Chapter 99

At the sound of footsteps drawing near, Go Igyeol lifted his head. His face was drenched and disordered with tears. Seo Dohyeon quickly bent to his knees and gathered him into his arms. The body that collapsed into him began to tremble.

“Seo Dohyeon… Seo Dohyeon.”

The voice that spilled from within his embrace was full of sorrow and aching tenderness. Dohyeon swallowed hard at the tremor in his voice and met Igyeol’s eyes.

“I… I just want to give everything up. I wanted to stay by the baby’s side, at least like this, but I can’t anymore. I’m not all right at all. I only pretended to be… When I saw Ihyeon, I felt as though I might be all right, so I said I was… but now I just want to give it all up. If I let go of everything, will it be easier?”

As his lips closed, great drops of tears streamed down Igyeol’s cheeks. Dohyeon’s hand carefully brushed away the wetness.

“It may sound ridiculous, but even to tell you I’m sorry…”

“……”

“…I was too sorry to say it.”

“…Why did you do it to me? Please… even if I can’t understand your actions, let me at least accept them. Please.”

The tears clinging to his long lashes fell onto Dohyeon’s hand. Feeling the warm wetness, his chest grew heavier, and Dohyeon finally spoke, though every excuse he offered sickened him.

“I thought contraception was foolproof. So I couldn’t even consider that the child might be mine. At the same time, Na Seonwoo kept staining you with his pheromones. Jealousy blinded me from then on. My mind filled with delusions, and once twisted, my thoughts only strayed further and further astray.”

“……”

“It wasn’t until I destroyed our relationship that I understood—it was all my fault.”

The large hand that wiped away Igyeol’s tears began to tremble.

“I wanted to beg forgiveness for everything I had done, but if I were you… I couldn’t forgive me either. It may sound like an excuse, but… I couldn’t even apologize. I thought even that would be forcing you, compelling you to forgive.”

Igyeol, lips bitten through and marked with teeth, raised a hand to clutch at him. Dohyeon’s thumb brushed the wounded lips, and he stifled his breath.

“Let’s divorce.”

The words came low and steady. Igyeol, who had been staring at his lips, lifted his head sharply. Dohyeon’s eyes glistened. The ruthless mask of a man was distorted, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. When Igyeol kept his gaze fixed there, Dohyeon gave a faint, bitter smile.

“I admitted too late that I… love you. So even knowing how much you suffered, I still wanted to stay with you.”

“Hhh… hhhuu…”

“But every time I see you cry like this, I wonder what I am doing. When you suffer so much.”

His voice spoke of an ending with composure, soothing Igyeol, stroking his trembling back slowly, releasing pheromones to calm him. That scent—indescribable, neither fragrance nor stench—wrapped around Igyeol, both comforting and horrifying, and he wept like a child once more.

“I won’t ask for forgiveness. You don’t have to endure anymore… Please, don’t cry.”

“……”

“I won’t demand anything. So you must not give up anything.”

Still, Igyeol could not stop weeping. The more Dohyeon spoke his apologies, the more the tears fell. Dohyeon wiped them all away, soothing him with his pheromones until his sobbing eased. Only then did he help him to his feet, leading him to the bathroom of his bedroom. He gently washed his tear-streaked face and, when his legs buckled, lifted him and laid him on the bed.

“I’ll be away on business this week. If you need anything, tell Secretary Yoon.”

“……”

“When you come home with the baby, a babysitter will be staying as well. If you don’t feel comfortable with them, tell Secretary Yoon. Also… on Sunday, he’ll bring the divorce papers and settlement agreement.”

At his repeated mention of the secretary, Igyeol closed his eyes. The supposed business trip—he was sure it was a lie.

“Read them and sign. If there’s anything you want to add or change, I’ll come Monday. We’ll file the papers that day.”

“…Are we really divorcing?”

As he asked, fresh tears traced long paths down his cheeks. Dohyeon watched the trail sorrowfully, reaching out.

“I don’t want to. But I will.”

“……”

“When you cry like this, I… I start to think you still have some lingering feeling for me. Shamelessly, I delude myself. I think maybe there’s a chance for us to begin again.”

His thumb stroked softly at the damp corners of Igyeol’s eyes. His dry eyes furrowed as he gave a smile that was more like weeping.

“Even after everything I did to you, I still couldn’t wake up.”

Every time he touched Igyeol, his regret only deepened. Dohyeon withdrew his hand from Igyeol’s face, pulled the quilt up to his chest, and rose slowly from where he had knelt. Igyeol’s eyes followed him as he moved.

“See you Monday.”

“……”

“Rest.”

He dimmed the lights to help him fall asleep and left the room. Igyeol could not take his eyes from the closed door. A flood of emotions churned in him. Relief that it was ending came hand in hand with hollow emptiness, and tears welled once more. The pillow was soon soaked by his renewed sobs, which went on for a long time.

It was Seo Ihyeon’s last day in the neonatal ward. Igyeol, his eyes swollen from nights of muffled crying, cradled the baby and gently stroked the small, fragile back. Eunsuk had some inkling of what had passed between the two men, but she did not dare to offer clumsy comfort, staying quietly beside him instead.

“Ah, the day’s finally come! Igyeol, you’ve suffered so much.”

With forced brightness, she patted his back. He gave a faint smile and nodded. The muttered words of relief carried no strength. Together they took the elevator down to the first floor and left the hospital. Descending the low steps, she asked:

“The babysitter’s coming tonight, isn’t she? I’m curious what sort of person they’ll be, aren’t you?”

“Yes. And tomorrow morning, when Ihyeon’s discharged, they’ll come along—”

Click. The sharp sound of heels cut through, interrupting his words. Someone stood blocking his way. Slowly, Igyeol lifted his head.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Igyeol.”

“…Ah.”

Clad in a white two-piece suit, Im Yeonhui blocked their path with a gentle smile directed at Eunsuk.

“Hello. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“…Ah, yes. Hello. But who…?”

It wasn’t only Igyeol who was startled by the sudden appearance. Eunsuk stared, rudely long, trying to place the oddly familiar atmosphere. She resembled someone—but who? The thought would not surface.

“Won’t you introduce us?”

Her voice was soft and affectionate as she addressed Igyeol, frozen still. Only then, shaking himself, did he murmur the introduction.

“…This is Seo Dohyeon’s mother.”

“Ah…”

Eunsuk’s eyes widened. No wonder she seemed familiar.

“I’m Im Yeonhui. I hear my son has been much in your care.”

“No, not at all. We’ve been living comfortably.”

“They say you’ve been looking after Igyeol very dearly. His face has improved so much. He’s gained weight. He looks well.”

Her gaze lingered on Igyeol’s pale face as she spoke, and Eunsuk felt an inexplicable displeasure. Almost unconsciously, she drew Igyeol behind her.

“And what brings you here? This hardly seems the place to meet your son-in-law’s family. Were you on your way somewhere?”

With casual words but a sharp undertone, Eunsuk asked what she truly wanted to know. Yeonhui’s lips tightened. Indeed, this was no place for such a meeting. Waiting there, standing on the paving stones, was almost comical.

“More than that… I have something to say to Igyeol. Just a moment of your time, child?”

Her manicured hand reached out and caught his.

“I won’t keep you long, don’t worry. There are plenty of cafés nearby—loud, but fit for conversation. Are you planning to stand here blocking the way?”