Divorce Contract C93

Chapter 93

Shin Eunsuk reluctantly yielded to Seo Dohyeon’s demands. Remaining here was no longer tenable; leaving for the countryside was, in many ways, the better choice. It felt as though she were receiving an excessive measure of his favor, but if she refused, she suspected he would simply retract his proposal altogether. So she merely nodded. She longed to ask why he had changed his mind, but could not bring herself to voice the question—she only scrutinized his face instead.

Compared to when they had first met in front of the pension, his features had unmistakably withered. Even when she had seen him again at the hospital, he had not looked so gaunt. The gentle impression he had once carried had hardened, turned sharp and brittle. Was he weary? Deprived of sleep? She had not once seen him eat at home. No doubt he was not suffering as much as Go Igyeol, but still, in his own way, Seo Dohyeon seemed tormented.

“And in case of unforeseen circumstances, I will have men stationed nearby. Something might yet befall Go-ssi. He will also need to continue psychiatric treatment on a regular basis.”

“Wait a moment—men? You mean you intend to put him under surveillance?”

“It is for his protection. And one more thing—a babysitter will live with them as well.”

Dohyeon called it protection, but to Eunsuk, it sounded no different than surveillance. Yet how could she refuse? Both Igyeol and the child required such measures—both protection and a sitter were indispensable. And psychiatric treatment could not be discontinued. She had no choice but to agree.

“Very well. I do not like it, but… so be it. After all, one never knows.”

“The interior construction—next Monday, the contractor will be selected, and work will commence within the week. Until the baby is discharged… I leave them in your care.”

The conversation ended almost before she could register it, leaving Eunsuk staring at him in confusion. She could not fathom why he had suddenly reversed himself, but everything she had desired had fallen into place, so she chose not to question further. Instead, she wished to hear from him what had truly passed between the two of them. No longer did she wish to ask Igyeol directly.

“Can you still not tell me what transpired between you? At first, I thought it was something I ought to hear from Igyeol himself… but as time has passed, I cannot help but think it would be too cruel to press him.”

It was neither cautious nor considerate toward Dohyeon; her concern was entirely for Igyeol. To comfort him or to curse alongside him, she needed to know what had shattered them.

His gaze, which had been drifting, turned squarely upon her. Dohyeon drew a deep breath, steadying his uneasy lungs. After a pause, he spoke.

“There was a misunderstanding. I suspected Go-ssi of carrying another alpha’s child.”

“……”

“He denied it, over and over again. But I did not believe him. I thought he was lying.”

Eunsuk’s earlier suspicion—that perhaps he had simply not wanted the pregnancy—was utterly overturned. The truth she now heard was so wretched that the former answer would have been kinder.

“I told him that if the child was born, I would not even let him see it—that I would send it overseas for adoption. That he must give birth safely only to lose it without ever holding it.”

“…My God.”

“Throughout the entire pregnancy, I abused him. I watched as his body and spirit withered, and I did not stop. Even knowing better than anyone how desperately he needed my pheromones, I withheld them deliberately. Each time I saw with my own eyes that the child in his womb was thriving, I—”

Before he could finish, Eunsuk’s hand lashed out. Slap! The sharp crack rang out, and Dohyeon’s cheek flushed red. He brushed his thumb across the lip torn by her nails, a bitter smile tugging at his mouth.

“You—how could you….”

“Day by day, both of us were unraveling, but the fetus that was destroying our bond thrived all the more. I could not endure it. It is a miracle Go-ssi did not lose his sanity.”

“How… how could you….”

Murmuring in disbelief, she listened as Dohyeon’s voice fell low.

“And now, I feel I am the one losing my mind. After all I did to him, he still calls me his only family. He says the child, half of whom must resemble me, is one he wishes to raise. He insists on maintaining our marriage. Do you know how that makes me….”

Do you understand what a bastard I am? The words choked in his throat; he could not utter them before her. Instead, he fell silent, his brow drawn tight. He knew too well the nature of Igyeol’s heart—knew that, so long as he begged, the young man would stay. If he said, Don’t go, Igyeol would not go.

“I cannot tell you everything, but with just this, I think you understand the story I have kept hidden.”

Turning away as though the matter were finished, Dohyeon busied himself with the documents strewn across his study. Without hesitation, Eunsuk departed the room. Only then did his meaningless motions falter to stillness.

“…Ha.”

The hand he clenched at empty air trembled. Confessing to another how he had treated Igyeol had not been as difficult as expected. But recalling what Igyeol had been in those days—what his words and deeds had done to break him—that was unbearable. He remembered too well how easily his cruelty had crushed the other.

And yet, what sickened him most was his own shamelessness—that even now, he did not wish to let Igyeol go. His vision swam. Only minutes had passed since he vowed to release him, and already he was at this state. If he chose not to—if he reversed himself again—would it matter? Everyone already believed him to be that kind of man. To flip his mind once more was easier than turning over his palm.

“Fuck.”

He had countless reasons to hold on to Go Igyeol, and not one left to justify it.

Go Daesik did not even last a week before returning to Seo Dohyeon. He ignored completely the instruction to call ahead, barging in once again unannounced. By the time Yoon Jaeseon dragged him in from the lobby, his back was soaked with cold sweat.

“I told you—if you gave notice in advance, you could receive as much as you wished. Did you forget?”

It seemed his head truly was an ornament, unable to remember even words just spoken. Yet with a desperate expression, Daesik scooped the bundles of cash off the table. He gave perfunctory answers to Dohyeon’s questions, then rose from his seat, even stooping to snatch up a stray ten-thousand-won note from the floor and stuff it reverently into his pocket.

“Ah, I was in a rush.”

He believed gambling was a matter of momentum, that the one who wagered the most always took the pot. With that frantic conviction, he stumbled across the Executive Director’s office. To Dohyeon, watching him scramble for paltry winnings at such pitiful tables was laughable in the extreme. He glanced toward Yoon Jaeseon and nodded. The time had come. Today, Daesik would lose everything and plummet into ruin.

“Father-in-law.”

Just as Daesik grasped the doorknob, a quiet voice called after him. He turned back.

“Your phone. You dropped it.”

“Ah—th-thank you. I’ll… I’ll see you again soon.”

Several times already he had been eliminated for want of money to wager. With even the bookies refusing to lend him another coin, he had no recourse but to seek out Dohyeon. Foolish—he should have come sooner. The cash might be a little lacking, but it would suffice for a few days. Next time, perhaps he would ask Dohyeon to bring it to him directly. Such was the nonsense that flitted through his mind as he opened the door.

“Escort him out.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

Having grown accustomed to the process, Daesik descended easily to the underground lot. Before the driver could open the door of the waiting car, he climbed in on his own.

“Take care on your way.”

“Yes, yes. Next time, I will have my son-in-law deliver it to me directly. No need for us to trouble ourselves like this.”

He waved them off impatiently and urged the driver to depart. As the taillights receded and vanished, Yoon Jaeseon was certain—there would be no next time. Only the pitiful fool himself remained ignorant of that truth.

Hurrying back upstairs, Jaeseon reported that Daesik’s car had left the premises. Dohyeon nodded, his face void of all emotion.

“The raid will be carried out after midnight. For a day or two he may stumble, stunned, but once he comes to his senses, he will surely try to contact Go-ssi. Block him completely.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And when he is transferred to the detention center, I will go to him.”

“You, Executive Director? Personally?”

Dohyeon tore his eyes from the laptop monitor to fix them upon Jaeseon. The look said plainly—and who else would go, if not I? Jaeseon cleared his throat awkwardly and averted his gaze.

“I will tell him plainly—unless he lives quietly, serves his time, and repays every debt faithfully, he will come to know what awaits him.”

“…Ah.”

Jaeseon understood well enough that Dohyeon’s “plainly” did not mean kindly. He nodded in assent, and the low voice continued.

“I will not have Go-ssi repaying the loan sharks that Daesik has bled dry. Those debts will fall squarely upon Daesik himself. Or upon Ms. Kang Mijin as well, if she so chooses. The two of them seemed so devoted a couple, after all.”

“Understood. I will ensure there are no oversights.”