AOA 122

“Yes, I see. Mugyeong-ah, what is the real reason you want to divorce?”

“Grandfather?”

“Don’t give me the nonsense excuse that your personalities don’t match. You have to tell the real reason before I decide whether to allow it or not. Isn’t that right? Since the bride is here, don’t lie.”

I got goosebumps. He didn’t call us here just to confirm whether we would divorce. He called us to ask the reason in front of me. That was just like Baek Jinseok, cautious and experienced.

Admiration aside, my heart pounded. Unless Baek Mugyeong was insane, he wouldn’t say anything about the regression. But if it wasn’t because of personality differences, I couldn’t guess what reason he would give for divorce.

“I never liked male omegas from the beginning. This is my limit. I can’t sleep with Minchae-ssi anymore. But if you don’t mind that, I will maintain this marriage.”

He gave a blunt and low-level reason for divorce, I unconsciously looked at Baek Mugyeong. He was sitting on the right, looking at Baek Jinseok, so I couldn’t see his expression. But I could tell he was serious.

Saying he couldn’t have sex was a good and definite reason. Baek Jinseok had always said that he wanted an alpha great-grandson. At a banquet not long ago, he even publicly declared that if I gave him a great-grandson, he would give us a big gift.

If we couldn’t sleep together, then no child would be born. That meant this was a reason Baek Jinseok could never deny.

It felt like my heart froze cold.

“Hahaha. That is a definite reason for divorce. So? Are you really divorcing?”

“Yes.”

“Then, what do you think?”

The question came back to me. Under Baek Jinseok’s gaze, I bit my lip for a moment. There was no avoiding this.

“I know the reason I married Mugyeong-ssi. Since no child will be born, I think divorce is the right choice.”

My frozen heart hurt as if someone was pulling on it, but I didn’t have time to pay attention to that. I thought calmly. If Baek Mugyeong’s will was firm, then insisting on not divorcing would be meaningless. So at a time like this, I had to give the correct answer.

I looked straight at Baek Jinseok and answered. At the same time, I felt Baek Mugyeong’s gaze on my cheek.

Without turning my head toward him, I tightened the fist resting on my thigh. I didn’t want to show Baek Mugyeong that I was scared or intimidated.

“Not wrong. Not wrong… hmm, but not now.”

Baek Jinseok soon made his decision after thinking for a short time.

“Grandfather.”

“You said something not long ago. That if you divorced only half a year after marriage, what would people think?”

“The situation is different.”

“It got worse.”

“It is better to divorce while things are noisy.”

Baek Jinseok and Baek Mugyeong exchanged words quickly. I couldn’t bring myself to add anything, so I just stared quietly at my hands resting on my knees. My pale hands, contrasting with the black pants, felt cold.

The divorce was decided, and the two were only arguing over timing.

I originally wanted a divorce, but I didn’t feel relieved. Too many things I had to do crowded into my head. But I tried not to miss the flow of conversation between them.

“Are you being greedy because you want a bigger gift?”

“Yes. And not only DS Motors, I want other things too.”

I lowered my head and held my breath for a moment. It was natural for Baek Mugyeong, who had been murdered before regression, to dream of revenge. He must want to tear apart Baek Jaehan and Baek Yeongseop. Maybe he even wanted to seize the Daesong Group.

But he had once said that after the divorce, he wanted to return to America. He had no desire for DS Motors either.

It felt strange, as if I understood why Baek Mugyeong suddenly changed his mind.

“Yes. Ambition is good. But I will postpone giving you a big gift. Today I learned something important.”

“What is it?”

“You said you received quite a lot of psychiatric counseling in America for a long time, right? But the symptoms did not improve. Isn’t that true?”

“That is correct.”

I thought I knew what symptoms Baek Jinseok meant. I held back the urge to lift my head in shock.

The power outage, the elevator that broke down and trapped us. I knew Baek Mugyeong disliked dark and narrow places.

Now Baek Jinseok pointed that out as the problem.

“Did you hide it on purpose?”

“It has never caused a problem until now.”

“That can’t be. A broken mind eats away at a person. You, Yeongseop, none of you are normal. Tsk tsk.”

His words were abusive enough to make me doubt my ears. I couldn’t raise my head and clenched my fist.

Disliking narrow and dark places was a kind of compulsion. An old man might scoff and say how could a grown adult be afraid of that. But compared to Baek Yeongseop, who ran around causing endless trouble, it was nothing.

Suddenly I remembered that not long ago Baek Jaehan had called me and asked if I knew that Baek Mugyeong was receiving counseling in America. I had lied and said I didn’t know anything. It seemed he eventually found out.

This was Baek Mugyeong’s weakness. Judging from Baek Jinseok’s reaction, it was certain.

It realized again that I was standing in the middle of a power struggle among chaebols. Anger and fear clung to my hands and feet.

“A man should have overcome something like that!”

In the chaos, Baek Jinseok’s shout sounded like thunder. I wanted to protest that he was being too harsh, but I held back. Arguing with Baek Jinseok now would not help Baek Mugyeong. It would only provoke him further.

Unlike me, nervous from the unexpected situation, Baek Mugyeong’s reaction was calm.

“So, is the gift canceled, Grandfather?”

“They say it’s not hereditary, so I won’t cancel it. But if you don’t cure that illness, DS Motors will be all you get. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

When their conversation ended, Baek Jinseok called me.

“Minchae.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Don’t speak a word about what was just said.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

I bowed politely at the stern warning. The essence of Baek Jinseok, the head of the conglomerate, was not so different from my biological father. Selfish, seeing people only as tools. That made me angry, and also afraid.

“I will think about the divorce a bit more.”

“Grandfather.”

“Leave. Both of you.”

Baek Jinseok drank the water next to him as if to say the conversation was over. In the end, Baek Mugyeong and I had no choice but to bow and leave the study.

“Let’s talk for a bit.”

As I stood in front of the study and exhaled deeply, Baek Mugyeong spoke to me. It was what I had been waiting for, so I nodded without hesitation.

My legs shook from tension, so I had to stay focused to make it down the stairs.

The place we arrived at after following Baek Mugyeong was a corner of the mansion’s garden. The garden was spacious and good for a quiet talk.

It was Sunday afternoon weather. Standing in the shade of a big tree, Baek Mugyeong turned to look at me.

I suddenly remembered Geumpalang Art Museum last spring. The weather had been just as good then, and I had a huge fight with Baek Mugyeong in the museum’s garden.

Now Baek Mugyeong’s attitude was not much different from then.

“Do you have nothing to say?”

“I will divorce.”

Baek Jinseok had already half given permission. Above all, Baek Mugyeong’s will was firm. Even if I lay down and refused, I wouldn’t be able to stop it.

But my answer didn’t seem to please him, because Baek Mugyeong’s expression stiffened.

“I know you met Uncle not long ago.”

“Yes. That day I texted you that I was going to meet Vice Chairman Baek.”

“Are you pretending to be stupid? Or are you really stupid?”

“What?”

I was momentarily made speechless by the harsh insult. Baek Mugyeong’s cold face was full of contempt. His gaze, like he was staring at something hopeless, was one I had occasionally seen before regression.

Back then it hadn’t mattered, but now my heart dropped and I grew anxious. Did I say something wrong?

“You don’t need to answer. I’ll just take it that you’re stupid.”

Baek Mugyeong reached his own conclusion and turned his body. His gesture showed even dealing with me was bothersome.

For a moment, I was dumbfounded. No matter how I thought about it, I had made no mistake. I hadn’t argued with Baek Jinseok, and I had obediently agreed to the divorce. Yet he threw insults at me out of nowhere and didn’t explain. It was rude.

Even if it was the end, I couldn’t just sit back and take it one-sidedly. I walked ahead of Baek Mugyeong, who was walking away, and blocked his path.

“What is it?”

“Please explain why you’re acting like this. Don’t just criticize me. Don’t tell me to stay ignorant.”

For the past few days I had pulled at my hair and repeated self-blame. I couldn’t accept letting it end in vain, and I clung to a faint hope. I expected that when time passed and Baek Mugyeong’s anger cooled, he might tell me what happened.

But Baek Mugyeong showed no intention of that. He only blamed me for not knowing.

I forced strength into my voice, though I couldn’t stop it from trembling. Bit I didn’t avoid his eyes and met them head on.

“You are even shameless.”

“Baek Mugyeong-ssi.”

“I don’t want to exchange any more words with you. It is humiliating.”

Baek Mugyeong walked past me. I didn’t feel any threatening alpha pheromones, but I couldn’t grab him again.

I squeezed my eyes shut under the early summer sunlight. I had no idea where it had gone wrong.