My name is Seo Jaehyun.

And I am an Omega.

In this world, people are divided into three secondary genders: Alphas, Betas, and Omegas.

Alphas are born with powerful pheromones and strong physiques. Betas are the most common and are unaffected by heats or ruts. Omegas, however, are different. We are sensitive to pheromones, experience heats, and male Omegas can carry children.

Some people think being an Omega is a blessing.

I think it's a curse.

Especially when you're foolish enough to give your heart to the wrong person.

I stared at my reflection in the elevator mirror.

Dark marks decorated my neck and wrists.

Some were hidden beneath my clothes.

Some weren't.

My lips curved into a bitter smile.

How pathetic.

Five years ago, I had abandoned the one person who truly cared about me.

And for what?

For Choi Hyunwoo.

The man I believed loved me.

The man I married.

The man who slowly turned my life into a prison.

The elevator doors opened.

I stepped into the luxurious penthouse that I once proudly called home.

The moment I entered, I froze.

Laughter echoed from the living room.

A familiar laugh.

And another one.

My heart sank.

I walked forward slowly.

There, sitting on my couch, was my husband, Choi Hyunwoo.

Beside him sat my best friend.

Yoon Seoyeon.

The two looked far too comfortable together.

Seoyeon's hand rested on Hyunwoo's arm.

Hyunwoo's arm wrapped around Seoyeon's waist.

Neither of them moved away when they noticed me.

Neither of them looked guilty.

Instead, they smiled.

As if I was the outsider.

As if I didn't belong in my own home.

Something inside me finally snapped.

"How long?"

My voice was quiet.

Too quiet.

Hyunwoo raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"How long have you been cheating on me?"

The room fell silent.

Then Seoyeon laughed.

Actually laughed.

My hands trembled.

This was the person I had trusted for years.

The person who comforted me whenever Hyunwoo hurt me.

The person who told me to be patient.

The person who claimed to be my friend.

"What are you laughing at?" I asked.

Seoyeon leaned against Hyunwoo's shoulder.

"You finally figured it out."

The words struck harder than any slap.

I felt sick.

"How could you do this?" I whispered.

"We have two children."

At the mention of my children, Hyunwoo's expression became cold.

"Children?"

He chuckled.

"You mean those children?"

My stomach twisted.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Hyunwoo stood up and walked toward me.

For years, I had been afraid of this man.

But at that moment, I felt nothing.

Nothing except disappointment.

"You really know nothing, Jaehyun."

His smile widened.

"The child Seoyeon is carrying now is the one I actually care about."

My eyes widened.

Seoyeon placed a hand over his stomach possessively.

Three months.

The realization hit me immediately.

Three months.

My husband and my best friend.

For three months.

Maybe longer.

The room suddenly felt difficult to breathe in.

I looked at the two people before me.

The people I had sacrificed everything for.

The people I had chosen over everyone else.

Including him.

Including Kang Minjun.

The Alpha who had always stood beside me.

The Alpha who loved me.

The Alpha I ignored.

A painful ache spread through my chest.

If only I had listened.

If only I had seen the truth sooner.

Then Hyunwoo said something that made my blood run cold.

"You know what's funny?"

I looked up.

"Kang Minjun died because of you."

The world stopped.

"What...?"

Hyunwoo laughed.

"Kang Minjun trusted you more than anyone."

My breathing became uneven.

"No..."

"You delivered everything exactly like I told you."

"No..."

"You never questioned anything."

"No!"

The word tore from my throat.

I remembered the tea.

The supplements.

The medicine packets.

The things Hyunwoo had told me to give Minjun.

The things I never questioned.

Because I trusted my husband.

Because I was an idiot.

Tears filled my eyes.

"What did you do...?"

Hyunwoo's smile never disappeared.

"By the time Minjun realized someone was targeting him, it was already too late."

My knees weakened.

The room blurred.

Kang Minjun.

The man who had protected me.

The man who had quietly loved me.

The man I pushed away.

Gone.

And I had helped the people responsible.

"No..."

A sob escaped my lips.

"No..."

For the first time in years, I finally understood.

The person who ruined my life wasn't Minjun.

It wasn't fate.

It was me.

I chose the wrong person.

I ignored the one who truly cared.

And now it was too late.

Far too late.

My vision blurred as darkness slowly crept into the edges of my sight.

Hyunwoo's expression suddenly turned cold. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a knife and lunged at Jaehyun.

"You know too much now," he said.

Jaehyun's eyes widened in shock. Before he could react, a sharp pain spread through his body. He stumbled backward, his vision blurring as he collapsed to the floor.

The last thing he heard was Hyunwoo's cruel laughter and Seoyeon's mocking voice.

As darkness swallowed his consciousness, only one name remained in his heart.

Kang Minjun.

"I'm sorry..."

Then everything went black.

Voices echoed through the darkness.

"Boss, you know he's poisoning you, but you still trust him?" a worried voice asked.

There was a brief silence.

Then another voice spoke.

A familiar voice.

A voice that made my heart ache.

"So what if he is?"

The speaker sounded calm.

Possessive.

Certain.

"Seo Jaehyun is mine."

"He was mine yesterday. He is mine today. He will be mine tomorrow."

"He will be mine forever."

The room fell silent again.

Then the voice continued.

"Even if he handed me poison with his own hands, I would still accept it."

"I trust him."

My chest tightened painfully.

No.

It couldn't be.

That voice...

I knew that voice.

"Kang Minjun..."

My vision trembled.

Slowly, I forced my eyes open.

A blurry silhouette appeared before me.

As my vision cleared, I finally saw his face.

Black hair.

Sharp features.

Cold eyes that I had once foolishly avoided.

Kang Minjun.

It was really him.

Alive.

Alive.

My eyes widened.

Tears immediately burst from my eyes.

Without thinking, I threw myself toward him and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist.

The Alpha froze.

"Jaehyun—"

I buried my face into his chest.

The familiar scent surrounded me.

The scent I hadn't smelled in years.

The scent I thought I would never smell again.

My body shook with sobs.

"Minjun..."

The Alpha stiffened.

Then he suddenly let out a gasp.

"Are you trying to murder me?" he asked.

Only then did I realize how tightly I was hugging him.

But I refused to let go.

I had so many questions.

Were you hurt?

Were you sick?

Why do you look so thin?

Are you eating properly?

Are you sleeping enough?

Do you know how much I regretted everything?

But when I opened my mouth, only one question escaped.

"Kang Minjun..."

My voice trembled.

"Are you really alive?"

The room became silent.

Minjun blinked.

Then one eyebrow rose.

"Did you want me to die?"

My heart nearly stopped.

Immediately, I covered his mouth with both hands.

"Don't say that!"

My voice cracked.

"Never say that."

"Not now."

"Not ever."

Shock flashed across Minjun's face.

I hugged him again.

Even tighter than before.

My tears soaked his shirt.

"I really missed you."

"I missed you so much."

"You don't know how much."

The words poured out uncontrollably.

For a moment, Minjun simply stared at me.

Confusion filled his eyes.

After all, the Seo Jaehyun he knew hated him.

I always avoided him.

Ignored him.

Rejected him.

Yet now I was clinging to him as though he was the most precious person in the world.

Which, in truth...

He was.

A complicated expression appeared on Minjun's face.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

His arms rose.

Then wrapped around me.

As if afraid I would disappear.

As if this was a dream.

The embrace was hesitant.

Careful.

But warm.

I felt his hand gently rest against my back.

And for the first time in two lifetimes...

I allowed myself to cry in the arms of the Alpha I had lost once before.

This time...

No matter what happened.

I would protect Kang Minjun.