CH 1

So far, no one has been able to make a dent in Seung-joon’s life.

It was like this throughout Seung-joon’s 36 years of life. His status as the next chairman of the TK group, along with the trait of dominant Alpha, made the ground he stepped on a solid road.

A social class that has never been rejected by others. Wealthy enough to run out of time to spend the wealth. A strong desire for achievement and a sense of victory from the dominant Alpha’s character. A look that embodies the dictionary definition of ‘handsome.’

So, Seung-joon was a person who had a harder time making faults than maintaining perfection. It was impossible to scratch a life made of diamonds.

At least until this day.

“I warned you clearly.”

Seung-joon fixed his gaze on On Ji-an, who sat across from him at the table. Unlike Seung-joon, who clenched his hands in frustration, Ji-an appeared unconcerned. He is 28 years old. Even though he was not young, Ji-an often had an aloof expression when compared to his peers.

Every time this happened, it was difficult for Seung-joon to tell what On Ji-an was thinking. An expression that seemed to have gone through all the storms in the world was usually created mysteriously when it was placed on the handsome young man’s face.

“There is no such thing as a double agreement in this house. There is bereavement, but there is no divorce.”

Ji-an had placed the divorce papers on the table. There were no gaps in the blanks Ji-an needed to fill. At his feet were two 28-inch luggage.

“Yes, it did. However, I thought you were joking. I had just signed the ninety-eight page prenuptial agreements at the time.”

And during the past two years of marriage, Seung-joon has heard Ji-an complain about the ninety-eight page prenuptial agreements.

It was unavoidable during the marriage. Seung-joon was the Woo family’s sole heir to the TK group that had been passed down from generation to generation, and Ji-an was at best the ‘the nation’s first love’.

Ji-an debuted as an idol at the age of 17 and achieved unprecedented fame both at home and overseas until the age of 24 when he transitioned to acting. After a year, he obtained the lead role in a film with 10 million viewers, proving that Ji-an was a natural actor.

In any case, he was only an actor to the TK group’s owner family. There were few terms advantageous to Ji-an in the ninety-eight page prenuptial agreements. It was also reasonable for Ji-an’s expression to be sour when he took the agreements.

The important thing was that On Ji-an accepted the agreement without saying anything. Even in relatively unfavorable conditions, he agreed since he thought the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. That was the initial agreement.

“What’s the reason?”

“Nothing special. Just, it’s a waste of my life to live as the wife of TK Group’s managing director”

“You should have thought about that before you stamped the marriage certificate.”

“Unexpectedly, spending other people’s money isn’t that fun.”

In Seung-joon’s eyes, Ji-an did not lose anything by marrying him. It was Ji-an responsibility to retire when he decided to marry into a family where celebrities were treated like clowns. Seung-joon fully compensated by filling him with material wealth.

Seung-joon, on the other hand, gave up a lot in order to marry Ji-an. He had no idea that Ji-an would stab him in the back in this way.

“I can’t use a single credit card in my name in this house, right?”

There was no limit on the amount he spends, but he wondered if the name was important.

Ji-an didn’t have to pay for anything since he married Seung-joon. Being Seung-joon’s wife means that he could have everything in the world. Ji-an only had to choose what to have.

“Is that the only reason my marriage should fail? Your name?”

Ji-an burst out laughing when he saw Seung-joon grumble and emphasize his words. It was a genuine laugh.

“Hyung, do you really think you are a great person? We dated for a year and lived together for two years, but every day is something new.”

“You.”

Even after calling Ji-an, Seung-joon found it difficult to complete his sentence. He massaged his thick brows with his thumb and forefinger. The suspicion that had been bothering him for some time had surfaced. After a brief silence, Seung-joon asked a question that most men would ask their beautiful wife, who was eight years younger than him.

“Did you have someone else?”

Seung-joon placed his hands on the table and looked at Ji-an resolutely.

Seung-joon noticed deep sorrow gathering around Ji-an’s eyes for a brief moment. Ji-an’s nicely trimmed brows droop.

Ji-an remembered the day they first met when he saw him. It was because the words Seung-joon had just uttered had pretty much ended everything. In the end, he always appeared to remember the first time. Feeling like his heart would stop, he closed his eyes and swallowed the harsh words.

Fortunately, Ji-an quickly put on the sunglasses on the table and calmed down. His thick lips made gentle arcs just enough to give a sense of elegance. That smile made Ji-an’s gesture of adjusting his sunglasses by tapping it with his index finger made him look arrogant.

“I also have a thread of the prenuptial agreements, and I can’t tell you the truth easily.”

Ji-an got up from his seat. Ji-an requested a divorce certificate and an application from Seung-joon to indicate the intention to discuss, and then added:

“And it’s not polite to ask about an actor’s private life.”

Ji-an went out the door, pulling out the suitcase he had packed ahead of time. Seung-joon wiped his face with his palm.

A social class that was too strong to be damaged. A ridiculous level of wealth. The dominant alpha character trait that defined ‘Woo Seung-joon.’ A solid life made with diamonds. However, there was recently a scratch on Seung-joon’s diamond made life called ‘a broken marriage.’

Now that he saw it, On Ji-an was an ore with a higher Morse hardness than the solid road that Seung-joon had stepped on.

***

Seung-joon woke up with a headache after drinking too much alcohol the day before.

He had been drinking for the past week. He drank whiskey in the hopes of getting repaid for something he hadn’t spoken to in two years all at once. And he believes that yesterday was the critical point and that his memory was cut on the way out of the bar. Seung-joon blinked open his eyes, seeing an unfamiliar scene behind his flickering eyelashes.

When he awoke from his half-sleep, it wasn’t even an unfamiliar place.

The place where Seung-joon woke up was none other than Secretary Jang’s room. Secretary Jang had a close relationship with Seung-joon even before he was appointed as a director. Seung-joon met Secretary Jang when he was ten years old and grew up with him as a brother.

Because he was drunk, he must have been looking for someone to rely on without realizing it. Seung-joon sat up on the bed’s edge, his upper body upright, and scratched the back of his head.

He couldn’t remember what had happened the day before. He had drunk too much throughout his life, but this was the first time his memories had faded so completely.

But Seung-joon couldn’t help but drink alcohol. A few days ago, while he was drunk, he called Ji-an. During the phone call that day, Seung-joon asked the question and Ji-an vaguely answered.

‘Why do you want to divorce all of a sudden? Is it really because there is someone else?’

‘…I’m going to meet one from now on.’

If he had known that such an answer would come, he would have rather not asked. On Ji-an was the person who knew best how to turn Seung-joon’s insides upside down.

‘Something like an Alpha eight years younger than me.’

Even three years before their first meeting, Seung-joon and Ji-an were eight years apart. Little has changed in the meantime, but Ji-an abruptly brought up the age gap. That wasn’t the only thing. Ji-an argued with Seung-joon as soon as he noticed a gap like a desperate person. From their age difference to their identity, personality, and tone of voice. He appeared dissatisfied with Seung-joon’s every move, which was fine three years ago.

After finishing the recollection, Seung-joon inertially bent his head left and right to stretch. Then, all of a sudden, he felt uncomfortable. It should have felt like your muscles and joints realigned, but it was no big deal. It was as if there had never been a wretched spot on his physique. Seung-joon walked out of the room, bewildered.

Even as he walked out of Secretary Jang’s room, he had an odd sensation of dissonance. Instead of being heavy from a terrible hangover, it was light as if wings had sprouted from his feet. Gravity seemed to have weakened overnight. His senses ultimately went away after a week of drinking too much. Seung-joon planned to get his health checked again shortly.

“Oh, Director. You are awake.”

“Ah, shit. You surprised me.”

Seung-joon shrugged his shoulders as Secretary Jang approached from behind. He gripped his neck and stretched it without realizing it. A sore throat was obviously an indication of excessive drinking. To say his neck was turned upside down, there was no pain, and his voice was clearer than usual.

Seung-joon averted his gaze from Secretary Jang’s stern expression. He had committed the crime of breaking into his house after getting drunk, and it was far more humiliating. Secretary Jang discovered all of his heinous crimes each time. So Seung-joon muttered something to ‘Ki-do hyung’ rather than ‘Secretary Jang.’

“Please show up normally.”

“Do you have anything else to say to me other than that?”

“You really surprised me.”

“Other than that?”

“I’m sorry, okay. Yesterday I made a mistake.”

In fact, it was impossible to tell whether or not Seung-joon had made a mistake, but he meekly admitted it to Secretary Jang. Ki-do then dropped his role as ‘Secretary Jang’ for a while and called Seung-joon seriously.

“Seung-joon-ah.”

“Take me home to work.”

“Have you not looked in the mirror yet?”

Seung-joon’s eyes were half-opened as he looked at Secretary Jang. Secretary Jang made eye contact with Seung-joon and flicked his chin behind him. He was pointing toward the full-length mirror. Seung-joon felt an unknown level of anxiety as a result of his actions.

His initial concern was whether he had a big bruise on his face. He was so drunk that his memory was completely erased, so it wouldn’t be unexpected if he had a few bruises on his face. Seung-joon looked at himself in the mirror, terrified. He sighed with relief because there were no visible wounds.

But within half a second, Seung-joon looked back at his distorted face in the mirror.

“This, what, why, this. What the hell?”

Seung-joon approached the mirror hesitantly, muttering random exclamations. He didn’t stop walking until the tip of his nose reached the mirror and he could clearly see both familiar and unfamiliar faces.

The features have a strong three-dimensional appearance, beginning with the nose bridge that stands out from the middle of the forehead. The inner double eyelid draws a strong contour around the eyes. A sharp chin that wasn’t flabby. The skeleton of the entire body, which was straight and coolly stood tall.

It was undoubtedly Woo Seung-joon himself. But it was unfamiliar. It was as unfamiliar as the gap exactly from 16 years ago.

Seung-joon, who stood still for a moment, exposed his teeth and shouted to the innocent secretary.

“What the hell did you do to me!!?”

As Seung-joon remembered, the reflection in the mirror was himself when he was just 20 years old.