By Zephyria 
You may find me unfamiliar, but I know everything about you.
Whether you adore me or loathe me, what your name is, your family relationships, whether you raise a dog or prefer cats, your university and major, even minor details like what foods you’re allergic to and your preference for peanuts and carbonated drinks. I truly know everything. If I could just wield a shaman’s knife, I could even become a spirit medium.
I know you, you, and even your information, gathered at today’s garden party, so I’m a fantastic party planner, and I can’t help but satisfy all of you, my guests.
Rather than spewing such crazy nonsense,
“Haha, you flatter me. I’m glad you enjoyed the food.”
It was a hundred times better to act shy as if blessed by beginner’s luck. There was no need to worry about being called a sissy for acting like a devoted wife. There wouldn’t be any specific demeanor people expected from Kang Hae-ah, who had become an omega.
Wearing a smile that, according to my eldest sister, was eerily identical to our late mother’s, I was surrounded by guests who adored me. I had to endure it, even if I felt like breaking out in hives from acting innocent and naive. In my head, I was busy scanning through everyone’s profiles as if I were wearing special glasses like spies in movies.
Far away, Chairman Kang, my father, whose broad shoulders seemed even broader today, was there. As the head of a conglomerate and the owner of Hanseong Group, he seemed pleased that his youngest son had thrown a proper party, his expression bright.
Next to him were Hanseong’s second faces, eldest daughter Kang Hae-in and second daughter Kang Mi-hae, my older sisters. I hoped the gift they casually tossed to the part-timer wasn’t car keys again this time.
And standing a distance away from my sisters was the neat-looking man, Kang Il-hae, the eldest son of our family, my brother. He must be complaining about the lack of alcohol, having squeezed in time from his busy schedule to come. I should have a staff member send him a separate glass of liquor.
‘Hoo…’
The party was truly perfect.
The weather was ideal, with a warm sun and no wind under a cloudless sky, the desserts with macadamia instead of peanuts were selling well, and the specially trained staff were quick and efficient. I had meticulously checked the ingredients in all the food and the guest list for weeks, so everyone was smiling, free from having to endure foods they disliked or face uncomfortable people. Even the notoriously picky Madam seemed satisfied with her table, where her favorite flowers were in full bloom.
At this point, a small peace settled in my heart. The bright sunlight seemed to dispel the old gloom. When was the last time everyone liked and acknowledged me like today…? At least, it didn’t happen in the ‘first try.’
“I never knew Hae-ah was so meticulous.”
A deep voice suddenly stopped me. Quickly fixing my expression, I turned to see the most handsome man in his fifties I knew, smiling at me. The name that was most difficult and most regrettable for me, Prosecutor Cheon Hee-jung.
He was the chief prosecutor of the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, the one who made sure there was no alcoholic beverage at today’s party, and the father of Cheon Tae-rim… and my father-in-law.
“Is the food to your liking? I don’t particularly enjoy alcohol, so I boldly left it out, but if you’d like a glass, I can have them bring you a wine selection.”
I asked on purpose, knowing he detested even the smell of alcohol. Asking if he wanted wine was just for show; what I wanted to emphasize was, ‘I don’t like alcohol either.’ My father-in-law was the type to only wet his lips with alcohol twice a year, for ancestral rites. The answer was predictable.
“It’s alright, this is enough for now.”
The ‘it’s alright’ from Prosecutor Cheon was very different from the ‘it’s alright’ that others easily offered. At least towards me, it was the first ‘it’s alright’ I had ever heard.
It made me feel strangely touched. Even though I knew it wasn’t the ‘it’s alright’ for the bad things that weighed heavily on my shoulders…
“You must have been busy after the honeymoon… When did you prepare all this?”
“Oh, you’ve arrived?”
This beautiful Madam was Kang Mi-yeon, the prosecutor’s wife, who would be celebrating her 56th birthday in a month. As soon as I saw her pretty smile, my head started spinning. The eldest daughter of a steel magnate, the mother Cheon Tae-rim loved most in the world, my mother-in-law.
“Indeed?”
The sullen man standing next to her as if he were family was…
“Hae-ah, it’s been a while.”
Si Eun-cheol.
As he suddenly cut in, the in-laws naturally linked arms and moved away. I wanted to exchange more greetings with my mother-in-law, but Si Eun-cheol blocked my view.
“But you have hidden talents I didn’t know about? Tae-rim didn’t tell me about this.”
Name, Si Eun-cheol. Catchphrase, ‘Tae-rim.’ Age, same as Tae-rim. Hometown, same as Tae-rim. University, same as Tae-rim. Best friend, Cheon Tae-rim. Occupation, Cheon Tae-rim’s chief secretary.
“But is this all there is for the food? Even though it’s lunchtime, it would have been nice to have some meat. Haha, not that I want any. Tae-rim likes meat, you see.”
…Here it comes again, the posturing and show of intimacy starting with ‘Tae-rim.’
“Hae-ah, feel free to ask me anything about Tae-rim. No one knows him better than I do.”
Ironically, I was the one who had ‘Tae-rim,’ the man this guy was talking about, as my husband. It was absurd how Si Eun-cheol acted as if he had preemptive rights over my husband, like a dog marking his favorite tree. It was so absurd that I even became indifferent.
I hadn’t known Si Eun-cheol’s intentions before. This was practically the first time he was saying, ‘No one knows him better than I do.’ When I first heard those words, I was simply grateful.
Later, I felt like my earlobes were burning with betrayal… but this time it was different.
“Did you specifically prepare those words to say?”
This time, I was just amazed. Because Si Eun-cheol had uttered that exact sentence, word for word, on our wedding day last time. I was amazed that it was a line he had prepared beforehand, and frankly, it was funny that he was making a second attempt today as if he had missed the timing on the wedding day.
“…What did you say just now, Hae-ah?”
Si Eun-cheol was, in some ways, a very remarkable person. I respected his character and even liked it. I even wanted to immortalize Si Eun-cheol as a work of art in my canvas, even if it meant paying him a modeling fee.
I would need to capture a composition that showed his buttocks and chest at once, with the three letters Cheon, Tae, and Rim densely engraved in the background. I would include the tiny letters like pointillism, so that any viewer who looked deeply into his work would know that what was important in Si Eun-cheol’s work was not his triumphant face or emphasized pose, but the three letters Cheon Tae-rim.
Ah, I should have painted it before being reborn… what a shame.
“Kang Hae-ah.”
Si Eun-cheol called out to me, who was lost in thought.
“I asked what you said just now.”
His voice lowered, and his tone changed in an instant. Wow, look at those eyes. I had never glared at anyone with such fierce eyes, it was truly amazing.
Who could dare to hate a human being with such a great ego and overflowing jealousy? Si Eun-cheol was that kind of person. Even hating him was so energy-draining that everyone would laugh it off in dismay and say, ‘There he goes again.’
“What did I say, Si Eun-cheol?”
When I answered with his full name as I had heard it, Si Eun-cheol’s expression became even more ferocious. He wasn’t particularly large compared to the men of the Cheon family, but I was smaller than him. I was a painter with low stamina who had only ever held a brush, and Si Eun-cheol even went to the same gym as Cheon Tae-rim… so, if we were to fight, it was clear that I would be the one unilaterally beaten and defeated.
“Hae-ah, I’m a little worried. To take advice given with good intentions that way.”
It was fortunate in that sense that this man was more skilled in verbal abuse than in fists. It wasn’t that I was immune to being beaten up, but when it came to being verbally assaulted, he couldn’t hurt me easily. No matter what he said, there was no reason to feel pain at the right time.
“Yes, I guess I’m a twisted person.”
There was no good in trying to please Si Eun-cheol. Rather, he was a worse person when we were close and rubbing shoulders. There were times when I had prepared dinner and invited him over, only for him to leave with Tae-rim, saying they were ‘going out for a second round.’
Of course, this time it would be different, and it had to be different.
“…So Eun-cheol, whether you’re friends with Tae-rim or not, don’t treat me too casually.”
When I raised my chin and threatened him, I felt a little like my older sister. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to us as we argued while standing in front of a table in the corner.
Except for the only man who would look for me and Si Eun-cheol at the same time in this place, Cheon Tae-rim.
“Eun-cheol.”
The man who had made me fret since 6 a.m. today, the reason for the existence of everyone gathered here and everything I had prepared with care. Cheon Tae-rim stood between me and Si Eun-cheol.
Cheon Tae-rim, who would become the center of attention no matter where he was taken, was a shocking presence in many ways.
I still remembered the first time I saw his tall height, stiffly broad shoulders, the body that made me imagine sex, and the face that supported it all. If you were to sculpt the words ‘dominant alpha’ into a person, that’s exactly what it would be… I had thought so and my heart had fluttered.
But now, when I saw that face, my mind went blank, and I became anxious, waiting for the next words to come out of his lips. My knees trembled, and sometimes even my lower abdomen ached.
“Stop it.”
But today, a miraculous thing happened. Tae-rim, who I thought would comfort Si Eun-cheol while admonishing me, was comforting Si Eun-cheol while holding my shoulder.
“Don’t do that to someone who worked hard to create a good event.”
He had only put his arm around my shoulder, but I felt like I had completely melted into his arms. I had never thought of myself as short in my life, but when I stood next to Tae-rim, I instantly became a small dog. Conversely, when Cheon Tae-rim had me next to him, he looked like a tiger with blazing eyes or a large, solid bear.
His hand slowly patted my shoulder. Four stiff fingers tapped my arm like playing the piano keys, and his thumb slowly stroked my skin twice over my jacket. A small gesture sent heat rising inside my heart. The organs filling my insides wriggled, and strangely, my knees tingled.
I was scared. Being in Cheon Tae-rim’s arms and receiving his encouragement.
‘Who would believe it if I told them how I felt?’
Slowly turning towards the guests gathered at the garden party, I smiled. Surrounded by countless eyes, whether they knew me or not, I was a born actor.
I was the youngest son of a Hanseong Group chaebol family with nothing lacking. A genius painter who had grown up receiving only praise and recognition. A bright, healthy, and cheerful newlywed.
…An omega with a perfect dominant alpha, Cheon Tae-rim.
‘Who would know… that this man had punched me to the ground five years ago, and would do so again in a year.’
Cheon Tae-rim’s gaze, scrutinizing me, felt like a spark. The fine hairs on my left cheek stood on end, and I even felt a stinging pain on my skin, but I ignored his gaze.
Instead, I remembered my husband Cheon Tae-rim, whom I knew. The terrible six years of marriage we had spent together. My love that made me choose death rather than face him again, the alpha who had never been mine.