He heard footsteps walking down the hallway, and now they sounded anything but calm. The sensation filled him with dread, as if outside his room paced a giant, poised for the moment he would emerge only to be attacked and devoured.
He remained seated on his bed, hugging his knees, beset with fear. He couldn't fathom why Jaehan had come back so early, but he assumed nothing good had transpired. He let out a sigh and eyed the piece of furniture he'd wedged against the door to keep him out, although he knew that not even a concrete block would stop Jaehan if he truly wished to enter. He'd always seen him as large, intimidating, with a stern face and eyes dark with danger, but now that image had amplified a thousandfold for the worse.
Sounds from downstairs reached him, and though he was unsure of the commotion, Jaehan was clearly sending everything atop the table crashing down. He stepped on a tomato that had rolled to the floor, flinging everything to the ground as if it were utterly repulsive.
The anger consuming him was almost irrational, his head hot with the rage coursing through him. He'd come home slightly irked by issues at the agency, but finding Saije seated, happily chatting with Michael as if they owned the place, had pushed him over the edge. The urge to grab his employee and beat him senseless was overwhelming, and it took extraordinary strength to restrain himself. The ways he imagined pummeling his head with fists and feet bordered on unhinged and inhuman.
He wasn't typically violent and always exhibited patience with everyone, Saije included, but when he lost his temper, he was pegged a true monster. He didn't seek confrontation for mere pleasure, and many saw him as kindly, patient, and benevolent, but like many others, Jaehan had his inner demons that sometimes escaped to frighten others.
For a moment, he stared at the discarded food on the floor. He couldn't grasp how others could be treated well when he, who was merely helping his family out of kindness, was made to suffer so.
He ran his hands over his face, ending in his hair with a sigh, feeling like he could tear the house down. Without another thought, he left, slamming the door powerfully behind him and climbed into his car to drive away. Saije watched him disappear, leaving a trail of dust. Swallowing hard, he couldn't quite define his feelings, but they were far from comforting.
Carefully he descended the stairs, half expecting Jaehan might reappear, his face a mask of terror and his eyes aflame with anger.
He knew some Alphas experienced eye color changes driven by their emotions, but he had never believed an Alpha could appear so fearsome because of it. Reaching the kitchen, he found everything overturned. Kneeling down, he picked up a shattered plate, feeling even worse. He'd hoped Jaehan would be thankful for the meal he'd prepared, hoping it might improve their relationship, but he realized that wasn't going to happen.
He typically dismissed others' food, casting it to the floor without a second thought, but experiencing it himself for the first time, seeing the meal he'd made with care and excitement disregarded, left him feeling near-miserable. Tears filled his eyes once again as he carefully started to gather the mess, wary of the broken dishes.
When Jaehan returned, Saije observed from the window. It was night, but he noticed Jaehan leaning against his car oddly. He wondered if something was amiss when he saw Jaehan staggering. It wasn't hard to conclude: Jaehan was drunk.
The realization sparked terror in him. He had witnessed Jaehan's anger and the debilitating effects of his pheromones. His imagination conjured up fears that left him even more petrified, and he moved to barricade the door again with the same piece of furniture from earlier. He stilled when he began to hear footsteps drawing near.
Jaehan's approach was slow, supported by the wall as he went. He smiled inexplicably and lifted his liquor bottle again to drink.
Pausing at a noise, he turned to the right, gazing at the door, and took another swig. Although heavily intoxicated, he was painfully aware of who was on the other side and still remembered the anger of providing for someone other than himself. Clenching the bottle tight, he approached the door to bang on it.
The Omega jumped at the sound, fear accelerating his heartbeat, his body trembling.
"Hey!" came the call followed by a more forceful pounding, laughter accompanying the words. "What are you doing here?! Thought you'd be off with that Beta by now."
Saije was clueless as to what he was referring to and merely retreated until his back pressed against the wall. He clenched his eyes shut and covered his ears to block out the dreadful reminiscences.
"Why did I marry an Omega?" Jaehan pondered aloud against the door, the question causing a near-physical pain, along with an impulse to smash through the obstruction.
A powerful kick shook the makeshift barrier.
"You're driving me insane! Your damn scent is everywhere! Even drunk, it permeates the whole house!"
Another kick hit the door, his hatred for drinking apparent, yet he always returned to it. He drank himself into oblivion, waking to a head-splitting hangover that barely allowed him to open his eyes. On this weekday morning, the alarm forced him up, and he drank coffee in excess and consumed almost an entire box of painkillers just to make it to work.
One of his chauffeurs drove as he sat with eyes shut, sunlight proving torturous.
Arriving at his company, he rode the elevator and walked to his office. Opening the door, he knew he was in trouble, for there stood his mother, as tall as him and even taller in her heels, her long black hair reaching her waist, her eyes also pitch black. She looked at him in a way she despised.
She examined him with careful scrutiny, arms crossed, her formidable height and stern face confirming her Alpha status.
"Good morning, mother," he greeted, approaching to kiss her cheek.
"There's nothing good for you, it seems, Jaehan. I thought you had kicked the midweek drinking habit," she chastised. "But I see that's not the case. Your father and I laid out the consequences the last time you drank. You can't come to work in this appalling state."
"It won't happen again."
"You've said that too many times. I came early to see my son, but if you'll be like this, then I'll leave."
She passed him confidently.
"Your father was supposed to come as well, but fortunately, I told him to rest. I wouldn't have wanted to see his disappointment in finding you this way."
The door's closing magnified his headache. He mentally chastised himself for his loss of composure the previous night, but his anger had been so consuming he hadn't allowed for reflection.
He slumped into his chair with a sigh. His mother had always been strict; she detested lies and deceit. Promises were paramount to her, and although she'd given Jaehan multiple chances, he continued to break them. His Omega father was more patient, but even he became irate on the rare occasion.
Leaning back in his chair, he soon stood to return home.
Magdalena swiftly canceled all his meetings and watched him depart.
Home in under four hours, the silence was palpable. He retreated to his room but first paused outside Saije's. He knew he had said things the night before but wasn't quite sure if they were bad, benign, or horrifying. He considered knocking but thought Saije asleep. He was mistaken, however, as the Omega was nowhere to be found in the house.
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