逆转 (Reverse) – 莲鹤夫人
Chapter 14
The omega locked his gaze on his husband. While his jaw clenched and his eyes drooped, he managed to keep his composure and mumble, “Can… can I, sir?”
The alpha looked directly into his eyes, looking at him expressionless and almost stiff. He became like a statue made from wood and stone, his voice low and steady, “Why? Give me an explanation.”
The words had finally come out. How could the omega even react if he was scared? Act like it was a joke or a whim?
The omega swallowed hard and spoke in a hoarse voice, “The reverse virus research has reached a wall. You can’t fully get out of the rut if you stick to the plan, right?”
The alpha simply stared at him, motionless as if trapped in a giant block of pine resin.
“So… what I’m saying is, to completely resolve this once and for all, we’d need… enough pheromones. Enough from a marked partner. Just now, at the banquet, I overheard two people talking—”
“Who said that?” words were pushed out of the alpha’s throat as he remained motionless, demanding answers, “Name. Status. Tell me.”
The omega shuddered slightly.
He had just realized he couldn’t smell his husband. The confined area felt empty, with every heartbeat and breath gone, suffocating like the depths of the ocean.
“…It’s… no one important…” the omega’s face turned pale, and he begged, “This approach would work for sure, and quickly. It’ll work if we take enough pheromones out of my gland—”
“Plan B needs knowing about the proposal, having access to it, or being able to get information about it through other means. Omegas are largely left out since alphas would never tell their wives or children without inheritance rights about their backup plan due to gender bias and competing interests. Betas are also left out because their code says to avoid AO matters. Important things like this? Any beta at the banquet won’t talk about it, not in public or in private. That only leaves… alphas.” the alpha didn’t move and kept looking at the omega.
The omega froze. He couldn’t get past his husband’s tightly wound thinking and couldn’t figure out why the alpha was now fixated on two random alphas.
He tried to explain, “Listen, what I’m telling you now has nothing to do with that—”
“Two people. Alphas. Has access to Plan B.” The alpha’s voice was low and composed, with sentences flying out like gunshots ricocheting from a barrel, “After you left, you walked along the path that was surrounded with white wisteria. No alpha would be so stupid as to talk about this in public, so you must’ve listened in. The fragrance was strong enough to cover up your scent, and the leaves were thick enough to hide your body. At the end of the hall, on the terrace next to it, two prominent alphas stood.”
The car pulled up to the garden gate of the villa. The omega was startled and stayed completely still.
“All right.” the alpha remarked, “I’ll find out who they are right away.”
He opened the door, dressed in a dark coat, and walked into the garden. The situation quickly became out of control. The omega couldn’t figure out how their talk had turned so bad.
The alpha didn’t care about the omega’s suggestion—or rather, he was purposely ignoring it—and instead directed his anger on two totally unrelated people.
“Sir… sir!” A panicked omega ran after him and begged, “Please, sir, listen to me!”
The alpha confidently walked ahead while the omega hurriedly followed, clinging to the hem of his coat, “Sir, I think this approach will work! Please think about it! “It’s a one-time treatment, so your ruts will no longer bother you… sir!”
He talked quickly and loudly, somewhat confused and embarrassed.
It was like he was a desperate salesman trying to save his dying business by selling his own gland, while the alpha’s refusal radiated from him like a wall that could be felt.
The omega wasn’t interested in analyzing it. Their marriage was at best a facade and was close to falling apart.
“Sir… ahh!”
The door was opened. The alpha grabbed his arm, pulling him inside.
The omega could now clearly see his face: he had bloodshot eyes that were filled with anger and aggression, and the alpha’s pheromones were like a storm, cutting like thousands of sharp blades.
“What do you want?” the alpha growled, his voice strained and tight, “Tell me. What exactly do you want?”
The omega started to release calming pheromones, but the alpha’s presence pushed them back to the brink, “I-I mean no harm!” I just want to—”
“Divorce. You want a divorce, right?” the alpha pressed forward, “You’d use your own gland as leverage to ask for a divorce. Is that right?”
The level of intensity was so powerful that it could command a starving pride of lions. The omega’s jaw stiffened. He didn’t feel like he was facing a person, but a dragon that was ready to destroy a city.
His voice was shaking as he gulped down, “I thought… I thought you wouldn’t care about my gland…”
He slowly walked backwards until he tripped over the long wool rug and fell awkwardly onto the couch. He held himself up with his free hand and mumbled, “Because you thought Plan B’s pacing was too slow, and when I heard this, I thought… I could give it a try.”
The alpha’s voice was deafening and raspy, “You use your own glands as a bargaining chip, as a fee… and you want a divorce as a result? You don’t know how damaging this is for your body, but you’re still eager to leave?!”
Like thunder in a hurricane, his roar echoed through the empty room.
“…Why?” with a tremble in his voice, the alpha pressed the question once again, “Why are you so eager to end your life… is your life that worthless?”
The omega locked eyes with him in pitch black. He was confronted with his husband’s relentless probing questions as his voice seemed to be choked by something heavy and strange. He was overwhelmed with thoughts, yet he couldn’t get a single word out.
…My life isn’t worthless. I’m a person with feelings, just like you.
I’m someone who once loved you—someone whose spine you broke for being in love with you.
✕✕✕
Translated and edited by janemoyu (01/17/26)
