XXIV

Just like any other weekday, Mr. Byun Kwanhyun arrived home, very tired from his work. He thanked the maid for taking his jacket and walked into the living room, towards the kitchen, hoping his omega would have dinner ready. He was starving.

He was startled, though, to see Baekhee, his mate, sitting in the living room, accompanied by Chanyeol’s parents and sister. They all turned their heads towards him, long expressions on their faces.

“Well, what the hell is this?” Mr. Byun barked at his omega when no one talked. She wasn’t supposed to invite people over to the house without his knowledge, especially at this hour. He was tired from work and only wanted to relax.  

“Mr. Byun, sorry for coming so suddenly, we wanted to talk to you, to ask for your help,” Eunmi said. “Would please take a seat?”

“Thank you for inviting me to sit in my own house,” Mr. Byun said sarcastically, but walked to a armchair nevertheless. “So?”

The Parks looked at each other, unsure on how to bring up such a sensitive topic. Mrs. Byun intervened. “I’ll say it.” She took a deep breath, and nervously looked at her mate in the eye. “Baekhyun has decided he’s going to continue working, and Chanyeol will quit to stay home.”

Mr. Byun looked at her with an arched brow. “So?” he said once again. “Seriously, Baekhee, I thought you were going to tell me Baekhyun had lost the baby.”

The Parks did nothing to hide their looks of astonishment. Chanyeol’s mother cleared . “Mr. Byun, if you’ll excuse me... I don’t mean to be rude, but your son is known to manipulate Chanyeol into doing what he wants.”

“This is very... Upsetting to admit,” Eunmi said carefully. “And it’s a blow to my brother’s pride, but the truth is... He lives in fear of Baekhyun.”

Mrs. Park covered her face with a hand, like she couldn’t stand the embarrassment.

“It has to be said. It’s true,” Mr. Park said. “Chanyeol doesn’t think he can control Baekhyun’s episodes, so confronting him is always his last recourse. He loves him too much, too, so much he spoils him rotten.”

Mr. Byun still wasn’t impressed. “And?”

Baekhyun’s mother exploded. “And?! And?! Kwanhyun, you raised Baekhyun like this! You’re the reason he keeps denying his identity! You always let him do everything he wanted! He wanted to join a hunting team for alphas and betas only? You paid them to accept Baekhyun. He wanted to be in your office instead of staying at home learning how to do chores and take care of a house? You let him. He wanted to study the same career as you, in a university in the other side of the country? You happily sent him there!”

“Don’t talk to me like that,” Mr. Byun hissed, and his omega lowered her head respectfully, but still visibly furious. “I only did what any parent would have done. Baekhyun was born with a strong personality, a personality that isn’t going to disappear. If you tell him he can’t do something, he becomes even more passionate to get it. You can’t change that about him.”

“But it’s going to destroy his family!” Eunmi shouted, losing her patience. “Chanyeol is bound to snap and leave him one of these days, when his love hormones go away and he sees more clearly the kind of omega Baekhyun is! It’s rare, but it isn’t unheard of, and Baekhyun will be alone and bitter because no one ever intervened to make things right!”

“What do you suggest?”

Eunmi exchanged a look with her parents. “You could fire him. Make him abandon that position and focus on his family.”

Mr. Byun laughed. “No.”

“So you don’t care about your son’s well-being?!”

The older alpha growled. “It’s because I care that I’m saying no to that ridiculous idea.”

“Please, Kwanhyun, just for once, do something for a greater good,” Mrs. Byun pleaded with tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to see my only son be a failure, just because we made it that way for him. It’s his first pup, it’s his one and only destined mate, these are the most important things in his life and he hasn’t realized yet. I’d never forgive myself if Chanyeol left Baek.”

Mr. Byun sighed, thoughtful. He looked away with his brows knitted, and considered this for a long time.

“Is Chanyeol aware of this? Does he agree?” He asked.

“Yes, of course he is, and he agrees,” Eunmi replied. “He just didn’t come because he didn’t want Baekhyun to know we came to talk to you.”

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