Seungcheol took a deep breath when his sleeping wife rubbed his head closer to his body. Their bed is quite big but the blonde would always squeeze himself in the husband's arms. His wife used to feel awkward laying next to him, now he's the one who scoots closer. The tycoon smiled. His wife even looks adorable when he's asleep. Seungcheol turned his head to the side and when he caught a glimpse of the matte paper sitting on the side table, his bright look disappeared. Now that his wife’s soft breathing is the only sound he's hearing, the tycoon thought about the conversation they had before the wife passed out.

After a few more rounds of ing, and , the husband and wife finally took a shower. Seungcheol helped his wife dry his hair and when they were done, the couple laid on their new bed sheet.

“My mother?” Seungcheol looked down at his wife who was resting his head on his sturdy chest. He placed a hand on the blonde’s head and started combing his hair, a gloomy smile on his lips. “I don’t remember anything about her. She died when I was small.”

“I’m sorry…”

“ I don’t have any memories, it’s not that big of a deal. Why did you ask?”

“Uh..” It was obvious, his wife was nervous. “I saw a picture of appa when he was younger. It was in one of the books granny gave me.”

Seungcheol’s brows knitted together. He has a lot of questions to ask already. “Books from grandmother?”

“Yes.” Jeonghan got up from the bed and wobbled to the wide table near the window. Seungcheol watched his wife try his best to walk. The mafia smiled to himself, proud that the weak knees was his doing.

Jeonghan stood in front of the large desk.

When they first got in the house, it was Seungcheol’s work table but after the renovation, Seungcheol took the room across theirs and turned it into his home office. Since the tycoon needs to have his files in one place for better efficiency, (not to mention it would be easier to concentrate with work when he’s not distracted by his wife’s existence) Naturally, the table in the bedroom became Jeonghan’s.

“Found it!” After scanning the pile of books, the angel found that one with the picture. Jeonghan left the hardbound open and headed back to the large bed where his husband was patiently waiting. He climbed up the bed (slipping a bit on the way since he still doesn't have the strength to move so freely) and showed the photo to Seungcheol. “Here…”

The tycoon grabbed the photo from the small hands and his eyes widened when he saw who was in it.

“Is she your mother?”

His palms turned cold. Seungcheol felt his throat close.

“Seungcheol?”

Flashes of his childhood memory came rushing in.

“Seungcheol…?”

The side of his head was beginning to throb.

“Seungcheol!”

He finally blinked. If it weren’t for his wife calling his attention, he would have remained frozen. “Yes?”

“Are you okay?”

“I am.” The mafia looked back up to his wife, masking his emotions. “I just haven’t seen her face in a while.” Seungcheol gave a reassuring smile to his wife. The tycoon turned the photograph over and put it down the bedside drawer.

“What about your mother? How was she like?”

Seungcheol watched his wife tilt his head. He must have noticed his strange behaviour. Good thing the blond decided not to indulge in his curiosity.

“Oh! My mom passed away when I was in high school.” Jeonghan had a bittersweet smile as he reminisced. “She was beautiful. It’s still a surprise how he ended up with my dad, haha. She was also very kind and was a really good cook.”

“How come you took after everything except the last one?” When Seungcheol saw the sad eyes of his wife, he felt the need to shield him from any painful memories. He pulled his wife closer, having the blonde lean his head on the sturdy, bare chest.

Jeonghan rolled his eyes but he released a contented sigh. He rubbed his thumb on the mafia’s back, his eyelids starting to get heavy, The blonde yawned. “Hmm… I wonder how it would have… been… if our moms… met… each… zzzz”

Seungcheol glanced at the small person in his arms and chuckled when he noticed he was sleeping with his mouth hung open. The blond must have been very tired. The tycoon rubbed his wife’s shoulder as the past crawled their way up to his head. Seungcheol closed his eyes.

Eighteen years ago...

“She’s been cold to her son since he was born, but this is the first time she had hit Seungcheol. Seung-Hyun, I am worried about my grandchild. It’s better for you to send her to a mental institution.”

“Mother, I am not sending my wife to that place. She can be cured. She... she...”

“How long has it been? Huh. Tell me, Seung-Hyun, how old is Seungcheol now? He’s already eight! That’s how long you’ve been hoping that she’ll be okay! Stop this delusion and send her to---“

“Mother! She’s my wife, the mother of my son, how could you just say that?”

“She’s gone crazy---“

“And whose fault is that, mother? She saw me kill a man right after getting discharged from the hospital. She saw me take a man’s life and take care of his body! I made a mistake by telling her the truth about us--- She’s going mad because of me! Can’t you see why I can’t send her to any institution mother? I turned my wife that way!”

It was the first time Seungcheol heard his father raise his voice at his grandmother. The boy didn’t mean to eavesdrop, he was only looking for his toy when he heard his grandmother’s voice. He didn’t know the old woman had dropped by. He was planning to come in and say ‘hi’ but he stopped himself when he realized what kind of conversation they were having. His cheek stung when the old woman mentioned him getting hit.

“Seung-Hyun, stop blaming your---” The old woman couldn’t finish her sentence when the door slowly creaked open. “Seungcheol… how long have you been there?”

The boy’s eyes were red. He was on the verge of crying. “Grandmother… Please don’t send mother away--- I--- hic--- promise to be a good boy--- she-- she won’t hit me anymore so please… please don’t make her leave!”

“Seungcheol…” Seung-Hyun was surprised when his son ran to him and pulled on the hem of his suit. “Stop crying, I will not let that happen, my son.”

“I’m going to take my leave now.” The old lady got up from her seat and passed by the father and son. She stood in front of the door and spoke: “And Seung-Hyun, we have pushed it aside for so long because I was being considerate of your situation, however, this year, you need to take over the organization. It’s about time for me to pass it down.”

Seung-Hyun sighed. “Yes mother.” He watched his mother leave the room and his attention was quickly taken by his child. He brushed the boy’s raven hair.

“Father, why does mother hate me?”

He remembered his father’s eyes widened at the question. The older Choi sat down on the table just behind him so he is at eye level with the boy. “She doesn’t hate you, my son. What made you say that?”

The boy fiddled with his small fingers. He hesitated to answer but when his father rubbed his arm, he knew he could depend on him. “She told me. She said she hates me. She told me herself. Why appa?”

Seungcheol saw the conflicted look in his father’s face. He sighed once more. “Seungcheol... your mother doesn’t hate you... she’s just having a hard time right now. You’re mother is the kindest and sweetest person I know! You know, your mother was a beauty queen when we were younger. She could have been a big shot, but she loves you so much that she chose to be a mother. That’s how much she cares for you. Seungcheol... your mother is ill right now, she’s not in her right mind that’s why she said those mean things. She doesn’t mean it. Okay?”

“Is it because we are ---? Mother told me what we are…” Seungcheol remembered a time when he saw his mother sleeping on the long couch. The woman was sweating, she must have been having a bad dream. Concerned, he woke her up but when he did, his mother pushed him and started yelling at him. He remembers her saying mean words and calling him names. The words ‘monster,’ ‘freak,’ and ‘hate’ are often spit by his mother whenever she gets a glimpse of him.


Seung-Hyun paused and looked down at his son. “That’s right… it's one of the reasons why.”

Seungcheol felt his father’s big hand pat his head. When he looked up, he saw his father smiling at him but for some reason, he didn’t seem happy. Why did he smile?

“What about you Seungcheol, do you hate your mother?”

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Seungcheol carefully lifted his wife and laid his head on a pillow. The man put on his slippers and walked to the restroom. He washed his face while deep in thoughts. He had always wondered why he didn’t hate his mother. The woman had done nothing but treat h