At the end of that Memory

'Sejin-ah.'

My son-in-law was dark. Someone was caressing my ear and rubbing my cheek with their thumb. The hand that slowly went down to my neck pressed the hollow spot and slowly moved away.

'Sejin-ah.'

Again.

It was that man again.

'Jeong Sejin.'

'… … .'

I wanted to answer, but my voice wouldn't come out. A subtle pressure weighed me down, as if someone was strangling me. Beyond my blurred vision, I could see the figure of a man as hazy as fog.

'If you want to save the company… … .'

The man slowly reached out and brushed the back of my neck. A large hand wrapped around the back of my head and roughly grabbed my hair. My lips parted slightly because my head had fallen helplessly.

'You have to act like a prostitute.'

I didn't even have time to understand those words. In the blink of an eye, the flesh that had come in squeezed through the narrow gap. I screamed as if the corners of my mouth, which had opened like a limit, were going to tear apart.

'Ugh… … .'

I felt like my breath was suffocating. The nausea that had risen to my throat was blocked by the sensation of pressing on the root of my tongue. The penis that had slowly pushed in scraped the roof of my mouth and advanced inside.

'Open your mouth wide.'

How could a dry voice feel so cold? The tears that had formed without me noticing ran down my cheeks before I could swallow them. It would have been nice if they were physiological tears. Unfortunately, there were also emotions that I couldn't control inside them.

'Jeong Se-jin.'

The man's call was like urging. Urging me to hurry up and suck properly, urging me to show some sincerity during my time of crying. What did I do wrong? Why are you doing this to me? There was no time to ask questions like that.

'Ugh… … .'

The feeling of my throat being forced open was always so unfamiliar that it sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to pull my head back, but the hand holding my hair completely blocked any escape route. The glans, which had been pushed in with difficulty, expanded its territory deep inside.

'Whew… … .'

The man finally stopped inserting after he had finally reached the root. With a low breath, he slowly pulled his waist back. With a squeak, the half-pulled penis pierced my throat a little more mercilessly.

'Ugh… … !'

A pubic hair brushed the tip of my nose. I unconsciously pursed my lips at the sudden nausea. My front teeth touched the penis I had been holding in, and the man stopped moving and threw my hair away.

'… … !'

In a flash, the scene changed. This time, I was lying on the hard floor with my legs spread apart. I was momentarily taken aback by the sudden change in situation. A high-pitched voice was heard from somewhere.

'Ha, this is the first time… … .'

An unfamiliar hand touched my thigh. It was a creepy sensation, like a bug crawling. The man who spread my legs left and right snickered and pressed his lower body against me. And the moment I felt something touching my lower body,

'Ahh… … !'

A terrible pain flooded over me like a wave. The penis that had dug into the narrow entrance touched my inner wall hotly like a fireball. Every time the blunt tip struck inside, my internal organs felt like they were being twisted.

'Ah, ah… … huff… … .'

I instinctively tried to get away from him. I wiggled my upper body, screamed, and twisted my legs that were caught. However, things did not go as I wanted.

'Fuck, won't you stay still?'

The scenes that followed were mostly filled with shame that made me want to die. The feeling of a large hand grabbing my neck, the feeling of my cheek being slapped mercilessly, and even the feeling of having to flip my body over and lie down like a dog because he thought it couldn't be helped.

'Huk, huk… … .'

The saliva that I couldn't swallow flowed out of my open mouth. I must have bitten my tongue wrong, so there was a little bit of blood. The person who had slammed my head into the floor let out a disgusting breath while inserting his penis all the way to the root.

'… … Ha, you slept with that bastard? The hole is fucking, like, Ada.'

'Ah, huk… … .'

'For nothing, huk, you made me lose my strength… … .'

The feeling of my body being split in half was too distinct. I tried to crawl forward, but he crushed me with a gesture that had no mercy. My breath was rising to the tip of my chin, and drops of blood formed on my fingertips as I scraped the floor.

'You rag… … . Look, you're not doing this because you like it.'

'Ugh, ugh… … !'

'Pheromones… … ugh, this is the end.'

I felt like my stomach was turning. Every time my body shook, a urge to vomit rose from the inside of my stomach. Then, finally, the man muttered in a breathy voice as he watched me start to vomit.

'Honestly, I didn't expect it… … .'

I don't know what he meant. However, what was certain was that the words that followed took away all my will to resist.

'… … ga… … this is it… … .'

'… … .'

The voice that pierced my dull ears was as cruel as a death sentence. As I stopped moving without realizing it, I heard a laugh that was infinitely satisfying.

'It was going to be like this from the beginning.'

Then it was a familiar repetition. The man ejaculated when his lower body was tattered, and blood-mixed semen flowed out from the entrance where his penis had come out. The humiliation that had been slowly rising lost its presence along with the resentment that had lost its place.

'Let's eat each other sometimes. Okay?'

'… … hmph.'

Everything felt like it was over. The feeling of having my heart ripped out was more painful than the pain I felt from below. Tears flowed ceaselessly, and my breathing became rapid as if I was broken.

That was usually the end of the nightmare.

"… … !"

My eyelids opened in a flash. A familiar ceiling came into view beyond the changed scenery. I blinked a couple of times and twitched my cold fingertips. I took a deep breath that I had been holding, and only then did I feel the surrounding air vividly.

Oh, it was a dream.

As soon as I realized that fact, all the strength in my body drained away. My muscles, which had been stiff as if the blood that had stopped flowing, relaxed. I slowly turned my head and saw a pill bottle with the words '1 pill per time' written on it.

"… … When did I fall asleep?"

Yesterday, I returned home and went straight to bed after taking a shower. Half of me didn't want to sleep, half of me was obsessed with sleeping pills. After much thought, the latter won out, and I swallowed the sleeping pills without water, holding the pill bottle in my hand.

And this was the result. It was a new nightmare I had never seen before. Unlike the previous nightmares that had been scary at best, this nightmare was unpleasant, as if I had been covered in filth. No matter how many sleeping pills I had taken, this was a bit much.

"… Now, now… … ."

I pushed the pill bottle away halfheartedly and slowly raised my upper body. The pill bottle, which had spun around, fell down without strength. Since I had taken all the remaining medicine, I heard a hollow sound every time I hit the floor.

The clock on the nightstand indicated 7 AM. It was a later wake-up than usual, but about an hour earlier than scheduled. Even if I prepared leisurely, it would still be a long time before the driver arrived.

"I should take a shower first."

I muttered softly and brushed away my sweat-soaked hair. I must have tossed and turned all night, because my clothes and blankets were a mess. The only good thing was that I had time to wake up early and wash up.

I staggered out of bed and walked to the bathroom attached to the room. With each step I took, the clothes I had taken off yesterday got caught at my feet. They were clothes that I couldn't wear if they were wrinkled, but I didn't feel bad about them.

'Sejin-ah.'

"… … Haa."

The nightmare that had started at some point became more vivid as the engagement ceremony day got closer. At first, I only vaguely remembered the situation, but now the emotions, feelings, and sensations came back vividly. The man I met in my dream grabbed my hair with his strong hands, made me tilt my head back, and whispered this.

'You should act like a prostitute.'

There was no process of who he was, why he was making such demands, or how this situation came to be. I just vividly remember the feeling of my body being forced open and the sadness I felt at the time.

'Let's have sex sometimes. Okay?'

"… … ."

No, today was a little different.

'… … ga … … this is what it was… … .'

What on earth did I hear that made me give up resisting in my dream? Why did my chest hurt more than my lower body, which was torn to the point of bleeding?

I've had countless nightmares, but this was the first time I felt like this. I don't have any trauma, and I've never even had sex with someone else. The sense of helplessness that surged in like a flood was too vivid to be dismissed as a mere dream.

"I wonder if I'm getting a breakup… … ."

A marriage partner who dreams of being raped every day. I could clearly see Seonho being shocked, asking where he brought such a lunatic. If that happened, my father would kick me out of the house without hesitation.

I let out a hollow laugh and took off my clothes one by one. I would like to soak my body, but I don't plan on being that extravagant. Since I somehow managed to get some sleep, all that was left was to safely prepare for the engagement ceremony that was to take place today.

Today was my father's last chance at the Haesin Group that he had been looking forward to so much.

The engagement ceremony with Seonho Group was going to be held quietly and secretly. Rumors spread, but the official announcement was much later. I heard that the wedding was also undecided, but in the end, it was all just a formality.

Anyway, I stopped by the shop that Director Kim had made a reservation for early in the morning and got my clothes and hair done. When I was wearing my formal attire, there were only three staff members who helped me get dressed. One person would tie my tie, another would prepare my jacket, and another would kneel down to put on my shoes.

After that, there was a small quarrel among the staff members. They debated for a while about whether it would be better to put my hair up or down. They came to an amicable agreement that it would be better to have my forehead down halfway because my forehead was pretty. It was a conclusion that completely ignored my opinion, but since even Director Kim nodded, we decided to just do it.

"At this rate, there will probably be five people at the wedding."

In the car heading to the wedding hall. Director Kim responded with a half-joking, half-serious expression. If things go well, we might have to prepare in advance the night before.

"Aren't you nervous?"

I absentmindedly looked out the car window. The scenery passing by quickly was as peaceful as usual. On the other hand, my mood was… … how should I put it, a little ambiguous.

"Well."

The perfectly dressed appearance felt awkward today, but my empty stomach was comfortable rather than rumbling. Even the clothes that Minjae had described as 'so shabby,' the ivory-colored formal attire, the shaky texture was unpleasant.

"We haven't even seen the show yet… … ."

"… … ."

"I don't know."

Director Kim closed his mouth with a complicated expression. His candid gaze felt harsh even through his glasses. Then, he asked if I would be nervous when I saw the show, as if he had been planning to ask but had stopped.

"We've arrived, Chief."

The car, which had been moving for a while, stopped in front of the Yeongbin Hall of the Myeongseong Hotel. The driver got out of the driver's seat and circled the car, opening the back door for me. I was about to get out of the car with a thank you, but I smiled slightly at the driver's outstretched hand.

"I'll ask you to escort me when I wear a wedding dress."

Sometimes there are people like that. Betas who habitually try to escort me when I tell them I'm an omega. I wasn't wearing a fancy skirt or high heels. There were many women among omegas, and I guess that's because they have such a unique trait.

"Ah… … I'm sorry."

The driver awkwardly took his outstretched hand away. When I made eye contact to show that it was okay, the tips of my ears turned red. Director Kim, who got out of the car late, coughed in vain as he watched me.

"Mr. Jeong Se-jin, I'll take you inside."

There were security guards stationed at regular intervals on the way to the annex following the hotel staff. It didn't seem like my father had ordered it, and I think they were probably the ones Seon-ho had prepared. It was probably to block reporters, but I thought this side was more noticeable.

"You can wait here."

The staff member stood in front of the waiting room and opened the sliding door for me. Through the crack in the opened door, I could see the entrance on the other side. I thought I was going out through that door, but that wasn't the point.

"The smell of flowers… … ."

I could smell the scent of flowers. It wasn't just one or two, but a gorgeous fragrance like a flower garden. I looked around the interior carefully and saw that it was decorated with various flowers. White, yellow, pink, and even purple. Every single one of them was fresh.

"… … Did the hotel prepare it?"

I knew that there couldn't be flowers at an event like this. However, this was the first time I'd seen so many decorations. How did they know that? They were all filled with my favorite flowers.

"They were prepared by Seonho."

The staff member calmly told me that my guess was wrong. He didn't stop there, and pointed to the table inside.

"I told you to prepare everything with fresh flowers."

"… … ."

Next to the card that said 'Jeong Se-jin,' there was a bouquet of flowers neatly arranged. It wasn't a wedding, it was an engagement, and it was for a political marriage partner. It was the rare silver bell flowers.

"Then, if you need anything… … ."

Was it a coincidence, or a trick of fate?

As if in a trance, I approached the table in the center. I didn't hear what the employee said. When I opened the folded card in half, I saw the flower language of the silver bell flowers written in handwriting.

"… … Did you like flowers?"

As soon as the door closed, Director Kim immediately asked a question. His tone was very unexpected, but I could understand his feelings. I put the card down and held the bouquet of flowers that were shaking drop by drop in one hand.

"Yes, well… … ."

If it's flowers, I like them. Not exactly flowers, but the warm scent they contain.

"I like them."

When I was very young, I wanted to be a perfumer. Trees, flowers, grass, or even soil or sand. Each element gave me a different feeling depending on the season and the weather. I had been intoxicated by their subtle charm since a long time ago, and I think I thought I would be able to possess such scents someday.

"I especially like bellflowers… … ."

The person who once heard about my dream (I don't know if it was my father or mother) answered with a trembling expression. What kind of nonsense is that, an omega with no pheromone scent?

"It's a flower that smells good and is often used as perfume, this."

There are exactly two errors in this story. First, pheromones are not scents, and second, my pheromones are not scentless. And regardless of all this, my sense of smell was much better than that of an ordinary person.

"… … "I didn't know you liked flowers."

"Because I didn't tell you."

Anyway, similar things happened several times, and I stopped telling anyone about my dream of becoming a perfumer. To be exact, I wasn't even given the chance to say it. My future was just following the smooth road my father had paved.

"If I had known in advance, I would have bought you some often."

"Haha… … Director Kim to me?"

The tense shoulders that had been tightly shut loosened. As soon as I smelled the fragrant scent of flowers, the unexplained anxiety disappeared like snow melting. Instead, a pleasant smile came to my mind.

"I should tell my wife that."

"… … ."

In fact, it seems that I had been tense unconsciously. When I see how emotional a bouquet of flowers can make me feel. When I see how the other person is a good person for this kind of business.

"As expected… … fresh flowers are better than perfume."

I slowly opened my eyes. Director Kim blinked blankly as he looked at me. He remained silent for a while, then lowered his gaze a beat later.

"There must be a lot of fresh flowers in the garden."

The words that followed had a bitter taste to them. I didn't answer, but just put down the bouquet I was holding. The scent of the silver bells lingered on my fingertips, and for the first time, I felt comforted.