As Jeongukk stood at the altar, his heart raced with a mix of anger and frustration.

He glared at his parents, who were seated in the front row.

Their faces were plastered with satisfaction, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside him.

Since childhood, he had felt more like a pawn in their game than a beloved son.

They had always prioritized their ambitions over his happiness, using him as a tool to expand their business empire.

Now, they had arranged this forced marriage with one of their affluent business partners, and he found himself trapped in a situation of their making.

The soft strains of music filled the air as the grand doors swung open, revealing the bride.

Jeongukk maintained a stoic expression, though the irritation bubbled beneath the surface.

The moment he laid eyes on Bora, standing there with an air of nervous anticipation, he couldn't help but roll his eyes in disbelief, scoffing quietly as he prepared himself for the farce that lay ahead.

“Today, we gather here to witness the union of Jeon Jeongguk and Bora,” the priest began, his voice reverberating through the expansive hall.

“Do you, Jeon Jeongguk, take Bora as your lawful wedded wife? For better or worse, for richer or poorer?”

Jeongukk’s father shot him a fierce look, his eyes narrowing as if to implore his son to comply. With gritted teeth, he reluctantly replied, “I. Do.”

The priest turned to Bora with a warm smile, his tone softer, “And do you, Bora, take Jeon Jeongguk as your lawful wedded husband? For better or worse, for richer or poorer?”

Bora's eyes sparkled with a mixture of hope and anxiety as she smiled and answered, “I do.”

The priest concluded the ceremony with a flourish, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

As Bora leaned toward him, her expression in anticipation of a shared moment, Jeongukk felt an overwhelming urge to escape.

Instead of leaning in, he took a step back, shaking his head in defiance.

He turned on his heel and strode away from the stage, his pulse pounding in his ears.

A quiet gasp echoed through the hall, and whispers filled the space as he made his exit.

In the front row, Jeongukk’s father sat fuming, his fists clenched at his sides, the manifestation of his anger palpable.

Bora stood frozen, watching Jeongukk's retreating figure with tears brimming in her eyes.

She understood that she had made a colossal mistake by allowing Jeongukk’s father to orchestrate this marriage.

Her heart ached at the realization; she had hoped that by gaining his father’s approval, she might win Jeongukk’s affection in return.

Now, she was left facing the consequences of a decision that this had only made it worse.

////

As the cacophony of wedding celebrations finally faded into the distance, Bora found herself seated in the plush passenger seat of Mr. Jeon’s car.

The air inside was thick with unspoken words, a poignant reminder of the new life she was stepping into.

The moon hung high in the velvety night sky, and the winding roads seemed to mirror the tumultuous feelings stirring within her.

Mr. Jeon, her father-in-law, cast a sideways glance at her, his expression serious yet softened by his desire to comfort.

“Don’t take his coldness to heart,” he said, his voice steady but tinged with concern.

“He’ll eventually learn to deal with you.” His attempt at reassurance was a small balm against the chill of reality that enveloped her.

Bora sighed deeply, the weight of doubt anchoring her spirits. “He has hated me for years. I doubt he’ll come to like me anytime soon,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her mind spiraled back to the emotional conversation she’d had with Jeongukk just before their marriage—a confession that rocked her world.

Learning that Jeongukk was gay had been an unforgiving blow, yet still, a flicker of hope danced in her chest.

Perhaps this marriage could somehow bridge the chasm between them, allowing their lives to intersect in unexpected ways.

When the car finally pulled into the driveway of their new home, Bora stepped out, inhaling sharply as the cool evening air filled her lungs, invigorating her senses.

The house loomed ahead, its familiar silhouette now imbued with the weight of her new reality.

Crossing the threshold, she was immediately struck by the sight of Jeongukk slumped on the couch, his form a tragic testament to the evening’s excesses.

Empty alcohol bottles littered the floor around him like fallen soldiers, remnants of a long battle with despair.

“Jeongukk,” she called softly, her voice gentle yet firm, trying to penetrate the protective veil of his drunken stupor.

She hoped to reach the man beneath the façade of bitterness. “We need to talk.”

He stirred slightly, his eyes slowly fluttering open, glazed with alcohol and clouded by anger.

As he focused on her, his gaze narrowed into narrow slits filled with venom.

“Fuck off,” he spat, his voice dripping with disdain, each word a dagger aimed straight at her heart.

“I hate you! I told you I was gay, yet you still had my dad force me to marry you. I will never love you!”

His declaration echoed in the dimly lit room, ricocheting off the walls and settling heavily in the air between them.

Bora felt her heart sink further with each word, a painful reminder of the chasm that separated them.

But before she could muster a response, Jeongukk’s body sagged back against the couch, the weight of alcohol finally claiming him.

A mix of frustration and unexpected intrigue surged through her as she gazed at him, sprawled out and vulnerable.

A smirk slowly crept across her face, bolstered by a daring thought.

Maybe—just maybe—there was a way to win his affection after all.

Her mind raced with the potential outcomes of her next steps. What if she took a drastic leap, like getting pregnant?

The idea sparked with a peculiar sense of possibility, igniting a flicker of hope that a shared child could bridge the emotional divide between them and perhaps even nurture a blossoming love.

With renewed resolve, she moved closer to Jeongukk’s still form.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she began to unbutton his shirt, her fingers trembling with a mix of anticipation and desperation.

As each button slipped free, she felt a rush of determination flooding her veins.

In a spontaneous act, she stripped off her own clothes, driven by a potent blend of longing and bravado.

Hoping that this drastic decision would weave their lives together in a way that could change the course of their story forever.

////

As the first light of dawn broke through the curtains, Jeongukk stirred restlessly, his head pounding as if it were caught in a vice.

He attempted to push himself up from the couch but was halted by an unfamiliar weight pressing down on him.

When he turned to look, his heart raced as he saw Bora sprawled across his chest, completely nude, her hair cascading like a dark waterfall against his skin.

In a flurry of panic, he gently but firmly pushed her off, quickly sitting up, the soft fabric of the couch crumpling beneath him.

Just then, Bora began to stir, her lips curving into a sweet, disarming smile as she blinked her eyes open to greet the morning.

“Morning,” she said cheerfully, as if nothing unusual had transpired.

Jeongukk’s voice was taut with disbelief as he demanded, “What did you do?”

He felt a rush of anger and confusion bubbling within him, his teeth clenched tightly.

Bora shrugged nonchalantly, her demeanor unfazed.

“Oh, nothing much. I just thought you might eventually fall in love with me if we had a child.”

Her words hung in the air, filled with implications, and the weight of the situation settled heavily around them.

Jeongukk looked at her with emotionless eyes and spoke in a cold tone. "You raped me while I was unconscious?"

Bora crossed her arms, a hint of defiance in her voice as she said, "Technically, yes, but since we're married, we don't need consent."

Jeongukk's expression twisted into one of disgust.

"You're disgusting," he shot back, his tone thick with disdain as he turned his gaze away from her.

Feeling overwhelmed, Jeongukk stormed upstairs to the bedroom that was now his sanctuary.

With shaking hands, he shut the door behind him, the click of the lock echoing in the silence.

He made his way to the bathroom, where he felt the urge to cleanse himself of what he deemed the remnants of an unwelcome touch.

He stepped into the shower, the hot water cascading over him, washing away more than just the physical dirt.

It was as if he were trying to wash away the feelings of betrayal and anger that clung to him.

He scrubbed his skin fiercely, almost as if he could remove the very feeling of her presence.

Once he felt the water turn cold, he shut off the taps and stepped out, drying himself hurriedly.

He slipped into a pair of black sweatpants and a matching black sweatshirt—comfortable but heavy, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside him.

After gathering his thoughts for a moment, Jeongukk walked out of his room, each step deliberate as he descended the stairs.

The house felt empty, the air charged with unresolved tension.

He made his way toward the front door, eager to escape.

"Jeongukk," he heard her call out, her voice attempting to bridge the chasm that had opened between them.

"Don't talk to me," he replied sharply, his voice low and cold, like steel.

With that, he pushed the door open and stepped into the cool evening air.

He climbed into his car, the familiar scent of leather mixed with a dash of gasoline offering little comfort as he slammed the door shut.

He turned the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life, drowning out the noise of his chaotic thoughts.

As he drove toward the company, the city lights blurred past him, mirroring the turmoil within his mind, seeking solace in his work and a distraction from the strain of the situation.

////

Months had slipped by since that fateful encounter with Bora, and the air between her and Jeongukk had turned colder with each passing day.

Jeongukk had resolutely ignored her for six long months, fully absorbed in his work and the rising pressures of his dual responsibilities.

Managing the family company while simultaneously leading their covert mafia operations.

Bora, meanwhile, was now six months pregnant with twins, her body changing in ways she had never anticipated, yet she felt utterly alone.

In their home, they had become estranged; Bora occupied one room while Jeongukk retreated to another, locking his door each night as if it were a fortress against the world.

He was intent on avoiding any semblance of intimacy or connection, especially after the turmoil that had unfolded between them.

The meals he ate was takeout boxes filled with fast food, his way of sidestepping any culinary offerings she might prepare.

As the months rolled on, the distance between them only deepened.

Now, at the nine-month mark, the situation had escalated to a point of painful consequence.

Bora lay in a sterile hospital room, laboring through her contractions, desperately trying to reach out to Jeongukk.

She invited him, pleaded for his presence, but he rejected each request with silence, walking away as if she were a ghost from his past.

In that lonely hospital bed, the sounds of machines and distant chatter filled the void where Jeongukk’s support should have been.

Suddenly, one of Jeongukk’s men entered the room, interrupting her thoughts with an air of cold detachment.

He walked toward the cradle that housed the newborns.

Bora looked up, her heart racing.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice shaking with a mix of confusion and fear.

The man’s voice was devoid of emotion as he replied, "Jeongukk wants to see his kids, but he doesn’t want to come here. I'm bringing them to him."

His tone conveyed the weight of their broken relationship—an unspoken barrier that had formed between them all.

“Why doesn’t he want to come in here?” Bora pressed, her voice cracking with the pain of realization.

"Cause he hates you, if you haven't noticed," the man stated bluntly, as if delivering a sentence that had been hanging in the air for far too long.

Stunned into silence, Bora felt a wave of despair wash over her as the man took the infants into his arms and turned to leave, the door closing behind them like a curtain falling on her hopes.

She watched him walk back toward the waiting car, her heart sinking further with each step he took away from her.

Outside, Jeongukk was waiting, his expression unreadable as he observed the two tiny lives that were now his responsibility.

“So they’re two boys?” he asked, his voice taut with indifference.

“Yes, sir,” the man confirmed, his tone still piercingly cold. “Except one of them is intersex.”

Jeongukk furrowed his brow, confusion etched across his face.

“What do you mean, intersex?” he inquired, his mind wrestling with the implications.

The man clarified, "This baby has female body parts instead of male ones," pointing toward the intersex child nestled within the blanket.

“Okay,” Jeongukk responded, a strange mix of curiosity and determination in his voice.

“Give me that baby and take the other back upstairs.” As he reached forward, he carefully cradled the intersex baby in his arms, taking a moment to absorb the gravity of what he was holding.

“Also, let her choose the name for that baby, but this one I’m naming.”

“Yes, sir,” the man replied, visibly subservient, yet incredulous.

With a firm resolve, Jeongukk declared, “Taehyung. Jeon Taehyung.”

The name fell from his lips like a promise as he looked down at the child.

Contemplating the future that lay ahead, a future still caught amid the remnants of a shattered relationship.