SIWTD Chapter 1

It was his omega, whom he had married over a year ago, and they hadn’t exchanged many words since.

The omega was a pharmaceutical researcher. To put it nicely, he was polite and well-mannered. To put it bluntly, he was cold and reserved.

Back then, when the alpha was faced with a stack of photos, he had chosen this omega at first glance. He couldn’t help it—the omega stood out too much. While other omegas were either smiling brightly or looking cute and playful, this one had a blank expression, his little face stiff, shirt buttoned all the way up to his neck, looking utterly unwilling.

Conveniently, the alpha wasn’t keen on marriage either. If it weren’t for the pressure from his family’s elders, he would have preferred to live alone forever.

The omega’s family was average, but what alpha’s grandfather valued was the high compatibility of their pheromones. The old man just wanted a successor.

After they got married, the omega was exactly as the alpha had expected: quiet, well-behaved, never intentionally showing up to bother him, and knowing exactly what to say when dealing with the elders—very sensible.

Looking at the person on the bed, the alpha frowned, planning to speak, but then the omega suddenly rubbed his face against the alpha’s pillow, revealing the slightly red tips of his ears and his collarbone under his shirt.

He was sleeping soundly. Didn’t the omega need to go to work at the lab? Without thinking much, the alpha decided not to wake him. He quietly grabbed a few clothes from the walk-in closet and left the house.

During his week-long business trip, the alpha would occasionally think of that omega back home. Like a little mute, he either wore a blank face when he saw the alpha or avoided him altogether. Yet behind his back, he would sneakily sleep in his bed, rubbing against his pillow.

When he was asleep, oblivious, the omega’s delicate features and small, rounded nose looked quite cute when not frowning.

But why sleep in his bed secretly?

The alpha mulled it over a few times and started regretting not sending the omega back to his own room immediately. He should have at least woken him up to ask why, so he wouldn’t be stuck thinking about it now, daydreaming several times in just one afternoon.

He was always someone who said what he thought and did what he wanted. When had he become so indecisive?

After returning from his trip, the alpha inexplicably found himself annoyed. He decided it was time to have a chat with this boundary-crossing omega.

The director of the research institute was the alpha’s uncle, so the alpha headed there straight from the airport—not specifically to find the omega, but to pick up some documents from his uncle.

“How could there still be no progress? You’re really not trying hard enough. Don’t you know how to take advantage of your heat period?” The office door was open, and as the alpha was about to push it open, he caught a snippet of the conversation.

A voice filled with frustration added, “Your pheromone compatibility is so high! Just release a bit, and you would’ve won him over already. How can you be this clueless?”

It seemed like they were talking about the omega and him. The alpha felt displeased and annoyed.

“He doesn’t like me,” came the omega’s calm, flat voice. It was true. The alpha silently watched the slender figure in a white lab coat, saying nothing.

The omega scratched his head shyly and then softly added, “I like him, that’s my business. I’m already happy to have married him. I don’t want to bother him, nor do I want to use my pheromones to force him into doing something against his will.”

The alpha froze at the door, his legs refusing to move forward. It wasn’t that he had never been confessed to before; he’d rejected people to their faces. But how could he reject this omega? After all, the omega hadn’t done anything wrong or caused him any trouble. Besides, he had been eavesdropping on a private conversation.

Pretending nothing had happened, the alpha went straight home. He kept this secret to himself and began to pay attention to the omega, consciously or unconsciously.

It turned out this person would secretly collect things he used, hiding them in his room like a little hamster.

After coming home, the omega would thoughtfully place scent-blocking stickers on his glands, preventing the release of their highly compatible pheromones from disturbing the alpha.

He watered the houseplants meticulously, on a set schedule. He embroidered numbers on identical white lab coats for each day of the week, changing them daily.

He would stare blankly at the alpha’s back, and whenever he got nervous, his face would stiffen. When their eyes met, he would quickly look away, his ears turning red.

He would sneak into the alpha’s closet and sleep in his bed when he wasn’t home. A terrible sleeper, he would set multiple alarms just to avoid being caught.

He even bought perfume with the same scent as the alpha’s pheromones.

His lock screen was an old group photo. It was a picture from their university graduation, with the alpha and his classmates. The omega was barely in the corner of the photo, half his face showing, his eyes fixed on the alpha.

He was obedient, smart, and at a young age had already led independent research projects at the institute.

The alpha felt like a voyeur, quietly observing the omega and gradually taking notice of him. The omega’s affection wasn’t annoying. On the contrary, this careful and sincere love made the alpha’s heart beat faster too.

But recently, for some reason, the omega had often spaced out. When they made eye contact, he no longer looked away nervously; instead, he would just freeze with a pale face. Sometimes he would trail behind the alpha, seemingly about to say something, but then lower his head and walk away silently.

Maybe he was finally going to confess. The alpha’s lips curved into a smile, feeling quite good. He would say yes. Being with this omega wouldn’t be bad at all.

Sure enough, that day, the omega called him and asked him to come home for dinner.

The table was filled with dishes, clearly prepared for a long time. The alpha looked at the omega expectantly, waiting for a confession. At that moment, he would say he had known all along, and in the omega’s shocked gaze, he would agree, enjoying the sight of the shy omega’s joyful eyes.

“Mister, I want a divorce,” the omega finally spoke, but the words were completely opposite to what the alpha had expected. Panic rose in the alpha’s chest, as if something he had always believed in had suddenly disappeared, and his usual composure became laughable.

“Why?” The alpha’s voice tightened.

The omega kept his head down, not looking into the alpha’s eyes. “There’s no child. It’s my fault.”

“It’s been two years. The time is up. Grandpa will help you find a new match.”

His voice was still calm, but if you listened closely, you could hear the omega trembling.

Only then did the alpha remember—it was their two-year wedding anniversary today. A dull pain began to spread in his heart. He regretted it.

He shouldn’t have arrogantly watched as the omega secretly loved him, forcing someone who had given him their whole heart to make up their mind to let go.

The omega had never expected him to reciprocate, yet when faced with the responsibility of the elders, he had shouldered it all. Always being so cautious, never showing emotions, the omega must have been deeply hurt.

The alpha liked him—how could he let the omega be so sad?

“If there’s a child, we won’t get divorced?” the alpha asked.