逆转 (Reverse) – 莲鹤夫人
Chapter 16
The alpha clenched his teeth and felt a wave of rage sweep through him.
“What if I say no?” he said in a low voice.
His wife looked at him with tear-filled eyes again and asked, “Then… do you love me?”
The alpha caught himself surprised by the sudden question.
When the omega noticed he was still silent, he muttered, “Or… is it driven by rut, by an alpha’s instinct to possess an omega, or some other reason?”
The alpha fixed his gaze on him. Like a drawn sword slowly sheathing itself, the omega felt the alpha’s tense pheromones retreat.
“I get it now.” He felt the anger and shock slowly and painfully go away. He regained the composure of a man confronted with a crumbling mountain. The alpha said in a low voice, “You provoke me…and then use it to get what you want. Who taught you that trick?”
“No one taught me,” the omega answered. “Everything I’ve said is my own.”
The alpha had to fight every urge to stay calm. He stretched out, turning on the crystal chandelier in the living room. The sudden burst of golden-white light crashed like a wave, shattering the glow of the small wall lamp.
He dragged a chair over and sat across from his wife, analyzing the fatigue in his expression.
The alpha held back his feelings for a long time, interlaced his fingers, and spoke slowly.
“What you said does make sense.” he admits. “Just one question: by what you said earlier, were you blaming me?”
The omega shook his head, “I was just telling you the truth.”
“Lambs are born to eat grass; wolves are born to eat meat. You were born to follow, and I was born to lead.” the alpha leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, “There’s no such thing as real sympathy. And you’re right; I admit that I used to ignore your… your abilities. You’re not just a pretty face; you have depth and your own thoughts.”
Even though it was meant as a compliment, the omega’s face turned pale and red from a sudden rush of blood—a strange combination of recognition and disdain.
The alpha once again had the upper hand. After being provoked, he recovered the negotiation completely with his arrogance, dominance, and superiority.
“But so what?” the alpha asked softly, trying to hide his displeasure by smiling calmly, “This is a trade-driven world. People can trade beauty and abilities for money and power. You married me—that was a transaction all by itself.”
“You were, from the start, something I bought. Do you get it?”
The omega’s eyes twitched fiercely, as if a sharp knife had slashed them. He took a long breath, ignoring his tingling lips and tongue, “You… ”
“One hand gives money while the other receives goods. Diamonds and gold are currency. More remarkably, top-tier omegas are themselves highly valued currency.” The alpha stood up and looked at him. He walked up to his marked partner and gently touched his wife’s cheek with his long, powerful fingers, as if he were comforting a fragile little pet, “So your family bought exclusive privileges from me, privileges that couldn’t be taken away easily.”
He noticed how pale the omega’s face was. The madder he got, the softer his voice got and the more terrifying his words, “Nothing wrong here. Your allegations are loud, controversial, and thought-provoking. But since a lot has already been said, let me tell you something else.”
The alpha’s hands squeezed harder, leaving an unmistakable pale mark before letting go, causing the omega’s body to twitch uncomfortably and causing a stifled shudder.
“Never try to reason with the dealer at the table. In my opinion, fulfilling my commitments to your family without putting too much pressure on you is already a great act of kindness. But you think I… don’t love you? That I haven’t treated you like a person? Neither side ever puts their cards face-up on a single table. How is this game even played?”
Humbled by his towering presence, his wife lowered his head in submission. For the first time, the alpha’s chest relaxed. The repeated refusals and reminders of past grievances took away any irritation or brief curiosity that he had. He even felt humiliated and angry at himself for being so hesitant before.
He was only an omega, after all.
…Just an omega.
That was the end of the discussion. In his mind, not everyone could challenge his authority. He got up to leave, but his wife reached out and delicately held onto the hem of his coat.
The alpha heard his faint voice say, “Then, sir, there should be no reason to turn down my request to get rid of the mark and use my gland to develop the cure.”
His whole body froze. The omega continued, “If anyone could do this, if anyone could ask, please…”
With trembling lips, he spoke the words, “…grant my request, and divorce me!”
The alpha wasn’t sure for a long time whether he was hesitating or just finding the absurdity of his demand funny. He finally scoffed and said, “Do what you want. If you want to face your own demise, I won’t stop you.”
✕✕✕
Happy 1,400+ views to Reverse! 🥂 It’s a small achievement since the previous chapters only have 30+ consistent reads. Still, whoever is reading this story and waiting for the updates, I appreciate you all for standing by! 🫶🏻
Translated and edited by janemoyu (01/21/26)
