h4Chapter 111: DIVORCE/h4

    "GARAM-SSI, are you alright?"

    "Not really, Junho Hyung," Garam admitted while holding his stomach. To be precise, his abdomen was the one that was actually hurting. "I think I’m having cramps."

    Shin Junho gave him a smile full of sympathy. "It’s because you’re having your heat cycle soon, Garam-ssi. And this is why I advised you to just stay at home in the meantime. But you didn’t listen to me."

    Right.

    Actually, at the moment, Garam and Shin Junho were in the backseat of the car that Shin Geon was driving.

    They were headed to thepany.

    But instead of the SUV provided by thepany, he was using one of Song Sihyuk’s cars that his husband gave him ess to.

    iI need a car that the fans and the reporters don’t know about./i

    "This is the perfect time to meet CEO Myung," Garam said, gently patting his abdomen. The abdominal cramps were getting worse. "I need to take care of everything I need to take care of before Sihyuk Hyung returns home."

    strong***/strong

    "GARAM-SSI, I’m really sorry."

    "I don’t need your apology, CEO Myung," Garam said calmly. He could stay calm because he wasn’t mad at CEO Myung Hyesu anyway. After all, he could imagine how Song Sihyuk must have threatened his boss to follow his ridiculous orders. "I’m just here to confirm whether the screenshots I’ve received were real or not."

    It was the reason why the two of them were in the CEO’s private office.

    Of course, Garam made sure that there were no cameras or recording device there.

    He asked Shin Geon to check the conference room first.

    iGeon Hyung and Junho Hyung are guarding outside to make sure no one would eavesdrop./i

    Garam was being meticulous because Song Sihyuk might have spies in thepany.

    iI wouldn’t put it past Sihyuk Hyung./i

    Having said that, he decided to trust Shin Geon and Shin Junho.

    iAfter all, Geon Hyung and Junho Hyung have already proven that they could disobey Sihyuk Hyung’s orders to help me./i

    "These are all real screenshots, Garam-ssi."

    Oh.

    Garam felt a pang in his chest after CEO Myung Hyesu took a look at Garam’s phone and checked the screenshots that he showed her.

    After a few minutes, the CEO returned his phone to him.

    "I really did turn down all the solo endorsements and activities that were offered to you ever since the start of your career, Garam-ssi."

    "From the very start?"

    "Yes— from the moment you debut," CEO Myung Hyesu confirmed. "Actually, you’ve always been the most popr member in the group, Garam-ssi."

    To say that Garam was shocked would be an understatement. "Is that true, ma’am? I’m the most popr member...?"

    "Why wouldn’t you be? Aside from being the main vocal of the group, you’re the most charismatic, too," the CEO confirmed. "The brands love your energy, and they can tell that your fans have the buying power. After all, the products that you promote for free get sold out easily."

    That was true.

    Garam would often go on live and identally promote snacks that he enjoyed or beauty products that worked well on him.

    iAnd my fans will make them sold out instantly./i

    "Aside from that, you also get frequent love calls from producers who want you to work with you. Most of them worked on the hit OST of thest few years," CEO Myung Hyesu said, pausing for a moment. "In fact, you were recently offered to sing the OST of Cindy’s uing drama that was predicted to be a hit. But Song Sihyuk-nim told me to decline the offer."

    "What?" Garam asked in disbelief. "Sihyuk Hyung did that? But you know that I’ve always wanted to sing an OST, ma’am."

    He was a big fan of dramas, after all.

    iPlus, many singers have found sess after singing the OST of hit drama... oh./i

    That must be it.

    Garam clenched his hands tightly. "Sihyuk Hyung didn’t want me to sing the OST of a hit drama because that would have made me more sessful."

    "That’s right, Garam-ssi," CEO Myung Hyesu confirmed while nodding. "Song Sihyuk-nim’s order is to make sure that you and your group wouldn’t be the top idols in the industry. He just wants you to have moderate sess so you won’t feel too sad about your career."

    Hah!

    At this point, Garam didn’t know what to feel.

    He was angry, sad, and disappointed.

    And each emotion was extreme.

    "When the industry found out that you’re gearing for your solo debut, you received so many brand deal offers and love calls from all the famous variety shows at the moment," CEO Myung Hyesu said. "At first, Song Sihyuk-nim wanted me to turn them all down— including the one from a giant fashion house. But, for some reason, he changed his mind. He asked me to ept everything except for the OST offer. It seems like Song Sihyuk-nim didn’t want you to work with Cindy for some reason."

    Garam felt bitter because he knew why.

    iI can tell that Sihyuk Hyung was jealous of Cindy Sunbae-nim because I’m a big fan of hers. That’s probably why he didn’t want me to sing the OST for her drama./i

    How petty.

    The sad part?

    It was just the tip of the iceberg.

    "Are you talking about the recent brand deals that I received, ma’am?"

    "Yes, the most recent ones. I felt bad that you felt happy to receive so many offers "at the same time" for the "first time" when it had always been the case— brands and producers have always wanted to work with you, Garam-ssi."

    iAh, I’m losing my mind./i

    Garam felt like his head was about to explode after connecting all the dots.

    He remembered the time that he "whined" to Song Sihyuk that he was only a heavy baggage to his group because he didn’t have solo brand deals under his belt.

    That he was the only one who didn’t have solo activities.

    After that, several brand deals suddenly wanted to work with him, so...

    "All this time, I thought all those brand deals came only because Sihyuk Hyung pulled some strings," Garam said bitterly. "But you’re telling me that those brands wanted to work with me even without Sihyuk Hyung’s influence?"

    CEO Myung Hyesu fell silent for a moment. "Garam-ssi, it’s true that your group debuted properly because of the unlimited budget that Song Sihyuk-nim allotted for you. But even though his money and influence helped you have a sessful debut era, it doesn’t mean that your hard work didn’t pay off. In fact, the sess that your group has brought to thepany has already paid for what we spent on you during your debut era. Whatever debt you had at the beginning of your career had been paid off already."

    Haaah.

    Garam felt like he wanted to go on a rampage.

    No, he actually wanted to grab Song Sihyuk by the cor and confront him.

    But he endured and continued listening to CEO Myung Hyesu in silence.

    "It’s true that ourpany suffered financially after Gong Hanseo’s scandal because we lost a few expensive contracts and brand deals, but that didn’t put your group in debt."

    "Then why did my solo debut suffer?"

    "Song Sihyuk-nim didn’t want your solo debut to be a huge sess because he didn’t want you to think that you didn’t need him anymore."

    Haaah.

    iSihyuk Hyung, you’re one crazy bastard, indeed./i

    "But how could Sihyuk Hyung still have so much influence in thepany?" Garam asked, confused. "He said he doesn’t have many shares in thepany after selling them. Are you just afraid of him because he’s a chaebol?"

    "Garam-ssi, Song Sihyuk-nim still owns thepany."

    "What?"

    "Song Sihyuk-nim is the biggest shareholder of thepany. In fact, he’s the one who handpicked the current board of directors."

    What the fuck?

    iJust how many lies have you been feeding me all this time, Hyung?/i

    "I’m sorry for keeping all of this a secret from you, Garam-ssi."

    "Why, CEO Myung? Why are you following Hyung’s orders?"

    "It’s to protect my wife. You know that she’s a former idol, right? She actually lost her career because a rich man wanted to sponsor her and she refused. Ever since then, Song Sihyuk-nim has been protecting us so that the rich man wouldn’t be able to touch my wife again. I have to follow whatever Song Sihyuk-nim wanted me to do, so I wouldn’t lose that protection."

    Haaah.

    To be honest, Garam could understand why CEO Myung Hyesu would do all of that to protect her wife.

    Even so, he still felt bitter.

    "It was my wife who convinced me to tell you the truth because she couldn’t watch you suffer anymore because of Song Sihyuk-nim," CEO Myung Hyesu said, smiling apologetically at Garam. "I might lose my job after this. But please allow me to apologize first, Garam-ssi." She then bowed her head towards him. "I’m really sorry for letting Song Sihyuk-nim use me as an instrument to limit your career, Garam-ssi."

    Garam didn’t know how to respond to that.

    strong***/strong

    WHEN GARAM returned to his parents-inw’s house, he didn’t expect that the person he didn’t want to see would be standing right in front of him.

    He was shocked, but he didn’t have the energy to have a bigger reaction than sighing.

    iWhy is Hyung already back?/i

    "Why weren’t you picking up my calls, Garam-ah?" Song Sihyuk asked, gently holding Garam by the shoulders while looking at his cheek. The Alpha was obviously displeased to see the cut along Garam’s cheek— it was still there, yes. "You know that you have a lot of things you need to exin to me, don’t you?"

    Haaah.

    Song Sihyuk had probably heard about what happened to Garam, hence he returned home earlier than expected.

    The Alpha must have had other spies keeping an eye on him.

    iAm I under surveince, then?/i

    What a tiring life.

    "Sihyuk Hyung, let’s divorce."

    Song Sihyuk looked shocked, of course. "What did you say, Lim Garam?"

    "Let’s divorce," Garam said. His voice might have sounded tired, but it was also full of bitterness as he shot Song Sihyuk a cold re. "I hate you, Song Sihyuk."

    istrong***/strong/i

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