The next morning was unnerving. Too unnerving.
For the first time since this nightmare of a marriage began, Woo-jin wasn't glued to my side like a clingy shadow. He didn't sing in the kitchen. He didn't follow me from room to room. He didn't even call me honeybear once.
Instead, he cooked.
I was already suspicious enough with the rolled omelette. But Woo-jin didn't stop there.
When I pushed the plate away after a few bites, muttering that I was full, he slid it back in front of me with a gentle smile.
"Eat properly. You've been losing weight. Don't think I don't notice."
I nearly choked on my coffee. Since when did he sound like a concerned spouse instead of a menace?
After breakfast, I tried to slip out of the apartment for work, but he was already standing at the door, holding my jacket. He slid it onto my shoulders like some gentleman from a drama, smoothing the fabric with careful hands.
"There," he said softly. "Fits you better when I do it."
I stepped back immediately, heat crawling up my neck. "What's your angle?"
"My angle," he said with mock innocence, "is being a good husband."
Then he leaned down, close enough for me to feel his breath tickle my ear. "Don't look so frightened. It's not poison."
I shoved past him, heart pounding faster than I wanted to admit.
The rest of the day didn't ease my paranoia. Woo-jin insisted on driving me to work. He opened the car door for me, fastened my seatbelt himself like I was a child, and even adjusted the air-conditioning.
"Too hot? Too cold? Tell me," he said, glancing at me like I was the only person in the world.
At lunch, he showed up at my office with a neatly packed meal. My coworkers nearly fainted when they saw him — Kang Woo-jin, star actor, bowing politely and setting the bento in front of me like some perfect housewife.
"He's so sweet," one of them whispered.
"Couple goals," another sighed.
I wanted to crawl under the desk.
When I tried to scold him afterward, he just tilted his head and said, "Am I not allowed to feed my husband?"
The evening was worse.
I came home expecting silence, maybe finally a reprieve. Instead, I found Woo-jin in an apron, sleeves rolled up, humming as he cooked dinner. Real dinner. Spices filled the air, the clatter of pans echoing like some domestic dream. He turned when I walked in, face lighting up.
"Perfect timing," he said. "Wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."
I froze in the doorway. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"
Woo-jin just laughed, the sound soft and maddening. "You're funny when you're suspicious."
I slammed my chopsticks down, chest heaving. "You're not Woo-jin. You're an imposter. The real Woo-jin is annoying, clingy, childish, unbearable. This—" I gestured wildly at the table, the candles, his perfect act. "This is fake. A setup. You're scheming something, aren't you? Just admit it so we can get this over with and divorce already!"
Silence.
Woo-jin set his glass down slowly. The soft smile faded from his face, replaced by something sharper — something that made my pulse stutter. He stood, moving around the table with deliberate steps, and before I could react, he was in front of me.
"You want to divorce me?" His voice was low, dangerously calm.
"Yes," I spat, even though my throat was dry. "I can't stand you."
"Funny," he murmured. "Because right now…" In a flash, he pinned me against the wall, his body pressing close, his hand braced beside my head. "…you look like the one about to break."
I froze, breath catching as the air thickened — heavy, suffocating. His pheromones seeped out, rich and intoxicating, curling around me like invisible chains. A rose scent, heady and sharp, filled my lungs with every breath.
"Woo-jin," I growled, trying to push him back, but my hands trembled against his chest. My knees weakened as the rose scent wrapped tighter, warm and dizzying, making it impossible to think straight.
He leaned closer, lips brushing my ear. "You can call me an imposter. You can curse me. You can even scream that you hate me." His voice dropped lower, vibrating through me. "But your body knows the truth. You'll never be able to divorce me."
My chest heaved, every nerve alight, fighting the pull and failing miserably.
His eyes locked on mine, dark and unrelenting. "Say divorce again, and I'll make sure you can't stand without me." He smirked. "Divorce me, if you can."
"You're insane." I said trying not to inhale his pheromones.
His pheromones grew stronger, sinking into my skin, my pulse, until my legs nearly gave out. I bit down on my lip, desperate to resist, but the truth was clawing its way out of me: his pheromones had me in chains I couldn't break.
That rose scent only grew heavier, sweet and suffocating, pressing against my body until my knees buckled. I clenched my fists against his chest, trying to shove him away, but it was useless — every breath dragged more of him into me.
Then it clicked.
"...You're in heat."
Woo-jin's eyes flickered, the sharp dominance faltering for just a heartbeat. His lips parted, as if to argue, but no words came. The truth hung between us, undeniable.
All the pieces fell into place. The breakfast. The bento. The candles. His sudden calmness. His strange kindness. He wasn't scheming — he was fighting. Fighting against his own body, against instincts clawing at him, trying to act like the "perfect husband" so I wouldn't leave.
My chest tightened with something I didn't want to name.
"You—" My voice cracked as I shoved harder, forcing him back an inch. "You were trying to be nice so I'd help you."
His jaw tensed, his rose scent pulsing stronger for just a moment before he reined it in. His smile returned, brittle around the edges. "Is that so wrong? Wanting my husband's help?"
"Yes," I snapped, heart racing. "Because I'm not going to give it. Not like this. Not because your body begs for it."
The flicker in his eyes was raw, almost vulnerable, but it vanished as quickly as it came. He leaned closer again, lips curving in a slow, dangerous grin. "Then you'll just have to suffer with me, honeybear. I helped you in your rut."
"You basically forced me!"
I turned my face away, biting down on the panic rising in my throat. His pheromones were spilling through every inch of me, and yet — I couldn't give in.
I wouldn't.
Even if part of me burned to.
Before I could even blink, Woo-jin's restraint snapped.
He jumped on me.
I gasped as my back hit the mattress, his weight pressing me down, his hands caging me on either side. The air was thick with roses, so sweet it burned my lungs, flooding every nerve until my body trembled.
"Woo-jin—!" I grabbed his wrist, trying to push him away, but his strength doubled under the heat. My arms shook uselessly.
His eyes, dark and glassy, bore into mine with a hunger that made my pulse race. "Don't run from me," he breathed, voice rougher, ragged. "Not now. Not when I need you. I helped you! It's only fair you did the same."
His pheromones crashed over me in waves, warm and suffocating, making it impossible to think straight. My heart pounded, every muscle screaming to resist, but my body betrayed me — trembling under him, heat pooling in places I refused to acknowledge.
"Get off me," I hissed, twisting under him. "You're not yourself."
His smile curved, sharp and desperate all at once. "I am myself. This is me."
He leaned closer, his breath brushing my neck, his rose scent digging deeper into my skin like invisible thorns. My fists pounded against his chest weakly, but he only caught my wrists and pinned them above my head.
"You can keep saying you hate me," Woo-jin whispered, his lips inches from mine, "but tell me, why do your eyes look like they're begging?"
My throat tightened. I hated him. I hated him. I—
But the roses… they were everywhere.
And for the first time, I wasn't sure if I could hold out.
I moved his body with ease, pinning him beneath me on the floor. A surprised gasp escaped his lips as I overpowered him, his hands grasping at my wrists. But I was quicker. I hooked my fingers into the waistband of his pants and yanked down the zipper, exposing the black fabric of his boxers beneath.
His eyes widened, a mix of shock and arousal flickering in his gaze. I could feel his heartbeat quicken, matching the rapid pace of my own. The power dynamic shifted abruptly, and I saw the moment he realized that I was taking control. He smiled at me.
"Awhh, honeybear is gonna help me…~"
I pushed his pants and boxers down, revealing his hardening length. He was already semi-erect, the roses making him sensitive. I wrapped my hand around him without warning, squeezing gently as I positioned myself between his legs. He moaned softly, his hips jerking upwards instinctively.
His hands flew to my hair, gripping it tightly as I leaned down. He wasn't resisting anymore - the roses had completely overridden his rational thoughts. I took him in my mouth abruptly, making him gasp loudly and arch off the floor. His legs spread wider instinctively to give me better access.
I took him deeper, my tongue swirling around the sensitive head as I bobbed my head up and down. His moans filled the room, growing louder and more desperate with each passing second. His hands tightened in my hair almost painfully as he started thrusting gently into my mouth.
"This is gonna be long night…" he said while wrapping his hand around my neck."