Invisible Scent was the only story Eugene ever wrote passionately. Not because he wanted to be a writer, but because he wanted to write a silly letter to himself.
A story about a defective omega who got kicked out of his family's house and looked down on other omegas to cope with how 'defective' he was in the eyes of society. The story did carry on to show how he changed to accept the fact that he was an omega and be proud of it.
In Eugene's opinion, it was childish. Truly. It was just a silly self-insert to make himself feel better about his own condition. Making the parents actually love the main character, making the defect to be something else, even inserting a loving, considerate alpha that was nothing like the alphas in his own family...
It was, in all senses, meant to be enjoyed while writing. Eugene didn't even read it again afterward because it felt embarrassing for him. Still, since it was a letter for himself, he kept it around, which led to Sophie finding it.
It was a story that came out of his disturbed mind and contained his resentment toward the state of the world, including his own grievance as an omega. Sure, it was a story of acceptance, which a lot of people might like; but it was also full of cynical criticism toward society that made life as an omega so difficult. A lot of people, especially the conservatives, would abhor it.
And the thing was...the story would piss both ends of the spectrum. The omega movement extremist would get pissed at how the main character denied their identity as an omega, or that the acceptance involved help from an alpha. Meanwhile, the alpha supremacist group would hate how the omega rose above the alphas in his family. They would get pissed at how the male lead alpha acted: so accommodating, so considerate, so patient--traits that a lot of alphas considered as pathetic and weak.
At least his father and brothers always thought so.
This kind of thing, social criticism through fiction, was usually fine for a literary competition. Only the first-place winner got their work published anyway. A commercial movie, however...
"Do you think my friend doesn't know that?" Sophie smiled; a glint in her clear eyes pulled Eugene back from his deep thought. "But that's exactly why she chose yours."
Eugene blinked. "Huh?"
"She wants to create something thought-provoking, it seems."
Thought-provoking...
That was understandable, then. Eugene wondered if the producer meant for it to be a movie for a themed film festival. Or was it something closer to a social project...
"Still, I understand your concern," Sophie nodded, looking thoughtful. "You're thinking of Hannah, right?"
Eugene bit his lip lightly. After going through a storm at a young age, he was rather immune to public criticism. Well, he already received some for his translation work, from fans who felt that the translation couldn't perfectly convey what the author wrote or for changing some terms for localization. If it were only him, he could just ignore the public's ire.
But Hannah...
Eugene was afraid someone would connect the author to his daughter, afraid she would get weird looks and be bullied. It was bad enough that she only had one father, which sometimes confused her. She was already receiving annoying questions about why she only had one parent; how bad would it be if even that one parent became the source of people's hatred?
"But you were already writing it with a pseudonym anyway, and you can always request an NDA over your real identity in the contract," Sophie said.
"Well, it's true..."
Yeah; at least Sophie didn't send the manuscript with his real name--a small blessing.
"Anyway, I really think it's a nice opportunity, Gene," Sophie smiled softly, trying to stay within the boundary of persuasion while trying to avoid forcing him. "She probably wants you to be there to monitor the script, but it won't be a tight schedule for you. With the contract money, you'll be able to ease up a bit on taking on other projects and spend more time with Hannah."
"Uhh..."
Eugene sighed inwardly. Really...she knew where it would strike him right.
"You don't have to answer now--although it would be better if it comes within this week," Sophie said, patting Eugene's hand, which had curled into a fist, beside his plate. "Just think about it well."
Right. He was too sleep-deprived to think calmly at that point, so they finished their brunch and Eugene got to go home in a comfortable car. He wanted to contemplate more, but he passed out the moment he lay on the bed, catching up on three nights' worth of sleep. He woke up to the sound of the apartment door opening, and Hannah running inside cheerfully, shouting about how Aunt Sophie took her home while shoving her bag on the shelf.
Damn. The world didn't even give him the time to think these days.
But...was there a need to think about it anyway?
"Hana," Eugene called gently while brushing the auburn hair he had just dried.
"Yes, Papa?"
Eugene poured hair vitamin into his palms and combed Hannah's hair with them. "You're going to be in elementary school next year, aren't you?"
"Mm! Hannah can't wait!" The auburn head nodded, bouncing with unmasked excitement. "Hannah hear there'll be more kids there!"
"Heard," Eugene corrected and ushered the little girl to the bed. "Yeah, it's probably ten times more than the kindergarten."
"Wow...that's a lot, Papa..." Hannah exclaimed softly, almost like a whisper, while snuggling beneath the blanket. She looked up to stare at her father, clutching the blanket with her tiny fists. "They are bigger than Hannah, right, Papa? Like Rae's big sis and Ammy's big bro."
"That's right. Hannah will be one of the youngest for the whole year."
"Humm..."
Hannah shrank beneath the blanket, covering half her face with the soft fabric. She fiddled with the edge of it while Eugene stroked her hair, tucking stray strands behind her ear. The round green eyes seemed to be shaking slightly, betraying the excitement that was present a minute ago.
"What's wrong, Hana?"
"That's...kind of scary," Hannah whispered after a while, shifting closer to her father. "Ammy says her big bro is mean to her."
Eugene's fingers flinched slightly between the auburn hair. Ah...that didn't sound like someone else's problem. He had really mean big brothers, after all. The kind of brothers who made people wish they were born as an only child.
It got him worried too. School bullying wasn't a new thing; whether you went to a public or private school, such things could always happen. Even in elementary school. The thought that his daughter might have to experience it was just...
But it wasn't like Eugene could show such concern to a five-year-old, so he just smiled.
"You don't really meet the older kids at school, just your classmates. You don't have to worry too much," he said in his most reassuring tone, gently caressing her head.
"Really?" The auburn head peeked out of the blanket more, and the slightly sullen face vanished, replaced by a bright smile and a nod. "Ung! Hannah will have Toby anyway!"
Ah...
"Yeah," Eugene nodded stiffly, before smiling back. "Yeah, Tobias will be there. There's no need to worry."
"Hehe..." the girl giggled, kicking her feet beneath the blanket. "Hannah can't wait!"
"It's still next year, Princess." Eugene chuckled while patting the excited girl to sleep.
"But they say we can buy lots of pretty books and pencils when we're first graders--and...and coloring pencils with lots of colors," Hannah stared at the ceiling with bright green eyes, before whispering carefully. "Is that true, Papa?"
"...I guess."
"Wow..."
Right; it wasn't just the school fee. If he didn't want his daughter to be looked down upon, he would need to buy crisp, new uniforms. The bag and stationery couldn't be cheap, since children liked to compare their belongings.
Watching his daughter go to sleep with a smile on her face, probably dreaming about school, Eugene couldn't help but smile. His gaze softened in resignation, making the violet shade around his iris shimmer.
He didn't always love his daughter. He found out he was pregnant way too late; too late for an abortion. He had no choice but to get on with it, and the reason he didn't throw her away after birthing her was because he didn't want to act like his own father--not because he had affection for the child. It took months, perhaps almost a year, for Eugene to finally accept Hannah's existence.
Even that night, as he watched his daughter's sleeping face, Eugene was filled with guilt. The thought that he almost gave up on raising this little angel, his little princess, was still gnawing at him. The guilt had been shadowing his every step, making sure he poured everything into ensuring Hannah's happiness.
Standing at his small balcony, missing the cigarette he had stopped smoking for almost six years, he pulled out his phone and called Sophie.
"I'll do it," he muttered to the phone and to the night.
He was still worried, but...well, he just needed to hide his daughter well.
There was no need to contemplate too much about it. A parent's ego meant nothing in front of their children's needs.