The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 12
The life of an omega without a protective barrier is miserable. If she truly manifested as an omega, she should hope to be a dominant one, not a recessive one. It would be less difficult if she lived as a dominant omega, who could more easily control pheromones.
The life of a recessive omega, who couldn’t control their pheromones and ended up being targeted by ill-intentioned alphas, was dismal. The best option was to find a suitable alpha to marry or take as a protector.
Johanna had always felt a mixture of pity and thin sympathy for the lives of such omegas she had seen and heard about. That she would end up in the same situation as those omegas was something she never imagined…
‘They say you never know what will happen in life.’
A laugh escaped between her lips with her labored breaths. It was a self-deprecating chuckle. She hadn’t expected her already hard life to become even more difficult in this way…
‘…Please, just don’t let me be a recessive.’
Praying to the gods with such a wish made her feel truly pathetic. But she had no choice. Moving quickly to the next plan rather than denying reality was how Johanna had survived so far.
‘Please…’
Her whole body felt as heavy as if it were soaked in water, unable to move even a finger. The boiling heat, like molten lava, consumed her entire body once again. Johanna had to suffer for several more days after that.
* * *
Johanna didn’t want to worry Daniel, so she kept her distance for a few days, using the excuse that she might have the flu. Since Daniel, being an alpha, would notice her manifestation, she stayed in her room until she could control her pheromones.
After four days of suffering, Johanna finally managed to wash herself properly and change clothes. Despite scrubbing herself thoroughly with warm water, she still felt like there was a sticky sensation between her legs. She was immensely relieved that her brother hadn’t caught her going through the manifestation fever.
Luckily, Daniel had been staying at his school’s library and friends’ houses for the past three days due to the exam period at the Royal Secondary School. If Daniel had been commuting from home as usual, he would have easily noticed that something was off with his sister.
‘Father is still out of contact.’
It had been nine days since their mother’s funeral. Johanna had been running around trying to gather money but to no avail.
Her aunt had visited her the day after the funeral and, upon learning that their father had taken on loan shark debts, unexpectedly extended the repayment period indefinitely out of pity.
However, she didn’t offer to forgive the debt, not even as a polite gesture. Despite knowing that it wasn’t Johanna’s debt and that she hadn’t guaranteed it, her aunt was determined to extract money from her young niece.
‘Forget it. What can I expect from my aunt’s family? They were always like that.’
Johanna sighed as she prepared to go out. Fortunately, controlling her pheromones wasn’t too difficult. Although they sometimes seeped out against her will, it was mild and subtle enough that going out wouldn’t be a problem.
Still, just in case, Johanna picked up a piece of brick lying near the wall on her way out and put it in her bag. If an alpha approached her with ill intentions, she planned to hit them on the head and run away.
Due to the severe societal issue of s*x crimes committed by alphas who couldn’t control their breeding instincts, an omega who felt physically threatened could be recognized as acting in self-defense if they attacked an alpha first.
Of course, it is almost impossible for an omega to overpower an alpha…
Johanna chose to walk along the crowded main roads instead of taking a hired carriage. There was a chance the driver could be an alpha, so it was safer to walk. Plus, walking would save money. There wouldn’t be any crazy alphas harassing an omega in broad daylight unless they were in rut.
Her destination was the Royal Trait Research Institute near City Hall. It was a 40-minute walk. A round trip would be 80 minutes. Walking in the cold weather was a crazy idea, but for Johanna, who had just manifested as an omega, it was the best option.
After a long walk, she arrived at the Royal Trait Research Institute. Though a research facility, it also operated like a hospital for trait individuals.
She registered at the reception and headed to the waiting room, which was more crowded than she had expected. It was easy to distinguish who was an alpha and who was an omega without even sensing their pheromones.
Alphas generally had good physiques, distinct facial features, and strong body lines. In contrast, omegas, regardless of gender, had delicate features, fine lines, and an inherently fragile atmosphere.
Thinking that she would look like those omegas made Johanna feel unsettled. The realization that she would have to live as an omega for the rest of her life filled her with a sense of dread.
