"Ethan, come here."
As he was dozing off, he heard Viona's joyful voice, making him come back to his senses. He got up, walked to Viona and watched what Viona wanted to show him.
"See! This is from your father!"
She shoved a neatly wrapped box into his hands. He looked at her and then at the box, trying to guess if he heard it right. That gift was given by Ethan's father. Ethan never expected he would get a gift from him, who once said he didn't want to waste even a penny on him. So it made him even more nervous as he pondered opening the box, worrying it might not be a good thing.
Viona's eyes stared at him, smiling, clearly showing her excitement to see Ethan open it. But, it felt like his fingers didn't even want to move.
"Why are you waiting? Let's open it!"
Ethan looked at Viona, then his eyes stared at the box, worrying whether he should refuse her. He never dared to do that. So he nodded, his fingers stiffly tearing at its wrapping.
Inside the box, there was an old-looking photo album. Ethan had seen this in his father's cabinet, but never got to open it, as his father didn't treat him like his family.
His heart thumped glaring at the old-looking cover.
His mother's photo might be there. The mother he never saw...
The urge to open it hit and he flipped it open, but only to realise something inside the album book just fell.
'My brother is a very good boy!'
On the white paper, it was written in big letters. He knew who was the one behind that paper. His brother. Ethan's heart thumped again in terror, reading the familiar words he hated to hear, was disgusted to hear, tired to deal with it again.
The fear running through his body was no joke. His fingers clenched at the corner of the paper, but slowly gained his senses, faking a smile at Viona.
"Ethan, are you okay? You are sweating."
Ethan was not expecting her to move her hand to touch his forehead where he was sweating with panic. Before he realised what he did, he had already slapped away her hand, facing the widened eyes of Viona looking hurt.
He regretted not being more cautious about his actions, but still staring at Viona, his mind completely blank, not knowing what he should do next.
Viona was obviously shaken a little by his response. That was harsh. It made her feel Ethan didn't feel the same as Viona was feeling. Maybe he didn't like her.
It didn't take long for her to notice his abnormal behaviour.
She thought he was shy. Maybe that's he kept his distance, not looking at her, stiffly staying around her.
But why did it feel like he was not shy, something else?
Like scared?
She wanted to ask if something was wrong when she saw him frowning, dozing off and trembling for a few minutes at the start. That reaction was abnormal when someone opens a gift from their family.
She didn't expect it.
They just got married. They were officially a couple, but not by themselves yet. So she didn't know him well, which led her to back off and keep those things to ask him later when he would be comfortable with her to talk.
"I am sorry. I was in a daze for a while. It's from my brother. He always does funny things like this. Don't worry about it."
Viona watched Ethan suddenly looking spiritual as if he never showed such a terrified face before.
That's what Ethan had been doing all his life, so he was confident it could make Viona calm down.
He always hid his problems with a smile, trying to impress other people. His new target to impress was Viona. He couldn't afford to offend her, so as usual, thinking his problems were only his, he smiled at her, changing the atmosphere pretty quickly.
He smiled, but under the smile, tears were stuck.
He smiled, but his eyes never did.
His acting made others happy, but not him.
He was sad every day but smiled for others.
He didn't want Viona to know about him and his family. At least, for now. He thought his past was shameful and someone like Viona shouldn't know something unworthy, that would only disgust her.
Even though Viona felt something was fishy, seeing Ethan suddenly smiling with no sadness or fear, she had no choice but to forget it and move to the next gifts as Ethan said.
They opened gifts and talked from time to time until it was late at night.
They had got so many gifts. However, most of them were from Viona's mother. She had given them more than ten gifts. Seeing how generous Viona's mother was, Ethan felt embarrassed as he looked at the old album in his hands, feeling sore in his heart.
Viona didn't seem to bother about it as Ethan did. She didn't even care who gave them gifts as she opened them like a child full of energy, curious to discover what was under the wrappings.
Ethan watched her sometimes giggling, then smiling, fully focused on unwrapping the gifts and also trying to get in touch with Ethan at the same time.
Whenever she talked with him, she always put those words, 'we', 'us', and 'our', which made Ethan feel a tingle in his heart, but also painful, making his eyes hurt and want to tear up.
It felt so warm to hear someone actually wish to have a future with him.
'If only I can stay like this forever...'
The feeling of being beside a cheerful alpha who doesn't ignore him but cares about him was strange, but an addictive feeling he got greedy for.
But soon, he shook his head as he shook off that idea from his mind.
'Omegas should not be greedy. Be happy with what you have. Don't bother them.'
His father had filled his brain with those things. Even though his father was not around, he still had to follow his instructions. That was how things were supposed to happen.
So his mind immediately opposed his greediness for affection, failing to live his life as he wanted, still following his father's orders.
The only alphas he ever knew well were his father and brother. Other than them, he had randomly seen a few alphas but failed to figure out if they also treat omegas like his family did.
If every alpha was like his father or brother, no omega in this world could ever reach that peace, Ethan wished he could see one day.
His father and brother are obviously bad people. Then, other alphas are too? Do they bully omegas too?
He didn't know. But he believed so.
However, now he has another alpha beside him.
She would be the one to confirm his suspicions or, the one to show a new side of the world.
He wished Viona would be a good person.
He was tired of his life.
He needed some rest and comfort...