NIKOLAI found himself drinking cheap beer under the umbrella in front of a convenience store.
It was a convenience store near the apartment complex where Mona and Neoma lived.
He tried to run after the child with a white hair that he had seen earlier, but she was already gone when she stepped out of the store.
To be honest, he didn't even know if he really saw the child or if it was just his imagination.
He was tired, after all.
Hence, he ended up sitting under the umbrella.
He didn't have the courage to talk to Mona after finding out about his wife's dating scandal with Gavin Kim.
Hence, here he was now.
[What if Mona suddenly asked for divorce now that her relationship with Gavin Kim was exposed?]
"Should I become a bad guy?" Nikolai whispered to himself. "And get rid of Gavin Kim just like what Nero suggested?"
Ah, he was being ridiculous.
His negative thoughts were thankfully interrupted when he received a phone call from an unknown number.
He mindlessly picked up the call.
<"Appa!">
"Neoma? How did you get my number?"
<"I stole it from Eomma's phone.">
"Why would you do that? You could have just asked your mother for my number."
<"Appa, have you seen the news?">
Nikolai stood up, threw the canned beer in the bin, and walked away from the convenience store. "Which one? My engagement with Juliet Hwang or your mother's dating scandal with Gavin Kim?"
<"Appa, are you upset?">
Ah.
He didn't mask his annoyance since he was really in a sour mood.
But that didn't mean he had the right to vent out on his precious daughter.
"I'm sorry, Neoma," Nikolai said, his voice full of remorse. "Why did you call? Do you need my help with something? You can tell me."
<"Appa, I read tons of romance novels.">
"Ah… I see."
<"Do you know what readers hate the most, Appa?">
"I don't read romance books, so I wouldn't know."
<"We hate the misunderstanding trope, Appa. Especially if the misunderstanding part is dragged on for so long. We need fluff since it's a freaking romance novel! Who enjoys books that make your blood pressure rise? No one!">
"Is that so?"
<"Communication is the key to a happy ever after, Appa. You and Eomma need to talk.">
Ah, so that was the reason why his daughter suddenly talked about her hobby.
Nikolai stopped walking and looked up at the traffic lights. He just needed to cross the road and walk a little to reach the other apartment where Mona and Neoma lived. "You're right, Neoma," he said. "Your mother and I really need to talk."
Thanks to his daughter's call, he finally gained the courage to face his wife.
[Mona, I'm coming to you.]
Nikolai took a step forward when the traffic lights changed color, and then…
"Ahjussi, watch out!"
Huh?
The last thing Nikolai saw was the blinding light coming from a car rushing towards him– fast and reckless.
[Am I… dying?]
But there was something else that Nikolai feared more than he feared death.
[What if I woke up and returned to the reality where I already lost Mona and Neoma?]
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NOTE: Hi! For those who don't know, <Let's Not Divorce> is actually an alternate universe of my other story <Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!> that you can also find here on Webnovel. Just go to my profile and check my works, or simply search for the title.
<Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!> is a fantasy romance with a medieval-inspired setting where Nikolai is an emperor and Neoma is an abandoned/neglected princess who later takes Nero's place as the Crown Prince. Yes, it's a gender-bender trope in the beginning.
Happy reading! :)
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