Chapter 1: Betrayed, Broken & Ruined
[KATYA]
"Congratulations, Mr. Gamov. You were right; you’re having a baby. It’s a little over two weeks old now," the doctor said as if it were normal.
Katya listened carefully. You would think that this was his entire lifeline.
Perhaps it was.
Five years ago, Omega Katya had gotten married to the love of his life, a powerful Beta, Yaroslav Gamov. It had been the happiest day of his life, and for years, he had yearned to have something for their love. Their families had pressured them more than once, but Yaroslav had always been stern about where he stood.
"Do not pressure my omega. We will have kids when we want to. Not when you want us to," Yaroslav had defended him fiercely each time, and Katya had leaned into the safety of that love.
A husband who loved him so much.
A family that toed the line.
Now, on their fifth anniversary, he was finally pregnant.
He had suspected it weeks ago, but this... this was a confirmation.
The best news of his life.
"Sir?" the doctor spoke, snapping Katya out of his thoughts.
"Thank you, doctor. This is the best news I’ve had all day," Katya let out, his happiness written all over his face.
The appointment went by quickly after that, and by afternoon, Katya was on his way home to share his happiness. The omega had stopped by the baby shop and packed a pair of newborn shoes in a gift box.
Now, standing at their door, Katya was nervous. His hands were sweaty around the gift box he carried delicately. He knew he didn’t have to, because Yaroslav would accept anything that meant Katya was happy.
Maybe that was the flaw his husband had, but they had always been happy... right?
"Oh, he will definitely love this," Katya mumbled as he pushed the door open and walked into their home.
He didn’t say a word or even announce his presence like he usually did on days Yaroslav worked from home, no. He tiptoed, in fact, because he knew his husband’s ears were annoyingly sharp.
However, when Katya got to the living room, he stopped instead.
His husband of five years. The love of his life.
Oh, but Yaroslav was home, alright?
Just naked...
And on top of the ex-girlfriend, Yaroslav had always dismissed whenever Katya was around.
Milan Popova. A female Beta.
"Y... Yaro? You? M... Mil... Milan?" Katya breathed, his grip on the box in his hands tight like it was the only thing left to anchor him. He needed to steady himself because otherwise he would stagger and fall.
He couldn’t give Milan that satisfaction.
"Oh, you’re home, honey," Yaroslav said, lifting his head as he thrust into Milan like this was just another normal day for them.
Like Milan was just part of their marriage, and Katya was already used to the sight before him. His dearest husband cheating on him so openly and shamelessly.
Katya had suspected a few times over the years, but he had blamed himself for being insufficient for the powerful Beta. And each time Yaro had come home smelling like another person, Katya had pretended like their marriage was happy.
Because, honestly, society was right.
Or at least that was what Katya had believed. Katya couldn’t give the mighty Yaroslav Gamov an heir, so he had to make peace with the possibility of Yaro getting it from others. After all, he was a good husband, right?
But this time, it was so brazen that Katya was unsure of what to think for the first time in so long.
"Wh... What?" Katya forced out.
"Don’t be surprised. I didn’t know you would come home early. You usually come home in the evening every anniversary. Why’d your com— ugh, fuck, Milan.
"You’re squeezing me too tight, darling," Yaroslav said, adding the last bit to Milan, whose body was connected to his in the clearest of ways.
Katya felt sick. He felt his stomach churn at the sight of his dismissive husband.
Cheating on him, with a woman, the one he had sworn off of.
A woman whom he had promised would never be in their marriage, and one that Katya hadn’t seen since their marriage five years ago.
Now, here she was, her clothes strewn on their matrimonial floor along with Yaroslav’s, like this were routine for them.
Katya stared at his husband, with so many questions, yet his husband, the man who was supposed to be giving him answers, simply flipped himself and Milan on the couch.
And Yaroslav lay on his back.
Milan...
Oh, naked Milan in all her feminine glory, was riding him while Katya watched.
"I told you I had a bad feeling today, Yaro. We should have gone to the penthouse," Milan said as she bounced on what was never supposed to be hers.
"Wanna join, honey?" Yaroslav asked smugly.
"He’s too much of a prude; it’s no wonder you guys don’t have a kid even after all these years," Milan said, her eyes meeting Katya’s ever so cruelly.
Katya wanted to defend himself. Wanted to say that he was finally pregnant. That he was not an empty omega anymore.
But the words died in his throat, and his hands still clung to the box in his hands tightly.
He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
Just stood stiffly.
Watching his husband and Milan chase their highs so shamelessly.
"So, what’s your anniversary gift this time, honey? Come to spread those legs open and give me nothing again?" Yaroslav asked.
Katya’s tears fell down his face. It was the only emotion he could let out.
The only reaction he couldn’t control right now.
"He is carrying a g... fucking hell, he is carrying a little gift box. Who knows, maybe they have New Year’s grapes in them for you to pray for your baby that is never coming," Milan laughed, her gaze holding Katya’s teary eyes.
It was intentional. It was something that she definitely had wanted to do.
Katya could tell that, with the way she was so brave that this was not the first time Yaro had cheated on him.
And the confirmation hurt worse.
"He smells bitter," Yaroslav mocked as he thrust up one final time into Milan, making the woman scream his name.
"I smell better," Milan laughed tiredly.
"So, what’s the gift this time, honey?" Yaroslav asked casually as he grabbed a shirt and wiped the sweat off of him, but not the obvious mess between them.
He certainly did not care what Katya saw.
"Why?" Katya whimpered, his bitter citrus scent hitting in full force.
"Do you even have to ask?" Yaroslav sighed exaggeratedly.
Milan swatted his arm playfully.
"Because you, my sweet, precious, delicate Katya. You never give me what I need. Never make me feel excited or happy. You make me feel small and empty, my beautiful omega.
"If you were any good, I wouldn’t have gone after Milan on our wedding night," Yaroslav added, as if that was the one thing he had been keeping in his heart for so long. Like he had finally got the chance to get it off his chest.
"What?" Katya asked, clearly confused as to what his husband was saying.
Yaroslav loved him.
Always defended him.
So where was all of this coming from? What had happened to the love they shared all that time? Was it all just a farce, and was that what life had been reduced to for them?
"It gets tiring for me, too, Katya. Having to listen to people ask me when I will get an heir. When my omega will finally be pupped. I know my seed is fertile and catches, because it did with Milan more than once.
"So, the problem, here... is you," Yaroslav said, sitting up like he wanted to face Katya while reminding the omega of all his failures. Like this was his chance at the truth.
"You’re so beautiful, and useless at the same time. It is even a wonder we made it this far," Yaroslav spat with so much spite.
Katya stood there, listening to it all, eyes blurry with freely falling tears that didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
"Yaro..."
"Oh, don’t start crying now, honey. Go in and prepare dinner. We have an anniversary dinner date to get to," Yaroslav said unapologetically.
Katya couldn’t move.
He just stared.
The man he had known for over ten years. Married for five.
The man who had been his entire lifeline.
"Aww, poor Kathy wants to be coddled and begged to stay, poor him," Milan mocked.
Instead of Yaroslav saying anything, he just watched in amusement as his ex-girlfriend slandered his husband in front of him like it was nothing.
Defeated, Katya stared at his husband one more time before he moved.
Not into the house.
But back outside.
He couldn’t trust himself to survive their mockery and still smile for dinner.
So, he left, one hand still holding the giftbox, and the other lingered ghostly on his belly, before he left their home.
He didn’t know where he was headed.
Just as long as it wasn’t where Yaroslav was.
