Eugene knew it would be hard to voice his reasoning, but he didn't expect his tongue to lose strength in the face of the question. He wanted to drink again, but he was also worried that he would get too drunk, so he just swept his tongue across his teeth in silence, trying to taste the gin.
With Eugene being silent, Sophie became increasingly worried. She stared at the filled glass in Eugene's hand, and decided to push first before the man drowned in alcohol.
"W-why, Gene?" she repeated, but softer this time, as if she was persuading a sulky child. "Is it because you think he's a jerk? But I thought you had cleared up things that put you at odds?"
Not everything--Eugene thought. In fact, they had never touched the core of their problems. The thing was...only Eugene saw it as a problem. Arthur didn't know anything, so they couldn't talk about it.
And Eugene didn't want Arthur to know anything about it.
"Gene, Arthur is not a bad person, you know."
"I know," Eugene took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "I know he's not a bad person."
"So?"
Eugene smiled bitterly; the light receded from his eyes. "But I don't know if he's a good alpha."
"Why do you think he's not? Had he done something bad to you?" Sophie frowned, and then gasped before holding onto Eugene's arm again. "He's not...he didn't force himself on you, did he?"
Sophie felt her heart sink in worry. Eugene did say it was consensual, but at that time, he wasn't exactly in a good headspace. Sophie had no idea if what Eugene told her six years ago was the truth, or if it was merely an effort to make things seem better.
Of course, Sophie did not believe Arthur--at least the Arthur she knew--could do something so vile, but from what Eugene told her, they seemed to be drunk at that time.
Thankfully, Eugene shook his head.
"He didn't, but..." Eugene pursed his lips slightly. "He also didn't remember me."
Sophie widened his eyes. "No, that's--"
She stopped, realizing she couldn't say anything more without Arthur's permission. She pressed her lips tight, the hem of her sweater crumpled inside her grip as frustration welled up inside.
Eugene glanced at the suddenly silent Sophie. "What?"
"I...I can't say it, but..." Sophie shifted restlessly in her seat. She didn't want to sound like she was overly defending Arthur, but she also didn't want the poor brother to be misunderstood. "Gene, I'm sure he didn't forget you on purpose."
Honestly, Eugene knew that much. After speaking to the alpha twice after meeting him again, Eugene could tell that Arthur was a bit awkward at social interaction. Not the type to clam up, but one who could run his mouth without knowing it might be unpleasant. The type that made innocent mistakes easily.
Besides, he already heard from the man himself that he had a bad memory.
Saying Arthur was a bad alpha for not remembering someone he slept with once while being a little drunk six years ago was nothing but a lie.
Eugene's main reason lay in the memory of hearing Arthur telling someone on the phone to take a baby away from an omega. He had a feeling that Arthur was talking to Ashley--knowing that the producer was on her second marriage and Arthur didn't seem to have any friends--and well...it was hard bringing that in front of their friend.
The thing was...he also didn't think that Ashley was a bad alpha. At least, she didn't look like the kind of alpha Eugene grew up with: his father, his brothers, and his other conservative alpha relatives. That thing about the omega was probably something explainable by the divorce or something like that.
So, why was he so adamant about hiding Hannah?
Eugene inhaled deeply and felt his breath stutter. Since he had decided to share his secret, might as well be honest with himself while at it.
He gripped his glass tighter and took a big gulp of his gin, letting it swirl inside his chest. "I'm scared," he said, staring at the marble coffee table.
Sophie widened her eyes. "S-scared?"
Of the six years she knew Eugene, she had never heard the man utter the word 'scared'--not even when he looked completely terrified the first time Hannah got a fever from her teething. Not even when he had to give birth without anyone reassuring him because Sophie was also in recovery from her own labor.
And then he added. "I'm scared of losing Hannah."
Sophie opened her mouth, opened her eyes wide, and tried to open her mind to understand things. She couldn't, though. "What? Why? I mean--where is this coming from?"
"Seven out of ten, the alphas always take the babies away when the parents aren't together," Eugene said, rubbing the rim of his glass. "Omegas always have disadvantages in this case--you know that, Soph."
"I know, but--"
Eugene looked around, staring at the high ceiling and a room filled with well-curated furniture and decoration. It wasn't lavish per se, but high-quality even at a glance. Eugene could only imagine that Arthur had also grown up in such a house.
"I'm financially a lower--maybe even two lower--bracket than him. I cut ties with my family, so technically, I have no guarantor. You know I can't have a friend as one, even if I have you."
Sophie bit her lips. She wanted to say something--a lot of things--but what could she really say that had value? She was born with a golden spoon, and married to another golden spoon. Her life had been easy from the start, as she was pampered like a princess by everyone.
What could she probably say when it came to a financial debate? She was also educated enough to know where Eugene's fear came from. Evidently, the world was still unfair for omegas, and Eugene probably didn't want to put Sophie on the spot, having to defend her friend from her other friend.
She chewed her bottom lip before speaking cautiously. "But that's...only if the parents are not together...right?"
"Are you telling me I have to get into a relationship just to keep Hannah?" Eugene snapped a look at her; not particularly harsh, but still made her flinch. "Without any feelings involved?"
Just like how omegas were forced to breed by alphas in the past regardless of their wish.
"N-no, but..."
Eugene sighed, taking another sip of his gin. "Also...we did it in false pretense."
Sophie raised her brows. "What do you mean?"
"He didn't know I was an omega," Eugene said quietly, prompting Sophie to widen her eyes. "He thought I was a beta and I didn't correct him."
He didn't lie and said he was a beta, and they never actually confirmed anything between them. Still, the insinuation was there, and he didn't say anything to clear up the misunderstanding. It could easily be counted as a deceit, and the alpha could sue him if he wanted to.
Sophie also understood this, so she could only sigh. "Eugene..."
"You understand now, right?" Eugene smiled wryly. "If Arthur decides to take Hannah, I would lose the case a hundred percent."
"B-but...he might not want to..."
"And he might," Eugene shrugged. "I don't want to risk it over a seventy percent probability."
He even lucked out on a two percent probability, so Eugene truly didn't want to risk it unless he had a hundred percent chance of success.
"I can't lose Hannah, Soph. I don't even want to entertain any possibility," he put his glass down, feeling like he might spiral down if he continued. "I don't think...I don't think I can survive this time if I lose her."
Sophie sighed and reached out to hold Eugene's hand. "Oh, Eugene..."
"But if I have to be completely, totally honest..." Eugene took a deep breath and smiled bitterly, eyes training to the children's bedroom door. "I don't want to share Hannah with someone else."
Eugene shifted his gaze to Sophie, green eyes filled with insecurity and vulnerability. It reminded Sophie of the Eugene she saw in the Omega Care Center, who didn't even know what tomorrow would bring to the sudden shift in his life.
"I know it's selfish of me, but..." Eugene held Sophie's hand in return. "Can you let Hannah be mine and mine alone, and keep the truth from Arthur?" the request came in a weak whisper. "Please?"
* * *
Sophie sighed for the thirteenth time that day. She hadn't been sighing this much since Tobias refused to eat and kept using his baby food to paint the pristine wall of their dining room.
She had agreed to keep Eugene's secret--how couldn't she, when he looked at her with such a vulnerable gaze? She just wanted to hug her friend and told him Hannah wouldn't be going anywhere he didn't want to.
Unfortunately, she knew that words alone wouldn't give Eugene enough reassurance, so she didn't say anything more.
Which was why she was stressed out!
"What's wrong, Darling?" Allen asked when his wife did not welcome him home as enthusiastically as usual despite them not seeing each other for three days because of his business travel.
"Oh, Allen!" Sophie lamented to her husband. He truly couldn't just keep it inside--it frustrated her!
Thankfully, Eugene gave her permission to tell Allen about it. After all, Allen also knew Arthur, and it would be better for him to know about it too, so he wouldn't accidentally blurt out something about Eugene to Arthur.
Thus, Allen had to listen to his wife's passionate, dramatic, and heartbreaking retelling about what Eugene told her the night before--all while he changed his traveling clothes and hadn't even eaten yet. He also found out that his liquor cabinet had been raided by his lovely wife.
But who could care about a raided cabinet when he also found out that his two younger brothers had a child together?