when the phone rings novel
"You may leave now."
"Ah... alright..." The officer scratched the back of his head awkwardly before retreating to the patrol car. Even then, Baek Sa-oen maintained his position, completely shielding Hee-joo from their view.
How did he even find me here... Hee-joo stared at him blankly, her thoughts a jumble.
"You're wondering how I found you, aren't you?"
"...!"
"I arranged for a bodyguard, and the nurses at the care facility have my number."
Baek Sa-oen seemed slightly irritated as he loosened the tie around his neck, his movements brisk.
He knows about this care facility? And the bodyguard...? She had never been informed about any of this.
"I left instructions to be contacted in case your father's condition worsened."
"...!"
It felt like a punch to the gut. Not Hong Hoe-chang... He knew she was visiting her biological father?
Since when? Her eyelids quivered slightly as her mind reeled with questions.
"Transfer your father to another care facility, just in case."
"..."
"I have a good idea who's behind this."
His jaw tightened, the muscles visibly clenching. "To think they'd dare to act here."
His voice was low, devoid of any warmth, as if the expression on his face had been wiped clean. The sheer coldness in his demeanor made it hard for anyone to breathe normally.
But to Hee-joo, it almost felt like he was angry on her behalf.
"..."
She bit her lip hard, struggling to hold back her tears. Even though the reasons for their anger differed, they were sharing the same emotion, at the same time, in the same place.
Even if it was just an illusion, her cold and detached husband seemed to be empathizing with her pain.
She had known him for twenty years. In those silent years where words were forbidden, she could only admire him from afar.
But this time, it felt like someone had finally responded to her desperate cry for help, breaking through the years of separation.
"Let's go home."
"..."
"Don't worry, I'll handle your father's situation."
His words brought tears streaming down Hee-joo's face in an instant.
She couldn't hold it back any longer. He had referred to him as "father" with such familiarity and had followed her all the way here. Hee-joo couldn't bring herself to ask directly and instead gripped the sleeve of his jacket tightly.
Baek Sa-oen glanced down slightly, a cigarette hanging loosely between his lips. He looked at the hand clutching his sleeve, his face devoid of emotion. He simply bit down on the unlit cigarette.
"Sorry, I can't read minds."
"..."
"But I know one thing."
He tilted her chin upward with one hand, forcing her to look at him.
"Even if it wasn't me, if someone else had come instead..."
"...!"
He pressed just hard enough that her lips puckered out, resembling a duck's bill. He stared at her trembling, tear-streaked lips.
"You would still wear this pitiful expression."
As he turned to leave, he froze mid-step.
"Ugh... ugh, ugh..."
Her tears burst forth uncontrollably, her cries breaking through the silencem
"...!"
His sharp gaze lingered on her, his expression unreadable—whether it was surprise or something else. But his stoic reaction only deepened her sense of injustice, causing her sobs to grow louder.
"Ugh... ugh..."
Baek Sa-oen reached out a hand but hesitated, pulling it back as if he'd seen something unfamiliar. He stood still for a moment, as if time itself had frozen.
"You're crying out loud," he said, frowning, his voice cold. "Hong Hee-joo, actually crying out loud."
His deep voice made it impossible to discern whether it was an observation or a mockery. Either way, it wasn't something one should say to a crying wife. This clumsy man clearly had no experience comforting a woman.
"Ugh... ugh..."
"..."
"Ugh... ugh..."
Baek Sa-oen bent over slightly, his hands braced on his knees, staring at her with a detached gaze. He studied her tear-streaked face carefully before speaking.
"I can't just let you keep crying."
His words made little sense to her through her tears.
"A kid who cries like this—why didn't you cry before?"
He trailed off, his expression strangely complicated as he looked down at her.
Hee-joo finally snapped out of her daze, hastily covering her mouth, afraid the sour smell might escape. Whether it was a trait inherited from her father or a symptom of her long-buried infatuation, she couldn't quite figure it out herself.
My goal remains unchanged.
Even if I end up being falsely accused and sent to prison, I'll still push for a divorce.
If given a choice between parole and divorce, I'd pick divorce without hesitation.
But why did I break down in tears the moment I saw him?
Hee-joo wanted to pull at her own hair in frustration. She snuck a glance at Baek Sa-oen, sitting beside her, his cold and detached demeanor as unyielding as ever. Oddly enough, seeing him unchanged gave her a strange sense of reassurance.
Come to think of it, this is the first time we've ever been in a car together...
His presence beside her made her uneasy, and she instinctively curled into herself like a hedgehog.
"Hee-joo, are you going to throw up again at this rate?"
"...!"
"This isn't an escort mission. Relax a bit."
His eyes never left his tablet, yet he reprimanded her with perfect precision. Hee-joo felt as if she'd been seen straight through. Embarrassed, she retracted her neck like a turtle retreating into its shell.
Her body, already taut from an entire day of tension, finally began to relax as she leaned into the soft seat.
The car glided smoothly along the road before stopping in front of a high-rise hotel.
It was a familiar brand, one she recognized immediately.
Hee-joo's eyes suddenly widened in realization.
Ah...! Today's the day!
It was the day of their regular dinner with her in-laws.
Hee-joo's temples began to throb at the thought.
"Take a good rest before dinner."
"...!"
Here... is a hotel? Her face turned pale with shock. Baek Sa-eon tilted his head as he looked at her.
"Any complaints?"
This is a hotel?
"Anyway, in your current state, you can't attend the dinner properly. Go up and get an IV."
"..."
"Make sure to blow your nose while you're at it."
"...!"
He closed his tablet and opened the car door. Hurrying after him, Hee-joo stepped out, immediately feeling the sting of curious eyes gathering around them like a swarm of bees.
Following behind a man who drew everyone's attention, she couldn't help but feel insignificant. Everyone knew Baek Sa-eon was married, yet they knew nothing about his wife.
Soon enough, she would become the center of national attention. After all, Baek Sa-eon was the young, accomplished spokesperson of the Blue House, a representative of the president himself at the iconic blue podium.
More than that, Baek Sa-eon had gained fame in his early twenties as a fearless war correspondent. Without an escort vehicle or bodyguards, he had ventured solo into conflict zones such as Baghdad, Mosul, and Samawah, being the first to expose brutal torture footage to global media.
On top of all that, this young man turned out to be the only son of the ruling party leader and a descendant of a prestigious political dynasty, making him an even bigger topic of heated social debate.
Upon returning to Korea, he first worked as a political journalist, later became the youngest news anchor, and ultimately entered the Blue House. Even with this enviable résumé, his strikingly handsome face only added fuel to the fire, drawing even more attention. In other words, Baek Sa-eon was a nationally recognized celebrity.
But living as the ordinary wife of such a man...
"Do you want people to spread rumors about you having an affair?"
What...!
Baek Sa-eon slowed his pace and cast a cold glance at Hee-joo.
"Why are you shaking like this? It's ruining the mood."
Hee-joo was momentarily speechless, silently relieved she hadn't tripped.
"Eventually, the fact that I'm your husband will be revealed."
...Absolutely not, that must never happen. Before that, I have to finalize the divorce.
"Get used to it."
Baek Sa-eon's calm words made Hee-joo's face pale even further. The scandal of marrying sisters, the indecent garter belt photos—didn't this man fear these things? If he recalled the content of the threats, he wouldn't be walking around with his wife so openly.
Could the threatening calls not have been as effective as I thought?
Hee-joo anxiously bit her lip.
As soon as she reached the hotel's top floor, Hee-joo rushed into the bathroom. She rinsed her mouth and looked at herself in the mirror. Her swollen eyes, red nose, and trembling lips stared back at her, expressionless, as if scolding her own reflection.
"The only one who can save me is myself."
Now, she had no choice but to make the call the blackmailer was pressuring her to make. Crying wouldn't solve anything. Instead of trembling in fear, she needed to finalize the divorce, meet the blackmailer's demands, and then...
"Escape forever."
With that determination, she stepped out of the bathroom.
Her forehead collided with Baek Sa-eon, who was leaning casually against the wall.