when the phone rings novel
"Child, you've arrived," said her mother-in-law in her usual poised tone, causing Hee-joo to quickly straighten her back.
They were in the hotel's top-floor restaurant. Her in-laws, as impeccably elegant as ever, sat there like figures in a painting.
Hee-joo couldn't stop herself from swallowing nervously.
"I didn't expect you to show up," her mother-in-law remarked, her gaze slowly drifting to the towering figure of Baek Sa-eon.
"Am I not allowed to come?"
"You wouldn't say that back when we insisted you join us, and you refused at every turn."
"Just here for a meal," he replied nonchalantly.
"'Just a meal'? Is there anything in this hotel worth doing 'just because'?"
"There is," he answered flatly.
The tension in the air remained icy, as always. In truth, Hee-joo felt the atmosphere had grown even more stifling since Baek Sa-eon's arrival.
In this space, there was only one unspoken rule to follow: keep quiet and eat peacefully.
'That's something I excel at...!'
As soon as they sat down, her husband and father-in-law immediately launched into a political debate.
Baek Yi-ryong, her father-in-law, didn't spare Hee-joo a single glance. As a figurehead of The Mountain Economy Daily, a prominent political and economic symbol, he had no patience for such trivialities.
At that moment, her mother-in-law put her chopsticks down with a faint clatter.
"It's been a while since I've seen you, but it seems your bad habits have only worsened," she remarked sharply, her gaze cutting through the air.
Panic surged through Hee-joo as she instinctively looked up, only to find her mother-in-law's stern eyes fixed on her.
"At the dinner table, engrossed in your phone—what kind of manners are those?"
Thankfully, her mother-in-law's piercing words weren't directed at her.
"I'm waiting for an important call," came the reply from her husband.
...!
Hee-joo nearly choked on her water.
He had been quietly monitoring his silenced phone the entire time. Every time it lit up with a call, he would glance at the screen and then decisively reject it.
Despite the rarity of such family dinners, Baek Sa-eon was more fixated on his phone than his parents, as if his hands and eyes were glued to the device.
The piercing look from across the table made it clear that his mother wasn't unaware of this behavior.
'Could it be... is he waiting for that call...?'
Her throat dry, Hee-joo quickly picked up her glass of water to take a sip.
"Is it really that important?" her mother-in-law asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
"Yes," Baek Sa-eon replied coolly, his tone unbothered.
Baek Sa-eon's mother observed his expressionless face for a moment before resuming her meal. As he once again rejected an incoming call with a swipe of his finger, she spooned a piece of ginseng stew into his bowl with a sigh of exasperation.
"You're still as immature as ever."
"..."
Finally, Baek Sa-eon shifted his attention to his mother.
"All the lessons I've taught you seem to have been completely forgotten. Glued to your phone like that—whatever mission you're on this time, it's bound to fail. Isn't that right?"
"It's not like that," he replied tersely.
"Not like that?" His mother raised an eyebrow. "Look at yourself. When you stand on my stage, I teach that impatience is the greatest obstacle to effective communication."
"..."
"With your temperament, how do you expect to..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Empathy has never been your strength. If you weren't my son, you'd have been eliminated from the field long ago."
Baek Sa-eon didn't argue. Instead, his neck turned slightly as if silently conceding to the critique.
"Getting a serial killer to open their mouth ultimately comes down to communication skills," his mother continued.
Her words piqued Hee-joo's interest. She perked up her ears, recalling the stories of her mother-in-law's past, where she had excelled as a negotiation expert in high-stakes situations.
"But you," his mother added, her chopsticks pausing midair as if carefully considering her next words. "When you get that call, your face looks like..."
She placed her chopsticks down and studied her son.
"Like you're ready to commit murder."
The silence at the table became unbearably heavy.
"You really think a strong attitude guarantees victory? It's a complete misunderstanding," his mother continued, her voice sharp and cutting.
"...," Baek Sa-eon stayed silent, his expression unreadable, though a slight tension gathered around his shoulders.
"I've spent my life teaching people this, yet my own son refuses to listen. I truly don't understand." She placed her chopsticks down with a measured calm, her tone growing heavier.
"A negotiation without trust will never succeed."
"...," he still didn't respond, but the flicker of a muscle in his jaw betrayed some thought.
"Do you even understand the person behind that call?" His mother's words sliced through the silence, her gaze boring into him.
"This isn't as simple as you're making it sound," he finally replied, his voice low, as though weighed down by the admission.
"But it's my profession to deal with things like this," she countered. Her sharp eyes scanned the table before briefly landing on Hee-joo, who froze under the intensity. Turning to Baek Sa-eon's father, she added, "For example, if your father had an affair, could you understand the other party? Could you build a rapport with them?"
She gave a short laugh, the sound like a knife scraping across glass.
"Child, I've lived with your father for half my life and raised you, my little troublemaker. After that, there's no one I can't understand."
The heavy silence that followed was palpable. Hee-joo, clutching her napkin tightly, felt like the words were directed at her, but she couldn't muster the courage to speak. Instead, she kept her head down, staring at the edge of the table as the tension in the room thickened.
Her mother-in-law's firm declaration made Hee-joo bite her lip. She felt as though her mother-in-law was hinting that there was nothing in the world harder to deal with than the men in the Baek family. Somehow, that thought made her feel a bit amused.
"Well... it might be difficult for you," the older woman continued. "Sometimes this work feels just like marriage counseling." She cut a piece of meat and placed it into Baek Yi-ryong's bowl.
"I've always emphasized certain things: resolve problems through conversation, clarify objectives, avoid blame, show respect, don't damage relationships, consult before making decisions, and never ignore the little signs..."
"..."
"In essence, it's no different from managing a marriage. So it's no surprise my son struggles with it as well."
"Why are you giving such a long-winded speech here?" her husband grumbled in a dissatisfied tone.
"See?" the mother-in-law said, pouting slightly as she gestured toward her husband, directing Hee-joo's attention to him.
To Hee-joo, her in-laws had always been difficult and unapproachable, but now she realized they weren't much different from an ordinary married couple. Previously, their interactions had been limited to polite exchanges and formalities. But now, Hee-joo could clearly see how unwelcome she truly was in this family.
That sense of isolation was nothing new to her. Whether at her own family's home or her in-laws', she had no place she could truly call her own.
Unconsciously, Hee-joo glanced at her watch again.
"Sa-eon, you and Hee-joo are just a pair of ignorant kids who aren't ready to hear any of this," her mother-in-law remarked with a shake of her head, as if mocking them.
Meanwhile, her father-in-law, who had been observing quietly, suddenly chimed in.
"But you two—married for so long—why is there still no news?"
"..."
"The contract should have included a clause about grandchildren."
"...!"
That look—the one that treated her as a mere tool—was sharp and piercing, identical to Baek Sa-eon's. Hee-joo silently lowered her head.
Even Sa-eon, who had been fixated on his phone, suddenly shifted his gaze.
"If In-ya comes back, what are you going to do? Why are you still delaying?"
"...!"
Hee-joo's heart was pierced by the unexpected mention of that name. Hong In-ya.
She had never imagined she would hear her stepsister's name here.
"Even discounted items should know how to account for themselves," her mother-in-law continued, her tone cutting. "I prefer smart people who can secure their own future over fools."
She clicked her tongue in disapproval, finishing the wine in her glass in one swift gulp.
"Hmph... even if it's not us, you could still marry into a decent family again."
"..."
"After all, Chairman Hong took you in as a stepdaughter for this kind of purpose. Businessmen all think the same way," her mother-in-law said nonchalantly.
"..."
"This time, he must have realized it works well to use you as collateral, so he'll probably continue to do so..."
Hearing those words, Hee-joo felt as if she had been struck by something horrific. Though she had understood her precarious position from a young age, that didn't mean she could calmly accept such blatant words. A wave of shame washed over her.
"But I do quite like your half-dim-witted demeanor. You'll make a great prop for my campaign truck."
"...!"
Her throat felt as if it was constricted, the suffocating sensation she hadn't felt in a long time surged back. Indeed, the world was not a friendly place that saves people. Only by relying on herself could she hope to escape her circumstances. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, hardening her resolve.
"I'll notify you about the national campaign tour schedule later. You might be stuck on the truck for a long time. If you're planning to get pregnant, try to avoid my campaign period. Campaigning is not your average high-intensity labor..."
Just then, the sound of a chair scraping against the floor interrupted her.
Her mother-in-law's brows furrowed immediately. She turned to see Baek Sa-eon standing up.
"Child, you haven't even eaten yet. Why are you getting up?"
"I'm leaving," he replied curtly.
"What?"
"Don't ride on Father's campaign truck."
Hee-joo looked at him in shock, unsure how to respond.
Baek Sa-eon's expression was calm, but his tone was firm as he tugged on her arm to guide her away.
"Since Father considers me nothing more than a breeding stallion, I see no need to uphold any courtesy here."
"Wha—what?" His mother's voice wavered, filled with disbelief.
"There's no time for a stallion to eat. Too busy doing other things, isn't it?"
"...!"
His mother's face flushed red with anger as she slammed her hand on the table. "Baek Sa-eon!"
At the same time, Hee-joo wobbled in her chair, startled by his sudden declaration. Sa-eon yanked her chair back forcefully, pulling her out of her huddled position.
"Stand up."
Hee-joo stared at him in panic, her wide eyes darting around the room.
"What? You're not getting up?"
Her vacant, almost lifeless expression made him frown. Losing patience, Sa-eon grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.
She stood there in a daze, still trying to process what had just happened.
"I said, don't ride on Father's campaign truck."
"What?"
Hee-joo's voice trembled as she stared at him, baffled. Sa-eon's grip on her arm tightened as if to anchor her in reality.
"You're to stand by my side, not his."