when the phone rings novel
Working with him under these circumstances felt like walking straight into a trap.
"The process starts with document review, and you'll need a letter of recommendation. I can only write one for our center. If you're not interested, I'll give my recommendation to someone else."
"...!"
A flicker of desire flashed in Hee-joo's eyes, though she was reluctant to admit it.
"Why do you look so eager, yet act so stubborn? Isn't this just for show—"
Han Jun abruptly paused, giving her a meaningful look.
"Don't tell me... it's because of that?"
'What are you talking about?'
"When I used to date, my girlfriends would act just like you when they were about to meet their favorite idols—rushing to fan meetings or fighting for concert tickets. Their faces would go pale, their legs would shake. Are you feeling nervous and excited just thinking about it?"
"...!"
"Oh? Why did you flinch just now? That's really suspicious..."
Han Jun smirked playfully, his nostrils flaring slightly.
"You're just going to give up on the chance to become a successful fan?"
'It's not like that!'
"Sweetheart, Baek Sa-eon is already married. You should at least make sure your career takes off; otherwise, it'd be such a waste."
Hee-joo was so infuriated that she couldn't even respond. Han Jun laughed, clearly enjoying himself. Though he claimed to be joking, his annoying mouth didn't stop.
"I can't pretend to understand what goes on in a young girl's mind."
'I'm almost 30!'
"I didn't expect you to take this so seriously."
'It's not like that!'
"I've heard Baek Sa-eon is an incredible person, right? So his wife must also be someone extraordinary. A man like that wouldn't just marry anyone."
"..."
Hee-joo's eyebrows furrowed sharply.
As someone who had never surpassed Baek Sa-eon, had never stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, or even managed to follow closely behind, she was the so-called "insignificant wife" people often looked down on.
'Write me the recommendation.'
"What?"
'I'll go to the interview.'
Determination lit up her face. It was an impulsive decision, but for once, she wanted to stand in his time—his space—even if only briefly.
If she could become a Cheongwadae sign language interpreter, it might be her only chance to stand on equal footing with him, at least on the surface. Rather than garnering sympathy during her husband's political campaigns, she wanted to create a pinnacle in her own career.
This dull and exhausting political marriage should, at the very least, have some benefits.
Words like insults, profanity, and verbal abuse echoed repeatedly in her mind. How should she deal with such an unreasonable request? This was the first time a phone call had left her so disoriented.
Hee-joo put the phone on speaker mode and stared blankly at the mirror on her vanity.
"We still have a lot to talk about today," came the voice on the other end.
"Uh... to be honest, I'm not sure," Hee-joo reflexively responded, rubbing her aching forehead.
"First, send me all the photos you have of Hong Hee-joo."
"What?"
"Including the originals."
Her previously dazed expression suddenly sharpened.
...I don't have any. Seriously, I don't!
"Do you think you can drag my wife into this with a single photo of her thigh? Are you underestimating my ability to manipulate the media?"
Hee-joo silently watched the phone emitting that cold voice.
"Are there more photos? I heard you're obsessing over the placement of a mole. Don't you think that's arrogant?"
...I swear I don't have any! I said I don't!
"Or maybe her face is showing? There's a mole on her eyebrow."
"...!"
Her emotions became unexpectedly complicated at that.
Hee-joo leaned closer to the mirror, pushing her bangs aside. Sure enough, there it was—a small mole hidden under her brow.
How does Baek Sa-eon know about this? It was a feature she hadn't even noticed herself until she was old enough to wear makeup.
"I... why would I give you the photos?" she stammered, her voice trembling yet resolute.
"Afraid of pervert 406 stirring up trouble again?"
"...!"
"So just leak them to me and no one else."
Her mind went blank, but her heart pounded wildly.
"I'll pay the price. Let's make a deal," he suggested, his tone calm but pressing.
Her expression wavered. Here it was again—being dragged along by him.
Why is someone as capable as you unable to handle replacing your wife? Instead, you're being blackmailed... As a man... I don't get it...
Why are you so unwilling to let go of someone as insignificant as Hong Hee-joo?
'But not this time!'
Her expression hardened with unprecedented determination. From their previous call, she had realized how obsessive he was about the concept of "wife."
Instead of targeting his reputation, disrupting this area would be far more effective.
Hee-joo redirected the focus toward herself.
Sure enough, the best way to provoke him was—
"I'll give you something, but not photos—something else."
"What is it now?"
Hee-joo closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
"...Ah, ah-ha."
"...!"
"Mmm, mmm."
"...What are you doing now?"
For the first time, the Cheongwadae spokesperson was at a loss for words.
Her face flushed as if it would explode, but she couldn't stop. All she could think of was to provoke him.
"Mmm...!"
She knew how disgusting those voice-modified moans would sound, yet she stubbornly continued making them.
"Like this?"
Baek Sa-eon fell silent, as if struck by a massive blow.
"I'm just relaying what I've heard," Hee-joo said nonchalantly.
"..."
"Isn't this better than the photos?"
"Hah... damn it..."
The sigh on the other end was filled with frustration and defeat. Hee-joo's eyes lit up like light bulbs.
"Should I do it again?"
"..."
"Ahem, mm, mmm, something like this."
The sound of labored breathing came through the phone.
"...Damn bastard."
The profanity that slipped from his mouth, as if he couldn't hold back, felt almost like a victory.
For the first time in their exchanges, Hee-joo felt like she had the upper hand against Baek Sa-eon. The feeling was indescribable, tinged with a hint of rebellious satisfaction.
"...Knowing full well I'm her husband, you humiliate Hee-joo in front of me on purpose? Are kids these days all so eager to die?"
His voice was laced with venom, every word enunciated with ruthless precision.
"I'll fill your mouth with water until your lungs burst. I'll force it into your vocal cords, trachea, and esophagus until they rupture—let's see if you can talk after that."
Was this... a death threat?
Panicking, Hee-joo quickly checked to ensure the recording was functioning properly.
"Wow, brutal, truly brutal. But go on..."
Was this successful intimidation? Her hands trembled, but she forced herself to smirk.
"Drowned corpses break apart when touched. If 406 has parents, I'll throw the body in front of them. If not, I'll feed it to dogs."
The words spilled out without hesitation, crossing the line into clear murder threats. A small provocation had completely broken his composure.
"People like 406 cheapen society. They don't know what to say or not to say—they just sit there breathing. Such filth must be purged entirely."
"..."
"We should start by rinsing out your throat with lye. Even pig intestines are cleaned with detergent—406, you're no exception."
"Oh, oh, okay... so waterboarding, then? What comes next?"
His voice abruptly cut off.
"From the start, I've felt..."
"Felt what?"
"Talking to you is revolting."
"What?"
"Stop swallowing your saliva. Do you think I can't hear every sound you make?"
"...!"
"Your habits are disgusting."
"...Habits?"
"Don't tell me you've been teaching Hee-joo these things... hah, shibal!"
What the hell...
Hee-joo instinctively pulled the phone slightly away from her ear. It felt like the device was overheating—not from the phone itself, but from Baek Sa-eon's curses.
Her stomach churned uneasily.
"Watch what you say. Especially about our situation. Hee-joo must never know about any of this."
His voice grew darker, like a shadow enveloping her.
"Don't taint her memories. She doesn't need to endure these things."
"...!"
Her heart plummeted, a sharp ache spreading through her chest.
Baek Sa-eon was a man of contradictions.
"No matter how much you act out, the one losing dignity is you—not Hee-joo. Remember that."
As someone who had dared to threaten him, Hee-joo felt this deeply every time they spoke. On the surface, he treated her with icy indifference, but deep down, he cared for and worried about his young wife more than anyone else.
"...Since when did you care so much about her?"
Admitting this wasn't easy. Yet a surge of unexplainable emotions, like an impending sneeze, broke free within her.
"What's the point of telling me all this? You should be saying it to her!"
"If there's one thing I'm grateful to 406 for," Baek Sae-on's calm yet cutting voice interrupted her outburst, "it's that he disrupted my complacency."
The statement was cryptic, but it sent shivers through Hee-joo as a strange premonition washed over her.
"You've completely overturned my life."
"...!"
"If you knew what I've done for Hee-joo," his voice lowered, laced with sarcasm and weight, "you wouldn't flaunt such cheap tricks in front of me."
The gravity of his words froze her in place, her legs feeling like they were nailed to the ground.
"What does that mean?"
A sudden suspicion dawned on Hee-joo.
He's hiding something.
That unsettling intuition struck her without warning.