SACCHARIN
CHAPTER 5

 

Ha… damn it.

The elevator stopped on the 10th floor, and in the brief moment the doors opened, the tension had my heart in a vice grip. Thankfully, it wasn’t someone suspicious—just a familiar neighbor from the same apartment line I’d seen in passing.

“Hello.”

“Oh, hello.”

I gave a small nod and a quick greeting, then waited anxiously for the elevator to reach the first floor as fast as possible.

Ah… what am I even doing right now?

I made it out through the back entrance of the apartment and safely back into my car, but instead of relief, frustration boiled over. Just a few hours ago, my life was so uneventful it was almost boring, and now I might end up longing for those peaceful days.

I took a moment to catch my breath. From here to Incheon Airport, even if I ignored every traffic signal and took the shortest route, it would still take over an hour. I needed to stay focused.

I slapped my cheeks lightly with both hands, trying to pull myself together, and then pulled out my phone from my bag. I called Dad to let him know I’d secured the passports, and thankfully, he answered right away.

“Wan-yi, if you’ve got the passports, start driving immediately. I’ll wait here no matter how long it takes for you to arrive.”

“According to the GPS, it’ll take about an hour and ten minutes, Dad.”

“Alright, drive carefully. You’ve been through so much because of me.”

“If you know it’s trouble, can you at least explain? Why the passports? Why the airport? Did something so serious happen that you have to run away like this?”

“I’ll explain everything when we meet. I’ll tell you everything… just focus on driving safely for now.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll call again when I get on the bridge.”

It seemed like Dad had already reached the meeting point in the long-term parking lot at Incheon Airport. For now, it was a relief that he hadn’t been caught or exposed, but there was still the unsettling thought that someone might have been tailing me.

“……”

As I drove toward the airport, I couldn’t stop scanning my surroundings while keeping my hands firmly on the wheel. Nothing seemed suspicious so far, but the lack of obvious threats only heightened my unease.

If someone really was watching me and following me, there was no way they’d be so careless as to make it obvious to a regular person like me.

For all I knew, the call with Dad might already be tapped. Maybe a GPS tracker was planted on my car. To them, I probably looked like an accomplice to whatever my dad was involved in.

But even if all these paranoid thoughts were true, there wasn’t much I could do. At best, I could park somewhere else, get off on a different floor from the elevator, or clutch a golf club like a weapon while staying on high alert.

Thinking about it this far, I wasn’t sure if helping Dad was even the right thing to do. Or rather, I wasn’t sure if it was worth risking my own life to do so.

Should I go to the police before it’s too late and request protection? But if I do that, what would happen to Dad? If he’s really involved in something illegal, getting the police involved might make things worse for him.

On one hand, as his daughter, helping the father who raised me would be the dutiful thing to do. On the other hand, what if I was putting myself in danger because of him? What if I ended up losing everything, even my life?

The uncertainty of what would happen to my life from this point on left me so anxious, I felt my frustration boil over into anger. My vision blurred as tears began to well up, just as the traffic light changed from green to yellow.

No matter how much I thought about it, this wasn’t right. I needed to call Dad again and get a better explanation about the situation.

This was driving me insane. Seriously.

Even though I felt like I should just run the red light and race forward, I instinctively hit the brakes again. Even now, when every second mattered, my ingrained habits were hard to ignore. What if I got caught by someone? What if time ran out and Dad left me behind?

“Dad, pick up the phone… Why are you making me so anxious? Ah… damn it… Dad…”

While waiting at the light, I called Dad again, but he didn’t answer. My nerves were fraying as I kept hanging up and redialing, but he remained silent.

No matter how much I thought about it, calling the police seemed like the right thing to do. Yet, caught in this paralyzing uncertainty, I found myself leaning my head against the steering wheel, clutching it tightly.

If Dad had committed a crime, wouldn’t it be safer for him to go to prison? But no, I’d seen in movies how people get killed in revenge even inside prison.

I stared blankly at my phone screen, where “112” (the police emergency number in Korea) was dialed. All I had to do was press the call button, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

This choice would undoubtedly determine both Dad’s fate and mine. I was so terrified I wanted to break down and cry, but I couldn’t even let the tears fall. My trembling hands gripped the phone, and I didn’t even notice the traffic light had changed.

Honk!

The ear-piercing sound of a car horn jolted me back to reality. I quickly looked up and hit the accelerator, my heart racing. I deserved the honking—and the curses I imagined that followed. I turned on my hazard lights briefly in apology before moving forward again.

Then, the brake lights on the car ahead of me lit up. I immediately pressed my own brakes to slow down, but out of nowhere, my car jerked forward.

“What?”

Crash!

A loud noise was followed by a massive jolt to the car. My upper body lurched forward and then snapped back, the seatbelt being the only thing keeping me from slamming into the windshield. The force was so violent that I couldn’t process what was happening. My body rocked uncontrollably, leaving me momentarily disoriented.

Before I could even catch my breath, a second impact hit.

This time, it wasn’t a bang but a heavy thud.

“Ugh!”

Though not as intense as the first, the second collision came from a different direction. The first hit had been from behind, but this time, something rammed into me from the side.

“What… what the hell… damn it…”

My head was spinning as if there was an earthquake inside my skull. Even in the chaos, I tried to make sense of the situation, but it wasn’t easy. Still, one thing was clear:

This wasn’t an accidental crash—it was deliberate.

Just as I’d feared, someone had been following me all along. They’d orchestrated this to stop me from reaching Dad, to ensure I couldn’t deliver the passports or leave with him.

I cursed myself for being so foolish, for blindly following Dad’s instructions even when I knew something felt off. But did I really have another choice? No, I didn’t.

What’s happening to me now?

The first collision had me trapped like a sandwich—pinned between vehicles. They’d boxed me in from the front and back to prevent escape, and then came the final blow from the side to finish the job.

I was slumped against the deployed airbag, my head pressed into it. My vision spun, but I forced myself to turn my head to the right.

The passenger door was crumpled inwards, yet I was somehow unharmed. Was I lucky to have survived? Or was this worse?

If I dared to guess how my fate would unfold from here, maybe dying right now would have been the better option.

“Please… could you at least turn off the damn lights…?”

The glaring headlight from the car that had crushed the passenger door felt like it was boring into my eyes. It was so intense that, for a moment, I thought I might actually go blind.

Unable to bear it any longer, I managed to turn my head slightly to the left. The absurdity of the situation, mixed with fear, made me chuckle weakly despite myself.

Dad…
I don’t think I can make it to Incheon Airport. No, it feels like it’s all over for us.

Damn it, what the hell am I supposed to do now?

The airbag’s deployment hadn’t entirely softened the impact of the collisions. The force from every direction—front, back, and sides—was now hitting me in waves, slowly catching up to my senses.

I need to call. I have to tell Dad about the accident right away…

Should I tell him to escape on his own? Or should I beg him to come and save me?

My brain was screaming to find my phone, but the overwhelming pain coursing through my body left me feeling like I’d been shattered into pieces. Even lifting a single finger seemed impossible.

My vision was starting to blur, my ears ringing in a hollow, eerie way. The oppressive silence that filled the car seeped into every corner of my mind, dulling my senses as they faded one by one.

Click. Thunk.

Someone was getting out of one of the cars surrounding me. Was it the car in front? Or the one behind?

With my face still buried in the airbag, I couldn’t tell where they were coming from. But judging by the vibrations and sounds from the car body, it seemed to be the vehicle that hit the passenger side.

My eyelids fluttered shut, darkness creeping in like an inescapable void. Sleep—no, unconsciousness—was pulling me under. I tried desperately to stay awake, but my body refused to respond.

A faint clattering noise reached my ears, jolting me slightly. It was the unmistakable sound of a car door handle being pulled.

What now?

The person who destroyed my car was trying to open my door.

Click, click, thunk.

A loud banging sound followed. My heart pounded furiously, nearly in sync with the noise. The realization hit me like a second wave of shock: I was being hunted. My mind painted vivid, terrifying images of what was about to happen.

Then I heard a sound—something between a crackle and a screech. It was the sound of something cracking, shattering, or being ripped apart.

Ah, they’re breaking the window… or are they ripping the entire door off?

Occasionally, there was a dull thud, followed by another piercing screeeech.

Cold night air began seeping into the car, and in that moment, it became crystal clear: I was in serious danger.

“Where were you planning to go at this hour?”

Where else? Incheon Airport, obviously. You already know—you followed me here, so why even ask?

I wanted to curse at them, but my lips and tongue wouldn’t obey. Through my fading consciousness, I could sense someone moving in close—right next to me. It was a man.

The last thing I remembered was the click of the seatbelt being unbuckled.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in an unfamiliar hotel. The very place where I was now being held.

This had to be the worst birthday of my life.

No, perhaps I wouldn’t even have the chance to celebrate another birthday next year. I might not even survive tonight.

“…The chairman has just arrived.”