When The Phone Rings Temp 1

Chapter 41

“What the h*ll is going on here…!”

The door burst open with a deafening crash, and Center Director Han Joon stormed in like an enraged bull.

His eyes scanned the large bandage on the back of Heeju’s head, the scratches on her hand, and the bits of gauze peeking through her loose hospital gown. His expression hardened as he stepped closer.

“H- Heeju what did you go through…”
Heeju slowly gestured, ‘I’m fine. Just lucky.’

“You almost died, for crying out loud!”
‘But I wasn’t seriously hurt. It’s alright.’
“They said you needed stitches—more than ten of them on your arms and legs! And these scars here, and here—”

As Han Joon gently touched the back of her hand and brushed her cheek in concern, the door suddenly opened again without warning.

A gust of cold air swept in first, carrying an icy sharpness.

“……!”

His eyes darted between Heeju, who was sitting quietly with her head slightly bowed, and the man gently holding her face. Center Director Han’s jaw dropped as soon as he recognized the man in front of him.

Standing in the doorway, Baek Sa-eon arched an eyebrow in silence. His piercing gaze locked onto them as if to confirm what he was seeing. Without breaking eye contact, he closed the door behind him and locked it with an audible click.

“Good evening.”

He greeted them with measured politeness, then reached out to remove Han’s hand from Heeju.

Han Joon’s eyes widened.

“B- Baek Sa-eon? The Blue House Spokesperson?!”
“A pleasure to meet you.”
“Aah..”

Rubbing his now-sore wrist, Han stammered awkwardly, a heavy silence settling over the room.

The unexpected confrontation seemed to stun all three of them. Finally, it was Han Joon who attempted to break the silence.

“Heeju, my dear, why would the Blue House Spokesperson visit an ordinary employee—”
“My dear?”

Baek Sa-eon’s sharp voice cut him off mid-sentence. The frigid tone sent chills through everyone in the room.

“Why are you calling her that?”
“What?”
“Calling a woman twelve years your junior ‘my dear’? Even if it’s just a habit, it’s inappropriate, especially for someone of your standing.”
“…”

Han Joon’s face twitched, obviously caught off guard by such direct criticism.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t address her that way in the future.”
“Spokesperson Baek, this matter doesn’t concern—”
“As her husband, I don’t approve of it.”
“What? Wait… W- What did you just say?”

Han Joon’s face contorted with confusion; currently, his brain wasn’t braining.

“Husband? A husband—?! When did you get married dea—”
“You’re making me repeat myself,” Baek Sa-eon interrupted again, his gaze darkening. “Heeju is not your ‘dear.’ She is my wife. So do watch your words.”

Sa-eon ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Director Han quickly turned to Heeju and signed with his hands: ‘What’s going on, Heeju?’
‘T- That…’

Heeju scratched her cheek, avoiding his gaze. Baek Sa-eon’s emotional display left her utterly bewildered that she couldn’t help but steal glances at him.

Suddenly, Baek Sa-eon grabbed her hand, which had been lightly fluttering like a butterfly.

“She still needs rest. Visitors should leave.”

Han Joon frowned in confusion, still struggling to process the situation. He couldn’t understand the circumstances at bay.

“Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon, are you seriously… our Heeju’s husband?”
“Our Heeju?”

Baek Sa-eon cut him off coldly once again.

“Can’t you even read the room?”
“What did you say?”

Director Han’s eyes widened in anger.

“How could a Blue House spokesperson lie about something so serious? If what you say is true, I’m sorry, but I can’t accept it. You’ve never shown up before, so how can you claim to be Heeju’s husband…!”

The more Han Joon spoke, the darker Baek Sa-eon’s expression became.

“Heeju, I don’t know about you, but I can’t acknowledge this man as your guardian.”
“Spokesperson Baek, I’ve watched this girl grow up since she was little. To me, Heeju isn’t a woman but a little sister I want to take care of. That’s why I’ve always guided her like an older brother…”
“Older brother?”

With a mocking laugh, Baek Sa-eon cut him off again.

“And yet, this so-called older brother of hers wanted Heeju to translate lyrics she was uncomfortable with.”
“Th- That’s…”
“Heeju doesn’t need a brother like you. She deserves someone better.”
“What are you implying?”
“Brother, father, or whatever title you want to claim—”

The two men locked eyes, sparks flying between their glares.

“—they all belong to me.”

 

***

 

The tense exchange finally came to an end when the doctor arrived to examine Heeju. Han Joon was ushered out of the room, still gesturing furiously in sign language, promising, ‘We’ll talk about this later!’ Heeju nodded with a resigned sigh.

Now alone, Baek Sa-eon leaned against the wall, his arms crossed as he gestured toward her phone with a tilt of his chin.

“What was he saying with all that flailing?”

Heeju pulled out her phone without a word, her fingers tapping the screen in anger.

Moments later, two lines appeared on his screen:
[ Don’t call him ‘that guy.’ Shouldn’t you worry about your image? ]

Baek stared at the screen for a moment, then scratched the back of his neck. His gaze flicked toward her with a hint of amusement tugging at his lips.

“Maintaining image is fine and all, but how about you focus on not defending other men in front of your husband?”

He brushed his hand across a spot on Heeju’s cheek as if erasing something, roughly where the center director had touched earlier.

“……!”

She hadn’t decided how she should react when meeting Sa-eon again. But now she was forced to stare at him.

Disappointment, betrayal, discomfort, and awkwardness seemed to dominate her mixed emotions. On top of that, she had to stop her gaze from wandering toward the front of his pants.

“Why are you sulking now?”
“Haah…Hmm..”
His unfamiliar groans overlapped with his words, creating an odd dissonance.

For someone who always appeared so cold and detached, how could he make such moans? Heeju tried to stay composed, but anger surged up within her unexpectedly.

‘I never knew Baek Sa-eon was like this!’

She had thought she knew him best, from his teenage years to his thirties. But she had been completely wrong.

Not only was his sly nature beyond her comprehension, but she realized she knew nothing about his private life. They had never even been intimate since their marriage, which only made it worse.

She hadn’t even seen the body of the man who was supposed to be her husband, yet she had been blindly immersed in her unrequited feelings.

The moment she heard his moans, it struck her how naïve she had been.

I’ve only ever kissed him, but 406…
Wait. 406 is me… But Baek Sa-eon doesn’t know who 406 is!
So does that mean he did that in front of a stranger?!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. What a contemptible pervert! Her frustration was about to boil over.

“If you’ve got something to say, just say it.”

Watching her expressions shift rapidly, Baek Sa-eon finally spoke. He looked as though he was hoping- no, more like expecting, her to respond.

‘What do you want me to say? That I’m curious about your s3x life, you perverted b*stard!’

Truthfully, there were so many things she wanted to ask.

‘Is this the real Baek Sa-eon? Was he always like this? How many times did he act like this with strangers?’

“…….”
“…….”

Their gazes locked, neither revealing their thoughts.

Heeju glared at him with wide eyes.

“Impressive, Hong Heeju. I didn’t think you’d have the nerve to huff and puff like this in front of me.”

As he playfully flicked her nose, a loud slap rang out. Heeju had smacked his large hand away, her movements sharp and decisive.

Baek Sa-eon blinked, looking briefly surprised, before letting out a low chuckle. He rubbed his chin, hiding a faint smirk.

For a moment, the corners of his eyes seemed to soften, but when she looked again, his expression was as stoic as ever.

Only Heeju’s temper continued to flare.

How should I deal with this infuriating husband of hers?

Since last night, she had been consumed with one thought: How to scare him, divorce him cleanly, and, if possible, humiliate him in the process.

“If you don’t have anything to say, I’ll be going.”

Just then, Baek Sa-eon checked his watch and stood up.

She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but she held her tongue.

“I’ll come back in the early morning. I’ve got something I can’t skip.”

She had guessed as much, but hearing it confirmed made her heart sink.

Almost instinctively, her hand moved. Heeju hesitated but sent him a message, testing the waters.

[8:04 PM] [ I’ve been bored all day… Stay the night. ]

He checked the message, tapping the edge of his phone against his chin while staring at her. For once, he looked slightly taken aback.

But then, with a small huff, he raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll keep you company.”
“……!”
“If that’s what you want.”

Despite his words, he turned and walked out of the hospital room.

The intense disappointment and frustration felt toward the man who had always seemed so composed were inexpressible.

Heeju’s lips quivered with anger.

Her mood was in complete disarray.