Chapter- 18
“You can go now.”
“O-Okay…”
The officer scratched the back of his head and headed back to the car. Until then, Baek Sa-eon stood firmly, blocking their view.
‘How on earth did he even get here…?’
Heeju stared blankly at Sa-eon, who had appeared out of nowhere.
“Judging by your expression, you’re wondering how I got here.”
“…!”
“I had a bodyguard watching over you, and the nurse at the care facility has my number.”
He loosened his tie in frustration.
So, he already knew about this care facility?
Except for the bodyguard, this was all news to Heeju.
“I told them to contact me if your father’s condition worsened.”
“…!”
Heeju never imagined this to happen. Sa-eon knew she had been visiting her father? Her biological father, not Chairman Hong?
Her lower eyelid twitched involuntarily.
“Move him to another facility, just in case.”
“…”
“I think I know who’s behind this.”
The muscles in his face tightened visibly.
“…Daring to mess with this place, of all places.”
His voice dropped, and his expression sank even more. The icy tension was suffocating, making it hard to even breathe.
Yet, strangely, he seemed to be angry on her behalf— something Heeju had never experienced before.
“…”
She bit her lips hard to stop them from trembling.
The reasons for his anger were undoubtedly different from hers, but for that moment, in the same place and time, it felt like they shared the same emotion.
Even if it was just her imagination, this fleeting moment of empathy from her cold husband felt significant.
Twenty years had passed since she first met him.
All those years, she admired him from a distance, like a spectator.
For the first time, it felt like someone had answered her silent SOS. She received a response that bridged the gap of all those years.
“Let’s go home.”
“…”
“You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll take care of your father’s matter.”
Those words made tears well up uncontrollably.
She couldn’t hold back any longer.
The affectionate term “your father,” and the fact that he had followed her all the way here— it was too much for Heeju to process or question. Instead, she grabbed his sleeve.
Baek Sa-eon tilted his head slightly as he held a cigarette in his mouth. His face was void of expression as he looked at her tightly, gripping his sleeve.
He didn’t light the cigarette but chewed on it instead.
“Sorry, I’m not a psychic.”
“…”
“But there’s one thing I do know.”
He grabbed her chin with one hand and tilted it up.
“Even if it wasn’t me if someone else had come here…”
“…!”
As he applied pressure, her lips formed a pout. Baek Sa-eon stared intently at the soft curve of her lips.
“You would’ve shown that same pitiful face to them, wouldn’t you?”
He was about to turn away but couldn’t after hearing Heeju’s wails.
“…!”
His narrow eyes reflected a mix of shock and observation. Sa-eon’s impassive reaction only made her cry harder.
He hesitated to extend a hand, only to pull it back again. For a moment, he stood like a statue, as if time itself had stopped.
“You’re making sounds now.”
Sa-eon’s voice was cold and flat, making it hard to tell if it was a sarcastic comment or some sort of twisted admiration.
Either way, it wasn’t what a husband should say to his crying wife.
This charmless man clearly had no idea how to comfort a woman.
“Gasp… Sob…”
“…”
“Hic… hic…”
Baek Sa-eon crouched down to study her closely. After a thorough examination of her tear-streaked face, he suddenly spoke.
“I can’t have you crying like this every day.”
His words were cryptic and impossible to decipher.
“So, you know how to cry like this… Why didn’t you before?”
He cut himself off mid-thought, staring at her with an odd look. Heeju finally came to her senses and covered her face, embarrassed by the possibility of snot or an unpleasant odor.
Was it because of her father’s injury or the unhealthy remnants of her long-standing one-sided love? Even she didn’t know.
Baek Sa-eon sharply exhaled and his eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Why stop yourself when you’re finally showing some signs of life?”
“…”
“You’re supposed to stay quiet, but now you’re bawling loud enough for everyone to hear.”
One corner of his mouth was tugged into the faintest smile. It was the first time Heeju had seen him smile so naturally.
In a moment, his face turned indifferent. With a stern expression, he grabbed the back of her neck.
“Finish crying in the car.”
“Hic…!”
“I can’t sing you a lullaby to coax.”
With that, Heeju found herself unceremoniously dragged into the car by the back of her neck.
***
Throughout the car ride, Baek Sa-eon remained silent. He simply looked at his tablet, as if nothing had happened worth his attention.
The quiet atmosphere in the car was soon filled with the sound of sniffles. Heeju, who was holding back tears, blinked through swollen eyes.
Baek Sa-eon occasionally let out a hollow, almost inaudible laugh, but no one seemed to notice.
‘What did I just do?’
Heeju pursed her lips, feeling embarrassed.
‘My goal hasn’t changed. Even if I end up in prison under false charges, I’ll get divorced. If there’s a chance for parole and divorce, it’s divorce all the way.’
But why had she ended up crying when she saw her husband? She felt like pulling her hair out in shame.
Strangely, Baek Sa-eon’s presence provided her relief.
‘Come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve been in the car together…’
Sitting next to him, she felt oddly small.
“Heeju, do you want to throw up again?”
“…!”
He was scolding her even without looking up. Her body had been tense all day, and the soft seat allowed her to finally relax.
The car smoothly cruised down the road and stopped in front of a high-rise hotel. Heeju’s eyes widened as she recognized the place.
‘Ah…! Is today the day?’
It was the day of the regular dinner with the family. Heeju felt a headache coming on.
“Rest until dinner.”
“…!”
Here? In a hotel?
Baek Sa-eon tilted his head slightly.
“What’s the problem? You won’t be able to go anywhere looking like that. Go upstairs and get an IV or something.”
“…”
“Blow your nose properly too.”
“…!”
He closed his tablet, opened the car door, and got out. As Heeju hurried to follow, people’s gazes converged on them, and she found herself instinctively lowering her head.
Everyone knew Baek Sa-eon was married, but there was no information about his wife. Soon, the public’s curious eyes would turn to her as well.
Baek Sa-eon was young, competent, and the spokesperson for the Blue House. He was the face of the president. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. He had made a name for himself as a foreign correspondent in his early twenties, braving conflict zones like Baghdad and Mosul without protection, and he was the first to release footage of brutal interrogations to the global press.
Moreover, it turned out that he was the only son of the ruling party leader, a member of a prominent political family, which made headlines again.
After returning to Korea, he worked as a political reporter and then as the youngest news anchor before stepping into the Blue House.
All of this, along with his good looks, made him a public sensation.
In other words, Baek Sa-eon was a well-known figure. And being his wife meant living under constant scrutiny…
“Do you want a strange rumor to spread?”
‘What…!’
Baek Sa-eon slowed his pace and shot her a cold glance.
“Why are you trembling so much? You’re making it awkward.”
Heeju didn’t react. She was thankful that she hadn’t tripped over her own feet yet.
“Anyway, you have to get used to this as my wife.”
‘Absolutely not. I won’t let that happen. I’ll make sure to get the divorce first…!’
“Get used to it.”
His words made Heeju’s expression harden even more. There were rumors, scandals, and blackmail at play. How could he act so unaffected by it all?
‘Was it possible the blackmail calls didn’t have the effect I thought they would?’
Heeju bit her lip nervously.
Arriving at the top floor of the hotel, she immediately headed for the bathroom. After rinsing her dry mouth, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes, nose, and lips were swollen, and she stared at her reflection, almost reproaching herself.
‘Only I can save myself.’
Right now, she had to make the call the kidnapper was demanding. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. Instead of trembling in fear, she would get the divorce as soon as possible, fulfill the kidnapper’s demands, and then…
‘Disappear forever.’
With that grim resolution, she stepped out of the bathroom. She suddenly bumped into Baek Sa-eon, who had been leaning against the wall.
TL/N:
Hello! Unfortunately, I won’t be able to add webtoon images in the coming chapters. The manhwa is currently at 15 and our novel has already surpassed that.
The webtoon is scheduled every Thursday 10 PM (KST). When they upload the next chapter, I’ll try adding the images to the older posts for future readers. Thank you.
Thanks so much! I am grateful just being able to read it even without images.