When The Phone Rings

Chapter 21

Baek Sa-eon was a man profoundly indifferent to anything outside himself.

When signing the marriage contract or attending countless events, not once had he ever prioritized Heeju.

During his engagement to her sister In-Ah, he had been a cold, detached figure, with no regard for those around him.

“My wife already has a voice to translate for,” he said. Sa-eon’s expression darkening as he grabbed Heeju’s hand.
“And if you’re planning to run for the presidency, at least try to read the room before speaking.”
“What did you say?!”
“If I were one of your advisors, the first thing I would do is shut your mouth.”
“You…!”
“It’s crucial to have honest aides to avoid wasting resources.”
“…….”
“Well then, this stallion will take his leave to do his appropriate duties.”

Heeju was practically being dragged out.

For the first time since their marriage, she left a gathering before her in-laws.

 

***

 

Once they were out, Baek Sa-eon entered the elevator without a word, holding her hand.

‘It hurts…!’

She tried to yank her hand free, but his grip only tightened. Her fingers were numb. Perhaps this foreign warmth was making her heart race.

“You must want to divorce me, Hong Heeju.”
“……!”

Her knees almost gave way. Their gazes locked in tense silence.

“You got dragged in to replace your missing sister…”
“…….”
“And You’re someone who can’t even speak up.”

He slammed the elevator button for the first floor with a clenched fist.

“Even when the in-laws bark like dogs, you don’t make a sound.”
“……!”

His tone chilled her to the bone.

“Just as I expected.”

Lowering his head, he suddenly studied her face. Clicking his tongue in irritation, he added, “You’re not even crying.”

Even as he ripped her apart with his words, his grip on her hand remained firm. The contrast between his cold words and his warm hand left her dazed.

“Nothing’s changed—nothing at all… but…”
“…….”
“Why does it bother me so much?”

His gaze bore into her like he was trying to find every flaw. It was so intense that she couldn’t help but shiver.

‘That’s what I should be saying…!’

Anyone could see the one acting strangely lately was her husband. Since the threatening calls began, something inside him had snapped.

Now, here they were—talking, sharing meals, even having standoffs. The past three years of silent cohabitation felt like a hoax.

“The position of the Blue House sign language interpreter…”
“……!”

The phrase startled her for no clear reason.

“In desperation, you’ll have to rise up yourself.”
“…….”
“Don’t ride in that old man’s truck. Work beside me instead.”

The elevator suddenly felt suffocating. Heeju’s stomach twisted with the unrelenting sensation of descent. She needed a breath of fresh air.

 

***

 

The car arrived.

Baek Sa-eon placed her into the back seat as if loading cargo and shut the door. But he didn’t get in. When she rolled down the window to check, she saw him leaning against the car.

The driver turned on the radio, and the static made her flinch. The reaction felt excessive, even to herself.

“Driver, turn off the radio. It’s distracting,” Sa-eon said lazily, almost as if on cue.
“Head home without me,” he added, resting his arms on the car’s roof as he leaned down.

Heeju was startled by the unexpected proximity.

“I still have some work to do.”

His lips curled into a faint smirk.

As soon as she understood the meaning behind his expression, her forgotten tension surged back like a tide.

‘He’s waiting for the blackmailer.’

“When you get home, don’t just pick at your food. Eat properly,” he added.

His breezy tone was so inappropriate, Heeju could only nod like a bobblehead and hastily rolled up the window.

The day had been unbearably long… But the night was far from over.

 

***

 

As soon as she got home, Heeju powered on her secret burner phone. The cold blue light from the screen illuminated her stiffened face.

‘It’s not the first time, so why am I shaking like this?’

Her fingers trembled as she tapped the keypad.

‘The real blackmailer could be listening in…’

If the threats proved futile, if Sa-eon overpowered her, what could that madman end up doing?

The thought of him pulling another of her father’s teeth sent a chill down her spine. The fear was shackling and drowning her into the deep.

‘But my intention remains the same.’

Whether it was her, the blackmailer, or Sa-eon, someone had to be pushed to the edge.

The phone started beeping.

Heeju paced the unlit living room before stepping out onto the balcony. The chilly wind sharpened her focus.

She had wasted enough time while the threats paused. It was time to end this.

The tedious seconds passed and the call finally went through.

And in that moment— the suffocating pressure of her father, the blackmailer, the teeth, the campaign— all of it evaporated at the sound of his voice.

His voice swept through her mind like a cold gust.

―”After all the trouble you’ve caused, why are you so late to call?”

She found herself at a loss for words.

Even though they had just been together, hearing his voice again felt oddly unfamiliar. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

“W-Were you waiting for me?”
―”A guy who pulls teeth barehanded wouldn’t be the type to hold back, would he?”

Her lips tightened as the memory of blood and fear surfaced.

―”So why didn’t you call sooner?”
“Why… do you keep dragging this?”

Her voice trembled faintly, but she didn’t mind. It worked to her advantage to seem unsettled.

“I only want one thing. I told you to put things back the way they were…! If you don’t like that, then pay the 2 billion won. And if you don’t want that either…”
― “…’
“It’s your fault for underestimating my threats.”

At the same time, it was Heeju’s misfortune to pick up the wrong phone in the first place.

“You nearly choked to death, yet you’re still so composed?”

The memory of her husband returning home in a disheveled state flashed in her mind, making her chest sting unexpectedly.

For someone who almost died, why couldn’t he just make a decision already? Anger surged in her, though she tried hard to ignore it.

― “I waited because I had a question.”
“……”
― “Something I need to hear directly from you.”
“What the h*ll is it?”
― “If I get rid of Hong Heeju, what do you gain from it?”

His voice was sharp as a knife.

― “If you don’t answer properly, negotiations will drag on indefinitely.”
“……!”

What she stood to gain was obvious: freedom. But in her current disguise, she couldn’t say that outright.

This was where her carefully crafted plan began to falter. She couldn’t come up with a single convincing excuse.

― “Go ahead and set more fires or pull out more teeth if you want.”
“……”
― “But I want my answer.”

She ruffled her hair in frustration due to Sa-eon’s stubborn lines.

“Because I hate you so much, I just want to see you fail miserably!”

The words tumbled out before she could think them through. Heeju immediately regretted it. But spilled words couldn’t be taken back.

Silence prevailed on the line.

‘What now? Did he hang up?’

She checked the screen, but the call was still active. Baek Sa-eon wasn’t even breathing audibly. And this silence made the atmosphere heavier.

Just then,
― “Ha… Do you have any idea of how weird you sound?”

His voice, rough and tinged with mocking laughter, finally broke the silence.

― “What exactly is your relationship with Heeju?”
“…W-What?”
― “Your threats sound like they’re for her benefit.”
“…!”
― “You seem to know my wife quite well.”
“……”
― “Let me ask again.”

Heeju felt scared.

― “What exactly are you to Hong Heeju?”
“…!”

His voice, sharp as a needle, stabbed directly into her ears.

“W-What kind of nonsense is that?” she stammered, struggling to form a coherent response.

― “What will be faster, me getting Heeju to talk or tracking you down?”
“……!”

It was just a voice, but the venom in it spread like poison.

― “Why exactly 2 billion won? How did you get her photos? Why do you want us to divorce? Do you know how all of this sounds to me?”

Wait… Could he have figured it out? He doesn’t know it’s me, right?

Cold sweat dripped down her face as she bit her nails nervously.

― “It sounds like you’re trying to extort her.”

What? Just what did he say?

― “What do you plan on doing with Heeju after divorce?”
“…!”
― “Even if you pull this off, to her you’ll be the culprit that harmed her father. Do you really think I would bow down to some pathetic scumb*g like you?”

Her mind blanked as his words sunk in.

― “It doesn’t matter if you were her ex or are her current lover. Heeju isn’t going anywhere. Whatever you were to her, or whatever you’re calling yourself now, none of it matters.”

What? L-Lover?

― “From her car to her father and now her husband, you’ve been violently disrupting everything around her. It’s clear you’re out of your mind.”

Wait! H-Hold on… where is this going?!

― “I have no intention of letting her go. Not now, not ever.”

Her cheeks burned with the fire of her anger.

“What the h*ll are you talking about?!”

She felt like being choked.

This was the worst possible scenario. If she ended up being seen as the adulterous party, the consequences would be catastrophic.

If there were any blame to be assigned, it should fall squarely on her husband— not her.

She couldn’t live with the injustice of it all.