When The Phone Rings

Chapter 42

/contains mature themes/

Heeju glanced at the clock, pulled the blanket over her head, and checked the time again. She was going through a cycle of agony and indecision.

She wanted to confirm Baek Sa-eon’s deviance one more time, yet at the same time, she never wanted to know.

“Ugh…”

Heeju groaned, nervously biting at her fingernails. Her mind now was a chaotic mess.

But…

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Her curiosity about Baek Sa-eon, her fear as his wife, and her burning denial of reality all tangled together, eventually compelling her to pick up her phone.

Ring! Ring!

My heart raced like no other.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have called him..-‘

Just then, the ringing stopped abruptly.

“……!”

Heeju’s mouth went dry as the connection was made.

‘Am I… trembling?’

It was a moment where Heeju instinctively held her breath.

― “Why are you calling again?”

The sharp voice on the other end cut straight to the point, almost accusatory.

― “Last time you couldn’t say a word because you were too scared, and now this.”

She felt a moment of relief that there was no sound of running water in the background, but his condescending tone made her frown.

― “What kind of spectacle are you hoping to see this time? Should I assume you’re okay with me staining something else of yours if I interpret it that way?”

His tone was hard and slow, and I could hear the bitterness in it.

That’s when Heeju’s eyes glinted sharply.

“If I open my mouth, your political career is finished.”
― “……”

As if observing the situation, the room beyond the receiver went silent.

No, I have to make it rougher. More vulgar. Like a real blackmailer! Why am I still dilly-dallying, when I’ve already decided to be a rebellious divorcee?
She steeled herself to become 406, the blackmailer 406 once again. Even blackmailers have their pride…!

Her stubbornness bordered on denial—there was no way, no way Baek Sa-eon could really act like this…

“You b*stard! I told you to meet my demands first!”
― “Oh! Is this how you want to play?”
“Do you really not care if this gets out? Even if everyone points fingers at you?”
― “If we’re playing, I’d prefer something more risqué.”

Mirroring her aggressive tone, Baek Sa-eon’s response kept his tempo steady and prevented her from dominating the conversation, which only increased Heeju’s frantic feeling.

“Turn everything back to normal already!”

Before the call spirals out of control! Heeju bit her lower lip, grinding her teeth in frustration.

“Do you want me to ruin your reputation? Do you think a power-hungry beast like you could even survive that?”

She was making sharp provocative statements deliberately.

A click followed by the sound of a lighter flicking open, then the faint crackle of a cigarette being lit, reached her ears. He assumed a relaxed posture, his chin resting on his hand, prepared to be entertained.

“If you keep dragging this, I might be forced to do something drastic!”
― “Sorry, but I prefer to take my time. I’m not one to finish quickly.”
“That’s not what I mean right now! Do you even know how many of your weaknesses I’ve uncovered? What if I spread these recordings far and wide? What about your reputation? Aren’t you scared?”
― “Hmm.”
“Show some fear! I’m 406…! The blackmailer 406!”

Her desperate shout came out slightly strained, almost making her voice appear cracked.

It was the naive hope of a wife clinging to the idea that this was all just a mistake. An attempt to erase what had happened during their call last night, no matter how futile.

― “There wouldn’t be any damage.”
“What?”
― “Having a woman I desire isn’t a weakness. If it’s all within an acknowledged, consensual relationship, what’s the issue?”
“……!”

A woman… he desires?

Every word he spoke stirred the heart of Heeju, leaving it raw and bruised.

What kind of country would ever condone infidelity?!

Her blood pressure surged, tension coiling tightly at the back of her neck. Yet Baek Sa-eon continued speaking with his usual composure.

― “If anything, it would backfire as an invasion of privacy. I have nothing to hide. Sure, it might tarnish my reputation a bit, but I could spin it as an opportunity to lead public efforts against digital s3xual crimes. With the right framing, I could even push for amendments to related laws.”

The audacity of his words.

Heeju buried her forehead into the pillow, her breath hitching in her throat.

Three years of a cold and distant marriage. Discovering the true nature of her husband under these circumstances felt like a cruel, unrelenting punishment.

She pressed her nose deeper into the pillow, nearly suffocating, before finally lifting her face with a gasping puhah! Tears had stained her face.

“Can a married man behave this way?”
― “No, he can’t.”

His reply came quickly, curt yet strangely firm.

“Then why are you…”
― “Because you’re 406.”
“What?”
― “I can only act this way because you are 406.”

The vague fear that had haunted her now took shape, solidifying into something palpable. The blood seemed to drain from her face.

― “Let’s get back to the main point,” he said.
“…”
― “406, have you ever done it yourself?”

His audacious question left her utterly stunned.

You b*stard…!

“D*mn it…”

The curse slipped out, involuntarily. It was the only response she could muster. Baek Sa-eon chuckled softly.
― “You’re truly impressive. Looks like threatening and swearing, both are your forte.”
“Haa…!”
― “Every time we talk, I feel energized.”

Heeju slammed her face back into the pillow, realizing the extent of the situation. It was more humiliating than the years of neglect she had endured.

It was undeniable now— Baek Sa-eon was genuinely trying to have an affair with 406, without Heeju realizing it.

She thought she had uncovered another one of his weaknesses, but her mood kept sinking lower and lower. Worse than the days of being ignored by her husband was the realization that things could still reach new depths of humiliation.

She clenched her teeth tightly, almost grinding them. How do I deal with this b*stard? Just how…

The anger inside her began to swell again, that familiar sensation of rage that she thought she had buried long ago now resurfacing like sediment stirred up from the bottom of a still pond.

“Tonight, I was thinking of playing on my wife’s bed,” he murmured.

At that moment, something inside her snapped.

“Fine.”
― “…….”

The tension in the air thickened, suffocating them both.

“Go ahead.”

Her mind was too heated to allow for any rational thought. But one thing remained clear.

‘I need to make sure we get divorced.’

Her eyes glinted with determination, shining like an oil-slick surface catching the light.

‘Do you think I can’t play the mistress if I wanted to?’

“Start j*rking off,” she dared.
― “I would have grabbed 406’s br*ast if you were in front of me right now. Lifted the dress.. Haah.. and then s*cked on it…”

The sound of something wet echoed repeatedly, sharp and deliberate.

― “If you were here, that’s exactly what I would have done.”

‘I can’t take this anymore. This is unbearable.’

― “Men can release fluids too,” he continued, his voice slow and sultry. “I want to smear this on 406’s tongue, or even… apply it somewhere deeper. But I suppose the innocent 406 would be startled by that.”

Heeju felt mortified.

‘I wanted him to be started, not start this obscene mess…!’

Her resolve wavered in less than a minute.

There was a faint rustling sound— was he undressing? Pulling back the sheets? The lack of visuals only fed her imagination, allowing it to run rampant.

She envisioned long, stretched legs, firm abs leading down to his pelvic line, and a man lightly draped in white sheets, standing tall at his center.

The image sharpened: her husband leaning against the bed, hand moving rhythmically.

― “406 keeps hurling insults at me, haah…”

His breath hitched, and she could hear his jaw clenching.

― “Are you tough down there too?”

Her face burned so intensely that she thought she might faint. The real problem was the heat spreading within her as well, starting low in her abdomen and radiating outward in soft, pulsing waves.

― “I didn’t get an answer earlier. Has 406 ever done it alone?”
“…!”

The deep, provocative tone scraped against her ears.

― “Like I’m doing right now. Have you ever touched yourself?”
“I… haven’t,” she admitted, swallowing hard.
― “Never had someone else touch you either? Like, say… your husband?”
“No, no one…”
― “No one, huh…”

The condescending tone in his voice made her bristle.

“Then what about you? Have you ever touched your wife?”
― “…”

The silence on the other end was almost suffocating. Then came the rhythmic sound of increased friction, accompanied by a low chuckle.

― “I’ve never slept with Heeju.”

The bluntness of his statement made her stiff.

― “My wife… still has some baby fat left on her face. Sometimes I still see glimpses of her younger self in her. The girl who barely reached my chest, no matter how much she’s grown now… hah… I’d have to be insane to…”

His voice trailed off into a groan, deep and tinged with frustration.

― “Fragile things crumble too easily. But 406… I don’t need restraint with you. That’s what makes it so good.”
“!”
― “You’re a vicious blackmailer, after all,” he said, his voice carrying a dark amusement.

She felt herself sinking deeper into the mire of his words, a swamp she couldn’t escape.

As if reaching his climax, his breath came out ragged and spent. The sticky remnants of his words clung to her ears.

“Did you really… do it in Hong Heeju’s room?” she asked in a daze.

His answer was swift, almost nonchalant. “Yes. And when she gets discharged, she will probably lie down here without a clue.”

“…!”
― “She won’t realize that I had been here. While smelling her scent, I had… released myself.”
“Why…?” Her voice broke, barely audible. “Why are you so disgusting?”

Her face was burning as she rubbed at her cheeks, her brows knitted in disapproval.

“I thought you at least cared for your wife a little. How could you… have this kind of conversation with me behind Hong Heeju’s back?”

Her voice carried a faint, creeping tone of reproach. She was disappointed— not just as his wife, but as a person observing his degradation.

There was a soft crackle— he had taken a drag of his cigarette, the ember eating away at the filter. A faint laugh followed, carrying smoke with it.

― “And who do you think is pushing me to this point?”
“What?”
― “Do you think I can get worked up by anything?”
“T- That…”

While she stammered, he delivered the final blow.

― “Next time, 406 will have to strip too.”
“…!”
― “I’m giving you a heads-up.”

Heeju stared at her phone, her eyes clenched shut.

The space between her legs felt uncomfortably damp. Every shift of her posture caused her underwear to brush against her, reminding her of her unwanted arousal.