When The Phone Rings

Chapter 05

“It’s an internet-based American number. But it’s untraceable b- because I manipulated the caller ID myself. The VPN reroutes in real-time, so you can only use it for ten minutes.”
“……”
“Baek Sa-eon… his voice..”

The dialing tone cut off again.

“I want to hear him talking!”

The car fell silent after the beeping of countless missed calls.

“Pick up! Pick up! Pick up! D*mmit!”

He dialed again with bloodshot eyes. The man was on the verge of losing control.

‘At this rate, what would happen if I jerked the steering wheel? My bag and phone were already pinned under the kidnapper’s body. What if I just slammed it into something and escaped?’

Heeju squinted through the blurry windshield, glancing around. If only she could get out of this desolate place and someone else could report a car accident…

Heeju twisted the wheel and veered off the road.

“D*mn it―!”

The kidnapper lurched to the side and dropped his phone. His eyes flashed with fury as he violently yanked her hair. A wide blade pressed against her cheekbone.

The monotonous hold tone and the rhythmic drumming of rain merged into a single, relentless beat.

“Are you out of your mind, sis?”
“…Ugh!”

A sharp pain shot through her scalp, forcing her to gasp.

“It’s… useless.”

Heeju found her own dry voice unfamiliar. There was no room for hesitation anymore.

“Baek Sa-eon… won’t negotiate.”
“Why? You’re his wife, aren’t you?”
“……”
“Aren’t you his family?”

As the wheel wobbled and crossed the centerline, the car swayed dangerously.

“If you die, he’ll be the one to grieve.”

But he was completely wrong.

His wife? His only family? Trying to threaten Baek Sa-eon with something like that was naive.

‘Baek Sa-eon has no weaknesses.’

Using his “wife” to gain the upper hand was a dumb move. Heeju knew the kidnapper’s efforts would be in vain.

At that precise moment, the persistent dial tone fell silent.

— “…”

The call was finally connected.

Heeju and the kidnapper’s gazes met in midair.

― “…”
― “…the more I think about it, the more annoyed I feel.”

Unlike the first, emotionless call, his voice was now laced with irritation. His voice subtly carried an undeniable note of personal resentment.

― “I just wanted to hear your disgusting voice one more time.”

A sinister gleam of triumph flickered in the kidnapper’s eyes.

“Sorry. But.. um.. how do I say this? My voice is…”

He chuckled, a grotesque melody escaping his lips. His distorted and thick voice echoed back.

“I used a voice changer. Do you like it?”

The kidnapper put his arm around Heeju’s shoulders and held the phone up to her mouth, gesturing for her to ‘sing along.’

But thinking that Baek Sa-eon was on the other end left her tongue-tied again.

“You know… Should we start with the money?”
― “…”
“How much do you think your wife’s worth?”

A barely audible sigh hissed through his teeth.

― “I’ll keep this short. See you in court.”
“Did you hear me? Huh? I said your wife…!”
― “There won’t be any ransom.”

Baek Sa-eon coldly silenced the kidnapper.

― “You can use a voice filter if you want. You can sing your little songs, too. Call me when a body is found.”

His voice, sharp as a knife, cut through each word. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he ended the call.

Beep, beep!

The monotonous signal reminded her of a hospital monitor showing flat lines.

“…!”

The kidnapper’s eyes bulged in anger as if they were about to burst. Heeju bit her lip so hard it turned a ghastly white.

No matter what, still… How could he not have even a shred of doubt? How could he not even try to listen? How could he…?

To be rejected and dismissed before she could even make a plea was utterly crushing.

“Hey, sis, did you hear that? That rude son of a―”
“B*stard!”

Her voice cracked as it escaped her lips.

A heavy weight settled on her chest as she opened her mouth, but when the words rushed out, it became a torrent she could no longer contain.

The most sensitive part of her was being butchered.

“…Call him again.”

The kidnapper was forced to stop his eye-rolling hearing Heeju’s words.

“What?”
“I said, call him again…!”

The simple act of speaking was a monumental challenge for Heeju. A wave of heat surged through her, making her skin prickle.

“Sis?”
“Ugh…”

Soon her fragile resolve crumbled to dust. It wasn’t like she had ever dared to hope for anything in the first place.

“Make it 2 billion.”
“What?”
“My ransom.”

The kidnapper stared at her without even blinking.

“No- that’s not my ransom but the worth of his brand like name.”

Heeju floored the gas pedal, pushing the car to its limits.

Beep, beep!

As the signal tone resumed, Heeju gritted her teeth.

“I’m not Baek Sa-eon’s weakness.”
“What?”
“So that kind of emotional blackmail won’t work on him.”

Her husband treated her as nothing. He was always indifferent, cold, and didn’t even acknowledge her existence.

His complete disregard for her was so thorough it bordered on obsession. To the point, it made Heeju feel paranoid.

Maybe it’s because I’m not the biological daughter of Sangyeong. Because I’m just a young woman temporarily filling in his real fiance’s shoes…

Becoming Baek Sa-eon’s wife had been an unattainable dream from the start. Heeju had resigned herself to her wilted hopes long before they could even begin.

His callous indifference no longer caused pain; it was merely exhausting and predictable.

―Call me when a body is found.

But then why? Why is it hurting me so much? Why does it feel like my world has fallen apart?

“…He hates anything that could tarnish his reputation.”

Why do I feel so devastated and broken?

“He hasn’t set foot in his residence in five years because he doesn’t want any political entanglements. He’s the kind of man who would sever even blood ties for his goals.”

To a man like that, a mere wife meant nothing.

“You picked the wrong hostage from the start.”
“……”
“You should’ve taken his reputation, his public image, hostage instead.”

Heeju’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the wheel.

“You should’ve d*filed that perfect image of his.”

The kidnapper’s eyes narrowed as he saw Heeju speeding.

“You’re contradicting yourself, sis. Didn’t you say he has no weaknesses?”
“……”
“Then how do you want me to tarnish him?”
“If there isn’t one, you can make one.”
“What?”

Baek Sa-eon was a man driven by ambition. Like most political figures, he was cunning and deeply aspirational. He despised relying on his parents’ influence and wanted to build his own power base.

His self-discipline was impeccable, and he allowed no flaws to taint his image.

Perhaps that hunger for power was in his blood.

When he announced his sudden move into the Blue House, Heeju immediately understood what Sa-eon truly wanted.

For five years, he had become the public face of the Blue House without a single scandal. At times, he wielded more recognition and trust than the president himself.

The way to implicate such a perfect spokesperson was―.

“Hey, Sis, are you helping me? Why are you helping me? What about Baek Sa-eon?”
“…That’s…”
“What?”

Heeju glanced at the phone the kidnapper was using to negotiate.

“Is the voice filter on?”
“Yeah. People wouldn’t notice even if we took turns talking.”

She nervously licked her pale lips.

Her sister, who had lost her hearing in an accident, took Heeju everywhere. A young Heeju, still carrying her recorder-filled schoolbag, had to sit between the two adults, acting as a bridge for nearly a decade.

Whether through written notes or sign language, she spent years like a messenger.

So don’t provoke me. I’m barely hanging on to my sanity. Please!

‘When did I start chanting this like a mantra?’

The in-laws, her own family, Baek Sa-eon— they all treated her like she didn’t matter. Every one of those wr*tched people who refused to even acknowledge her…!

Beep, beep!

The tone stopped.

“Don’t hang up, you piece of sh*t―!”

A hoarse, trembling voice, fueled by rage, escaped Heeju’s lips.

She could no longer bear the weight of the injustice she had suffered, and her pent-up anger exploded.

“If you don’t want to be humiliated in front of the entire nation, you better talk!”

Tears spilled unexpectedly, and she wiped them roughly with her sleeve. She was lost in a whirlwind of feelings she couldn’t comprehend.

She never imagined that she would raise her voice, let alone talk with him in such a manner…

Heeju felt a sting of shame and a dull ache in her chest.

― “Sir…! Wait, I forwarded the wrong…”

A new voice, flustered and stuttering, interrupted.

― “What is this? Is this another threatening call? Hang up. It’s not even worth listening to. It’s just another obvious voice phishing scam…”
― “But Sir, the person speaking is…”
― “Assistant Park, I told you to hang up. I don’t have time for this nonsense…”

The familiar voice grew distant, and the breathless assistant hurried to catch up.

Even without seeing it, Heeju could imagine the scene vividly.

Don’t go! Don’t just walk away like that.

Heeju yelled after him, “Baek Sa-eon, you’ll regret this. I’ll expose your dirty personal life…!”

As her voice rose to a crescendo of anger, a derisive laugh cut through the air.