When The Phone Rings

On the second floor of a hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, Heeju felt overwhelmed the moment she stepped inside.

The event was attended by key government officials, including the deputy prime minister for the economy, various ministers and senior aides, as well as major figures from politics, business, finance, labour, sports, media and academia.

The people gathered here were ordinary.

"Son-in-law!"

Kim Yeon-hee, who was receiving the guests, smiled like a flower when she noticed them entering. She seemed more excited to see her son-in-law than her own daughter.

"Is the rumour true that Rep. Baek has teamed up with 'Sankyeong Daily'?"
"Isn't this the first time we've seen his wife?"
"Rep. Baek must be seriously preparing to run for president..."

A wave of hushed conversation swept through the crowd and found its way to Baek Sa-eon's ears. Curious glances soon turned to the woman holding his arm.

Heeju's skin crawled with unease, but she kept her expression calm and her gaze fixed forward. She had only one task today.

I'm just a showpiece. Nothing more than that.

At that moment, Kim Yeon-hee pushed her way through the crowd to reach the young couple.

"How did you two end up together? I thought you wouldn't come."
"Have you been well?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Kim Yeon-hee smiled brightly, unaffected by Sa-eon's curt greeting.

"But, Baek son-in-law, could I borrow my daughter for a moment?"

Baek Sa-eon frowned slightly, but finally gave a small nod. However, Heeju instinctively tightened her grip on his arm.

"...!"

His indifferent face stiffened slightly as their arms tangled. Realising her mistake, Heeju quickly released him. But Baek Sa-eon frowned and fixed his gaze on her.

In a low voice he murmured, "Don't you want to go?"
"..."

His cold, usual expression was the same, but there was something subtly different.

As if... as if he would grant me whatever I asked for...

What an absurd thought...!

She shook her head again, gently this time.

"H- Heeju!"

The tension between them was instantly broken as her mother interjected.

"How could you bother our son-in-law like that?"

Pulling Heeju to her side, her mother gave Baek Sa-eon a reassuring smile, as if to say there was nothing to worry about.

The man frowned. His piercing gaze made Heeju feel uncomfortable, so she looked away.

"You...!"

Lowering her voice to a whisper, Kim Yeon-hee pulled Heeju into a corner. Still, she maintained an elegant smile and nodded to the guests they passed.

"What's wrong with your father?"
But as soon as they were alone, her expression changed dramatically.

"I heard you moved him to another nursing home."
"..."
"Why did the son-in-law mention your father? Did he... find out?"

A sharp rebuke flew at Heeju's reluctant nod.

"You have finally revealed your true nature. I didn't know you were someone who exploited your family's misfortune for pity. It must be hard for you to take care of two fathers."

Her mother's lips quivered in frustration.

"What kind of person would brazenly reveal such a thing?"
"..."
"How do you think it looks for you to be a duplicitous woman who still cares for her ex-husband? What do you think Chairman Hong would say? Don't forget, I only helped you out of pity. That was my last bit of generosity!

Heeju could feel her mother's humiliation as well as her anger. She was desperate to bury her past as a singer.

Her mother's denial hurt Heeju even more.

"If you go on like this, I'll put your father in a psychiatric hospital, not a nursing home."
"...!"

Heeju met her mother's eyes in defiance.

"Don't make a scene. There is no need to call the police or resort to violence. He's just an old man with a few loose teeth. But if Chairman Hong's name is dragged into this..."

Her mother's words carried the weight of a threat. Heeju gritted her teeth.

"How can you be so...?"

Kim Yeon-hee clicked her tongue and exhaled heavily.

"Don't you understand what's at stake?"
"..."
"Handle your father's business quietly. If you can't, bury it."

Despite Yeon-hee's desperate mood, she smoothed back her hair with refined composure.

Soon, mother's eyes pierced into the distance. She looked at Baek Sa-eon, who was surrounded by his admirers.

"This position was out of your league. Now that you occupy this place, you'd better act accordingly."

Among all the men, Baek Sa-eon stood out - strikingly handsome and composed.

He was very familiar with such circumstances. The layout, the distance - there was something definite about it.

"Before you lose everything."
"...!"

Her mood sank to its lowest point when her mother left to greet others with a smile, "Oh, Mrs Jung...!"

Heeju stepped behind a pillar and tried to calm her chaotic breathing. The pain in her scratched wrist was nothing compared to the pain of being treated like an unwelcome guest by her own mother.

'I... I forgot to take my medicine...'

Every encounter with her mother triggered a wave of crushing depression.

It was 9.50pm.

But as a new task crossed her mind, her expression changed. Apathy turned to energy, despair to determination.

It was a miracle, triggered by nothing more than a phone in her hand.

Something more important than the charade had to be accomplished.

Heeju grabbed a passing champagne flute, downed it in one gulp and headed for the toilet with her bag.

***

The powder room echoed with muffled voices.

"Did you see Hong Heeju tonight?"
"I did."
A strange nasal tone mixed with the answer.

Heeju paused in the middle of washing her hands to listen.

"She's so shameless. She stole In-ah's position and doesn't feel a shred of guilt."
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Sa-eon for ages. He's different now... he seems more mature. Don't you think so?"
"This position was meant for In-ah!"

The sharp accusation made Heeju jump.

"I told you she was strange from the start, didn't I?"
"You and your assumptions..."

Even as they exchanged barbs, their laughter intertwined with ease.

"From the moment she started going with In-ah, I found her strange. She was dark and hovered around us like a shadow."
"Do you think she learned sign language on purpose? To suck the life out of the Sankyeong Daily heiress?
"But who would have thought that she would even steal her sister's fiancé?"

Heeju let the water run as she stood motionless.

From a private school to a prestigious university, she had always been by Hong In-ah's side, even if her friends were reluctant to accept it.

After In-ah's disappearance, the whispers began.

Even the idea of the scandalous "dirty secrets" she used to force Baek Sa-eon to marry her probably came from these women.

"Where do you think In-ah went? Still no news?"
"I hope she didn't die somewhere..."
"Don't say such scary things...!"

Heeju lifted her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her wounded expression seemed just as sinister as they had described. It was an appearance that truly matched the plans she was making behind a voice modulator.

The clock was about to strike 22:00.

***

As the lift doors opened, the pitch black night sky poured in. The terrace was an open space, but the cold weather kept people away.

Ring! Ring!

Even with the dazzling night view beyond the railing, Heeju felt nothing but indifference. Every breath she exhaled vanished silently into the cold air.

- "Hello."
"..."
- "406, speak."
"..."

Strangely, she wanted to cry. Hearing that familiar, steady baritone, Heeju felt a sharp sting in her eyes. She wanted to say something but found herself pressing her lips tightly together.@@novelbin@@

- "What is it?"

Sensing the silence as a harbinger of trouble, his tone became sharp.

- "406."

Under his stern urging, she finally opened her mouth, unable to hold it any longer.

"When your fiancee disappeared and Hong Heeju replaced her... how did you feel?"

Her words felt like a blade she had deliberately turned on herself, as if she had decided to inflict even deeper wounds. She hoped that the sharper pain would make the faint, lingering pain disappear completely.

"I... I understand. It must have been hard for you then."
- "It was similar," he replied.

Heeju closed her eyes tightly.

- "To be precise, I was empty at first."
"...!"
- "A brat ruined all my plans."
"..."
- "At that moment, I had to plan everything anew. It was an inconvenience in every sense."

It was such a typical reaction from him. Heeju chuckled softly and sat down on the railing.

Nothing bridged a conversation gap or built rapport like shared contempt.

"Well, you had every right to feel that way. She had no money, no connections, no shares in the company. Her professional network was limited and, as the daughter-in-law of a political family, her social skills were non-existent. All she got were rumours that she was dark. People didn't see her as someone to be respected. She was just..."

Her eyes drifted to the distant, pitch-black night sky, her expression blank.

"...a footnote in Hong In-ah's biography."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips again and again.

"What's even funnier is that she was aware of it."

Her voice became slower and more drawn out as she spoke. The champagne she had downed earlier seemed to spread warmth through her body.

"She wanted to break free, but she always crumbled. She had no courage. Hong Heeju is just a coward who surrendered to money."
- "..."
"It's almost a relief that she can't speak. If she opened her mouth, she might even let out the dark smoke that causes her torment.

Heeju dangled her legs over the edge of the railing, swinging them aimlessly.

There was no reaction from Baek Sa-eon. Then she realised that she had been wandering for quite some time.

"Hello?"

She called to check, only to hear the faint grinding of teeth at the other end of the line.