When The Phone Rings

Chapter 53

"And then the car accident happened, Heeju," In-ah said.

"...!"

"The car we were in... the one where I got hurt, and our younger brother died."

Heeju felt her mind slipping into a fog, her thoughts scattering.

"It happened the day after Representative Baek Jangho smiled at me like that."

Her sister's words struggled to register.

The screech of tires, the violent collision with the truck that crossed the centerline, and the crushing pain of everything being flattened.

The sight of their younger brother, lifeless even before he could cry out, his blood staining everything red, and the sharp, stifling stench of oil.

The chaos of that day flashed vividly before her eyes, as if it had happened only yesterday.

And with it, the puzzle pieces began to fall into place.

Was that why In-ah had always seemed so tense around Baek Saeon? Why her face would go blank whenever he was near?

How had her sister kept this secret for so long?

The accident had happened when Heeju was just nine years old—nearly twenty years ago. In-ah had carried this suspicion alone for all those years.

That constant anxiety must have grown alongside her. It was its own form of punishment.

"Eventually, I told Dad," In-ah said, her voice cold and steady.

She remembered that day with perfect clarity.

"Dad dismissed it outright. At the time, Representative Baek Jangho was supplying dirt on government officials and newsworthy scandals to Sangyeong Ilbo. That’s how the paper grew into what it is today—by monopolizing those exclusives."

"..."

"The two families were already in a symbiotic relationship, like a crocodile and a plover. My concerns were ignored. All Dad cared about was his ambition to become a kingmaker."

"..."

"So I ran away," In-ah said, pressing her lips tightly together.

"I couldn’t marry a man I didn’t even know."

Her words struck Heeju deeply, an ache blooming in her chest.

In sign language, Heeju asked, "So... you met him the day before the wedding?"

In-ah looked slightly startled but nodded.

"Yes. I met him, clinging to the hope that I could stop the wedding somehow."

"What do you mean?"

In-ah’s face turned cold.

"The last time I saw Baek Saeon, I wanted to try anything to stop the wedding. Even if it meant threatening him."

"...!"

"I told him I’d expose his secrets."

The word threaten made Heeju flinch.

"I went there to blackmail him."

"...!"

In-ah clenched her jaw.

"Even when I told him I’d reveal everything about him, he didn’t so much as blink. Instead, he brought up the car accident and laughed."

"...!"

"The bastard," In-ah spat, her voice trembling with fury.

At last, Heeju understood the true nature of her sister’s long-held animosity. It hadn’t been directed at her, but at Baek Saeon from the very beginning.

"That’s when I knew. My careless words as a child had cost our younger brother his life."

Guilt spread across In-ah’s pale face. She lowered her head, her voice trembling as though confessing a grave sin.

"And then... he blackmailed me instead."

Three years ago, In-ah had been too emotional, her mind too disorganized. She had no preparation and no clear plan. The moment she confirmed her long-held suspicions, her resolve crumbled.

Her attempt to confront him had always been doomed. From start to finish, she was at a disadvantage, while Baek Saeon remained composed.

It felt like staring into a blade disguised as a human being.

That was when he made his proposal.

"Give me your sister."

"He said if I gave you to him, he’d let me leave unscathed."@@@@

"...!"

"He promised I could leave without Dad ever finding out."

When In-ah’s eyes, filled with torment, met Heeju’s, an instinctive dread swept over her.

A part of her already knew she wouldn’t want to hear what was coming next.

"As payment for my silence, Baek Saeon demanded you as a hostage."

It felt as if nails were being driven into Heeju’s throat.

"I knew it was cowardly, but I was so scared..."

Her voice trembled like a storm-tossed wave.

"He said if I handed you over, he’d ensure I could escape safely. He’d even free me from the arranged marriage. But the price he demanded... was you."

“We have to settle the score properly, don’t we?”

Heeju stared blankly into the air and nodded silently. She felt oddly drained, incapable of responding. All she could do was bite down on her icy, trembling lips.

She was completely lost.

“We practiced for this, didn’t we? You even endured your sister’s harsh words for it.”

For a while, the kidnapper’s flippant laughter echoed. Then, as his laughter faded, his voice grew darker, more somber.

“Confess. I want your confession.”

“...”

Her aimless steps came to an abrupt halt.

“From the time... you stood there and just watched Baek Saeon die.”

“!”

“As the only witness—”

“...”

“What were you thinking as you watched me die?”

What was he talking about?

Heeju’s eyes darted around, unfocused and unsteady. Dusk was settling on the distant horizon, casting long shadows.

“That’s what I’ve wanted to hear for so long.”

“What are you... I, I don’t...”

“Still don’t get it?”

“...”

“You said you wanted to go back to how things were.”

“!”

“My stolen name, my stolen place, my stolen honor... I’m going to take it all back, even if it’s late.”

The kidnapper’s voice trembled, barely holding back his agitation.

“The name Baek Saeon—damn it, it was mine! That was my name!”

“!”

It felt like a knife had pierced her ribs, the pain sharp and jarring.

The truth shattered her. The name she had cherished, the man she had loved, was crumbling into pieces before her eyes.

He laughed again, bitter and taunting.

“Tell me, sister. You don’t really want to live with me, do you?”

Her thoughts felt sluggish, her mind refusing to work properly. Her eyelids fluttered, her ears ringing.

But finally, a strangled sound escaped her lips.

“If I become Baek Saeon again, then technically, you’d be my wife.”

“!”

“Could you live like that?”

It was horrifying. Her pupils trembled violently, her breath caught in her throat as though someone was choking her from behind.

“So hurry up and finish this, okay? Let’s get it over with, damn it.”

“...”

“When I’m Baek Saeon again, I’m not taking you with me. I told you, you’re a burden.”

His voice, low and tense, carried a sinister undertone as he chuckled.

“If you don’t give me the confession, this time it won’t be your father, but your husband—yes, the bastard who stole my life—who dies.”

“!”

“I don’t make empty threats. That’s why your sister fell off the mountain, remember?”

Heeju flinched violently.

“Think back. Who pushed her?”

No, that can’t be...

Desperately, she shook her head, denying it.

But then she remembered. The sensation of a heavy arm hitting her body.

It had all happened so fast.

There was the group photo, everyone raising their arms, chanting encouragement together.

No, it couldn’t have been...

But only the people from the Public Relations Office had been there.

Her trembling limbs, barely healed from her stitches, began to shake uncontrollably.

Who was the last face she had seen before falling?

Instinctively, Heeju tried to recall the moment, but her memories were blurry and fragmented.

“Time to return the phone now, sister.”

The kidnapper’s final command rang in her ears:

Confess. That was the ransom he demanded.