𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑰𝒔 𝑶𝒖𝒓𝒔 ✓

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

SHE stared at the long, seemingly endless alleyway that led to the bus station, the one she assumed her husband might be in. She directed her phone's bright flashlight at the ground, mostly at her high wedge heels, to see what she was stepping on. She ran a hand through her soft, long chestnut-brown hair, huffing in distress at how dark the alleyway was. Its brick-like interior was mixed with random, broken wood and green pieces of broken glass scattered around the floor. There were also no lights whatsoever and she had to squint through the light from her phone to see if there was anyone (or anything) there.

"Hyunjin?" She called out. "Beautiful, are you here?"

Her voice echoed dramatically through the square-like alleyway.

"Baby? I'm here, baby... Now, come out, please."

Then, she stopped for a minute, biting her inner cheeks to growl in dismay.

What was she doing?

Her cute, young husband was not going to be in a dark, abandoned alleyway with his phone without contacting her to let her know he was safe.

Not in that lifetime, anyway.

And he would've definitely called someone at any time in the past week to at least talk to them.

But that was something he didn't do.

She glanced into her phone screen, and the map that was opened met her sight. As soon as she squinted her eyes to read the map better, her eyes widened in shock.

Hyunjin's avatar was right above hers.

She pointed the flashlight around the walls, looking for any doors or windows. Then glanced at the broken wood and glass on the floor.

And that was when she spotted something lying on the floor.

She took a few steps towards it, and stared at it from her position, then kneeled down to pick it up. The smooth, familiar material rubbed against her fingers—the very same material she was holding in her other hand.

A phone.

Ignoring the light scratch on its screen, she pressed on its power button and turned it on.

The bright light made her shut her eyes close for a minute, but as soon as she opened them, she was met by the familiar picture of her husband hugging her close.

She knew the lock screen, as she had seen it before.

On her phone.

And it didn't take long for her to absorb the fact that she was holding her missing husband's phone.

"B-Baby..."

Where was he?

"I miss you a lot, baby..."

A small tear made it way out of her eye, down her soft cheeks while she stared at the lockscreen. The sight broke her heart, if she was being honest.

She wanted to hold him between her arms once again and tell him that everything would be fine, then kiss his plump lips over and over until they turn sensitive.

But staring at the phone in her hand at that moment, she could feel that bright hope she had of her husband's return sliding further away from her.

But her hope was still there, despite all of that.

She held the phone to her heart and closed her eyes, hugging the smooth material against her chest.

After all, it was the last thing her husband had with him before his disappearance.

And she wanted to keep it safe until (she hoped) it would be returned to her husband.

Taking steps closer to the exit of the alleyway, where her car was waiting for her, she climbed into the driver's seat and locked the door behind her, hitting her forehead against the steering wheel in disappointment.

She wanted him back.

Her shoulders shook with sobs that dared to escape her mouth. She pounded her head against the steering wheel.

Once, twice.

Her forehead ached and her vision spun, but she didn't care.

She couldn't bring herself to care while her husband was out there somewhere, probably begging to be taken home. To be with her.

"I miss you," she repeated. Over and over again until her voice was hoarse. Her cheeks were now wet with tears.

After pulling herself together, she turned on the engine to her luxurious BMW and hit the brakes with her foot, then began driving towards the police station she was in before.

"If you find anything," his voice echoed through her mind, "you need to tell us right away. It will help the investigation."

She mentally rolled her eyes, her hands still on the steering wheel.

It has been a little over a week of her husband's disappearance.

And they still didn't find a clue, as if he had simply vanished into thin air.

She scoffed at her thoughts, this time visibly rolling her eyes.

He couldn't have vanished into thin air.

Something must have happened to him.

And as of now, she crossed out the possibilities of what might have happened.

Suicide?

No. Because there would be a body.

Running away?

It didn't seem like her husband, because her little angel would do anything to be back home between her arms.

Hiding somewhere?

Also unlikely. Because what would he be hiding from?

Kidnapped?

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment. The idea made more tears fill up her eyes and she could only shake her head.

That idea never crossed her mind.

And to her dismay, it seemed like the only possible solution.

Because why else would she find his phone in a dark, abandoned alleyway close to his parents' house?

And why else hasn't he contacted her over the past week to let her know he was alive?

The only answer was that he was being threatened or held hostage by someone. Or some people.

Trying to steady her breathing and her racing heartbeats, she closed her eyes for only a few moments to calm herself down, then opened it once again to focus on the road.

And despite many attempts from her to shake the idea away, the thoughts in her mind seemed to be too stubborn to simply let the idea go. Her breath hitched once again, barely escaping her nose. She shook her head once again, eventually agreeing with her mind as she knew that it made sense.

Her husband was kidnapped.

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