When The Phone Rings / The Call You Just Made Is

Chapter 53 Confession

"Then, there was a car accident, Hee-joo." 

"......!"

"The car we were riding in... the one where I was injured and our brother died."

Hee-joo felt her mind go blank.

"It was the day after Councillor Baek Jang-ho smiled at me."

The words of her sister lingered in her mind for a long time.

The shrill sound of brakes, the collision with the truck that rushed across the central line, the pain of everything being crushed.

The brother who died before he had time to cry, the bright red blood in front of her eyes, and the pungent smell of gasoline.

The chaotic scene appeared vividly in front of her as if it happened yesterday. At the same time, the whole puzzle was gradually pieced together.

So, every time she saw Baek Sa-eon, her sister would be nervous? Was her expression always particularly stiff?

How did her sister keep this secret for so long?

When the accident happened, Hee-joo was only nine years old, which means that her sister had been suspicious alone for nearly 20 years. That feeling of uneasiness intensified as she grew up, which was simply an invisible punishment.

"Time passed, and one day I told my father--"

Hong In-ah remembered that day clearly.

"Father didn't care. At that time, Congressman Baek Jang-ho was still alive, and he had been providing the Sangkyung Ilbo with scandals and news materials about government officials. The Sangkyung Daily therefore monopolized these exclusive news and gradually grew stronger."

"…..."

"The two families have already established a mutually beneficial relationship. Naturally, Father ignored my opinion. The only thing he cared about was his ambition to become the 'kingmaker'."

"…..."

"So I ran away."

Hong In-ah bit her lip and said.

"Because I can't marry a man I don't even know."

This sentence made Hee-joo feel inexplicably heartbroken.

Hee-joo asked in sign language: "So...you met him the day before the wedding?" 

The sister seemed a little surprised, but nodded.

"Yes, I've always thought about returning to you." 

"...What does that mean?"

The sister's face suddenly became cold.

"The last time I met Baek Sa-eon, I was trying to sabotage the wedding, and I even planned to threaten him."

"......!"

"I threatened him to reveal his secret."

Hearing the word "threat", Hee-joo couldn't help but tremble.

"I went to him just to threaten him."

"......!"

Hong In-ah gritted her teeth.

"Even if I threatened to reveal his identity, he didn't even blink. Instead, he mentioned the car accident and laughed."

"......!"

"What a lunatic."

My sister panted angrily and gritted her teeth. At that moment, she finally understood the source of her hostility, which was not directed at Hee-joo, but at Baek Sa-eon from the beginning.