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Without her phone, Hae-in couldn’t contact her family, and not having memorized Director Seok’s number left her with no way to reach out.
By the time she finished eating and cleaning up the ramen, night had fallen, shrouding the outside world in darkness.
“Will he even come home tonight?”
Despite his declaration that he wouldn’t stay out on their wedding night, Soo-hyun had remained at home for days. She assumed he would return eventually.
But by the time Hae-in grew weary of waiting, changed into her pajamas, and slipped back into bed, Soo-hyun still hadn’t come home.
________________________________________
Deep into the night, the sound of someone moving stirred Hae-in awake.
“…Sunbae? Is that you?”
But the person pressing against her from behind didn’t respond. A large hand forcefully slid under her slip, gripping her body without restraint.
The hot breath brushing against her ear carried a strong whiff of alcohol.
“Ah!”
With brute force, the hand tugged her slip downward, tearing the thin fabric with a feeble rip.
Trapped within the arms encircling her from behind, Hae-in couldn’t move an inch.
“Sunbae, it hurts. Please stop…”
His fingers dug into her soft flesh with such intensity that it felt like they were embedding themselves into her skin.
Ignoring her pleas, Soo-hyun continued to pull at her body as if trying to crush her beneath him.
Her muffled cries mixed with labored breathing filled the air, one after another, spiraling into chaos.
As she braced herself for yet another round, she heard him mutter from behind.
“…So, even when it happens suddenly, you enjoy it, don’t you?”
“…It’s because you’re my senior.”
“Do you really enjoy everything I do to you?”
“Why… are you asking me this…?”
Hae-in twisted her body around abruptly to face him.
“No matter how much I tell you to stop, you always end up turning back.”
“I just… wanted you to look at me.”
She swallowed the words before they could escape her lips, turning away instead. It was futile—anything she said only invited his scorn. Slowly, she felt herself losing the ability to speak altogether.
“Living a life where you don’t use that clever brain of yours and just let your body take over isn’t so bad, is it?”
“Don’t say things like that. I hate it when you treat me this way.”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her face with both hands.
“I told you—I prefer honest women.”
A familiar pain shot through her nape.
He was biting her again. But by now, it barely registered. Was he deliberately leaving scars? He kept gnawing at the same spot over and over, as if determined to mark her permanently.
“…It hurts.”
The pain wasn’t excruciating, but being bitten repeatedly on the same spot made her feel bruised. In a voice tinged with despair, Hae-in pleaded with him.
“It hurts so much…”
“I’m doing it because I want it to hurt.”
“Why go so far…?”
Her trailing words dissolved into tears.
Soo-hyun’s blatant cruelty crushed her spirit. She had hoped that if she stayed close to him, he might smile at her someday—but that hope now seemed foolish.
When alone with her, he was merciless. Yet, he remained respectful toward her parents and even gave her the impression of protecting her from Chairman Park.
But those expectations were shattered as he held her now, unyielding and pitiless. What frightened her most was how accustomed she was becoming to his touch.
The more she surrendered to his hands, the more her heart shattered. It had only been a few days since their wedding.
Blindfolded and unable to see or hear anything, she was trapped in endless darkness. Already, she felt herself succumbing to the tormenting grip of his hands, crying out helplessly.
If this continues, I’ll forget who I am.
Hae-in’s hazy eyes wandered aimlessly in the pitch-black void.
How much longer can I endure this?
Since the wedding, her days had been consumed by darkness—whether blindfolded or lost in a shadowy, unfamiliar space.
‘But neither you nor Grandma—no, Chairman Park—will get what you want.’
Hae-in recalled Soo-hyun’s words during their first encounter.
He seemed determined to fulfill his promise of plunging her into despair.
“Tonight, I assume you’re prepared?”
His low voice reverberated through the darkness. His hand pulled her fragile body toward him without resistance.
Hae-in felt utterly drained, like someone who had resigned themselves to fate.
________________________________________
To outsiders, they might appear as a passionate newlywed couple.
Since the wedding, Hae-in had spent her days without a phone, sobbing and moaning through sleepless nights in Soo-hyun’s arms. By the time she woke, the sun was already high in the sky.
After a late-afternoon meal and a brief moment to tend to her battered body, she prepared herself for Soo-hyun’s inevitable return late at night.
Like someone administering poison and then offering antidotes, Soo-hyun left ointment on the dining table.
After washing her body, she applied the ointment to the marks left from the previous night’s torment.
During these fleeting moments of solitude, she would crawl into bed, only for Soo-hyun to appear and hold her all night. Sometimes he was sadistic; other times, meticulous.
But one thing never changed—he showed no consideration for her feelings.
As Hae-in’s eyes began to lose focus, drowning in this monotonous cycle,
One day, as she emerged from the bedroom later than usual, she found Soo-hyun sitting in the living room—an unusual sight.
“Come sit here.”
“Didn’t you go to work today?”
“I have a flight tonight.”
“…Ah.”
At his words, Hae-in felt a strange sense of liberation.
With him gone, perhaps there’d be an opportunity to visit her parents’ house. But how? Without a wallet or phone, she had no resources. Still, maybe she could ask someone working in the house for help.
The thought of seeing her family’s faces filled her with anticipation.
Mom, Dad. Is Jeongin still okay?
Lost in thoughts of future plans, Hae-in blinked rapidly, unaware that Soo-hyun had placed something in front of her—a new phone.
“It’s already activated, and I’ve saved only the necessary contacts.”
“What about the phone I used to have?”
“It’s been destroyed.”
“Why…?”
Before she could ask where he’d found it or why he hadn’t mentioned it earlier, his stern gaze silenced her. It was clear he didn’t want her questioning him.
“My business trip will last over a week. All the numbers you need are saved. There’s something I want to say.”
Hae-in fiddled with the new phone, opening the contact list.
Only a handful of numbers remained: her parents’, Soo-hyun’s, and Director Choi Hyun-woo’s. Despite the limitations, she was relieved to finally have a way to communicate with her family.
“What is it you want to say?”
“While I’m gone, you’ll probably want to go out somewhere…”
Caught off guard, Hae-in lowered her head. Surely, even in this gilded cage, he owed her at least one step outside.
“Stay on the second floor. The staff will arrive early in the morning and leave by afternoon.”
“You’re telling me to stay on the second floor?”
Disbelieving, Hae-in stared at him blankly. She had already spent her days confined to the second floor. Why forbid her from leaving now?
The second floor had a small outdoor garden, and she could live comfortably within its confines. But what Hae-in truly craved was seeing her parents.
Wasn’t it customary for newlyweds to visit the bride’s family after their honeymoon?
Seeing the discomfort etched on her face, Soo-hyun’s eyes narrowed.
“This is for your own good.”
“For… my own good?”
“I don’t feel like explaining further. If you want to prove you’re not Chairman Park’s pawn, follow my instructions.”
“…”
Hae-in nodded silently, then cautiously asked, “Could I at least visit Eunwidong for a day?”
“Your parents’ house?”
“…After the honeymoon, it’s customary to spend a night at the bride’s family home…”
“Tsk.”
His dismissive click of the tongue cut her off.
Even that was denied.
A tear slipped from Hae-in’s eye, landing on the phone’s screen.
No, I shouldn’t cry.
She bit down hard on her lip, suppressing her sobs. Above her bowed head, his cold words rained down.
“It’s your choice whether you go out or not. I can’t physically stop you.”
“But…”
“How I react to it is entirely up to me.”
Soo-hyun’s words amounted to a command: obey me or face the consequences. For Hae-in, desperate to appease him, there was no real choice.
At least I can call them.
Gripping the phone tightly, she felt a flicker of hope—until Soo-hyun stood and added one final remark.
“Tomorrow, someone will come to deliver clothes. Pick something to wear when you leave.”
“Huh?”
Surprised by this unexpected permission, Hae-in’s head snapped up. But Soo-hyun, already heading toward the door, didn’t turn back.
“Th-thank you.”
Whether he heard her gratitude or not, Soo-hyun didn’t slow his pace as he opened the front door and stepped out.
The creak of the closing door echoed through the silent house. Only then did Hae-in exhale deeply, leaning back onto the sofa.
But just then, the phone in her hand vibrated.
Exactly five minutes had passed since Soo-hyun left.
An unfamiliar number flashed on the screen. Could it be spam? No, it was too soon for spam calls on a newly activated phone.
Perhaps longing for human connection—or needing reassurance that she was still tethered to the outside world—Hae-in answered.
“Reaching you is quite difficult, isn’t it, daughter-in-law?”
The caller was none other than Chairman Park.
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