Helplessly dragged by Dae-ho, enduring unbearable pain with continuous struggles, it was when she couldn’t stand the pain any longer.

“Easy, honey. You’ll kill the kid like this.”

Hye-kyung’s voice, filled with a clear tone of laughter, echoed through the long corridor.

“Ah…”

Only then did Su-yeon sense her fate.

She wouldn’t escape.

She would be subjected to beatings until she lost consciousness in the confined room, just like before she met In-ho.

Until the word “divorce” came out of her mouth, the beatings wouldn’t stop.

In that moment of certainty when she had reluctantly faced the moment she didn’t want to face, In-ho’s face suddenly appeared in her tear-blurred vision.

“Come in early, honey.”

Although she told him to come in early…

“Where are you going at this hour!!”

“…I’ll be back soon.”

Even though she said she would come soon…

“I love you, Su-yeon.”

I miss you…

I miss you so much, you.

Tears that had been hanging on her eyes, clinging desperately, streamed down her cheeks.

At the same time, the door of the darkened room, which had remained firmly closed, opened, and Su-yeon was mercilessly swallowed.

Sitting on the sofa, bent at the waist, In-ho closed his eyes tightly while the sunlight poured down brightly.

In-ho slowly lifted his eyelids and looked outside.

The oppressive night had passed, and another cruel day was flowing by.

The deadened eyes, habitually, searched for the clock.

Su-yeon, who said she would be back soon, had not returned even after the day had passed.

Late at night, he followed her around the neighborhood, searching every nook and cranny until his heart was about to burst. But in the end, he couldn’t find Su-yeon.

Without time to be frustrated by this fact, he immediately returned home.

In the midst of searching the neighborhood for Su-yeon, who might not have returned home while he was out, he held a hope that was absurdly unnecessary.

She said she would come back soon.

She definitely said that with her own mouth.

But even in the hastily returned home, Su-yeon’s figure could not be found.

In-ho paced around the living room with anxious steps.

If he just waited a little longer, she would come back.

Five more minutes, just ten more minutes.

He waited like that until morning came.

But Su-yeon did not return.

“Sigh…”

As exhausted as he could be, he buried his tired body on the sofa and closed his eyes tightly.
In the darkened field where eyelids sank, Hye-kyung appeared in Su-yeon’s vision.

The reason Su-yeon had to cry so desperately when she returned home, just like usual until before the dinner party, and the reason she had to desperately go out, pushing away my hand, thinking about it all night, Hye-kyung was the answer.

Even though he was convinced, the person who forcibly called Su-yeon until this late hour and prevented her from coming back until now was none other than that woman.

With that certainty, he waited and waited for Su-yeon who didn’t come back all night.

Fearing that his impatience might embarrass her, he did his best to endure.

The long-awaited result of the lengthy wait was extremely disappointing.

At the same time, he could no longer find a reason and justification to just sit and wait for her.

In-ho straightened his back.

Then, he firmly pressed the hold key on the phone he had been holding for a long time.

He called the number he had called several times throughout the night again.

As expected, only the mechanical sound connecting to the voicemail echoed.

In-ho immediately took the phone away from his ear and pressed the end button.

Then, he dialed an unfamiliar number.

Unlike before, the other person’s voice was heard right away.

The lips, which had dried up overnight, began to move slowly.

“It’s me. I wish you could check on something.”

“…Sigh.”

Su-yeon, whose mind had been put off by the cruel beatings all night, breathed out a sigh and opened her eyes painfully.

“Ugh…”

As she woke up, an indescribable pain pervaded every part of her body.

Even though she couldn’t even blink with one finger, Su-yeon instinctively looked around.

She wanted to know the time, but neither the clock nor the window came into view.

“…Originally, it was just an empty room.”

Realizing belatedly that the place where she had fallen was the small room in the Hannam-dong main house, she let out a bitter laugh.

Su-yeon exerted all her strength to sit up.

“Ah…”

A moan involuntarily escaped as pain emanated from the area around her ribs as she raised her upper body.

It felt sore just touching the area.

“Hah, did he hit me in the wrong place…”

Although the pain wasn’t as severe as a broken bone, it wasn’t comfortable enough to move freely.

Leaning her back against the wall with great difficulty, she took a deep breath and once again surveyed her surroundings.

Until she was dragged here yesterday, there was a phone in the back pocket of her pants, but now it was nowhere to be found.

Maybe it was taken care of by Dae-ho or Hye-kyung while she was unconscious.

Still, she couldn’t let go of the hope.
Reaching out her hand, groping the floor, and examining every nook and cranny, but there was no sign of the phone, not even a tiny fragment.

Su-yeon let out a heavy sigh and leaned her head back.

She blinked her eyelids once, twice, three times.

Each time, only the blurry image of In-ho’s face was faintly drawn on the ceiling.

“… He must be worried.”

It was uncomfortably indescribable.

If she had known it would be like this, she shouldn’t have said she would be back soon.

She had been subjected to merciless beatings for a while, and after that, she had been unconscious for who knows how long. She couldn’t figure out anything, making it even more uncomfortable.

Still, the only prideful fact was that even though she suffered the ruthless beatings throughout her body, she refused the divorce from In-ho until the very end.

Just thinking about that made her laugh slowly.

“Ouch…”

Before she could even smile properly, she felt pain seeping from her torn lips.

“…Mr. In-ho.”

She whispered the name she wanted to hear quietly.

Just doing that made her feel like laughing foolishly again.

“Really, I miss you…”

Just recalling In-ho’s face made her heart ache.

Even though she laughed heartlessly and couldn’t stop the tears, she couldn’t help but think of him.

While glancing into the not-so-large room, Su-yeon, who had been staring into the void, moved her head to survey the small space.

How much longer should she be trapped here to see In-ho?

A day? Two days?

It was immeasurable.

No matter how long it took, as long as she could see In-ho on the day she left this room, she felt there was nothing more to wish for.

Embracing that earnest hope deep in her heart, she closed her eyes softly.

Having slept for quite a while, another drowsiness came without warning.