Chapter 1.6

Whenever Seo-hwa asked about the man confined to the attic, her father would snap at her irritably. Each time he scolded her for being curious, she could only shut her mouth. 

Although the man’s presence weighed on her mind, what mattered more to Seo-hwa was staying on her father’s good side. 

A few months ago, her mother had left home without a word, and since then, her father’s nerves had been on edge. 

“It’s obvious. She ran off with another man. That filthy woman. Why did I ever get involved with someone like her…?” 

Every day, her father would sit Seo-hwa down and insult her mother, calling her a bad woman who abandoned her family to run off with another man. He poured vulgar words into the ears of his sixteen-year-old daughter. 

In the suffocating atmosphere, Seo-hwa couldn’t shake the feeling that she was an unwelcome guest in her own home. It felt as if she had been born into the world without permission and was now breathing without a right to do so. 

“She insisted on having you, and now look at this. That woman who insisted on giving birth to you has abandoned even her daughter and run off. If she contacts you, report it to me immediately.” 

“……” 

“Did you hear me?” 

“…Yes.” 

Just like her father, Seo-hwa was also desperately waiting for her mother to return. If she ever managed to contact her, Seo-hwa planned to beg her to take her along. She would promise to behave, plead not to be abandoned. 

And not long after, Seo-hwa’s desperate wish came true. 

Rrrr—. 

Late at night, a call came from an unknown number. Without hesitation, Seo-hwa pressed the answer button. She pulled the blanket over her head and held her breath, ensuring no sound would escape. 

On the other end of the line, there was no immediate response. Seo-hwa hesitated before breaking the silence first. 

“…Mom?” 

[Seo-hwa.] 

The moment she heard the familiar voice; a surge of emotion overwhelmed her. Seo-hwa bit her lip hard to stifle her tears. 

[Are you doing well?] 

“…Mom, where are you?” 

[Did your father ask you to find out where I am?] 

“No, no. I just… I just want to come with you… That’s all…” 

She hadn’t meant to ramble like this, but the thought that the call might be cut off at any moment made her words spill out in a rush. 

Her voice faltered, and tears crept into her tone. Her mother had always hated it when she cried. Knowing this, Seo-hwa tried to steady her voice, but the sorrow that had risen without warning continued to make her voice tremble. 

[Seo-hwa, if you open the closet in the bedroom, there should be a small box. Can you bring that out?] 

Fortunately, her mother didn’t scold her this time. Instead, her voice softened, and she asked gently. Seo-hwa instinctively attached affection to that tone. 

“When, when should I do it?” 

[Tomorrow night.] 

Coincidentally, her father had mentioned he had plans for the next evening. Seo-hwa nodded vigorously, even though her mother couldn’t see her. 

“Okay. I can do it. Dad said he’ll be home late tomorrow…”  

[Alright, then I’ll come pick you up tomorrow in front of the house.] 

“Tomorrow? Really? You’re going to come pick me up?” 

[Yes, see you tomorrow, my daughter. Make sure you bring the item I told you about.] 

“Okay, I’ll make sure to bring it.” 

Seo-hwa replied in an excited voice. The resentment she had felt toward her mother for disappearing without a word vanished in an instant, replaced by a wave of joy that made her lips curl upward uncontrollably. 

Her mother hadn’t abandoned her. 

That realization filled her with so much happiness that laughter kept escaping her lips. 

Even though her heart raced nervously at the thought of secretly defying her father’s orders and running away, the prospect of meeting her mother the next day was enough to smother her anxious thoughts. 

In the silence of the night, mixed with anticipation and unease, Seo-hwa tossed and turned in bed. 

Thirsty, she headed toward the kitchen, but her steps halted as she heard the sound of a phone call coming from her father’s room. Slowly, she tiptoed toward the source of the noise and pressed her ear against the crack in the door. 

“Yes, of course, Vice President. Don’t worry.” 

Seo-hwa was surprised to hear her father speaking in such a soft tone. He, who always shouted at her, was now using an almost groveling voice with someone on the phone. 

“Yes, yes, there’s no need to worry about security. Everything is being managed properly. You can rest assured.” 

Her father continued the conversation as if he were negotiating a transaction. Management. Security… Those words referred to the man confined in the attic. 

The subsequent dialogue even mentioned a large sum of money as compensation for keeping the man hidden and under control. 

Seo-hwa rubbed her arms as goosebumps rose and crouched down. Her father’s gentle tone was at odds with the chilling content of the conversation. 

“Yes, of course. You’re about to become the Chairman, so it’s better to eliminate any obstacles in advance.”

While Seo-hwa couldn’t grasp the full context of the conversation, one thing was clear—the man on the second floor wasn’t staying there by choice. 

Seo-hwa clamped her hand over her mouth as she slowly backed away. Her breathing grew uneven, as though she had forgotten how to inhale. Her throat felt dry, and even swallowing was difficult. 

She stared blankly at the staircase, shrouded in heavy darkness. 

The memory of locking eyes with the man flashed through her mind. 

Those black pupils kept surfacing in her thoughts. Every time their gazes met, his penetrating stare seemed to dig into her, only for him to eventually turn his head away weakly when she disappeared from sight. 

That empty, scattered gaze lingered persistently in her mind. 

The following evening, after confirming that her father had left the house, Seo-hwa cautiously entered the bedroom. With trembling fingers, she gripped the closet handle and pulled it open. 

Just as her mother had said, inside the closet drawer was a small box. She carefully lifted the lid. Inside was a pile of yellow bills. 

“Ah…” 

Seo-hwa’s eyes widened. Her fingertips trembled, and her heart pounded as though it might burst, but she didn’t have the luxury to stay frozen in shock. 

The time to meet her mother was fast approaching. Seo-hwa held the small box close to her chest and hurriedly moved. She quickly slipped on her shoes and grabbed the door handle. 

But just then, a memory crossed her mind, stopping her from opening the front door. 

Biting her lips, Seo-hwa turned her gaze toward the staircase leading to the second floor. 

“……” 

Hesitating at the crossroads, she chewed on her lips before seemingly making up her mind. She took off her shoes and climbed the stairs quickly. 

The man she had only exchanged silent glances with— 

Though she had never heard his voice, the emotions conveyed through those brief moments of eye contact had always been heavy and overwhelming. 

His hollow gaze kept resurfacing in her mind, sticky and unrelenting, binding her feet that had been ready to step outside. 

Seo-hwa didn’t know why he was confined there or what connection he had to her father, but even as a young girl, she understood that locking someone up in a room that barely received sunlight wasn’t normal. 

She walked down the eerily quiet second-floor hallway. Standing in front of the room at the end of the white-walled corridor, she used the key hanging nearby to unlock the door. 

As expected, the moment she opened the door, the man turned his head. 

Perhaps surprised that Seo-hwa had come upstairs empty-handed, his gaze slowly dropped to her hands. 

“Can you understand what I’m saying?” 

Seo-hwa walked toward the man with determined steps. She had expected him to remain unresponsive as usual, but to her surprise, the man tilted his head slightly after a few seconds. 

Seo-hwa felt relieved. At the very least, it seemed that the man had the cognitive ability to understand her words. 

“If… If you’re here against your will.” 

“……” 

“Run away. I’ll leave the door open for you.” 

As expected, the man gave no reply. He simply turned his head to look at Seo-hwa, scattering an expressionless, unreadable gaze. 

He didn’t seem alive. He resembled a robot whose batteries would soon run out, leaving him lifeless. 

“And… I’m sorry. This is all I can do for you.”  

Despite recognizing that the situation wasn’t normal, Seo-hwa had consistently turned a blind eye to the man. She didn’t have the luxury to care about others when her own circumstances were so dire. Even when confronting the weight of her conscience, all she could do was unlock the door for him. 

“Will this… help you escape?” 

At Seo-hwa’s question, the man nodded his head without hesitation. It was the first time they had communicated. Seo-hwa stared at him with wide eyes, momentarily stunned. 

For a fleeting moment, their gazes tangled, and her breath caught. She had never been this close to his face before, nor had she ever seen his features so clearly beneath his long hair.