The Price of Silence
Han Sujin was meticulously preparing dinner. This time spent waiting for Park Taeyoung’s return was, for her, a small source of happiness and solace.
When the beep of the front door lock echoed through the apartment, Han Sujin hurried over, her heart light with anticipation. However, her smile froze the moment she saw Lee Han following behind her husband.
"Honey, I thought I’d invite Lee Han over for a drink tonight. He’s helped us out so much lately—with the women’s association work and everything. I wanted to show our appreciation."
Park Taeyoung’s face was beaming with a guileless, sunny smile. Han Sujin forced a smile of her own and nodded.
The three of them sat around the dining table. Glasses were passed back and forth over a spread of simple dishes. Before long, Park Taeyoung was drinking heavily, his face flushed, while Lee Han happily kept his glass filled.
Han Sujin watched Lee Han with anxious eyes, but she quickly masked it, turning to her husband with a bright, forced smile as she poured him another drink.
"There you go, honey. Take it easy tonight. I’ll handle the dishes later."
Soon enough, Park Taeyoung succumbed to the alcohol and fell into a deep sleep on the sofa.
Only Han Sujin and Lee Han remained in the living room. A heavy, suffocating silence hung in the air.
"What exactly is your game?" Han Sujin asked in a low voice. Lee Han looked at her with a faint, mocking smile.
"I’d have thought you were prepared for at least this much, wouldn't you?"
Swallowing a bitter laugh, Han Sujin let out a long, shaky sigh. She comforted herself with the thought that she was enduring all of this to protect her husband.
"I just... I wonder if it’s worth going this far..."
"Well, isn't this the path you chose?"
Lee Han chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. Han Sujin glared at him and stood up.
"Wait here. I’m going to take Taeyoung to his room..."
But Lee Han was faster, grabbing her arm and pulling her in. As their lips met, Han Sujin’s eyes widened in shock.
"Ngh... don't..."
She tried to pull away in a panic, but she only twisted her body, terrified of making a sound that might wake her husband. Lee Han’s lips curled upward.
"Then... shall we do it here?"
At his provocative whisper, Han Sujin gritted her teeth. Glaring at him, she turned and headed toward the bedroom.
The bedroom door clicked shut, and their heated bodies tangled together. Their lips locked and tongues crossed as if they were ravenously devouring one another. Their breathing grew ragged, and their hearts hammered against their ribs. Clothes were stripped away one by one, revealing bare, flushed skin.
Completely naked, they writhed on the bed. Lee Han gripped Han Sujin’s slender legs and forced them apart. They caressed each other’s genitals with rough urgency before he thrust deep inside her. Lee Han’s hardened member burrowed into her slick, yielding body. As their bodies collided with increasing intensity, the rhythm quickened. The sound of skin slapping against skin and the wet, sticky noises filled the room. As the climax approached, Han Sujin thrashed violently.
Her moans grew louder, turning into sharp cries.
"Ah... ngh... hnnngh..."
Han Sujin’s arms and legs wrapped tightly around Lee Han. Her full breasts heaved with every movement. Her heart felt as if it would burst, and sweat poured off her like rain. Han Sujin bit her lip, swallowing her tears. Guilt washed over her, mingled with the overwhelming pleasure.
Her husband was sleeping in the living room, while betrayal was being committed right here in the bedroom. Lee Han explored the nape of her neck and her breasts, sucking on her tender skin as if biting into it. He held her hips firmly, driving into her with relentless force. Her vision blurred, and her limbs trembled uncontrollably. As she reached the peak, Han Sujin clamped her hand over her mouth and let out a long, stifled moan.
"Ugh... ngh... ugh..."
Lee Han’s hot seed spilled deep inside her. At the same time, a profound sense of wretchedness spread through her chest. In the darkness, the cries leaking out were the screams of a woman hurtling toward an inevitable catastrophe. Han Sujin trembled as she clung to Lee Han. It was a desperate fall into an abyss she had invited upon herself in the name of love. The pain felt as if it were carving her soul out entirely.
And so, the union of their bodies ended. Lee Han collapsed, spent, and Han Sujin stared into the void with vacant eyes. She gasped for air, feeling the crushing weight of despair settling in. She had committed an irreversible sin.
Moonlight seeped through the curtains, illuminating their two naked bodies. It felt as though the light were coldly exposing the horror of the act. Caught in a vortex of tragedy, Han Sujin was sinking deeper into the mire.
A husband sleeping soundly, and a man embracing his wife. The bizarre, dark threads of their relationship grew more tangled by the second. A tragedy where she had to discard herself for the sake of the one she loved. She was walking a path that led only to ruin.
A deep, dark swamp where greed, jealousy, and twisted affection were churned together. Even knowing there was no escape, Han Sujin was sinking deeper still.
For Han Sujin, even regret had become a luxury she could no longer afford. Carrying the burden of her love for her husband on her back, she was slowly walking into hell. At the end of this irreversible choice, only suffering awaited her.
Han Sujin was becoming accustomed to her relationship with Lee Han. However, one day, Lee Han made a new proposal.
"Sujin, I think it’s time we made some changes to our arrangement."
Han Sujin looked at him with puzzled eyes. Lee Han continued, his tone nonchalant.
"I’ll guarantee you the position you want. In exchange, from now on, we only meet when I say so."
Han Sujin’s eyes widened. To be guaranteed the position without having to be with him constantly? She felt a mix of bewilderment and a secret, creeping joy.
"Are you really going to let me take that position?"
"Of course. But in return, you must respond to my call whenever I summon you. Those are the terms of our new contract."
Han Sujin hesitated at Lee Han’s words. It meant she might feel freer, but it also meant she remained firmly under his control.
Yet, tempted by the prospect of finally getting the job she wanted, she soon nodded. She reasoned that this was a better deal than having to be with Lee Han every single day.
"I understand. I will follow your instructions."
Han Sujin replied with a bitter smile. Even though she knew her situation wouldn't truly improve, she felt she had no choice but to pick the lesser of the evils presented to her.
'I can't escape anyway, so this much of a compromise is...'
Rationalizing her choice, Han Sujin bowed her head. Lee Han gave a cold, fishy smile and stood up.
"Good. The contract is settled. There won't be any issues for the time being."
Watching Lee Han’s back as he strode out of the office, Han Sujin was overcome by a dark premonition. She would never, ever be able to escape the clutches of this man.
All that remained for Han Sujin was to play her assigned role as Lee Han’s plaything. Her pride had been discarded long ago.
'In the end, nothing has changed.'
With a self-deprecating laugh, Han Sujin stared into the empty air. A path chosen to compromise with reality and survive. She had no way of knowing what awaited her at the end of it.
But one thing was certain: she would never be able to slip out of Lee Han’s grasp. She was destined to be a helpless weakling, tossed to and fro by his desires.
Han Sujin lamented her fate, having been reduced to a mere component of his lust.
"Haa... Taeyoung, how did I end up like this..."
The sudden image of her husband’s face brought a wave of agonizing guilt. How long could she carry this burden? A life bound by an inescapable shackle.
Tears welled in Han Sujin’s eyes and streamed down her cheeks. On a bleak road where tomorrow was never guaranteed, she barely suppressed the urge to break down and sob.
Then the screen changed, displaying the heated, tangled bodies of a man and a woman. A spark of desire flickered in the old man’s eyes. The woman thrashed and moaned, while the man ravaged her with brutal intensity.
The scene shifted again. This time, it showed a man slumped over on the sofa, fast asleep. Beside him, the woman was visible, tangled with yet another man in the bedroom. The raw, unfiltered footage quickly filled the screen.
The old man watched the scene, drool leaking from his mouth. His complexion was flushed, and his breathing grew increasingly ragged.
When the video ended, the old man smiled, looking satisfied. Without delay, he deleted the footage and pulled a phone from his drawer.
"I received it well. You always do good work. I look forward to the next one."
The old man spoke into the receiver in a low, raspy voice. Settling deep into his chair, he was already waiting for the next "masterpiece."
A smile of desire spread across his lips of its own accord. His long-dormant instincts were beginning to stretch. The old man slowly closed his eyes and drifted into his imagination.
What other fascinating scenes would unfold? Who would be the next victim? His heart began to race with the curiosity.
"Isn't this why life is so enjoyable..."
The old man chuckled, thinking of Lee Han’s corruption. His wrinkled face was even tinged with madness. His eyes, filled with malice, flashed.
The sight of the old man laughing alone in the darkness was the very image of a demon. Laws and ethics were of no concern to him. He felt capable of doing anything if it meant satisfying his own desires.
An infinitely deep and filthy abyss. That was the source of the pleasure he enjoyed. The final station for the dregs of humanity. A bizarre ecstasy derived from the misfortune of others.
A demon laughing in anticipation of a new victim. One could only fear what kind of tragedy his schemes would spawn next.