Chapter 3.1

Chapter 3.1

“Give me your phone number and address.”

A police officer abruptly cut her words short. The intense gaze focused on Han Seoryeong’s face. What…?

“It’s better if you speak properly, Mrs. Han Seoryeong.”

“….”

“Whose blood is this?”

Seoryeong seemed to understand the misunderstanding. Although uncertain about the extent of the bleeding, wiping his face with his hands indicated a significant injury.

However, deliberately concealing the part where the flesh was cut, Seoryeong’s face, initially tense with anxiety, gradually returned to a pale, expressionless state.

In the sudden silence, somewhere, a clock’s ticking echoed loudly. Unfocused eyes soon fixed on the police officer’s chin.

“If… it’s my husband’s blood, will you find him faster?”

* * *

The search progressed swiftly.

During that time, Seoryeong experienced the longest day of her life. Her lips turned pale, and only sour water rose in her throat.

Her husband disappeared.

The one clear truth struck heavily at Seoryeong’s heart.

The police surrounded her house, seizing all the husband’s personal information, removing CCTV one by one, and conducting an exhaustive investigation.

But lies were quickly exposed in unexpected places, not by her, but by Kim Hyun.

“There’s no record of credit card usage. The company is not even registered as a corporation, and the car number doesn’t match. And…”

Seoryeong stared directly at the seemingly indifferent face of the police officer without blinking. It was unlikely, but strangely, it seemed like he was watching her reaction as he uttered,

“The name Kim Hyun does not appear in the resident registration.”

“…!”

“Is there something that Mrs. Han Seoryeong might have misunderstood?”

The meaning of all this was just bewildering. It felt like she had heard something wrong.

As her legs gave way, the police officers who were waiting quickly supported her. However, the cold temperature clinging to her lifeless skin repelled them uncomfortably.

Her breath was labored, and her vision blurred. Even though there was nothing visible, the ceiling and floor seemed to spin around.

During this brief moment of distraction, the police exchanged glances, muttering something among themselves.

It sounded like a report of a missing person, but there was also mention of a crime related to marriage—roughly those words were heard, but nothing seemed trustworthy.

When Seoryeong let out a dry laugh, they fell silent. However, they continued with advice she didn’t want.

“The crime related to marriage has… actually been abolished. Still, if fraud due to marriage deception is proven, you can claim damages.”

“….”

“Just thought you should know. Knowing the law can be advantageous.”

Pale and rigid, she suddenly grabbed the police officer’s vest.

“No, that’s not possible.”

Losing her husband in this manner was unimaginable. It was all nonsense, a deception.

Seoryeong burst into bitter laughter, gripping the police officer’s vest even tighter.

“Have you met the neighbors here? Have you checked if anyone saw him last?”

“Uh…”

The heavy sigh that escaped sounded ominous for some reason. The urge not to hear intensified strongly.

“Ms. Han Seoryeong, didn’t you know?”

“What… do you mean?”

“The only resident in this Samhwa Villa is you.”

“……!”

***

It felt like someone was stabbing her ribs from the inside. It was a joke. Unless it was someone’s cruel joke, this couldn’t be possible. Not even a dry laugh came out now.

She had lived here for two years. Neighbors in this villa were the people she met every day. She didn’t know everyone in detail, but at least she knew about families living on each floor.

There were elderly couples, newlyweds like them, houses raising young children, a single person living with a dog, and even a lone university student. But…

“What are you talking about?”

“….”

“What do you mean…!”

“Quite literally, no one else lives here, the person who reported. You.”

“….”

“It’s all vacant houses.”

It felt like blood was draining from her toes. Seoryeong became an empty plaster statue, unable to think anymore.

A blazing heat surged to the tip of her head as if it would burst, and a chilling shiver ran down her spine.

She could only breathe heavily with a face devoid of expression.

“Officer… What should I do…”

In just one day, the world was crumbling around her.

Can she find him?

* * *

It’s been a month since Kim Hyun disappeared.

No, now she doesn’t even know his real name.

At first, she tirelessly wandered around the five-story villa, knocking on doors until her hands were sore. But the response was always the same—empty houses.

It couldn’t be true… It absolutely couldn’t be true… He wouldn’t deceive me… Is this a dream? Or am I going insane?

With no sight and no end in sight, it truly felt like she was being possessed by a ghost.

Seoryeong went to the police station every day. It was a forced effort, but she felt she would lose her sanity if she didn’t try.

“But I haven’t suffered any financial loss, detective.”

Shapes beyond her blurry vision were moving hastily. The police officer who Seoryeong had been tormenting for weeks twisted his brows with an tired expression, ‘Here we go again.’

“Whatever the intention was, the man who ran away knows, how can I know the details!” He said for the hundredth time.

“These days, criminals are not ordinary. What if someone powerful targeted my husband and made him disappear without a trace! Please don’t stop here, keep lookingQ If there’s even an unidentified body–”

“Geez, seriously!”

Finally, a detective, who seemed like his head would explode from her complaints, stood up abruptly.

“How many times do we have to say the same thing! Whether your husband disappeared or not, there’s no legal evidence of marriage, no existing data on record. I’m sorry, but miss, you’ve been scammed.”

“….”