Unraveling the Unknown

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The night wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket, but sleep refused to come. My body was exhausted, yet my mind was wide awake—trapped in an endless loop of fear, anger, and helplessness.

Marriage. One month. A stranger.

I felt like a prisoner being handed a life sentence, and the walls were closing in too fast for me to escape.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated violently on my nightstand, breaking the eerie silence of my room. My heart stopped.

Unknown Number.

I swallowed hard, staring at the screen as if it would reach out and pull me into the unknown. A part of me wanted to ignore it, but the buzzing was relentless. It was as if the caller knew I was hesitating.

With shaky hands, I picked it up and answered. "H-Hello?"

Silence.

A shiver crawled up my spine. The silence wasn't normal. It wasn't the kind of quiet that felt empty—it was the kind that watched you, that studied you.

Then, a voice. Deep. Slow. Controlled.

"I expected you to answer faster."

My fingers tightened around the phone. The voice was rich and smooth, but there was something else beneath it—something dangerous.

"Who is this?" I forced the words out, though my throat was dry.

A low chuckle. Dark. Amused. But it wasn't comforting. It was the kind that made your stomach twist.

"Who else would it be, Eun Hee?"

My breath hitched. I knew. I knew who it was.

Seo Joon.

The name alone sent a strange mix of fear and confusion through me.

"I—I don't accept this marriage," I stammered, trying to steady my voice. "You're a stranger. I don't even know you."

There was a pause, then a hum—like he was thinking, calculating.

"I don't remember asking for your acceptance," he said, his voice smooth yet edged with quiet authority. "This is happening whether you like it or not."

Something cold settled in my chest.

"You can't just—"

"I can. And I will."

The weight in his words pressed against me, suffocating. It wasn't just confidence—it was control. He wasn't asking me to marry him. He was telling me.

Tension clawed at my skin. "You can't force me," I whispered, though even I wasn't convinced by my own words.

Another chuckle—this one softer, but more unsettling.

"Do you really think you have a choice?" he murmured.

I shuddered. There was something terrifying about the way he spoke, like he already owned my fate, like every step I took was one he had planned.

I clenched my fists. "I don't belong to you," I bit out.

Silence.

Then, his voice dropped lower, almost a whisper.

"We'll see about that."

The call ended.

I stared at my phone, my pulse thundering in my ears.

Seo Joon wasn't just a stranger.

He was a shadow, lurking just close enough to remind me that I wasn't free.

And something told me that no matter how much I resisted—

He would make sure I became his.