Chapter 14

“My father gave me this name. He said he wanted me to become someone global.”

“That’s a nice name.”

She gave a faint smile and nodded.

“His own life was rough, so I guess he wanted at least me to make it big. Ah, listen to me rambling. Well then.”

Logan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Watching him, Ayeon gave a soft greeting, bowed her head lightly, and turned back toward the empty track.

She had no idea that the cheerful smile he wore just moments ago had faded and that he now stood still, watching her quietly.

She stared at the calm water where tiny ripples spread, then slowly waded in until her body floated.

She didn’t paddle her arms like usual or kick hard with her legs.

She simply let her body drift in the water.

From time to time, she gave a gentle push with her feet to move forward.

She hoped that, at least while she was in the water, her mind would go blank.

She wanted her head, tangled with sudden complications, to rest for a while.

But that was only wishful thinking.

The water was quiet, but her mind remained loud.

Yoon Jooheon. Another woman. The Mind.

Those three thoughts kept surfacing.

Jooheon had someone else.

Maybe that was why emotion had overtaken reason.

On impulse, she had contacted Jin Sunwoo.

She had said she would write a book for The Mind.

She didn’t even have a concrete plan on what or where to begin.

Of course she didn’t.

She didn’t even know how to deal with the betrayal and loss she felt from Jooheon’s lies.

For the first time, living through today and tomorrow felt overwhelming.

Now that her trust in Jooheon was broken, treating him as before was no longer possible.

But neither could she carry on while holding onto these feelings.

As she had decided yesterday, she didn’t want him to sense her unease. He was perceptive.

It was also a matter of pride as a psychologist.

She wanted to handle everything smoothly if she could.

By seeing through his psychology.

But that would not be as easy as the wind.

How should she deal with this situation.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice she’d reached the end of the track until her head bumped hard against the wall.

Startled, she instinctively tried to plant her feet, but felt nothing beneath her.

She had forgotten that the water was deep at the end of the track.

With a gurgling sound, she sank briefly, then relaxed her body and surfaced again.

“Haa… haah… ha.”

As she exhaled the breath she’d held, a thought struck her.

First, she needed to find out exactly where Jooheon had been for the past few days.

She wanted to know who he met and who he was with.

Once everything was clear, she could figure out how to move forward.

But how could she find out his movements precisely.

In theory, if the person confessed truthfully, it wouldn’t be hard. But expecting that was foolish.

He had lied so smoothly just the night before.

Martin Luther once said that to support one lie, seven more are needed.

Jooheon would never reveal the truth because of the tangled web he had spun.

Psychology papers also mentioned that in such predicaments, most people didn’t realize that telling the truth was the fastest way to solve the problem. Instead, they lashed out at the other person.

Saying things like they didn’t know what they were talking about, asking if they didn’t trust them, or in the worst case, demanding evidence.

So she couldn’t handle this carelessly.

Ayeon planned to confront Jooheon with facts she could be absolutely certain of.

To avoid a pointless fight.

She was skeptical about whether any meaningful conversation could happen after she learned everything, but she decided to think about that later.

The real start of her book for The Mind would probably begin after that day.

For now, there was no room for hesitation.

She had to uncover everything herself.

She kicked off from the wall forcefully and swam forward.

When she finally returned to the starting point, she climbed out of the pool and began walking, then broke into a run.

“Careful!”

Logan shouted, but Ayeon didn’t seem to hear him.

She quickly showered and, wearing only her undergarments, grabbed her phone.

Looking through her recent calls, she tapped a number that wasn’t saved in her contacts.

After a few rings, the person answered.

She steadied her breathing before speaking.

“This is Ayeon Sun. Sorry for calling so early… I was wondering if we could meet today… It won’t take long. Yes.”

After ending the call, she leaned against the locker room wall, pressing her palm to her forehead and closing her eyes.

Her voice during the call had been calm, but her heart was beating fast with unease.

Her stomach felt tight and even dizzy.

“Haa.”

After a long moment catching her breath, she forced herself to finish dressing, left the center, and got into the elevator, pressing the button for the 23rd floor.

She hoped Jooheon would disappear first, like last time.

She didn’t want to face him.

At least not this morning.

But as always, the world never moved the way she wanted at moments like this.

His shoes were still at the entrance.

When she lifted her gaze, she saw his back on the balcony.

He had his phone to his ear.

Just looking at him made her heart pound.

“Yeah… yeah. Really? I’ll come. Mm. See you later. Mm. Yeah. Me too.”

His voice carried a warmth that broke her heart.

She stared at his back in silence, feeling crushed.

Sensing her presence, he turned suddenly.

An hour ago, he’d been sound asleep. Yet now he was freshly showered and dressed for work.

Like someone who had woken up hoping she’d be gone first.

“You’re back?”

He looked briefly surprised, then raised his voice cheerfully to greet her.

It didn’t take long for his expression to shift back to his usual relaxed face.

Calm, unconcerned, full of ease.

For some reason, that look felt especially shallow today.

“Yeah. Who were you talking to?”

She slipped off her shoes and asked casually.

“Huh? A staff member.”

“Ah… what a good boss you are.”

She forced a small smile as she spoke.

“Huh?”

“You’re always so kind to your employees.”

“Am I?”

He gave a faint, flustered laugh.

“Well, that’s just how things are these days. You have to be careful with every word, or people talk behind your back. Power abuse this and that.”

He frowned slightly and shook his head as he approached her.

“By the way, I keep skipping swimming these days. Sorry.”

Jooheon pouted as he reached out to ruffle her hair.

She avoided his gaze, uncomfortable with his touch.

“It happens.”

Then he tilted his head and looked into her eyes.

“Hmm… Ayeon Sun?”

His voice turned sharp.

Her heart lurched.

Had he sensed something different about her.

That must not happen.

He must not know what she knew.

“Huh?”

“You look upset.”

His unexpected remark made her let out a short laugh, quickly masking her expression.

As casually and effortlessly as he always did.

She’d never thought she was good at pretending, but every word and action toward him now was deliberate.

It was the only way to defend herself against his shamelessness.

“If you’re busy, you’re busy. I get it. I’ve skipped before too when I had academic conferences to prepare for.”

“My Ayeon has a heart as big as the Pacific. I’m lucky to have a wife like you.”

His playful words made her bite her lower lip without realizing it.

“Ayeon.”

He suddenly narrowed his eyes at her.

“Yeah?”

“I made breakfast.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.”

He came up behind her, gently resting his hands on her shoulders and steering her toward the dining area.

She glanced at his hands on her shoulders, frowning slightly.

Even gestures that hadn’t bothered her before now got under her skin.

“Yeah. It’s not much, but enjoy it.”

He kissed the top of her head as he stood behind the table.

“Thanks. You must’ve been busy getting ready for work.”

Her gaze shifted to the dining table.

On it sat a plate of French toast and scrambled eggs, and a mug that seemed to hold coffee.

But something felt off.