Chapter Twenty-five: A Troubled Heart.

Ji-Eun's hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the café table, watching Soo Jeon walk away with her head held high. The confrontation had left Ji-Eun shaken, her carefully constructed plan unraveling before her eyes. She had always prided herself on her ability to manipulate situations to her advantage, but now, for the first time in a long while, she felt powerless.

 The rest of the day passed in a blur. Ji-Eun couldn't focus on anything; her thoughts kept circling back to the scene in the café. Soo Jeon had been so calm, so confident in the truth she had uncovered. It made Ji-Eun's deceit seem petty and childish, and the realization stung more than she cared to admit.

 As the evening wore on, Ji-Eun's restlessness grew. She tried distracting herself with work, television, even scrolling mindlessly through social media, but nothing could take her mind off the gnawing anxiety that had settled in her chest. What if Min Jun found out about her lies? What if he never spoke to her again? The fear of losing him, of being completely cut out of his life, was something she hadn't fully considered until now.

 She couldn't sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Soo Jeon's determined gaze, heard the unwavering tone in her voice. Ji-Eun tossed and turned, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts—ways to fix the situation, excuses she could make, plans she could hatch. But none of them seemed foolproof. Soo Jeon had cornered her, and there was no easy way out.

 The next morning, Ji-Eun looked at herself in the mirror and barely recognized the person staring back. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, her usually perfect hair was disheveled, and her expression was one of pure exhaustion. For the first time, she felt the weight of her actions pressing down on her. It wasn't just about winning Min Jun back anymore; it was about the lengths she had gone to, the lies she had told, and the damage she had caused.

 Unable to stay in her apartment any longer, Ji-Eun decided to go for a walk. The fresh air did little to clear her mind, though. As she wandered aimlessly through the city streets, memories of her time with Min Jun flooded back. The happiness they had shared, the dreams they had talked about—it all seemed so distant now, like another lifetime.

 She found herself standing in front of Min Jun's apartment building, her heart aching with longing. She wanted to see him, to explain herself, to make him understand why she had done what she did. But deep down, she knew that he wouldn't forgive her, not this time. The trust she had once taken for granted was gone, shattered by her own hand.

 Feeling utterly defeated, Ji-Eun sat down on a bench nearby, burying her face in her hands. She had always been the one in control, the one who could charm her way out of any situation. But now, she was lost, consumed by the very emotions she had tried so hard to suppress—guilt, regret, and an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

 As the day turned to night, Ji-Eun realized she had a choice to make. She could continue down this path of deceit, trying to salvage what was left of her connection with Min Jun, or she could face the consequences of her actions and walk away, letting go of the past and the man she still loved.

 But was she strong enough to do that? Could she really let go of the only person who had ever made her feel truly alive?

 The answer was one she wasn't ready to confront just yet. So, she remained on that bench, her heart torn between the desperate need to hold on and the painful reality that it might be time to let go.