Within a few hours, an article had been released disputing the accusations against Moon Su Ah, the main vocalist of the girl group Fantastic.
The story was already gaining traction, and when Ara woke up and scrolled through the internet, she could see the claims starting to waver.
"What a great man you are, Grandfather," she muttered sarcastically.
Glancing at the time, she realized she had only slept for two hours. That would be enough to catch her flight.
She had gone back to sleep to calm her anger, and it seemed to have worked. She didn't feel as furious as before. Getting up, she headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. After arguing half the night and day, her throat was dry.
Her apartment wasn't large, but it was undoubtedly luxurious. The architecture was stunning, and the gold accents reflected the sunlight beautifully. Her favorite part was the glass walls, which allowed her to enjoy the sky without having to step outside. She looked around, feeling a pang of regret. She was going to miss this place.
Returning to the bedroom, Joash was still sound asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, she moved quietly, pulling out a couple of suitcases and beginning to pack.
Natasha called.
"Did you book it?" Ara asked, not bothering with pleasantries. She was busy packing, so she put the call on speaker.
"Yes, two first-class tickets... but Unnie, I don't appreciate working on such short notice. This kind of pressure might kill me," Natasha complained jokingly.
Her Korean accent was noticeable, though there was a clear Western influence in her speech. Ara rolled her eyes at the remark as Natasha continued.
"Why are we suddenly leaving? I just started dating,"
Natasha took her complaint even further. Ara couldn't help but laugh at the mention of dating. She herself was getting engaged in three days, after all.
The relationship between Ara and Natasha was complicated. What began as a simple boss-personal assistant dynamic had evolved into something more akin to sisterhood.
Natasha followed Ara everywhere, partly because it was her job, but mostly because she genuinely cared about her well-being. And now, with Ara calling her to leave on short notice once again, Natasha had reluctantly begun packing, both physically and mentally.
Still, she remained Ara's assistant and did what she always did best: ran her errands.
"Wear a coat tonight; the temperature's going to drop. And don't forget anything..."
Natasha rambled on, and Ara hummed in response each time. She often appeared cold, something Natasha was used to by now, but deep down, Ara was incredibly grateful for her. Even today, when she had texted Natasha earlier to book the tickets, she hadn't asked any questions, just acted.
Ara felt both touched and guilty, knowing how exhausting her life was and how much of that burden she'd placed on Natasha.
"I'll see you at the airport," Natasha finished.
Ara muttered, "See you then," and ended the call.
Joash had been awake for a while, silently watching as Ara walked out to get some water, then returned and started pulling out suitcases. That was confusing enough, but what really unsettled him was the phone call he overheard.
Words like "flying" and "leaving" stood out, and the last statement from the caller made him sit up abruptly. His sudden movement startled Ara, who glanced up briefly.
"Are you going somewhere?" Joash asked, staring at the suitcases in front of him.
"Mmh," Ara responded casually.
"Where? Why didn't you tell me?" His voice now carried a hint of betrayal and worry.
"I didn't know either," she replied calmly. This time, she sat up fully and met his gaze.
"What do you mean you didn't know?"
Joash, having been asleep for most of the day, had missed the crucial conversations Ara had. She thought about explaining, but decided against it. It was too long and complicated. He probably wouldn't understand, so she stayed quiet.
"Where are you going?"
He asked, his tone edging toward frustration. Joash was usually hard to annoy, and Ara knew that. She understood why he was upset; who wouldn't be? So, she made an effort to act like she cared, even though she didn't.
"South Korea," she answered.
"Back home?"
"Mmh."
"Well, that's not a problem, but this is so sudden. Did something happen?"
Joash pressed, and Ara, playing the role of the angel for the moment, responded willingly.
"My family called for me."
"Oh, well, maybe they can wait until after the engagement. Then we can fly back together next week?" he suggested, trying to reason with her.
Ara paused. She sensed this conversation was going to be difficult, so she started slowly.
"Babe... I actually want to talk to you about that."
Josh smiled, got out of bed, and started walking towards her with a reassuring look.
"You know you can tell me anything, right? What's on your mind?"
"Let's break off the engagement."
Her words hit him like a cold shower, and Josh froze mid-step. The room grew silent.
"What...?" he managed to say, barely processing the shock.
"I said, let's break it off. I won't be coming back."