A woman's mind changes as often as her hairstyles

The bank loan was granted smoothly, and our company's survival was ensured. I heard that a young banker named Michael had earnestly persuaded his superior, who was in charge of our case, to see the potential of our business. I wanted to thank Michael in person, so I asked to meet him, but my request was denied.

Michelle would appear in front of me about once a week. She listened to my complaints, served me meals, and healed both my mind and body. I fell in love with Michelle before I knew it. The thought of seeing Michelle became my mental sustenance, and it made me push through each day. Gradually, I began to see a glimmer of hope in our business.

One day, I told Michelle,

"Listen, I love you, Michelle. It's thanks to you that I can keep going every day."

"I'm glad to hear that. It makes me want to try even harder for you, George."

"You see, I've been suffering from erectile dysfunction and couldn't have sex. But recently, my mental state has improved, and I feel like I can do it again. Would tonight be okay?"

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I love you, George. I really do. But to have sex, I need to be prepared to accept a lot of things internally and sort out my personal circumstances. As Susan, I might have had such experiences, but as Michelle, I have none at all. Also, if I do something like that without Susan's consent, I think it would surely count as infidelity."

I sensed a certain allure and mystique in her use of the phrase "accept a lot of things".

"But you share the same body, so it's not infidelity, right?"

"I wonder?"

"Besides, you say it would be without Susan's consent, but isn't there a way to discuss it? Like having a conversation with your other self. I don't know if that's possible with a dual personality."

Upon hearing this, she fell into deep thought, a common gesture of hers.

And all she replied was, "I need time."

I couldn't get an immediate answer about sex, but since that day, the frequency of Michelle's appearances gradually increased.

Accordingly, her taste in hairstyles gradually changed. She used to wear her hair away from her forehead, but at some point, she started letting her bangs fall. What was once a refreshing short cut, she started growing it to shoulder length.

She started working part-time as a childcare assistant. It seemed like a job she always wanted to do but couldn't. Honestly, it was a relief as our household was financially tight. As she started working, the initially shy Michelle became brighter and more outgoing.

Our home gradually became more vibrant. What used to be close to a hoarder's house was now adorned with houseplants, and the number of stuffed toys with characters increased.

On the other hand, although it was not yet profitable, my business saw an increase in clients. What surprised me was that Michelle started showing interest in management. Whenever I was checking documents at home, she would come up from behind and ask, "What's this number?" Her questions were often off the mark from my perspective, and I wondered why she was interested in a series of numbers that were not interesting without specialized knowledge. However, just once, thanks to one of her questions, I was able to notice a malicious investor's plot to take over the company and took measures to prevent it. I asked her if she knew that when she asked the question, but seeing her say, "I knew it, teehee," with her hand on her hip and laughing loudly, I reconsidered and thought she was just naturally airheaded.

One day, that Michael said he wanted to meet me.