The Textbook of a Lover - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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32.
In truth, Do-A had steeled herself the moment she decided to meet Cha-Gyeong’s family today.
They might splash her with tea, press envelopes of money into her hands, or worse—much worse.
But the people she actually met had treated her with nothing but warmth and gentleness from the very first moment.
They fussed over her injured foot, selected clothes for her as carefully as they would for themselves, and genuinely rejoiced at her transformation.
Most of all, the wounds that had accumulated from being attacked for being an orphan—they had wrapped those wounds gently, these people meeting her for the first time.
‘What if… they really had been my family?’
The unbidden thought made Do-A shake her head.
‘You’re crazy, Seong Do-A. Get it together. You’re not a real girlfriend—you’re just a contract girlfriend. In six months, these people will be strangers you can barely face.’
Then, suddenly, she found herself wondering what they would think when the contract ended and she disappeared.
‘Will they be disappointed that I vanished so suddenly? No, Cha-Gyeong will explain it well enough. They’ll forget someone like me soon enough.’
And then some other woman from a better family, one who was truly loved and raised in privilege, would stand before them as Cha-Gyeong’s real girlfriend.
A bitter, hollow feeling crept into her chest.
Just then, Cha-Gyeong, who had stepped out of the car for a moment, opened the door and climbed back in.
“Did you wait long?”
“No. Not really. But where did you go?”
Cha-Gyeong gripped the steering wheel and spoke casually.
“I ran into Na-Hui on the way here.”
“Na-Hui…?”
Do-A’s voice trembled almost imperceptibly.
“We happened to meet in the parking lot. Her jacket looked torn, so I gave her a brooch I had as a sample.”
“A brooch…?”
“Yes. Since it was just a sample, it wasn’t as if I had any other use for it.”
Though Cha-Gyeong spoke of it as useless, something strange rippled through Do-A’s chest.
‘Is it starting already? I asked him to seduce Na-Hui first, so he’s just showing goodwill ahead of time.’
So why did she feel so unsettled?
Do-A couldn’t pin down exactly where the feeling came from.
Just an unpleasant heaviness in her stomach—as if she’d been forced to swallow something she didn’t want to accept.
Cha-Gyeong, watching her face in the rearview mirror, asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“No.”
“You say no, but your complexion looks terrible.”

“I’m just tired. Don’t worry about it.”
Cha-Gyeong kept his eyes on the mirror for a moment longer, then started the engine without another word.
Do-A pressed her forehead against the car window and watched the trees pass by.
‘It’s fine. It’s going fine. Everything’s flowing exactly as I planned.’
But she couldn’t understand why she kept asking herself questions.
* * *
The sticky humidity that lingered even with the air conditioning running had kept Do-A awake all night.
Dragging her leaden body into the office, she was greeted by the usual bustle of noise.
Still worn out from the previous day, Do-A took her seat and let out a soft sigh.
Just as she set down her bag and reached to power on her computer, a peculiar movement caught her eye beyond the partition across from her desk.
Na-Hui, already seated, was fussing with the brooch on her chest, drawing the attention of everyone around her.
‘Like a monkey grooming fur or something.’
Once, twice, three times.
Na-Hui continued to stroke the brooch, adjusting its angle, until finally someone reacted exactly as she’d hoped.
“Oh my! Na-Hui! That brooch—I’ve never seen it before. It’s so pretty!”
Getting the reaction she’d been waiting for, Na-Hui’s smile spread ear to ear.
“Oh, this? It’s a gift.”
“A gift? Don’t tell me from Gyeong-Jun? Wait, isn’t that a Morel logo? The design is really luxurious.”
Someone quietly muttered, “Is it another knockoff?”
Na-Hui turned toward the voice and said, “Last time with the bag, my boyfriend said he made a mistake. I asked someone I knew to help, but they ended up scamming me.”
Then she faced forward again and continued, “Actually, I ran into Executive Director Yun yesterday at the department store, completely by chance.”
“Executive Director Yun? You mean Cha-Gyeong Yun from Hyun-Shin Department Store?”
“Yes, that’s right. And he was so gentlemanly.”
Na-Hui paused for a moment, stroked the brooch with a knowing smile, then continued.
“My jacket collar was slightly torn, and when Executive Director Yun noticed, he happened to have this brooch as a sample and gave it to me—to cover the tear. And it’s a Morel piece at that.”
The moment Na-Hui finished speaking, whispers rippled through the office like a wave.
“What? He gave you a brooch directly?”
“He just gave you a sample like that?”
“Why would Executive Director Yun care about a tear in your jacket?”
“Isn’t he Do-A’s boyfriend? Weren’t those two in a love triangle with Gyeong-Jun before…? The atmosphere feels weird.”
Na-Hui seemed to be enjoying the suspicious looks from everyone. She pushed back her chair and stood, walking toward Do-A’s desk.
“Do-A, I was so busy yesterday I didn’t even say hello properly. Tell the Executive Director I’m really grateful. I had no idea he’d be so thoughtful.”
Na-Hui fussed with the brooch, smiling broadly.
“Actually, I want to repay him somehow. Why don’t we grab a meal together—my treat? Or could you give me his contact information? I think it would be proper to thank him in person.”
A spark of fire ignited in Do-A’s chest.
‘Repay? Say thank you? Don’t make me laugh. Like I don’t know what you’re after?’
Na-Hui’s true intentions were transparent enough to make Do-A nauseated.
But for revenge to work, she had to let Na-Hui fall for Cha-Gyeong.
That was the scenario Do-A wanted: Cha-Gyeong seducing Na-Hui, Na-Hui abandoning Gyeong-Jun. That was the plan.
But the words wouldn’t come out.
Do-A could see right through Na-Hui’s thinking—stealing Gyeong-Jun and now believing she could take Cha-Gyeong too.
‘Do-A, think about the bigger picture. You have a greater plan than this. For that, you can tolerate this annoying act.’
Do-A took a deep breath and resolved to it. Just hand over the contact information smoothly.
But the words that came out, bypassing her mind entirely, were the exact opposite of her resolve.
“There’s really no need to repay him, Na-Hui.”
She turned her chair to face Na-Hui directly.
“That’s just how Executive Director Yun is. He expresses his feelings with gifts—he’ll give something to any of my acquaintances. It’s a bad habit, and I’ve told him to stop it several times.”
“What? A bad habit?”
Na-Hui’s expression hardened.
“He doesn’t listen no matter how much I tell him. One time, he ran into a dog in the neighborhood that I thought was cute, and the next thing I knew, he’d bought it an expensive pet leash.”
“A pet leash?”
“A dog collar, I mean.”
Laughter burst out from all corners of the office. “Pfft!”
Na-Hui’s face flushed red and purple. Her voice trembled as she asked, “A… a dog? Are you saying I received the same treatment as a neighborhood dog that you know?”
“Oh my, Na-Hui. When did I ever say that? I just said he gives gifts to everyone indiscriminately. Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned yet that the dog leash cost much more than your brooch. It wasn’t a sample either.”
“Seong Do-A!!”
Na-Hui had just started to shout.
Behind her, there was suddenly a soft chuckle.
Do-A turned and immediately wished she could sink into the ground and disappear.
Standing there was none other than Cha-Gyeong.
* * *
The air in the Executive Office of Hyun-Shin Department Store’s head office hung several degrees colder than usual.
A meticulously bound European brand partnership proposal lay on the desk, but Cha-Gyeong’s gaze had been fixed on the same page for the last ten minutes.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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