Last night marked the weekend that Jaeha had warned about.
After finishing her preparations to go out, Nayoon sat in front of the mirror and suddenly thought of Jaeha.
“So let’s go dress shopping this weekend.”
“Dresses?”
“Sera scolded me.”
Wasn’t it him who said he’d scolded her himself before?
Looking in the mirror again, Nayoon reached for her peach-colored lip balm but paused. A faint smile unconsciously tugged at the corners of her lips.
She quickly wiped the smile away and applied the balm to her lips.
When she stepped out of the room right on time, Juran, who seemed to have been waiting, spoke up.
“All ready?”
“Yes.”
“Good, do your best today.”
Do my best… for what?
She wanted to ask what exactly she was supposed to do her best for, but instead of asking, Nayoon simply curled her fingers into her palm and replied,
“I will.”
“Are you clenching your fist?”
Suhyuk, who had come from the kitchen holding a glass of water, smirked as he spoke.
Juran’s gaze also shifted to Nayoon’s hand, and Nayoon calmly replied,
“So what if I am?”
“It just seemed like something was bothering you.”
“Bothering me? About CEO Goo?”
Juran’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
She was aiming at the wrong target. That wasn’t it.
“Look at this girl…”
Juran muttered slowly, her lips curling upwards. Suddenly, a conversation with Daewoon flashed in her mind.
“CEO Goo seems head over heels for Nayoon.”
“Oh, come on.”
“I’m serious. They say he used to be obsessed with work, but now he’s constantly dropping by our company because of her. And yet Nayoon’s reactions are lukewarm.”
“No way…”
She had dismissed it as unlikely, but… could it be true? That would actually be a good thing.
A faint glow returned to Juran’s lightly wrinkled face.
“Right, it hasn’t been that long since you’ve known each other, so love might not be on the table yet. Still, treasure your heart. Don’t just give it away because someone asks.”
Because she understood exactly what Juran meant, Nayoon felt even more humiliated.
As her expression hardened, Juran, thinking Nayoon hadn’t understood, leaned in and whispered,
“Don’t give your body to him. Not until you have full control over everything he has. Wait until he’s desperate.”
The slow, knowing smile in Juran’s eyes was unpleasant and sickening.
Just as Nayoon met her gaze, unable to reply, a maid approached.
“Ma’am, your guest has arrived.”
“Oh my, that must be CEO Goo.”
Juran smiled brightly and passed by Nayoon, who exhaled the breath she’d been holding.
“Mom really has it all wrong. That’s not why I clenched my fist.”
Suhyuk, who approached casually, spoke as if he could see right through her.
“Exactly. It’s not that I hate Jaeha.”
His sarcastic smirk vanished, and his teeth clenched tightly.
“The rumors about that bastard are so filthy…!”
“Not worse than yours, is it?”
Nayoon scoffed coldly as she brushed past, and Suhyuk roughly grabbed her arm.
“Hey, Jin Nayoon.”
She slapped his hand away and said sharply,
“You said it yourself. We’re strangers, not even related by blood.”
“…”
“So let’s live like strangers. Please.”
She cast him a disgusted look, as if seeing something filthy, and headed toward the front door. Watching her leave, Suhyuk boiled with anger.
Outside, she heard Sera’s voice coming from the garden. She was chatting brightly with Juran, apparently unfazed by her.
“I came because I wanted to help pick out my new sister-in-law’s dress.”
“My, how sweet of you. But I’m afraid I already picked out a dress. Today is just for fitting.”
“Oh? Really? If you chose it, I’m sure it’s beautiful. You seem to have a good eye.”
“You say such lovely things, dear.”
Spotting Nayoon standing at a distance, Sera cheerfully waved at her.
“Oh? Sister-in-law!”
Nayoon resumed walking, forcing her expression to relax into her usual gentle smile.
“I could’ve come out on my own.”
“My brother’s on a work call in the car, so I came to get you.”
“Is that so?”
“But sister-in-law, why do you look like that?”
“Look like what?”
“Like something’s wrong…”
Sera tried to read her expression, but Juran jumped in with a laugh.
“Oh dear, we’re going to be late. Let’s hurry, shall we?”
Nayoon felt Juran’s hand push lightly at her back. Blinking at her, Sera followed along.
“Let’s go look at the dress.”
“Ah, okay.”
Though Sera looked a bit bewildered, after hearing Juran mutter behind them, she quickened her pace.
“At least she’s got a pretty face. That’s useful.”
Nayoon bit her lip hard.
Jaeha knew her situation. How long would it take before Sera did too? Word would eventually reach their house.
What if they opposed the marriage?
Panic rose in her chest, but when she glanced at Sera, the girl was too busy admiring the flowers along the garden path to notice.
“Aren’t these flowers so pretty? Wildflowers like these are the real gems. Oh, right! My brother secretly likes flowers too. You didn’t know, right?”
“Really? He likes flowers?”
“He loves them. Especially… um…”
Sera’s eyes flicked around as a mischievous grin formed.
“Tulips. You know, that kind.”
Not catching on to the joke, Nayoon simply responded, fascinated by how his taste differed from his exterior.
Listening to Sera cheerfully chat about Jaeha, the bitter taste left by Juran’s words faded, and they eventually got into the car.
Nayoon took the passenger seat, Sera the back.
“You could’ve called. I would’ve come right out.”
Jaeha, reading her expression, chose to smile and play it cool as he started the car.
“A very determined bodyguard insisted on picking you up.”
“Oppa!”
Sera suddenly leaned forward, squinting at him accusingly. Jaeha pushed her face back with the palm of his hand.
“Ugh.”
“Buckle up. We’re leaving.”
Sera, now slumped back in her seat, mumbled something like “How did someone like you end up with a woman like her?” but Jaeha ignored her and drove on, used to it by now.
Watching the two of them bicker, Nayoon finally broke into a short, involuntary laugh.
*
When they arrived at the bridal boutique, Jaeha was taken elsewhere while Nayoon and Sera were led to the fitting room.
A staff member informed them that Juran had already selected the dress and pressed a button.
With a soft mechanical sound, a curtain slowly opened, revealing the dress.
The excitement that had been lighting up Sera’s face faded into awkwardness.
“Wow…”
A soft sigh escaped. The dress covered the neck completely, with heavy-looking corsages and thick ruffles—a very conservative, classical design.
“It’s a classic design, so it should be quite elegant,” said the staff member.
She didn’t mention that it was the same dress Juran had wanted to wear at her own wedding.
Sera glanced at Nayoon, who looked at the dress with no particular reaction.
“Where should I try it on?”
“This way, please—”
“Wait, sister-in-law!”
Sera stopped both Nayoon and the staff member. Nayoon turned to look, puzzled.
“Aren’t we here to try on dresses today?”
Her expression said, So what’s the problem if I try this on?
Pointing at the other dresses hanging nearby, Sera said,
“What if you tried on some of the other dresses too?”
“Other… dresses?”
Nayoon followed Sera’s gaze.
Since she was a child, Juran had made most decisions for Nayoon—and she always followed.
She didn’t do what she was told not to, and did what she was told to do.
This ridiculous dress was the same.
She would have followed along.
Just until a moment ago.
