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Novel Catalog
Chapter 76
“Cough, cough. I like her? Nonsense!” Joe waved his hand dismissively. “She’s flamboyant and fierce, like a tigress. What a joke!”
Just as he finished speaking, Summer pushed open the door and stepped inside. “Who’s a tigress?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Joe immediately fell silent.
Summer’s curiosity piqued, she pressed on, “Who are you talking about? Are you hiding gossip from me?”
Gale struggled to hold back her laughter.
“No, no, no,” Joe stammered, waving his hands. “Our Chief Designer was just asking about her salary because she thought it was too much.”
Summer laughed, her voice light. “Oh, I see! Gale, with that salary, you’d better treat yourself well!”
Gale smiled and agreed, “Okay, please. I’ll buy you both lunch.”
Joe, being the kind man he was, had always supported her career. And Summer, her best friend, was the one who kept her grounded. Without their help and encouragement, she wouldn’t be able to do what she loved and enjoy it.
“Then I’m not holding back!” Summer said with a grin. “I want Japanese food! I’m going to eat heaps!”
Gale chuckled. After they finished their lunch, when she went to pay the bill, the cashier told her that Summer had already taken care of it.
A true friend. Gale felt a warmth spread through her chest as she looked at Summer.
Later, back at the company, Gale went to the president’s office.
“Fiona, is Mr. Wood in?” she asked.
Fiona glanced at the clock. “Mr. Wood should be on his lunch break, ma’am. Do you want to go in?”
Gale hesitated for a moment. “No, I don’t want to disturb him.”
Fiona looked thoughtful for a second. “I’m guessing Mr. Wood hasn’t been sleeping well. But if you need to speak with him, you can go right in.”
Gale nodded and gently pushed the door open.
Shawn was sitting on the sofa, his head tilted back and his eyes closed. In his hand, he was holding the sachet she had given him earlier.
Gale tiptoed over and covered him with the blanket that was draped across the back of the couch. As she pulled it over him, she suddenly noticed his eyes were open, and he was staring directly at her.
“Y-You’re awake,” Gale stammered, startled. She quickly withdrew her hand.
Shawn’s expression was cold as he threw the blanket aside. “Gale, you’ve long hated me. Why are you pretending to care now? This is just hypocrisy.”
Gale’s face flushed, but she remained calm. “Don’t think too much of it. I don’t care about you. I was just worried you might catch a cold. Sick people get more irritable, and I’ll suffer too.”
Shawn frowned in annoyance. “What are you doing here? Who let you in?” He raised his voice, clearly frustrated. “Fiona!”
“I came in on my own,” Gale quickly explained, not wanting to drag Fiona into this.
Shawn’s gaze was sharp as he looked at her. “Why are you here?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Gale hesitated, then said, “I borrowed twenty thousand dollars from you last time. I promised I would pay it back.”
Shawn’s eyes darkened. “Where did you get the money?”
“I only have ten thousand now. My salary was paid today,” Gale explained. “I’ll pay you half now and the rest next month.”
Shawn’s lips twisted into a thin line. “Either pay it back all at once or not at all.”
Gale bit her lip. “Then I’ll pay you the rest next month.”
“Get out,” Shawn ordered, pressing his fingers to his temples, clearly exasperated. “Next time you interrupt my lunch break, I’ll throw you out.”
Gale quickly turned and left, feeling the weight of the tension between them.
Before she closed the door behind her, she couldn’t help but glance at the sofa. The sachet she had given him was old and worn. It was clear that he had used it often.
An idea popped into her mind. She would make him a new one.
She went out to buy some fresh herbs and spent time crafting a brand-new sachet, one that she hoped would be special for him.
Later, she returned to the president’s office. The door was slightly ajar, and voices drifted out from within.
“Mr. Wood, I just received a call from the hospital. Wendy Warm’s condition is stable, but it’s a bit tricky,” Fiona’s voice was clear.
“Didn’t she wake up?” Shawn’s voice was low and tense.
“Yes, but now she needs an expensive drug to survive.”
Shawn’s brow furrowed deeply. “Expensive?”