Chapter 104 She Was Like a Clown
Harper paused before making the third call and decided to send a text instead. "Are you busy, honey?" She rarely used that endearment, but Francis seemed to like it.
After their heartfelt conversation last night, she felt it was time to show her sincerity. Perhaps he was busy, but she was sure he would appreciate her message. Thirty minutes passed, but she didn't get any reply. Harper couldn't help but check her phone frequently, feeling uneasy as all her attention was on it. Finally, a message arrived, but it was from Molly, asking if she wanted to go for a drink. Harper thought it might be better to go out and shift her attention.
After making plans, Harper had her driver take her to the club Molly mentioned. Inside, they found a private room. Harper ordered a cup of water, and Molly ordered a glass of wine. Molly had been enjoying herself lately. Her wedding had been postponed due to her fiance's grandfather's passing, which had brought her some relief.
Her father's health had also improved, and their company was slowly recovering from its financial difficulties. Molly was more concerned about Harper. "How are things with Francis? I heard you two have been getting closer. Does that mean you will have a baby soon?"
Molly hadn't heard much about Francis and Chloe lately, so she assumed Chloe wouldn’t be able to cause trouble again. She was relieved by this. After all, her best friend had undergone a lot of hard times recently, and she would be happy if Harper could have a peaceful life.
Harper thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, and you'll see the baby soon."
Molly was taken aback. "Are you really pregnant? How long it had been?" she asked.
"About three months," Harper replied.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? What were you thinking? Do you have other good friends outside?" Molly teased.
Harper explained, "I wanted to wait until things were more stable."
"And what about Francis? Is he happy?" Molly was concerned about Francis’ reaction.
Harper remembered last night when he had childishly asked why the baby hadn't started moving yet, and his face had been filled with happiness.
"He's very happy," Harper said. Suddenly, Molly burst into tears.
Harper was taken aback and asked, "What's wrong?"
Molly hugged her and said, "I'm just so happy that you can live a happy life now." Molly just wanted her best friend, Harper, to live a happy life.
Harper was also moved. "I wish you a happy life, too. I won't allow you to be unhappy."
"Okay." The two of them embraced and cried for a while. Then Molly stood up and said, "You're pregnant now, and you're more precious than anything else. You're not allowed to stay up late. Go back and rest." She pushed Harper out, and as they walked down the hallway, they suddenly bumped into someone familiar.
Harper stopped in her tracks and saw Victor standing at the door of the private room. Victor had obviously seen Harper, and there was a moment of panic in his eyes. But he quickly composed himself and greeted Harper.
Harper walked over and asked, "Is Francis here?" Victor hesitated for a second and nodded.
"Is he busy today?" Harper asked again. Victor's forehead broke out in a sweat as he replied, "Yes, Mr. Getty is quite busy."
Just then, the door to the private room opened, and a waiter came out with a serving cart. Harper distinctly heard a woman's voice, one that was both sweet and familiar—it was Chloe's voice.
Victor tried to stop her, but Harper reached out and pushed the door open. It was the most luxurious private room in the club. The entire place was filled with exquisite flowers, and crystal chandeliers adorned the ceiling. The pillars were engraved with golden leaf patterns, giving the room a grand and luxurious feel.
On the large LCD screen, the words "Happy Birthday, Chloe" were displayed. Chloe, the birthday girl, was sitting in the center, wearing a luxurious dress adorned with diamonds. She looked confident and self-assured, a stark contrast to her disheveled appearance from the day before.
Harper's face turned pale, and her mind was in a whirl. Inside the private room, everyone was having a great time, and no one noticed her appearance. She saw Chloe feeding Francis a piece of cake, and a man next to them exclaimed, "Feeding like this is no fun. Mr. Getty is hosting Miss Musk's grand birthday banquet. She should show some sincerity and feed him mouth to mouth!"
The others joined in. "Yes, mouth to mouth!"
Chloe looked at Francis, her face blushed with shyness. When she saw that Francis didn't react, she took a piece of cake and put it in her mouth. She was then about to feed it to Francis’ mouth. Whistles and cheers filled the room. As the cake got closer to Francis's lips, Molly couldn't bear it anymore and muttered, "What a joke! She felt proud of being a mistress. It's disgusting."
She grabbed Harper's hand and tried to leave, but Harper couldn't move. Harper suddenly called out, "Francis."
The noisy environment instantly fell silent. Everyone turned to look at this uninvited guest. Ignoring the astonished gazes, Harper took a few steps forward, stood in front of Francis, and blurted out, "Francis, come home with me."
Francis raised an eyebrow, and his gaze lingered on Harper for just a second before moving away as if she was a stranger.
Harper's mind went blank. She couldn't understand how the man who had held her tightly and called her his wife last night could suddenly become so cold and indifferent.
No one paid any attention to Harper, and they all looked at her with strange eyes, but she didn't care. She asked in a soft voice, "What's wrong with you?" She was sure something must have happened, or he wouldn't be like this.
The sincerity and affection of these days couldn't be fake. But Francis completely ignored her. Someone nearby laughed and said, "Who is this? Did you come to the wrong room?"
"Miss, do you think you can hook up with others as you wish just because you are in a luxurious club?"
Today's party was arranged last minute. Chloe had invited a few wealthy and well-known young men here. She just wanted to let others know that she was the woman Francis loved. People would know that the Getty family protected her and would talk about her. Women in Northfield would envy her. Those men in the room had affairs with men and women. So they thought Harper was just the same kind of woman.
Their comments became increasingly unpleasant. Molly couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed Harper's hand, saying, "Let's go."
But Harper stood there stubbornly, her eyes fixed on Francis. The people around her became even more intrigued by Harper's stillness and unwavering gaze.
"Miss, this man has a high social status. You can't seduce him. Why don't you serve me instead? I can take you out for a good time tonight.
The crowd burst into laughter. Someone else chimed in, "Count me in."
After all, Harper was quite pretty, and her natural beauty surpassed other women who were present. Her eyes were particularly beautiful and bright. She was charming when she put on a faint smile. She was truly a rare beauty. The way these people spoke was disrespectful, but Francis acted as if he hadn't heard it, allowing them to insult her with their words.
Molly was so angry that she clenched her fists and was about to throw her drink at them, but someone tightly gripped her wrist.
"Mrs. Koch, is this where you can cause a scene?" The familiar and chilling voice made her tremble.
She turned her head and saw Robert looking at her intently. Robert directly pulled her away, and Molly's struggle was nothing compared to his strength. Some men in the room knew Robert and knew who Robert’s fiancee was. Seeing Robert leave with a girl, they were sure that Harper was just the kind they had guessed.
One man rudely grabbed Harper’s hand and smirked, "Miss, your friend has already chosen someone, so why don't you come with me? You can name your price."
Another man nearby was dissatisfied. He said, "Why should she go with you? Miss, don't listen to him. I'm rich, too. I'll give you double, and you can come with me."
Harper forcefully pulled her hand back and said coldly, "Get lost!"
Francis's gaze fell on the man's hand, his eyes filled with anger! Angry, the man raised his hand and wanted to slap Harper, but Chloe stopped him. She smiled and said, "Stop, Louis. I know this woman."
The man was called Louis Turner. Upon hearing that, he reluctantly stopped, but his gaze was still predatory as if he wanted to devour someone.
Chloe certainly wanted Louis to slap Harper, who had offended her! But she wasn't sure about Francis's attitude toward Harper at the moment, and she didn't want to make things worse. It was always a good idea to be kind at a time like this.
Harper continued to stare at Francis, her eyes filled with tears. "You promised me last night. Have you already forgotten?"
Finally, Francis looked at Harper, his eyes filled with contempt.
"You shouldn’t take a man's words in bed seriously."
In an instant, Harper's face turned pale, devoid of any color. Her body couldn't help but tremble, and she felt incredibly weak and vulnerable amongst the crowd. Francis was indifferent, and his eyes showed not just distance but disgust.
Everyone around Harper looked at her with disdain, silently telling her how ridiculous she was.
Harper felt she was like a clown. She humiliated herself. She had her pride, but at this moment, she felt a deep sense of shame and humiliation. With great effort, she said, her voice hoarse and dry, "I understand. I'll leave now."
It was not easy for her to say that her throat was dry and sore as if it had been burned.
Francis was taken aback. He felt as if something had gripped his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
Harper's face was as pale as paper, but she forced a smile. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you." With that, she slowly walked away, her every step filled with pain and heartache. Throughout, her tears remained in her eyes, not a single one falling. She didn't want her tears to fall in such a dirty place. Everything behind her made her feel incredibly filthy. The birthday banquet quieted down because of this farce.
Louis, who had just spoken, came out again to liven up the atmosphere, saying, "There are plenty of women like her who don't know where she belongs after sleeping with a rich man. Next time, I'll introduce a few more to you. Francis, I guarantee they'll be better, not worse than the one just now," Louis said this with a hint of guilt, as he thought Harper was indeed exceptional. At least he had never seen a girl as beautiful as Harper without makeup.
Francis looked down at Louis, his voice indifferent. "Are you from the Turner family?"
Everyone present wanted to be associated with the Getty family, and Louis was thrilled to hear Francis ask about him. He was so excited that he almost kneeled. He thought his preaching just now had pleasured Francis. He bowed his head and said, "My last name is Turner, and my full name is Louis Turner. My father is the chairman of the board of directors of Peaceful Pharmaceuticals."
After speaking, he even reached out his hand to shake hands with Francis as a sign of respect. Francis reached out his hand, and in the next second, he grabbed Louis's wrist with his strong grip and twisted it hard. As a crisp sound came out, his hand was broken. Louis clutched his broken hand and fell on the ground, rolling and wailing in pain.
Francis stepped forward and used his heel to crush Louis's broken hand with force. Louis's screams were so piercing that they sent shivers down people's spines. Ruthlessness overflowed from Francis' eyes as he commanded, "Throw him out. I don't want to see this person again." Instantly, two bodyguards came forward and dragged Louis out like a dead dog.
The remaining people at the scene felt lucky at the thought that they didn’t offend Francis as Louis did. But no one understood how Louis had offended Francis.
Chloe's face turned gloomy. Others didn't know, but she remembered clearly that Louis had just held Harper's wrist. This was the reason Francis had broken Louis’ hand. Hatred surged in her heart. She didn't expect that even the paternity test she had painstakingly arranged was not enough to ruin Harper!
She thought, ‘How did she manage to capture Francis' heart like this?’
Harper left the club, feeling dazed. Everything that had just happened felt like a dream. She remembered Molly and called her. Molly answered the call and told Harper that something had happened and she had to leave.
Harper felt relieved when she learned that Molly was fine. After hanging up the phone, Harper walked on the road like a zombie. She kept thinking about Francis' cold eyes, which she found so unfamiliar. She couldn't understand why.
She thought, ‘Is it funny to trample on my sincere feelings? He hurt me again and again.’
She walked on the road vacantly. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. An electric scooter was speeding toward her, and when Harper tried to dodge, she tripped and fell to the ground. The owner of the electric scooter didn't stop for a second. Instead, he cursed loudly and accelerated away.
Harper looked at the fresh blood oozing from her knees and elbows. She felt no pain, but she couldn't help but let her tears fall.
Suddenly, a handkerchief appeared before her eyes. Harper was taken aback, and through her teary eyes, she saw that familiar face. She couldn't describe the feeling. Heartbroken, she suddenly stood up and started hitting and kicking the person. She kept saying, "I hate you! I hate you! Why did you do this to me? You said we would be fine! You liar!"
The blood from her elbows and knees gushed out even more, staining the man's clothes with blood. "Don't move." Francis's tone was commanding as he held her in his arms.
Harper looked up, and after a few seconds, she realized that she had mistaken the person as Francis.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
