Chapter 17
Before Harper could utter a word, Chloe started crying in Francis's embrace. She showed him her reddened hand and said, "Francis, don't blame Harper. She thinks I stole you from her. She's angry, that's why..."
Upon hearing this, Francis turned to Harper with a scrutinizing look in his eyes and asked, "Is that so?"
With a blank expression, Harper looked at the two of them, barely stifling a laugh.
'Such a clumsy performance could easily be exposed with a glance at the surveillance footage, and yet Francis's first instinct was to question me.
'If he had already made up his mind, why even bother asking?
'Was it just to give me a chance to defend myself before pronouncing my guilty?
'How disgustingly self-righteous.'
Harper let out a cold laugh, said nothing, and simply turned to walk away.
Watching Harper leave, Francis furrowed his brow and made a move as if he wanted to follow her. But Chloe clung to his waist, speaking feebly, "Francis... I'm feeling unwell, could you..."
Before she could finish, Francis gently pushed her away and said flatly, "Chloe, I have something to take care of. Victor will take you to the hospital."
With that, he left without looking back, leaving Chloe with a look of utter shock on her face.
'How could this be? How could it possibly be?’
'Francis actually left me behind?'
She knew how concerned Francis had always been about her health. Every time she claimed to feel unwell in the past, he would immediately drop everything, even flying overseas to see her.
This confidence had always been Chloe's ace in the hole.
Now, the unthinkable had happened—Francis had left her in pursuit of that other woman.
'Could it be... could it be that he had fallen for Harper?
'Impossible, absolutely impossible!’
'How could that woman even hold a candle to me? She doesn't deserve to tie my shoelaces!'
...
Harper went down the escalator in a daze, tears streaming down her face before she even realized it.
She wasn't as strong as she had imagined herself to be.
Her heart ached, a suffocating pain.
Feeling like a naïve fool, she succumbed to the harsh reality.
'Why be so cruel to me...’
'Why go ring shopping today...’
'Tomorrow, we're supposed to get our divorce papers, but couldn't they wait even this half day? Is this the difference between love and its absence?’
'In the presence of love, he couldn't wait a minute longer. And what about me... Do I deserve to be hurt simply because he doesn't love me?’
'I'm human too, feeling pain just the same...'
Harper was numb, so out of it that she didn't even notice when she reached the bottom of the escalator.
Suddenly, her foot got caught by the moving escalator, and as her body lurched forward, she expected to brace for the imminent fall. Then, she tumbled into a set of welcoming arms.
Tension drove her to cling tightly around the person's waist, and she could even feel the strong, firm muscles beneath the clothing.
She was about to utter thanks when a deep and pleasant voice sounded above her head.
"Watch your step. What's got you so distracted?"
Harper looked up to find Francis gazing at her. Concern etched across his face.
In another time, she would have believed his concern was genuine, but now... A bitter smile crossed her face as she straightened up and stepped out of his embrace.
'Why would Francis be concerned about me?’
'He was probably just here to scold me.'
"Harper, what's going on with you?"
Concern etched Francis’s features as he pondered her recent erratic actions, his voice softening with worry.
"If you have a grievance, talk to me. But don't take it out on Chloe. She's just had surgery..."
'Of course, it was all about Chloe.' Harper nearly laughed, relieved that she hadn't harbored any false hope.
She lifted her head, the corners of her eyes still damp with unshed tears, and said with a feeble smile, "Me, provoke her? Francis, we're not even divorced yet, and you're buying her rings. Who is provoking whom?"
Seeing her swollen eyes, Francis felt a sting in his heart, his expression growing complex.
"Harper..." He opened his mouth to say something, but Harper cut him off. "What if I told you she lied? Would you confront Chloe?"
Francis froze at the question, and after a few seconds, his expression darkened as he replied, "Impossible. Chloe wouldn't frame you."
'I knew the answer was predictable, so why does my heart still feel like it's being ripped apart?’
'I suppose this is what they mean by 'love is blind.’’
'In his eyes, Chloe could do no wrong—she's always the epitome of grace and kindness.’
'And me? To Francis, I'm probably nothing more than a jokester looking to stir up trouble.'
With eyes brimming with unshed tears, Harper mocked, "Do you think Chloe won't lie, but I'll lie? Does everything automatically become my fault when it involves her?"
"Francis, is this really how you see me?"
Her eyes grew dull like they had lost their shine.
Francis wanted to speak, but the words choked in his throat.
After a pause, he finally said, "Harper, I can only trust what I see. You claim Chloe framed you. Do you have any proof?"
Silence fell between them.
Harper's heart numbed with pain.
'When he had blindly accused me of pushing Chloe before, did he demand evidence then? No. He was quick to judge me guilty. But now, when it comes to Chloe, suddenly, everything needs proof.’
'It felt like a knife twisting in my chest.’
'Francis, could you be any more biased?'
Harper bit her lip hard, fighting back the tears in his presence.
'Tears cherished are pearls; tears ignored are just wastewater.'
Noticing her distress, Francis said in a deep and soothing voice, "Harper, I'm not blaming you. I know you're upset, and it's my fault for not handling things better."
His gentle tone momentarily caught her off guard. For a moment, he seemed like the sweet man she once knew.
Kind, patient—the kind of man who drew her in and made her fall head over heels.
"Let's just chalk it up to a misunderstanding... If you apologize to Chloe, we can move past this," he said in that charming voice.
Instantly, Harper's soaring spirits plummeted straight into hell.
A flood of emotions overwhelmed her, bending her till she felt her spine might snap.
The pain writhing in her heart made her want to curl up and hide from it all.
'So, was his rare display of tenderness just to coax me into apologizing to his beloved?’
'My heart was already shattered.’
'Why did he have to crush it under his heel once more?'
After a long while, Harper managed to say, "Francis, do you mean to tell me that even if Chloe stabbed me to death, you would think it was my fault unless you saw it with your own eyes?"
Her voice was misted with sorrow as if soaked in frost, while her eyes were clouded with despair.
The casual drop of the word "death" caused a twitch in Francis' temple. A pain he couldn't ignore bloomed in his chest.
He stepped forward abruptly, compelling her to retreat, then cornered her against the wall with his arm in a possessive stance, his voice tinged with anger, "Harper, don't be absurd."
Seeing the resignation in her, Francis felt an inexplicable ache in his heart.
He lowered his eyes to look at her, about to speak again when a voice cut through the tension.
"Francis..."
Chloe maneuvered her wheelchair toward them.
Her face paled for a second at the sight of Francis embracing Harper.
The next moment, in a fragile and pitiful voice, she said, "Francis, let it be. If this eases Harper's conscience, I don't mind bearing some discomfort."
She then turned to Harper and added, "Harper, even if you and Francis divorce, we'll still treat you as one of our own. If you ever face hardships, remember you can come to me."
Chloe's words were so magnanimous and polite that they made Harper seem like an unreasonable troublemaker.
Francis frowned at Chloe, feeling an unexplainable irritation in his chest.
"Enough," he snapped, cutting her off.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
