Chapter 288 Apology
Francis watched Harper walk away, feeling like she was a million miles away even though she was close. He realized nothing lasted forever; even close people could become strangers. He could only see her profile as she disappeared from view. Determined, he clenched his hand in his pocket, vowing to bring her back.
The next day, Harper came home from the studio and saw Agnes playing happily with Sarah Watson, Andrew's mom. Agnes was chatting sweetly, making Sarah smile. It was clear Sarah liked Agnes a lot.
Agnes ran over to Harper with a doll, excitedly showing off a new princess set from Sarah. "Look at this, Mommy!" she squealed. "A new set of dolls. There are 12 of them!"
Harper greeted Sarah politely, feeling a bit awkward. Sarah handed her an envelope with a card, complimenting Harper's looks. "Harper, you look lovely as ever," Sarah said with a warm smile. "I can barely recognize you."
Harper tried to return the envelope, saying it wasn't necessary, but Sarah insisted it was a gift for Agnes.
Agnes chimed in, saying she loved the princess set but didn't need the money. Just then, Andrew, lounging on the sofa, told Harper to just take the gift, sounding impatient. "Just take it. No need for such an act."
Harper didn't like Andrew and firmly returned the envelope.
Sarah scolded Andrew for his rudeness. The Murphy family was wealthy, and the card might not mean much to them, but Andrew thought Harper was being pretentious. Sarah glared at Andrew, clearly embarrassed.
Andrew, thinking Harper was putting on a show, felt annoyed. He thought giving her money was a peace offering, and her refusal meant she didn't want to reconcile. If she didn't fit his aesthetic, he wouldn't have bothered.
Sarah apologized for Andrew's behavior, hoping Harper would let it go. "I've heard what happened yesterday. It was his bad."
Harper, not wanting to make things awkward, said it was okay. Andrew then suggested they start dating, "Since the misunderstanding has been clear, let's start dating as my mom suggested."
Harper found absurd and rejected outright. Andrew was furious, never having been rejected like that before.
Sarah was shocked by his anger, knowing he had never shown interest in any woman before.
This time was different. When Sarah asked Andrew, he casually admitted he was interested.
"What makes you think I'm not good enough for you, you..." Andrew stopped mid-sentence.
Harper knew he was about to call her a widow again. He had also called Agnes a burden, which was too much.
Harper could support Agnes on her own now. If it weren't for Agnes staring longingly at other families, she wouldn't have considered finding a stepfather.
The Murphy and Grey families were old friends, so Harper didn't mention what Andrew said that day, just brushed it off as "not suitable."
But now, she saw no need to cover for him. She thought Andrew was incredibly rude.
Harper played a recording from the restaurant for Sarah. Halfway through, Sarah's face turned sour. She apologized to Harper and Agnes, then dragged Andrew out by his ear.
Andrew, wild as he was, respected his mom. He endured the pain until they got to the car before asking her to let go. His pride was shattered that day. He gritted his teeth, thinking, 'Harper, you wait!'
In the afternoon, Harper called Jasper. "Jasper, can you pick up Jessica Miller from the airport?"
Jasper paused, "Why is she coming?"
"Jasper, what kind of question is that? She's coming to see Zoey." Jessica was Zoey's daughter, about Harper's age. They used to play together as kids. They lost touch for over a decade but reconnected five years ago and became good friends.
Harper added, "I've asked Jessica to be the design director at the studio. She'll probably stay with me for a while. Agnes likes her, and I'm happy about it."
Jasper didn't respond for a while, then said, "Okay."
Harper suddenly thought of something. "Jasper, Oscar Perot won't follow her to Northfield, will he? You need to keep an eye on that. It's your fault for introducing that jerk to Jessica. He almost killed her."
Jasper's face darkened, "He won't."
"Good. If Oscar dares to come, handle it your way," Harper said.
Jasper grabbed his car keys and headed to the airport.
At the airport, he spotted Jessica from a distance. She wore beige pants and a white T-shirt with black trim, a conservative outfit. Jasper remembered how she used to look in a red dress, passionate and innocent.
Since marrying Oscar, she hadn't worn a dress, not even in the hottest summer, always in long pants.
Jessica's eyes met Jasper's cold, noble face, and she was momentarily stunned. She didn't expect Harper to send Jasper to pick her up.
Jasper stubbed out his cigarette and called out, "Jessica."
Jessica instinctively tightened her grip on the suitcase handle and softly replied, "Mr. Murphy."
She said it coldly, without any feelings. Jasper tugged at his tie, feeling a bit irritated. He took her suitcase, put it in the trunk, and opened the passenger door for her.
Jessica clutched her bag strap. "No need, I'll sit in the back."
The passenger door was open, and Jasper's lean, strong arms rested on the door frame, looking at her without speaking. He looked quite bossy.
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