Chapter 8

Harper woke up to find daylight streaming in.

She opened her eyes and realized she was curled up in the corner of the bed. The bed felt emptier than ever.

For the first time, she felt the bed was so big it made her feel hollow inside.

It was eerily quiet around her.

She thought about last night. When Alex left, it was already late, and she had no idea which room he slept.

She wondered, 'Did Alex crash in the guest room or the study last night? Probably the study. When he's swamped with work, he always sleeps there.'

Just then, her phone buzzed with a message.

Harper rolled over, grabbed her phone from the table, and opened it. It was a photo from Emily.

The photo showed two hands clasped tightly together.

She could tell one was a woman's hand, and the other was a man's.

The man's hand had distinct knuckles, definitely Alex's hand.

Emily: [I'm so happy. Thanks; Alex and I had an amazing night.]

Harper stared at the photo; the familiar hand that had touched her last night was now holding another woman's hand.

Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision, and a wave of nausea hit her.

Last night, he had sex with her. But afterward, he went to find Emily. How could he have sex with two women in one night?

Emily: [You know, I met Alex first, but he didn't want me to marry early. He was afraid I'd be under too much pressure, so he sent me abroad to study. That was his way of taking care of me and protecting me.]

Another message from Emily.

Harper sneered, feeling anguished.

She knew Alex had someone else in his heart; a role no one could replace.

He once told her, "Harper, I only love one woman, but that woman isn't you. We met a long time ago, she's always been in my heart, and in this life, the only wife I'll acknowledge is her."

Turns out, the woman he was talking about was Emily.

Emily: [You know you're a thief, right? While I was abroad, you stole five years of marriage that should've been mine. Now, you should give it back to me.]

It was all her wishful thinking from the start. Harper liked Alex, but Alex never liked her, maybe even hated her. He was only into Emily, so only when he saw Emily, he would be so considerate and gentle.

She decided to give up on the love that was beyond her reach, despite all her efforts.

. She didn't reply to Emily, and there was no need to. If Emily's goal was to provoke and humiliate her, she certainly succeeded.

Harper put down her phone, got out of bed, washed up, and changed clothes before heading downstairs.

Downstairs, the maid Lina Smith had already prepared breakfast.

After Harper sat at the large dining table, Lina brought the breakfast over, looked upstairs, and asked, "Will Mr. Lavien join us?"

"No, he already left," Harper said lightly.

Lina remarked in surprise, "Off to the office so early? Mr. Lavien is indeed diligent, not even having breakfast."

While Harper was drinking milk from her cup, she unexpectedly choked, succumbing to a bout of relentless coughing.

Lina hurriedly came over to pat her back, "Mrs. Lavien, slow down. How did you choke?"

Because of the coughing, Harper's cheeks turned red.

Alex was undoubtedly busy, though not with company matters; instead, he was occupied accompanying Emily. He was truly diligent, going over so late.

At this moment, Lina poured another cup of milk and replaced the previous one.

Lina said, "Mrs. Lavien, you haven't been looking well lately; you must take care of your health."

Harper's expression was indifferent, her tone normal, "Lina, you don't need to call me Mrs. Lavien anymore."

Lina was stunned, still not understanding what she meant. If not Mrs. Lavien, what should she call her? She was Mr. Lavien's wife.

Harper slowly took a bite of the fried egg, her eyes slightly downcast. "We're about to get a divorce."

Lina was holding the glass of milk when Harper's words startled her, causing her grip to loosen. The glass fell to the ground, spilling milk everywhere.

"I'm sorry," Lina quickly picked up the cup from the ground and grabbed a mop to clean the floor.

"I thought that you and Mr. Lavien's relationship finally got better during the past five years. Why are you getting a divorce ?"

Lina sighed deeply, feeling very regretful. "Mrs. Lavien, you've worked hard for this family for many years; it's a pity to get a divorce."

Since they got married, Lina had been working here.

As Alex's wife, Harper was gentle and took good care of the servants, never scolding Lina, and she treated Alex better than anyone.

Lina felt reluctant to see such as nice person leave the Lavien Family. Lina said, "There is no big conflict after all; Mr. Lavien should persuade you."

Lina surmised that the divorce must have been instigated by Harper, as Alex had been somewhat aloof towards her.

Harper pursed her lips, smiling bitterly, "He proposed the divorce."

Lina was stunned again. This was something she couldn't understand.

"Feelings are the hardest thing to force. It feels like these five years of marriage were stolen; I need to return them." Harper's voice was heavy, her expression desolate as she got up and left the villa.

Coincidentally, when she arrived at the company and was about to enter the elevator, Harper saw Alex, who was also waiting for the elevator.

She just glanced at him and said coldly, "Good morning, Mr. Lavien."

Alex nodded. It seemed she was still angry about last night; he did go a bit too far then.

Alex said, "I prepared a dress for you; go try it in the lounge later. If it doesn't fit, it can be altered, so you can wear it tomorrow."

"Got it." She looked straight ahead, not looking at him.

After the elevator opened, they both walked in, not saying another word.

There was nothing more worth saying between them. In her office, Harper indeed saw a gift box on the table.

Without opening it, she picked up the gift box and went to the lounge. After she entered the lounge and sat in the chair, she was lost in thought.

She remembered once, she and Alex had sex here.

She had secured an important project for the company, and Alex rewarded her with a bottle of wine. They shared the wine in the office together. After getting drunk, they made love here for two hours.

He kissed her passionately; his actions were intense. They boldly tried different positions than usual.

He pressed her against the floor-to-ceiling window, shedding his usual serious and noble demeanor; his wild side made her infatuated. Gazing at the dazzling neon lights and the bustling city below, the glass reflected the intertwined figures of the two lost in passion.

That feeling was wonderful. At that moment, Harper thought Alex loved her too.

But afterward, Alex said she deliberately seduced him and ignored her for a whole month. It was ridiculous! Did a wife need to seduce her husband?

Furthermore, he was the one who kissed her first. If he was unwilling, could she force him to become aroused and enter her body? It was just his illogical prejudice against her.

Harper exhaled deeply, opened the gift box, and inside was a white dress. She put on the dress and walked out of the lounge.

She had to admit that the dress fit her well. She was already beautiful; the white dress made her look even more elegant.

"Did Alex choose this dress?" At some point, Emily saw her and said lightly.

Emily was also wearing a white dress, similar in style to the one Harper was wearing.

Emily added, "Alex knows I like white, so he always chooses white when picking clothes."

Harper's face turned cold. She always thought Alex liked white, but it wasn't him, it was Emily who liked it.

Suddenly, she felt a wave of pity for herself, having been Alex's source of solace for so many years.

She walked back into the lounge, changed out of the dress, and took the gift box to Alex's office. "Take this dress back; I'll choose my own!"