I Once Married You (Harper and Benjamin)

Those Who Wronged Her

But all she was met with was silence.

Lily realized something was off and quickly said, "Harper, I believe you. Can you tell me what really happened?"

Harper's lips were tightly pressed, her eyes fixed on Benjamin, her heart sinking to its lowest.

She murmured to herself, "Harper, can you see now who he truly cares about? Don't hold onto any fantasies anymore."

Harper took a deep breath and said quietly, "Benjamin, whether you believe me or not, I have to tell you, I didn't try to hurt myself. It was Lauren who pushed me down. Of course, you can choose to believe Lauren, since nothing I say holds any value or credibility in your eyes."

After speaking, she immediately turned to Lily and said, "Lily, I want to go back to Pineview Villa. I'm okay, you don't need to worry. Today is grandpa's birthday, and so much has happened that seems somehow connected to me. I truly am sorry."

"What are you talking about, silly girl? We're all family here. Me, Scott and Paul all believe in you and stand by your side." Lily understood Harper's words and then looked at Benjamin. "You go back with Harper."

"No," Harper quickly refused, saying, "Lily, I can go back on my own."

With that, she threw back the covers and got out of bed. The whole process was swift; she didn't glance at Benjamin again.

Looking at Harper's pale face set in defiance, Benjamin's expression grew even darker, his brows furrowing tighter.

As Harper drove away from the Martin Manor, her heart was increasingly empty. She was well aware of Benjamin's partiality to Lauren, yet she couldn't help but hopelessly seek confirmation. Harper sighed deeply, the disappointment in her heart deepening further.

A year of marriage, yet not a shred of trust. Wasn't that laughable?

"Harper Mitchell, you are incompetent," Harper murmured to herself quietly.

*****

At the Martin Manor, Lily glared furiously at Benjamin. "What is going on with you? Has Lauren bewitched you? You trust her but not your own wife?"Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Benjamin, his expression solemn, remained silent. Lily, livid beyond words, couldn't bring herself to abandon her son and finally stormed off after giving him several piercing glares. Benjamin stood motionless for a long time, the image of Lauren's beautiful face haunting him.

He was fully aware of her emotional turmoil.

After a minute of silence, he left the room and went straight to Gordon in the house, then asked to check the surveillance near the pool.

The footage tightened his features, and a cold glint flickered in his deep eyes.

After a while, he deleted the footage and headed for the parking lot.

"Benjamin, are you leaving? Can you give me a ride?"

Benjamin heard a soft, pleading voice just as he was about to get into his car.

He turned to see Lauren, hand in hand with Lucy, approaching slowly. Lauren's expectant eyes were fixed on him, waiting for a response.

But Benjamin remained silent for a long time, his face expressionless, void of any emotion. Benjamin's indifference sent a wave of panic through Lauren, though she tried to maintain her composure.

As others began to drive away and witnessed the scene, Lauren felt her dignity slipping. She let go of Lucy and walked up to Benjamin. She asked, "Benjamin, why won't you say anything?" Then, turning to Lucy, she suggested, "Lucy, why don't you go ahead? I'll leave with Benjamin."

Lucy nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go first." She waved her hand goodbye and then smiled at Benjamin. "Mr. Martin, you better take good care of Lauren and get her home safely."

But Benjamin still gave no response, leaving Lucy to depart in slight embarrassment hurriedly.

Lauren couldn't bring herself to look directly at him; instead, she tried to probe with her words. "Benjamin, what's wrong?"

"Have your manager come pick you up, okay?"

Benjamin didn't answer Lauren directly, just giving her a fleeting glance.

"Benjamin..." Lauren's disbelief was evident as her eyes quickly reddened.

Lauren pursed her lips, speaking softly, "Benjamin, did Harper say something to you? I tried to reach out to her first, but Harper didn't want me touching her, so I..."

"Lauren, I need to head to the office for work, so have your manager get you," Benjamin interrupted Lauren. A second later, he was in his car and gone.

Lauren stood there for a long time, unable to recover, but many people who came out of the house witnessed this scene. Someone whispered, "It looks like Lauren and Mr. Martin aren't on such good terms after all. It seems like it's all one-sided on her part, and Mr. Martin is pretty indifferent."

"I think so, too. Despite her being a celebrity, what can't a family like the Martin have? Based on the attitude of Paul, Lily and Scott tonight, they don't seem to like her. I think her chances of marrying into the Martin family are slim."

"The Martin family seems to really like Harper. Maybe it'll be Harper who marries Mr. Martin."

Their discussion was not discreet, clearly intended for Lauren to hear.

Lauren's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into fists, her face contorting with distress.

She blamed everything on Harper, convinced that Harper must have poisoned Benjamin against her, which explained his sudden coldness.

Ultimately, Lauren had no choice but to call Rue to pick her up. Just as she hung up, she saw Kimberly approaching.

The two knew each other, of course.

Kimberly stared at her coldly, "Lauren, don't you know that Benjamin has already married Harper? Why do you keep clinging to him like a bad rash? Doesn't it disgust you?"

"Kimberly, what right do you have to judge me? I don't think I know about your feelings for Benjamin. I don't believe you're not jealous of Harper. How does it feel to want a man who's now your brother-in-law? Isn't that more disgusting?"

Kimberly's expression shifted subtly, but she maintained her poised, ladylike demeanor, saying coolly, "So what? That was before Benjamin got married. Now that he is my sister's husband, I harbor no feelings for him. As for you, Lauren, as a public figure, you should avoid actions that compromise moral standards. If you wrong my sister, Mitchell family won't let you off easily."

"Kimberly, you keep calling Harper your sister, but do you really consider her your sister at heart? You know better than anyone how your parents treat her. Isn't it all because they gave all their love to you? In the end, you are the one who has genuinely wronged her."

Lauren's lips curled into a mocking smile, her eyes brimming with provocation.

At Lauren's words, Kimberly's face froze, and she fell silent instantly.

Kimberly watched as Lauren strutted away arrogantly, her eyes unresponsive for a long time, as if Lauren had unlocked a Pandora's box within her, and memories surged forth, stiffening her expression further.