I Once Married You (Harper and Benjamin)

Harper thought that Annie must have stayed up late, so she didn't want to disturb her. If Annie didn't reply, Harper would just let her rest at home, and Annie wouldn't need to go to the office today. She said: [No. I just took a shower. Are you up?]

However, Annie replied instantly.

[Yeah. Come over for breakfast then.]

Annie agreed.

A few minutes later, they sat face to face before the dining table. Annie said, "I have something to ask you."

"Hmm?"

"Did you tell Benjamin that those ex-boyfriend things?" Annie asked cautiously.

Harper was stunned, then calmly replied, "Yes, I did."

"So, did you tell him on purpose that the reason for marrying him is because of your ex?"

"Did he ask you?"

Annie nodded slightly. "He asked me who your ex-boyfriend was. But don't worry, my answer was ambiguous, so he shouldn't be able to guess it."

Annie repeated her response to Benjamin to Harper, who responded with a light "Hmm" and no significant reaction.

Annie asked, "Did you two have a fight? Is it because of this ex-boyfriend?"

Harper shook her head and then sighed helplessly, setting down her spoon. She said, "No, it's because I rode back home in Frank's car yesterday, and he wasn't happy about it. I explained to him that it didn't mean anything. I just happened to catch a ride since he passed by, and you were there, too. So I don't know why he got upset." "Maybe he is jealous?" Annie asked.

Harper said, "Angie said the same thing. But he doesn't love me. How can he still be jealous?"

"Perhaps that's just how men are," Annie smiled faintly.

Harper pressed her lips, unable to help but think about his words from last night. She still didn't think she had done or said anything wrong.

After all, Benjamin's actions for Lauren were far more outrageous than Frank's actions for her.

Harper shook her head, telling herself not to dwell on it anymore.

After breakfast with Annie, she went to the company. To keep up appearances, she didn't drive today either.

Annie couldn't help but laugh. She said, "You do play your part so convincingly."

Harper didn't respond. If she could, she wished she didn't have to act with Frank to test Benjamin.

Harper started working upon arriving at the office.

Yesterday, Sophia and the others visited some farms around the Mayby to get ideas. However, most farm styles, decorations, and layouts were similar, so they seemed to need something novel to stand out. In fact, this was the primary purpose of Harper's sending them to explore other farms. She said, "See, most farms out there are rocking similar designs, and that's not exactly gonna turn heads. If our stuff looks like everyone else's, it's a surefire way to get the judges nodding off." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Sophia asked, "What if we add different elements to the farms?"

"That's certainly feasible because I've been preaching from the start not to be limited. We need to think outside the box. If you have any sparks of creativity, jot them down, and let's weave them into the designs, blending them with the farms. If they don't quite mesh, we'll pivot and find some fresh angles." Her words sparked new inspiration in the three. Harper gave them time to brainstorm, jot down their respective ideas, try to integrate them, and finally review each other's work. If they felt it was suitable, they could submit it directly to Harper for review.

While the three of them were discussing, Harper took the opportunity to rest in the office for a while. Though her back had improved considerably, sitting for too long still caused discomfort. She picked up her phone and checked, finding no messages or calls.

She then put the phone down, covering it with a file. Out of sight, out of mind.

Harper got up and headed to the restroom. As she passed by the pantry, she overheard Frank's voice.

He said, "Didn't I make it clear not to reach out first? Are you still not getting the timing? Alright, I'll be there in about an hour. Figure out a way to come out without raising any eyebrows, got it?"