I Once Married You (Harper and Benjamin)

Drawing a Clear Line

Harper said calmly, "I'm not threatening you. I'm simply asking you to make a choice. If you insist on having children, then you must completely sever ties with Lauren and never interact with her again." Benjamin felt silent.

Before Harper even voiced her request, she already knew the answer. Benjamin wouldn't sever ties entirely with Lauren, and he couldn't give up his relationship with Lauren just for her. Harper was nothing to Benjamin.

Nothing but a wife arranged by Paul.

Beyond that, she probably meant nothing to him at all.

Harper let out a self-deprecating chuckle, her voice calm and relaxed. "Benjamin, don't be so selfish, okay? If you want to keep playing the field, go find someone else. Lauren might not mind continuing to be your backup, but I won't play along. I'm not willing to turn a blind eye and pretend nothing is happening. I'm done lying to myself with those excuses that you're just friends. Let's both take some time to cool off." Without another word, Harper turned and went upstairs.

She was truly afraid that she would collapse in the next second.

Although staying by Benjamin's side allowed her to keep him close and continue loving him as his wife, it also meant enduring his intimate relationship with the woman he loved. She couldn't bear it. She would rather endure a sharp pain to preserve their dignity in the end.

After Harper went upstairs, Benjamin stood rooted to the spot for a long time. His face was taut and sullen, and his eyes were deep.

After a long while, Benjamin returned to the bedroom. Harper was already in bed. Instead of approaching the bed, he sat on a nearby sofa, eyes narrowed as he stared at Harper lying there.

The image of Harper's aversion was deeply etched in his mind. Her usual gentle and compliant demeanor had vanished entirely. Her repulsion made Benjamin uncertain. He wondered, "Was she honestly hesitant to have children with me because she minded Lauren's presence?

Or were these concerns she voiced merely convenient excuses for her refusal?"

Benjamin's eyes were deep as he furrowed his brows. A storm seemed to be brewing inside.

...

It was a dreamless night.

The following morning, when Harper woke up, Benjamin had already gone from the bedroom.

She didn't immediately get up to wash but instead walked to the balcony and stood there until she heard the sound of a car engine, then turned and went to the bathroom.

After breakfast, Harper made a calk

to Sophia. "I won't be coming to the

office this morning. Please inform Mr. Parker. If there's anything, they

can go directly to him." Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Shortly after she hung up, a message from Frank came in: [Harper, what happened?]

[Nothing to worry about.]

[Alright, let me know if you need anything.]

[Sure.]

She closed the chat app and opened a housing search app, quickly spotting an apartment near her company that was ready to move into.

From house hunting to making a decision, Harper only took less than an hour.

In truth, she had enough savings to

buy a house, but she had been living

with Benjamin for the past year, so

there was no need to buy one. Now, more than ever, buying seemed pointless as she might leave at any moment.

After wrapping up her plans, Harper went back to the bedroom to pack her clothes and some personal items, fitting everything into a 24-inch suitcase.

She couldn't take too much stuff with her. What she showed was only a temporary separation, a time for both to cool off. So, she needed to proceed step by step.

Harper drove straight from Pineview

Villa to the apartment, where she quickly settled in and bought some essentials needed for daily living, and thus the morning passed.

Lunch was just a quick meal, and it was around this time that her phone rang.