I Once Married You (Harper and Benjamin)

Be a Pawn

Online chatter was rampant. "Didn't they just tie the knot?"

"Was their big reveal just a setup for a breakup?"

"Did Benjamin ditch his vows for Lauren?"

"Benjamin never had eyes for Harper. Marriage was just a nod to family duty. Now, true love's in play, who cares about anything else?"

"Why the radio silence? Is it a divorce confession?"

"Sure seems like it. The Martin Group hasn't issued a peep."

...

The gossip mill churned, but Benjamin and his family remained silent.

Harper slammed her laptop shut, mulling over Benjamin's motives.

But before she could untangle his thoughts, the Mitchell family exploded.

Having recently reached the heights of success, the Mitchell family now found themselves in crisis with news of Benjamin and Harper's split. Companies that once sang their praises now turned their backs, convinced that Harper and Benjamin were headed for splitsville. Deals collapsed. Contracts were breached, and the Mitchell Group was taking hits left and right.

Harper's parents wasted no time in summoning Harper home.

Harper wasn't eager to return. "Can't this wait? Tell me over the phone."

"Really, Harper? Ignoring your parents now? Get back here. Your grandma's visiting."

Harper furrowed her brow. After hanging up, she called her grandma. However, the line remained busy. It seemed like a setup, but she couldn't ignore her grandma, so she reluctantly made her way back home.

For Harper, her grandma was her priority.

As she stepped inside, she realized she had been deceived, staring at Jennifer with a mix of disappointment and frustration. "What's the point of all this?"

"If I hadn't tricked you, would you even have come back?" Jennifer retorted, unapologetic.

Harper's expression remained stoic, her eyes betraying a hint of annoyance.

At this point, Jack cut in. "Alright, calm down. It's not the end of the world. What we need to know now is if you and Benjamin are really getting divorced or not?" Harper responded casually, "No."

"Well, that's a relief. Since you're not, then hurry up and have a baby. Once there's a child, your position in the Martin family will be secure. Even though Benjamin's parents and Paul like you a lot, whether this marriage lasts still depends on Benjamin."

Jack laid out his intentions bluntly, expecting Harper to fall in line.

But Harper stayed silent after hearing him out. Jack raised an eyebrow, asking, "Got anything to say, Harper?"

"I'm not going to do it," she stated calmly yet firmly.

She glanced at Jack, whose expression turned serious instantly, and continued, "I won't be a pawn. Benjamin and I are already planning to split. Having a child won't be good for anyone." "Won't be a pawn? Harper, what's that supposed to mean? How could you be so ungrateful?" Jennifer snapped, shooting Harper a displeased look.

Jack was visibly irked, too, his eyes reflecting his anger. "Even if you're planning to split, you haven't yet, have you? If you have a kid and still end up divorcing, but the child is yours. Do you think the Martin family will just sit by and watch you suffer? It'd be good for our family then."

"And isn't that still treating the child as a pawn?" Harper's voice turned cold, her eyes showing no emotion. "I don't get why our family's survival hinges on Benjamin's pity. Have we been relying on handouts all these years?"

"You dare talk like that! Harper, what do you mean?" Jack slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with anger, glaring at Harper.

The tension in the room soared.Text © by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

Just then, the maid chimed in. "Sir, Madam, Mr. Martin is here."

Harper turned around, locking eyes with Benjamin as he entered the room.

She couldn't help but wonder, "Why is he here?"