Chapter 5

After resting for over a week, I recovered my strength.

The day of the official signing for the hospital’s collaboration project with the Lennox Group finally arrived.

The hospital placed great importance on this partnership, and the ceremony was grand.

As a key party involved, I rushed there immediately after my surgery shift, and the moment I walked in, I started looking for Chloe.

Before I could spot her, a familiar voice reached my ears.

“Harper.”

Rain walked over from the side.

She looked well after the past ten days—her complexion was rosy and glowing, her peach-blossom eyes were watery and bright, and she seemed to have gained a little weight.

Her off-the-shoulder red dress hugged her curves perfectly, and with a twist of her slender waist, she exuded charm and allure.

No wonder Liam loved her so much.

Growing up together, childhood sweethearts, and possessing both a beautiful face and an impressive figure—who wouldn’t love her?

I felt a surge of impatience and ignored her.

I tried to walk away, but Rain blocked my path.

“Harper, are you happy with the gift I sent you?”

Rain smiled.

I froze, suddenly recalling the malicious posts online from a few days ago.

Because of those posts, people from the Lennox Group were still pointing fingers at me today.

“You sent those posts?”

I asked coldly.

Rain brushed a strand of long hair from her shoulder, raising an eyebrow smugly.

“If I were you, I’d divorce my brother voluntarily. The sooner you leave, the more gracefully it will be.”

She kept provoking me, simply to force me out of this marriage.

Liam, mindful of their sibling relationship, hadn’t brought up divorce.

But I couldn’t wait any longer.

It was time for me to withdraw.

Withdrawal would mean freedom.

“Are you done talking? If so, move aside.”

I looked at Rain with annoyance. As I prepared to walk past her, I saw Liam approaching.

“What are you two talking about?”

He had just come down from giving a speech, his face beaming with triumph.

He seemed to have completely forgotten what had transpired between the three of us.

“Brother, those posts online really weren’t from me. Harper insists they were, and no matter how I explain, it’s no use.”

Rain bit her lip in distress, her eyes welling up.

Liam paused, then his face subtly darkened.

“Rain has been resting at home these past few days; she barely leaves the house. How could those posts be from her? Besides, don’t people online just love gossip? What does it matter if they talk a bit? Harper, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.”

Did you need to leave the house to post online?

He wasn’t the one being slandered, nor was his precious darling. Of course, he didn’t care.

I no longer wanted to argue. Just as I prepared to leave, I heard Liam tell Rain,

“Go over there for a moment. I need to speak with Harper.”

Rain froze, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. Liam gave her a reassuring look, and she reluctantly left.

Watching Rain walk away, Liam finally turned his gaze back to me.

“It’s been so many days, shouldn’t you have cooled off by now? Dad even asked about you the other day. Everyone at the hospital knows you’re my wife, and you keep staying in the dorm. It makes me look bad. Come home with me after the banquet today.”

He hadn’t taken my pain to heart at all.

He only wanted me back for his own image.

“Liam…”

I bit my lip.

“Let’s talk about divorce after the banquet.”

“Divorce?”

Liam glanced into the distance, a dismissive and slightly mocking smile on his face.

“Harper, there’s a limit to how childish you can be.”

My breakdown was, in his eyes, nothing more than a woman’s petty theatrics.

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Liam glanced away again, impatiently tugging at his tie.

“The company has several major projects launching soon. Don’t always dwell on these minor issues. Don’t forget, you’re Mrs. Lennox. Alright, we’ll talk about it when we get home. I’ll find you after the event.”

He didn’t give me a chance to speak before turning and walking away.

Mrs. Lennox.

What a laughable Mrs. Lennox.

I wouldn’t go back with him. Not until I was free, truly free, would I ever step foot in that house again.

I hadn’t found Chloe, and decided not to bother anymore, so I turned and headed towards the back exit of the banquet hall.

Just two steps in, I saw Rain suddenly rush back in through the back door, clutching her chest.

She precisely located Liam and threw herself into his arms.

From a distance, I couldn’t tell what had happened.