Harper blinked, then shook her head with a self-deprecating smile.
'It's been so long since I heard that name. It must be a coincidence. His last name is Lewis, after all. He wouldn't change it just because he disappeared for a few years, would he?' Harper thought helplessly.
She has indeed become overly vigilant, mistaking anyone with a similar name for him.
On her first day at work, Harper didn't have much to do. She mostly attended meetings with her seniors and familiarized herself with the workflow.
Despite that, by the end of the day, her shoulders felt stiff.
Finally, at half past six, the office atmosphere relaxed.
"Harper, let's go out for dinner. It'll be a nice way to end the day," a colleague suggested.
Harper appreciated the warmth shown to her and smiled as she replied, "Yeah, I know a store around here that's great ..."
Suddenly, the cell phone rang.
Harper saw that the caller ID was Joseph’s and apologized, "Sorry about that. I'm going to take a call first."
She stepped into the corridor before answering, "Hello, what's up?"
Joseph heard a faint laughter from Harper's end.
Thinking it was just some noise from her surroundings in her school, he reminded her, "Don't forget to pick up Rocky from the hospital tonight."
Rocky was Joseph's dog, but Harper took care of him most of the time due to Joseph's busy schedule.
Rocky had been hospitalized for a week due to a stomach illness.
"I remember," Harper replied.
Only then did she realize that she had to pick him up today.
But at this moment...
She turned around and looked at her enthusiastic colleagues, then bit her lip and asked Joseph, "Are you busy today?"
It was Olivia who had left the dog with Joseph back then, but she had become a busy dog sitter in recent years.
It wasn't her dog, after all.
Both she and Joseph were getting a divorce, so it wouldn't be right to expect her to continue taking care of Rocky.
Harper felt it was time for Joseph to take responsibility.
Besides, it was her first day at work, and she wanted to build good relationships with her colleagues. She wanted to join the dinner.
Joseph was silent as if he didn't expect Harper to say that. After a while, he calmly said, "I have surgery in twenty minutes. The patient has been saving up for six months for it. What about you? Do you have something urgent?"
Harper was speechless.
It would be unreasonable if she still refused.
Harper pursed her lips, her whole body becoming frustrated. "I know, I'll be there in a minute."
Hanging up the phone, she took a deep breath and turned back to the design room.
Her colleagues were still discussing where to eat, but Harper had to interrupt with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, everyone, but I have something urgent to attend to. I can't join you for dinner tonight. I'll treat you another day. It's just not convenient. Sorry, I have to go."
Everyone felt a bit disappointed, but they could see that Harper's mood had suddenly changed.
"It's okay. We can make plans another time!"
After leaving the company, Harper immediately took a taxi to the pet hospital.
Rocky had always been taken care of at this hospital, so Harper and Joseph were familiar with the doctors here.
"Hello, Dr. Lee," Harper greeted the veterinarian at the front desk. "I'm here to pick up Rocky."
After a while, the doctor came out with a Border Collie.
He rubbed Rocky's head and said gently, "Rocky, let's go home. Your owner is here to pick you up."
Then he turned to Harper and said, "Rocky's digestive system has just recovered. He should avoid dry dog food and stick to soft food."
Harper nodded obediently and took the leash. "Okay. Thank you, doctor."
Rocky was overjoyed to see Harper and jumped into her arms, wagging his tail happily, as if he truly regarded Harper as his owner.
The doctor smiled at the sight of the big dog and casually asked, "Why are you here alone? Where's your boyfriend?"
Last time, both Harper and Joseph came together to pick up Rocky.
Harper gathered the leash and replied with a faint smile, "We broke up."
Rocky seemed to understand Harper's words and nudged her leg with his head.
Harper found it amusing and patted his head, then bade farewell to the doctor. "I'll be leaving now. Thank you for everything."
Harper took Rocky home. She squatted down and let him snuggle in her arms.
She carefully observed that Rocky seemed to have been well taken care of at the pet hospital, as his fur looked shinier than before.
"Alright, be good. I'll make some food for you." Harper and Rocky had dinner together, then sat on the sofa and watched a movie.
It was almost 10 p.m. when Joseph finally returned, his hair still slightly damp.
He must have come back immediately after finishing his surgery and taking a shower.
Harper thought to herself that he still cared about Rocky.
Joseph had been standing for more than ten hours today, and he was too tired to even speak.
He took a sip of water and spent some time with Rocky before turning to Harper on the sofa. "Aren't you done with classes since you're about to graduate? Why were you still at school?"
Harper didn't hide anything. "I wasn't at school. I went to T-shine for my internship today. It's my first day."
Joseph's brows furrowed immediately.
He remembered Mr. Patrick, who had dinner with them a few days ago, mentionedthat he had arranged an internship for her.
Joseph leaned over and placed the water glass heavily on the table.
"Why didn't you tell me in advance that you were going to work?"
Harper was sure he was angry even before he spoke.
But what was there to be angry about?
Harper looked at him with some confusion. "It's not that important, is it? You're busy, and I don’t think it is necessary to tell you."
Joseph pinched his brow and spoke after a while, "Didn't my father mention before that he wanted you to intern at The Lucas?"
Harper bit her lip, concealing the stubbornness in her eyes, feeling a surge of indescribable helplessness. Did everyone, including Joseph himself, think that she should rely on him to live a good life?
"It's not necessary. I need to depend on myself."
Harper turned her head away and didn't look at Joseph's expression.
Before he could say anything, she continued, "We're getting divorced next week. We should each have our own lives and shouldn't be involved with each other anymore."
Harper's indifferent response left Joseph speechless.
He furrowed his brow and looked at Harper's flawless profile, not saying another word.
Rocky seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere at home and didn't bounce around as usual.
Instead, he found a corner and lay down.
Just then, the doorbell rang abruptly.
Harper and Joseph both looked surprised.
Who could it be at this late hour?
Oh no, it was Olivia!