Joseph's face didn't look good. He glanced at her faintly and simply replied, "You never asked."
"That's true." Olivia choked on this response for a moment, then forced a smile and tucked her fallen hair behind her ear.
In the upstairs lounge, Mia found a red dress for Harper.
Even with Mia's good temper, she couldn't help but frown as she watched Harper change her clothes. "Harper, tell me honestly. Has someone caused you trouble?"
Harper paused. She shook her head and continued to fix her hair.
Mia had some guesses herself. Henry's ex-wife had always had opinions about her. So, she asked directly, "Did Ava come to bother you? She didn't want you to attend the banquet, did she?"
Harper replied vaguely, "Don't be angry. I'm fine. I'm already here!"
Seeing her strong demeanor, Mia sighed and patted her back as if to comfort her. "Harper, you've suffered."
Harper knew that Mia genuinely cared for her, which warmed her heart. She wiped the dirt off her face with a wet wipe, then smiled at Mia. "It's okay. By the way, I haven't had a chance to take a good look at the bride today. Mia, you look beautiful today!"
Mia felt a bit embarrassed and lightly tapped her forehead. "I'm glad you're okay. It's about time. I have to go down and get ready. Come down after you've rested for a while."
"Okay. I got it."
Harper nodded obediently. Mia went downstairs and touched up her makeup. Henry came by to see her after he'd exchanged pleasantries with old friends.
"Has Harper arrived?"
"She's here, in the lounge. Her clothes got dirty, so I asked her to change." Mia was angry when she mentioned this. She knew it had nothing to do with Henry, but she couldn't help but glare at him.
"Alright." Henry's tone suddenly rose. "That rascal! Harper is already here, but he's not going to be with her. He's been with that woman the whole time. This is so inappropriate!"
As he spoke, he became angrier. He was determined to find Joseph and scold him! Mia quickly grabbed him. "What are you doing? If there's an issue, we'll handle it at home. Don't make a scene outside for others to laugh at."
Henry thought for a moment. "Okay. I'll go up and check on Harper later."
In the lounge, Harper tidied herself up again and was about to go downstairs.
She had come today to help out. She couldn't back down just because Olivia was there. But as soon as she opened the door, the figure standing at the door startled her.
Joseph was waiting for her. He glanced at her and thought the new red dress she was wearing made her skin look even paler. He averted his eyes and asked Harper, "Why are you so late?"
Hearing his tone, Harper felt a surge of anger. "I'm here now anyway. Have I held you up? Or do you think I shouldn't have come in the first place?"
Joseph, furrowing his brow, approached Harper and said displeased, "What do you mean by that?"
Harper took a step back and didn't look at him. "What do you think I mean? Since you wanted to bring Olivia over, you could have informed me earlier so I wouldn't have to lie in public. If I had said something wrong, it would have been you who lost face, wouldn't it?"
This was the reason she was angry at the moment. Besides being angry, she also felt very frustrated, so she intended to be sarcastic, but when she said it, it inexplicably carried a hint of grievance.
Joseph paused and instinctively explained, "She told me this morning that she wanted to come over."
Harper blinked. So, they were together this morning. No wonder he didn't answer her calls. Harper's expression became sullen a bit. She couldn't help but mock, "Dr. Lucas, can't you make a phone call or send a text? How much of your precious time would it have cost to notify me?"
"My phone was dead." Joseph frowned, somewhat puzzled by Harper's stubbornness.
Looking at his indifferent expression, Harper suddenly felt very disheartened.
Giving up on herself, she said, "Forget it. Maybe you deliberately wanted to embarrass me. It doesn't matter. I'm just here today to witness Dad and Ms. Miller's happiness, not for you."
"Harper!" Joseph's face was livid. "What exactly are you concerned about? Olivia coming over hasn't done anything to upset you. Why does it embarrass you?"
Harper crossed her arms and self-mockingly smiled. "Isn't it embarrassing enough for me when she stands with you?"
"What are you..."
"Forget it." Harper interrupted him directly, feeling exhausted.
She sighed lightly. "We're about to get divorced anyway. It's up to you. You can do whatever you want with her."
Joseph frowned, stared at Harper's expression. After a while, he slowly asked, "Are you still thinking about the divorce?"