Chapter 70 It Turns Out He Treated This Marriage as a Transaction

The next day after work, Harper didn't leave the office right away. She just sat at her desk, feeling deflated and motionless.

Yeah, she regretted it.

What was she thinking, agreeing to meet Olivia?

What would she even say when they met?

Should she apologize to Olivia for marrying Joseph? But Harper didn't think she was wrong; Joseph was the one who wanted to marry her in the first place.

Should she ask Olivia to apologize and admit she's now the third wheel between Harper and Joseph? But Olivia is the one Joseph likes.

Harper sighed heavily, grabbed her bag, and left the office.

The restaurant they agreed to meet at wasn't far from Harper's office. By the time she got there, Olivia and Joseph were already waiting.

Joseph and Olivia sat side by side, chatting about something. They looked like a perfect match, handsome and beautiful.

After Harper sat down, Olivia glanced at her lightly. She couldn't quite describe the look—it wasn't resentment, nor was it the familiarity from before; it had a touch of something intriguing.

Harper forced a smile and spoke first, "Have you been waiting long?"

Her eyes quickly scanned Joseph across the table, then she lowered her head to arrange the utensils in front of her.

"Not too long."

Olivia smiled amicably. "Joseph picked me up, and there was a bit of traffic on the way, so we took a detour."

"I see."

So Joseph had specifically gone to pick up Olivia.

Harper remembered that Joseph never really went out of his way to pick her up for anything.

She had thought that with their marriage ending, he might care a little. But now, she realized she had overestimated her importance to him.

"We've already ordered. See if there's anything else you want."

Olivia said, reaching for the service bell. Harper quickly shook her head and put out a hand to stop her. "No need, I'm not picky. Whatever you ordered is fine."

Last time, Olivia had a relapse after eating a dish Harper ordered. If something like that happened again today, she really wouldn't be able to explain it.

"Alright then." Olivia withdrew her hand. She didn't beat around the bush anymore. She gave Joseph a loving glance and then turned to Harper, speaking calmly, "I know about everything between you two. Joseph has explained it to me. Harper, I don't blame you. You two didn't have any feelings for each other. To me, your marriage was just a formality. These years, with Joseph taking care of you, at least your father could be at ease."

Harper felt a pang in her heart. Her eyes flicked over Joseph's face, only to see his gaze darken.

She took a sip of the lemon water on the table and smiled, "Yes, I'm very grateful for Dr. Lucas's care. Now, it's almost over."

Joseph looked at Harper's calm expression across the table, saying nothing.

Olivia noticed Harper's glass was half-empty and topped it off for her. She then said, "Joseph's dad is giving you a hard time now. You've been through a lot."

Harper was momentarily taken aback. Joseph must have told Olivia about Henry's situation.

"You and Joseph didn't finalize the divorce yesterday, and you're still living together for now just to convince his dad to get treatment. Don't worry, I won't read too much into it."

Olivia seemed very understanding of Harper, and her words carried an unexpected sense of gratitude. "It's just a hassle for you. You were almost done with everything, and now you have to wait a bit longer."

Hearing this, Harper licked her lips, feeling a bit like laughing.

Harper never expected Olivia to say such things. Not only did she talk as if she were Joseph's wife, but she also made their marriage sound like a business deal.

But if it was really a deal, why hadn't she gotten anything out of it?

What Olivia said next almost made Harper choke!

"Your college boyfriend probably doesn't know about this yet. Don't worry, we won't say anything. You two have such a good relationship. Once you and Joseph are divorced, you can be together without any worries, right, Harper?"

College boyfriend? Together?

Harper never knew Olivia thought this way. She wanted to explain but noticed Joseph's darkened expression. She didn't understand what was wrong with him. Was he upset?

Was it Olivia's words that upset him, or her need to explain that bothered him?

In the end, Harper swallowed the explanation she wanted to give.

Harper forced a smile, "Yes."

Just as she finished speaking, the waiter brought the food. Harper didn't look at Joseph or Olivia again. She focused on her meal, not noticing that her casual agreement made Joseph lose his appetite. He was in a really bad mood!

Olivia noticed Joseph's odd behavior. She clenched her hand by her side. She didn't want Joseph's attention to always be on Harper. She thought of something and shook her head, pretending to be helpless. "Joseph, there's actually something else I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I might not be able to go to work at the hospital tomorrow."

Joseph noticed Olivia's slightly forlorn expression and frowned, "What's going on?"

"My stomach is acting up again. I might need to get it checked out. The treatment period won't be short, and I'm afraid it will affect my work."

"Is it serious?" Joseph's eyes showed a hint of concern. Sitting across from them, Harper acted as if she hadn't heard, but her grip on her utensils tightened.

Without even looking up, Harper could feel the warmth between Joseph and Olivia. Suddenly, the delicious food on her plate lost its appeal.

"Not sure yet. We'll have to wait for the test results." Olivia gently held Joseph's arm, smiling brightly, "It shouldn't be serious. Look, I'm fine right now, aren't I?"

Hearing this, Harper took a deep breath. She felt like the food was stuck in her throat, making her extremely uncomfortable.

Just then, Harper's phone rang. Seeing the caller, she felt relieved, as if she had seen a savior, and immediately answered.

"Brian."

On the other end, Brian's deep, pleasant voice came through.

"Harper, where are you? I want to take you somewhere."

The atmosphere around them was very quiet, and Brian's words were clear to Joseph.

He stared at Harper's delighted expression, his thin lips pressing together, exuding a bit of coldness.