Chapter 2

Alice Linwood dropped by the hospital the next day.

"Benji! I heard that Harper lost the baby again," she said. "I was beside myself with worry, so I decided to visit her. I brought some supplements too."

I tightened my grip on the edge of the blanket.

The first time I saw Alice, she was curled up in a corner of the lecture hall.

Her clothes were faded, and the cuffs of her sleeves were pilling. However, she still diligently filled in every section of the scholarship application.

I tugged on Benji's hand and said, "She's working so hard. Why don't we sponsor her until she graduates from university?"

Benji had frowned at the time. He didn't think that we needed to do such a thing.

In the end, he finally acquiesced because of my insistence. He even suggested that Alice could intern at the company after she graduated of his own volition.

I remembered feeling quite pleased at the time, assuming that he had changed his mind because of me.

Only then did I realize that it was very likely that they had been in cahoots from the very start.

The sounds of footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Someone was leading, with the other trailing behind them. The person with the lighter footsteps intentionally slowed their pace, lagging behind Benji.

The door swung open.

I saw Benji's face first before spotting Alice, who was peeking out from behind him. She was clutching a box of supplements to her chest. Her eyes were bloodshot. She bit her lip when she saw me, murmuring, "Harper…"

My gut churned, but I forced myself to smile naturally, saying, "You're here, Alice. Have a seat."

Alice carefully sat next to the bed. She placed the box of supplements on the bedside table before taking my hand.

Her fingers were as cold as ice. They trembled slightly when they came into contact with my palm.

"I heard that you… Don't be too upset, Harper. Your health is more important."

Benji stood next to the bed and draped his arm across the back of Alice's chair.

"Alice insisted on coming to visit you when she heard what happened," he said tenderly. "She was so panicked that she nearly cried when I told her that you needed to rest."

Alice hung her head. Her lashes fluttered a few times before she spoke in a voice that was thick with tears.

"Harper has been so good to me. I wouldn't have been able to graduate from university if it wasn't for her. In fact, I owe everything that I have to her… I feel so upset seeing her suffer time and time again."

I nearly burst out laughing as I stared at her delicate and charming face.

When she first started working at the company, her voice had been as sweet as honey whenever she called out to me.

She would seek me out whenever she ran into any trouble and tell everyone she met that I was her benefactor.

Thinking that she was a grateful young woman who knew how to maintain her boundaries, I had even specifically told Benji to guide her more often.

I thought about how Benji was always working overtime until the middle of the night during that period of time. Everything made sense now.

Suppressing my disgust, I smiled at Alice and said, "You're so thoughtful, Alice."

"You just have to focus on getting better, Harper," Alice said with a smile. "Benji and I will make sure that everything's running smoothly at the company. You can come back when you're fully recovered."

I had no doubt that they would have stolen all of Weller Group's assets for themselves by the time I had fully recovered. Benji probably would have kicked me to the curb by then too.

As I scoffed in my heart, I fixed a tired expression on my face and said, "I'm feeling a little tired. You can go home for now."

Benji immediately stepped forward and helped Alice to her feet with one hand while using his other hand to tuck the blanket around me.

"Rest well. I'll send Alice on her way."

The two of them turned around and left the hospital room. Their footsteps barely made any sound as they walked down the hallway.

I got up from the bed and stood at the window.

Alice had draped her entire body on Benji a short distance away. Her arms were wrapped around his neck.

"What do you plan to do now, Benji?" she asked. "Harper has already lost the baby."

Her voice was sweet and tender. She dragged her lips along his skin as she continued, "You told me that you'll divorce her after she loses the baby. When can we officially be together?"

Benji turned his head to the side and avoided her kiss. He held her wrist gently and pulled her away, murmuring, "Just wait a little more, Alice. It won't be long now."

Alice wasn't willing to give up just yet and pushed into his space again, hooking a finger into his collar. "What about Weller Group's shares? You told me that you were already transferring them. How much have you transferred?"

"There's no rush," he said, pulling her hand away and glancing at the stairs.

He lowered his voice even more and said, "We're right outside the hospital. It'll be bad if Harper sees us."

Alice pursed her lips. She let go of him and leaned against the wall. "So what if she sees us? With her personality, she'll be fine once you coax her for a little while."

Benji cradled her face and kissed her forehead. "Be good. I'll immediately come clean to her once she becomes completely worthless. You'll be the official 'Mrs. Morrison' then, alright?"

Alice's eyes crinkled into crescents. She hummed in response.

I slowly drew the curtains before pressing my back to the cold wall and sliding to the floor. The phone that I was clutching in my palm vibrated briefly.

Richard Erikson's message was displayed on the screen.

"The first batch of funds has been frozen. The board of directors will have a meeting at 9:00 am tomorrow."

"Okay," I replied.

Leaning against the wall for support, I shuffled back to the bed and lay down.

I stared at the ceiling, forcing myself to swallow the bitter waves of hatred that surged up my throat.