Filed to story: Leaving the Country After Divorce Novel (Lucian & Roxanne)
It was not even eight o‘clock when they came out of the hospital.
Roxanne stretched her stiff body lazily. She was so glad to be breathing some fresh air again after being confined to bed for one day and two nights.
Archie and Benny trailed closely behind her just in case anything else happened to their mother.
“Ms. Jarvis, why don‘t you head home first to get some rest? Maybe just take the morning off?” Lysa tried her utmost to convince Roxanne not to dive into work right away.
The latter grinned and assured her, “I‘m perfectly fine, so don‘t worry about me. After the surgery I did the day before yesterday, I rushed to the kindergarten in my sweaty clothes because I didn‘t have the time to get changed. Most likely, I caught a cold then, which developed into a fever. I promise to be more careful next time.”
Subsequently, she bent down and tousled the children‘s hair. “I need to finish up my work at the research institute. Can Ms. Lane take you to your kindergarten today? I‘ll inform Ms. Ward that you‘ll be late.”
The children looked at her with concern.
If possible, they wished that Roxanne could take a break and rest.
However, they were well aware that their mother was a workaholic who would not delay her work.
They struggled with it a little before nodding reluctantly.
Roxanne turned to Lysa and said, “I‘ll leave you to bring the kids to the kindergarten, but I‘ll inform Ms. Ward accordingly.”
Lysa agreed.
Then, Roxanne approached Lucian, who was already waiting by the main entrance. “I just wanted to thank you for last night. I took care of Essie last time, and with you returning the favor now, we no longer owe each other anything,” she said in a calm manner.
Despite the unfazed look on his face, his emotions were anything but that.
Moments later, he broke the silence with a laconic reply. “Sure.” His thoughts were unfathomable.
Right when Roxanne was about to turn and leave, a little hand grabbed her by the hem of her dress.
“Ms. Jarvis!” Estella could not comprehend the words Roxanne said to Lucian. She was completely baffled about who owed what and to whom. It all sounded like a strange, foreign language to her, so she hurried over and grabbed Roxanne‘s dress.
The woman halted her steps and turned to the little girl. “What‘s wrong, Essie?”
“I like Ms. Jarvis.” Tears glistened in Estella‘s eyes as she pouted unhappily, feeling rather aggrieved
Her sad face caused Roxanne‘s heart to soften. She quickly gave the little girl a tight hug and comforted her, “I like you too, Essie. Thanks for coming to visit me.”
Her warm embrace magically made Estella feel slightly better.
Despite that, she was still reluctant to part as she stared at Roxanne‘s retreating back.
Roxanne walked Lysa and the boys to the junction to hail a cab.
Lysa had taken a cab to the hospital in the morning, whereas Roxanne had been driven there by Lucian last night. Hence, they were without their own transport.
Unfortunately, they could not escape the madness of rush hour. Not one vacant cab came by even after they had waited for a while.
While Roxanne was debating if she should trouble Colby to make a trip to the hospital and fetch her, Lucian‘s voice rang out beside her.
“It‘s hard to get a cab at this hour. Let me drive all of you to where you need to be.”
Roxanne was startled by his sudden appearance. I thought he has left already. Why is he still here?
She turned around and was met by Estella‘s puppy dog eyes, seemingly waiting for her to accept the offer. It was then she understood.
Although she had a soft spot for the little girl, she did not want to have anything to do with that man anymore. With a frown, she rejected him once more. “It‘s okay. I‘ve troubled you enough recently, Mr. Farwell. I‘m sure that you need to get to the office as soon as possible, so please go ahead, and don‘t worry about us. We will manage on our own.”
The instant she ended her sentence, she saw Lucian knit his brows, looking annoyed.
Did I say anything that upset him? Puzzled, Roxanne dared not speak further.
While holding Estella‘s hand, Lucian stared at the woman, who had an indifferent expression on her face at a near distance away. In a slightly sarcastic voice, he retorted, “Even if we‘re strangers. vou don‘t need to avoid me like the plague, Ms. Jarvis.
I‘m going to send Essie to the kindergarten anyway, and I‘ll drive past your research institute from the kindergarten to Farwell Group. That‘s the reason I offered to give you a ride. What‘s your concern, Ms. Jarvis?”
In other words, he was implying that Roxanne was overthinking things.
Estella wanted to be with Roxanne for a while longer, so she gazed at the latter pitifully upon hearing that, “Ms. Jarvis.”
Unbidden, Roxanne‘s heart melted.
Furthermore, she had no refutation to Lucian‘s words.
They merely had nothing to do with each other, so her repeated demurral of such innocuous things made her appear rather petty.
At that thought, she relented and said to Lysa, “You may go back first. I‘ll take them to kindergarten.”
Lysa murmured in acknowledgment and handed Archie and Benny to Roxanne.
Archie and Benny were still prejudiced against Lucian, so they were a touch hesitant, knowing that they were riding with the man again.
Estella, on the other hand, had already dropped her father‘s hand and went over to clutch Roxanne‘s dress. It was clear that she wanted to sit with Roxanne.
Patting her head, Roxanne ordered Archie and Benny, “Get in.”
Only after hearing that did they slowly climb into the car.
Roxanne went in after them with Estella in her arms, sitting in the back seat with Archie and Benny.
Lucian closed the car door for them and slipped into the passenger seat.
Then, the car started slowly and drove toward the kindergarten.
Silence reigned in the car. Roxanne had nothing to say to Lucian, and the children were inexplicably quiet as well.
Throughout the entire drive, the atmosphere was exceedingly depressing.
As the car gradually drove away, camera flashed relentlessly in the bushes in front of the hospital.
It was almost nine o‘clock when they arrived at the kindergarten.
Roxanne alighted from the car and led the three children to the kindergarten gates.
As they were really late then, the kindergarten gates were already closed.
Roxanne gave Pippa a call to explain the situation briefly. Pippa then came out and brought the three children into the compound.
Watching as their figures disappeared from her line of sight, Roxanne turned back hesitantly.
By the side of the road, Lucian‘s car was still parked in the same spot silently, waiting for her.
According to Lucian‘s remarks earlier, he would drive her somewhere near the research institute on his way to the office.
However, without the children‘s presence, she really didn’t know how to remain in such a cramped space with the man alone.
Anyhow, the research institute was very near to the kindergarten. Part of the reason she chose that particular kindergarten back then was because of its distance from the research institute, which made it convenient for her to drive her children to and fro.
Even by foot, it would only take about half an hour.
While she was contemplating whether or not she should just walk, the car window slowly rolled down, revealing the man‘s impatient profile.
Roxanne was promptly taken aback.
Awesome