Ch. 121..130
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 121
What Went Wrong
Roxanne walked in that direction, and she saw Estella curled in the corner with her knees tucked in, and her eyes looked empty like a soulless doll.
Recalling how Estella used to welcome her with a sweet, bright smile, Roxanne’s heart was wrenched in pain, suffocating her.
This morning, Estella grabbed her skirt with a pair of twinkling eyes, but she descended into such a piteous state so unexpectedly.
Roxanne tiptoed into the room and squatted down beside her. With a soft and gentle voice, she called out to her, “Essie, I’m here.”
Estella, however, had no response.
Roxanne was taken aback by Estella’s condition.
Behind Roxanne, James reminded softly, “Ms. Jarvis, Estella is now completely shut off from the outside world. You need to keep talking to her, in order to lure her back into reality. Patience is necessary to achieve that.”
Roxanne calmed herself down and nodded.
She started talking to Estella again, “Essie, look who is here too! Archie and Benny are here! They’re all here!”
Archie and Benny strode over to join Roxanne and Estella. Benny started making faces at Estella. “I’m here to visit you! Don’t you cry!”
Archie frowned and stared at Estella’s eyes. “You can just zone out for a short while, okay? We’re waiting for you to play together. Would you like to join us?”
Previously, when they said this, Estella would burst into laughter.
However, this time, Estella did not respond. She sat motionlessly on the same spot and did not even lift a finger.
The smile on Benny’s face slowly faded, and it quickly turned into a frown. “Hey, we’re talking to you. Are you unhappy that you’re going to school? Archie and I are joining you soon. We can bring you anywhere that you want, and we can do everything together! Doesn’t that sound nice?”
With a sullen expression, Archie threatened, “If you don’t talk to us, we don’t want to play with you anymore!”
Be that as it may, Estella still did not respond.
Archie and Benny took a deep breath and changed their methods. Instead of anticipating a response, they started babbling incessantly about all sorts of topics, even mentioning what happened at Universe Park. They also promised to bring her there once she recovered.
In spite of their relentless attempts to get her to talk, Estella didn’t even blink once.
Their eyes started to well up, and they used Roxanne’s sleeves to wipe their tears. “Mommy, Essie doesn’t seem to be able to hear us. What should we do?”
Their voices started to break.
Roxanne’s eyes were also slightly red. She kept her composure and patted Archie and Benny on the head. “Essie will surely recover. Why don’t the two of you take a break? I will speak to her.”
Archie and Benny struggled to resist crying, at least not in front of Estella. Quietly, they retreated behind Roxanne.
Roxanne extended her hand gently and carried Estella in her arms. Roxanne started talking about everything under the sun, irrespective of whether Estella could hear her.
Estella was also like a doll, leaving herself to the whims and fancies of Roxanne.
That very sight pulled at Lucian’s heartstrings.
He was even more certain that Roxanne did not know that Estella was her daughter.
Otherwise, Roxanne would not have treated Estella that kindly, given that she purportedly abandoned her own daughter.
What went wrong?
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 122
She Finally Recovered
For the entire day, Roxanne was there with Estella.
Despite that, Estella never responded.
As darkness fell, Roxanne had to leave, albeit unwillingly.
“I will visit you again tomorrow. You have to get better, okay?” Roxanne hugged Estella tight.
Archie and Benny too, embraced her.
When the three of them were about to leave, Roxanne felt a force pulling the corner of her skirt.
Stunned, she turned around. Estella’s gaze was still fixated somewhere else, without any emotion, but her hand remained gripped on Roxanne’s skirt tightly.
At the door, Lucian and James exchanged glances, shocked.
They thought that Estella completely shut herself off and would not respond to any external stimuli.
Much to their surprise, Estella could feel Roxanne’s presence. On top of that, she didn’t want Roxanne to leave.
Roxanne almost lost her breath. She stood there for a few seconds before gradually walking back to Estella. She squatted down and looked her in the eyes warmly. “Essie, you know I’m here, right?”
Estella’s eyes still looked blank, but her hands remained gripped on Roxanne’s skirt.
Archie and Benny quickly asked, “Mommy, can we bring Essie back with us?”
Bring Essie back with us!
Roxanne was tempted slightly, and she apprehensively looked toward the duo standing at the door.
If Estella was willing to tag along, Roxanne had no hesitation in taking Estella under her wing.
However, Roxanne feared that Estella was not willing to leave her father.
James’ expression stiffened. “I think that’s fine. It’s a huge improvement to even see Essie respond to something. Perhaps her chances of recovery will be significantly higher if she stays with you for a while.”
Finishing his sentence, James turned toward Lucian.
Lucian stared at Estella’s hands, and his heart felt like it was run over by a huge truck. A numbing pain soon consumed him.
Shortly after, he snapped back into his senses and said in a deep voice, “I’ll send you back. But give me a second, I’ll get Catalina to pack some of Essie’s daily essentials.”
Roxanne, Archie, and Benny were shocked and pleased at the same time.
Archie and Benny rushed toward Estella, their faces filled with joy, and hugged her. “We will take really good care of you!”
Later that day, Lucian sent the four of them back.
Estella curled up in Roxanne’s arms like a doll. Even when they got in the car, she clung closely to Roxanne, and her hands subconsciously clutched Roxanne’s skirt.
Archie obediently sat in the passenger seat.
Throughout the journey, Lucian explained in detail the things to pay attention to when taking care of Estella.
Although Catalina was there, Lucian was the one who took care of Estella personally. Hence, he was well aware of her quirks and needs.
Lucian remembered everything, including how Estella always woke up at midnight, that she needed to drink milk before sleeping, and that she was picky when it came to food.
Lucian then stared at the rearview mirror and said to Roxanne, “I’ll leave Essie with you for the next few days. Thank you for helping her.”
Roxanne replied calmly, “I’ve said this, and I will say it again. The child is innocent, and I will take good care of her.”
Lucian did not overstay his welcome. Seeing that they had set up Estella’s room, he bid goodbye and left after that.
Roxanne felt strange.
Lucian confidently left Estella with me, just like that?
However, her attention was subsequently directed back to Estella, and her lingering thoughts immediately vanished.
Outside Roxanne’s house, Lucian’s expression darkened almost immediately. He then took out his phone and rang Aubree.
“Lucian, is there anything wrong?” Aubree’s said coyly.
Most of the time, it was Aubree who took the initiative to call Lucian. Hence, she was surprised to see Lucian calling her back, thinking that he had finally realized the good in her.
Lucian’s voice was cold and distant. “Meet me half an hour at Lake Frosa.”
Then, he put down the phone.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 123
Should Have Just Killed Her
Aubree tensed up when she heard Lucian’s tone, and whatever hope she had earlier was gone in an instant.
Under normal circumstances, she would dress herself up before meeting Lucian. Since he had asked her to get there within thirty minutes, she only had time to grab her handbag before rushing over.
As her house was quite far from the restaurant, the taxi driver had to floor the accelerator just to get her there in time.
Lucian was already waiting for her by the time she entered the restaurant.
He looked up from his seat next to the window when he heard the door open, the look in his eyes colder than the night outside.
“What is it, Lucian?” Aubree asked with a guilty look on her face while sitting down in front of him.
Lucian was exuding a terrifying aura as he glared at her in silence.
Aubree clenched her fists out of nervousness but made sure to maintain a calm smile on her face.
“You dropped Essie off today morning?” Lucian asked all of a sudden.
Aubree nodded profusely. “Yeah. Mrs. Farwell asked me to help out, so I did.”
Lucian let out a cold snort upon hearing that. “Did my mother also ask you to see the head of the kindergarten and expel the two kids in the name of Farwell Group?”
Aubree went pale instantly as she wasn’t expecting him to find out so soon. After brainstorming for a few seconds, she came up with an excuse and said, “I saw those two kids bullying Essie when I dropped her off, so I got mad and confronted the head of the kindergarten…”
She then looked up at Lucian nervously as she continued, “I just couldn’t stand seeing them bully Essie, Lucian! I’m sure you understand, right?”
Lucian arched an eyebrow at her in response. “I do, but I would also like to know where that alleged bullying took place.”
“A-At the entrance of the kindergarten,” Aubree replied with a trembling voice.
The look in Lucian’s eyes grew increasingly colder. “All right, I’ll have someone check the surveillance camera footage. I’ll let this slide if it is proven to be true. However—”
“I-I got it wrong!” Aubree cut him off anxiously when she heard him mention the surveillance camera footage. “I-It didn’t take place at the kindergarten! It was at… Um…”
She kept stammering and stuttering as she tried to think of something, but nothing came to mind.
Lucian glared coldly at her until his patience eventually ran out. “I won’t question how many more times you’ve abused Farwell Group’s name for your own benefit. However, your actions today have triggered Essie’s autism! I will not show you any mercy if anything happens to her!”
Aubree felt a shiver down her spine when she looked up and met his gaze. She had no reason to doubt the veracity of his words at all.
Lucian then shot her another cold glance before getting up from his chair.
“Lucian!” Aubree called out to him when she saw him leaving.
Lucian turned around and asked with an expressionless look on his face, “What more do you have to say for yourself? You’d better give me a convincing explanation.”
Aubree’s lips trembled, but she eventually lowered her head in silence.
It doesn’t matter what I say. My lies will be exposed once Lucian checks the kindergarten’s surveillance camera footage.
By the time she looked up again, Lucian was nowhere in sight.
The look of fear in Aubree’s eyes slowly turned to anger and hatred.
D*mn it! How did things turn out like this? Lucian found out about what I did, and it’s all because of that little b*tch! She’s such a pain in the neck! I should’ve just killed her this morning!
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 124
Who Could Have Done This
Roxanne went to make dinner after instructing her two kids to look after Estella.
She had noted down all the important points that Lucian mentioned earlier, and she also made sure to prepare the food according to Estella’s preferences.
When dinner was ready, Roxanne had Archie and Benny bring Estella downstairs.
Like princes and princesses in fairy tales, the two boys each held one of Estella’s hands as they went down the stairs at her pace.
Seeing the three of them like that filled Roxanne’s heart with warmth, but the thought of Estella’s current condition brought a sympathetic frown to her face.
Archie and Benny then let Estella sit next to Roxanne at the dinner table while they sat beside her.
Roxanne patted them on their heads before taking her seat and feeding Estella.
Perhaps because the food was prepared according to her preferences, Estella was able to finish everything without any issues.
After dinner, Roxanne had Archie and Benny return to their bedroom before bringing Estella into hers for a bath.
Estella showed no response whatsoever when Roxanne helped undress her.
As the pants came off, Roxanne was greeted by horrifying bruises and welts all over Estella’s buttocks.
“It must’ve been really painful, huh?” Roxanne asked while caressing the little girl’s cheeks, feeling sorry for her.
Estella simply stared blankly at her in response.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to be gentle, and we’ll give Daddy a call once we’re done with your bath,” Roxanne continued with a heavy heart after a brief moment of silence.
After giving Estella a quick bath and a change of clothes, Roxanne had her wait on the bed while she gave Lucian a call.
The call got through within seconds. “What’s wrong? Did Essie cause you any trouble?”
“Was Essie’s autism really triggered by Archie and Benny being expelled?” Roxanne asked solemnly.
Lucian frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
Roxanne felt her heart ache when she realized he was probably oblivious to what happened, but the thought of him being an irresponsible parent upset her as well.
“Come have a look yourself!” she said in displeasure and hung up immediately after.
The look on Lucian’s face turned gloomy after hearing that, and he quickly rushed over to Roxanne’s house.
“Mr. Farwell, I’m sure you know where Essie got these wounds from, right?” Roxanne asked while pulling Estella’s pants down to show him the bruises.
Judging by how Lucian’s expression grew vicious instantly, Roxanne could confirm that this was news to him as well.
“What’s the meaning of this? Are you seriously unaware of your daughter’s injuries?” she asked while furrowing her brows.
Lucian shook his head. “I wouldn’t even lay a finger on her, let alone abuse her like this. I’ve been really busy with work lately, so I had Catalina look after Essie. It’s unlikely for her to do such a thing, though…”
Although Roxanne agreed with him on that statement, she had him summon Catalina anyway. “In that case, you should try asking her about this. She might know something you don’t.”
Lucian nodded and had Cayden drive her over immediately.
“Do you know anything about these wounds?”
Catalina had a pained look on her face when she saw the bruises on Estella’s body. “What happened to her? She was just fine yesterday! Who could’ve done such a cruel thing to Ms. Estella?”
The look in Lucian’s eyes grew increasingly cold. “That means this incident happened today…”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 125
Confronting Aubree
Realizing that she was the most suspicious individual due to her unresolved conflict with Lucian, Roxanne was quick to explain, “Just so you know, I didn’t do this! I’ve always believed that children are innocent! Besides, Archie and Benny like Essie a lot, so I would never hit her!”
Plus, since she had spent some time alone with Estella, she would have no way of explaining herself if Lucian decided to suspect her.
Her anxiety got so intense that it even started showing on her face.
Lucian shot her a confused glance upon hearing what she said. “I’m not suspecting you or anything. In fact, I think I know who did this.”
Roxanne breathed a sigh of relief before asking worriedly, “Who could it be?”
The temperature in the room seemed to decrease as Lucian went into deep thought.
Mom and Dad brought Essie out of the house yesterday without explaining why. While their behavior does seem a little strange, I know for a fact that they love Essie very much, and that they would never lay a finger on her. The only other person that has been in contact with Essie since last night is Aubree! I know that Essie has always disliked her, but I didn’t think she’d hurt Essie like this!
“Well? Who is it?” Roxanne asked anxiously when she saw his gloomy expression.
Lucian tried his best to suppress his anger as he said, “I’ll be leaving Essie in your care for a bit. There’s something I need to take care of.”
He then turned around and left the house while Roxanne watched on with a displeased frown.
As if not knowing about his daughter’s injuries wasn’t bad enough, he’s seriously just going to leave her here after finding out about it?
Aubree was so terrified by Lucian’s intimidating aura earlier that she sat there in the restaurant for quite some time before heading back.
Even when she got home, her mind was still a mess as she recalled Lucian’s questioning from earlier.
Aubree was about to call Elias and Sonya for help when she heard her doorbell ring.
She then put her phone away and had the butler open the door.
The butler returned moments later with her visitor, and Aubree went pale when she saw who it was.
“L-Lucian? What are you doing here?”
Those words had barely left her mouth when Lucian stepped forward and grabbed her by the throat.
Aubree’s eyes were filled with fear as she asked in a trembling voice, “Lucian, what’s the meaning of this?”
Lucian’s bloodthirsty expression made him look like a demon that had crawled straight out of hell.
“Were you the one who gave Essie those wounds?” he asked while tightening his grip on her neck.
Aubree tugged at his wrist as she struggled to breathe. “L-Lucian, I don’t know what you’re talking about… Let go of me, and we’ll talk this out…”
Lucian narrowed his eyes and asked coldly, “How long do you intend to keep this act up, Aubree?”
“I really don’t know anything! I love Essie very much, so there’s no way I’d hit her! I know nothing about these wounds you’re talking about! I’m not sure why you’d think I did it, but this really is a misunderstanding! You have to believe me, Lucian!” Aubree protested with her face as white as a sheet.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 126
She Should Just Die
She even tried turning on the waterworks as she pleaded with him, but Lucian did not loosen his grip in the slightest.
It took Aubree every ounce of energy she had just to get a breath of air in, but she still stubbornly refused to admit to what she had done.
If Lucian is being so vicious toward me simply because he suspects me, then there’s no telling what he’d do to me if I admit to it!
Cayden was shocked when he came in after Lucian and saw Aubree’s face turning purple. Fearing that Lucian would accidentally kill her, he quickly ran forward to stop him. “Let go of her, Mr. Farwell! She’ll die if you don’t!”
Instead of letting go, Lucian simply tightened his grip on her neck even further.
In that very moment, Aubree had no doubt that he would actually strangle her to death.
Eventually, Cayden had no choice but to step in and forcefully pry her out of his grip.
Having been drained of all her energy, Aubree slumped to the floor immediately after being released and panted heavily.
After taking a moment to regain his composure, Lucian glared at her as he said, “Fine, you can keep that act up for as long as you like. I’ll ask Essie about it when she gets better, and I will come for you if you really are the one behind this!”
He then stormed out of the house with Cayden following closely behind, leaving Aubree on the floor with a mix of anger and fear all over her face.
D*mn it! Why won’t that little b*stard just die? Now I have to live in fear of her telling on me!
The mere thought of what Lucian would do to her terrified her to no end.
Lucian had been completely silent after getting into the car with Cayden.
“Mr. Farwell, would you like to go check on Ms. Estella?” Cayden asked cautiously after a while.
“Take us back to the manor,” Lucian replied while suppressing his anger.
Although Cayden didn’t understand the reasoning behind his request, he drove them back to the Farwell residence anyway.
“Wait here,” Lucian instructed and got out of the car by himself.
Moments later, he came back with a dark-colored bottle in hand.
“Take me to Roxanne’s,” he ordered after getting back into the car.
Cayden nodded and did as told.
Roxanne had been keeping Estella company after Lucian left earlier. She then had Archie and Benny watch over her while she fetched a first aid kit from downstairs.
The two kids tried their best to entertain Estella, only to feel a little disappointed when they received no response from her.
“It’ll take some time for Essie to recover, so we must be patient,” Roxanne said while patting them on the head.
The two kids nodded obediently and reluctantly returned to their room after hearing that.
Moments after tucking Estella in, Roxanne was about to get some rest when she heard the doorbell ring.
“I thought you said you had some business to take care of? Why have you come back so soon?” she asked upon seeing Lucian at the door.
“I went back to get Essie some ointment. Could you apply it for her?” Lucian replied while handing her the bottle of ointment.
Roxanne’s feeling of displeasure decreased slightly upon recognizing it as a fairly expensive medical ointment that was extremely effective for treating bruises.
I assumed that he had left Estella with me to take care of work, but he actually went to get her some medical ointment…
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 127
Abandoning Mommy And Bullying Us
With that in mind, Roxanne nodded and led him upstairs.
As Estella had already fallen asleep, the room was only illuminated by a night lamp at the time. Afraid that she would wake her up, Roxanne made sure to be extra careful and gentle.
While standing by the door with his hands in his pockets, Lucian shifted his gaze from Estella to the decoration in the room.
Not only did the room look exceptionally neat and tidy, but the dolls that Roxanne’s kids brought over also added a warm and homely feel to it.
Looking at the room caused the anger that Lucian was suppressing to vanish completely and filled his heart up with warmth.
After applying the ointment, Roxanne made sure that Estella was still fast asleep before getting up. “It’s done.”
Her gaze met Lucian’s the moment she turned around, and the two of them locked eyes in silence for a few seconds.
Eventually, Lucian snapped out of it and said with a nod, “Thanks.”
Roxanne then closed the door behind her and walked him downstairs.
After giving him a brief summary of Estella’s condition, Roxanne tried to end the conversation when she saw that it was quite late. “It’s getting late, so you should head back and get some rest. Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of Essie.”
Lucian nodded and got up from the couch. “I’ve spoken to the person in charge of the kindergarten. If you don’t mind what happened before, you may let Archie and Benny continue studying there.”
Roxanne agreed to it immediately. “I will. Also, I think Essie should study there and hang out with the other kids too.”
Having her return to an environment that she’s familiar with might just help improve her condition.
She then anxiously waited for Lucian’s response as his permission was necessary for that to happen.
Roxanne had assumed that Lucian would at least ask her for a reason, but he simply went silent for a few seconds before saying, “Okay, just go ahead and do as you wish. There’s no need to inform me about it.”
As Roxanne was Estella’s biological mother, she had every right to make such decisions on her behalf.
Huh? Isn’t Lucian trusting me a little too much? On second thought, maybe it’s just because he loves Essie deeply. He knows that Essie has taken a liking to me, so he’s placing her fully in my care.
With that in mind, Roxanne replied with a nod, “Okay.”
Lucian said nothing further and left after that.
The next morning, Roxanne woke the three kids up early in the morning and got them ready for kindergarten.
They were about to leave the mansion when they saw Lucian standing at the door.
“Please, allow me to help with sending the kids to school. It’s the least I can do after placing Essie in your care.”
Roxanne, Archie, and Benny froze upon hearing that.
The two kids then turned to look at Roxanne and waited for her answer.
Roxanne glanced at Estella, who was still holding on to the hem of her shirt, and accepted his offer after a brief moment of hesitation.
The four of them got into the car and took the same seats as the night before.
While Lucian was driving, Archie kept stealing glances at him with a conflicted look in his eyes.
He felt that he should be hating Lucian for abandoning Roxanne and bullying them, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do so.
Roxanne was the only one talking to Estella along the way. Everyone else simply kept quiet throughout the entire drive.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 128
Make Sure No One Bullies Her
The teacher at the kindergarten felt both happy and awkward when all five of them showed up together. “Ms. Jarvis…”
Although it was Aubree who demanded the expulsion of Archie and Benny, Pippa still felt bad about it and wanted to apologize.
“Looks like I’ll be placing Archie and Benny in your care again!” Roxanne cut her off with a smile.
Pippa nodded profusely. “Of course! They are both very obedient children, so taking care of them is truly a pleasure!”
Roxanne nodded. “Also, Essie seems to be acting a little strange lately. She doesn’t really talk to people much, so please keep a close eye on her.”
Fearing that Estella would feel hurt if she heard about her autism, Roxanne chose to not mention it directly.
Pippa nodded and reassured her that she would take good care of them.
Archie and Benny too, each held one of Estella’s hands as they said, “We’ll help look after Essie too! We won’t let anyone bully her!”
Roxanne simply patted them on the head with a smile.
Pippa was preparing to bring the kids inside for class when she saw Roxanne still standing there with Lucian behind her.
His icy-cold gaze sent a shiver down her spine. “I-Is there anything else I can help you two with?”
“I’m just a little worried about them. Would it be okay if I watch them for a bit while you teach?” Roxanne said with a smile.
Pippa didn’t dare say no with Lucian around, so she had no choice but to let them into the classroom as well.
Roxanne sat down in a corner and felt a strange sensation deep down inside when Lucian sat down beside her, but decided to keep her feelings to herself.
Just like that, the two of them sat there in a corner and watched the kids play games in class.
In order to help improve Estella’s mood, Pippa even arranged for her to be in the middle of the group. With Archie and Benny acting as examples, the other kids took turns interacting with her as well.
However, Estella simply kept her head low and showed no response whatsoever.
It didn’t take long before her behavior started to affect the mood of the other kids as well, much to Roxanne’s dismay.
She had assumed that having Estella return to a familiar environment would help with her emotions somewhat, but it didn’t seem to work at all.
Although Estella still didn’t respond much, she seemed to have grown attached to Archie and Benny after a few games. Not only did she follow them around all the time, but she would also show some response whenever they played with her.
Roxanne was still a little worried even after observing them for about an hour, but it was time for her to head over to the research institute.
Lucian too, left shortly after she excused herself.
After spending an entire afternoon at the research institute, Roxanne saw that it was time to pick up the kids from kindergarten and quickly rushed over.
To her surprise, Lucian was already waiting there by the time she arrived.
Oh? Looks like he’s planning on sending the kids to and back from kindergarten…
With that in mind, Roxanne greeted him and waited for Pippa to bring the kids out the door.
It wasn’t long before class was over, and the kids walked through the door in a straight line.
Archie and Benny could be seen escorting Estella on both sides as they came out.
After the five of them got into Lucian’s car, Benny kept tugging at Roxanne’s sleeve with a huge smile on his face.
Unsure of why he was grinning from ear to ear, Roxanne flashed him a confused look in response.
“Essie seemed to have a bad dream after waking up from our afternoon nap today! She kept crying even though Ms. Ward and the other kids tried to comfort her. In the end, Archie and I were the ones who calmed her down! Do you think she knows us, Mommy?”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 129
Are You Injured
Roxanne had felt the same way earlier that morning, so hearing about it filled her heart with a warm sensation. “Maybe. I’m really glad that you two are able to look after Essie.”
Benny patted himself on the chest confidently as he said in his childish voice, “Don’t worry, Mommy! Archie and I will continue to keep Essie safe!”
Roxanne couldn’t help but giggle when she heard that.
Lucian glanced at them through the rear-view mirror when he heard Benny’s promise and Roxanne’s laughter. A hint of tenderness formed in his eyes when he saw the heartwarming moment they were having.
She sure has raised those boys well. They’re so much more mature than the other kids around their age.
Lucian was planning on leaving after dropping them off at the house as he had seen for himself how well Roxanne took care of Estella. On top of that, Archie and Benny were treating Estella like their own sister too, so there was no reason for him to stay and make them feel uncomfortable.
While getting out of the car, Roxanne glanced at Estella and said after a brief moment of hesitation, “How about you join us for dinner? I’m sure Essie would have a much better time with you around.”
Lucian gave her a strange look and paused briefly before replying, “Thanks, I’ll take you up on your offer.”
Roxanne kept quiet and led the kids inside while Lucian followed behind after parking the car.
Upon entering the kitchen, she quickly washed her hands and started making dinner. Archie and Benny led Estella into the living room and played with their Lego set to kill time.
Lucian was a little hesitant at first, but decided to stand next to them and help out when needed.
With the two boys working closely together, the scattered Lego pieces were soon transformed into a complete unit.
When it came to attaching the final piece, Archie glanced at Lucian with a hesitant look in his eyes.
Lucian then held his hand out, prompting Archie to place the Lego piece in his palm. The boy pursed his lips and lowered his head wordlessly as he watched Lucian attach the final piece.
Estella, who was watching Lucian attach the Lego pieces together, reached out to grab a Lego piece all of a sudden.
Both Archie and Benny’s eyes lit up with excitement when they saw that.
After a brief pause, Estella began assembling the Lego pieces herself at a pace similar to theirs.
Thinking that Estella had recalled playing Lego with them in the past, Archie and Benny exchanged joyful glances.
Lucian froze in shock when he saw that, only to have a warm smile spread across his face seconds later.
Looks like Essie really likes their company, huh?
Seeing as they were all focused on playing with the Lego set, Roxanne chose not to disturb them and proceeded to serve up dinner.
She had just stepped out of the kitchen when her elbow bumped into the door frame, causing her to drop the bowl of soup onto the floor.
Everyone in the living room turned around in unison upon hearing the noise.
Naturally, Lucian was the first to respond. “Are you injured?” he asked while running toward her.
As he took a closer look at her, he noticed a red spot on the fair skin of her forearm.
Before she could even respond, Lucian cautiously grabbed an uninjured part of her arm and led her toward the sink, holding it under running water.
Although Archie and Benny were worried about her, they knew they were unable to help with her wound, so they decided to clean up the floor instead.
“Don’t touch it, you guys! You could get scalded by the hot soup! Get Essie away from here!” Roxanne called out to them when she saw what they were doing.
Archie and Benny hesitated for a bit, but did as told and prepared to lead Estella out of there.
However, Estella stubbornly refused to leave and struggled to remain where she stood.
Unsure of what to do, Archie and Benny were about to ask Roxanne for help when they heard a sobbing noise beside them.
Everyone paused and turned toward Estella in shock, only to see tears flowing from her reddened eyes.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 130
Estella Recovered
Archie and Benny were stunned when they saw tears running down Estella’s cheeks. They did not know if they should console her or not.
After all, it seemed like she was crying because their mother was hurt. In a way, she was responding to the outside world. It was great news for them.
However, their hearts broke at the sight of Estella’s watery eyes. They then turned to seek help from their mother, but the next thing they saw was their mother, frowning in pain as she washed her wound.
At that, Archie and Benny calmed down. Their eyes continued to flit between their mother and Estella, nevertheless.
A while later, Lucian grabbed Roxanne’s arm and pulled it away from the running water.
Roxanne lowered her eyes to look at the site of the wound. Although it was still red, it did not hurt as much anymore.
When Lucian noticed her action, he frowned as concern seeped into his eyes. He asked, “What’s the matter? Does it still hurt a lot?”
Roxanne tensed up for a second but shook her head. “I’m feeling much better. I’ll treat the wound, and it should be fine after that.”
With that, she shook off Lucian’s hand and walked toward the door.
Just as she turned around, she saw the helpless gazes of her two sons.
Roxanne turned in the direction they were looking, only to see Estella sobbing miserably. Her small body was shaking, but no sound was coming from her.
It was the first time Roxanne had ever seen her cry after her autism diagnosis. Moreover, it seemed like the little girl was extremely upset, so she could not help but feel worried. “Why are you crying? Were you frightened?”
As she spoke, she crouched down in front of Estella and raised her hand, about to wipe the girl’s tears away.
However, Estella leaped into her arms as she continued sobbing, her eyes fixed on Roxanne’s injured arm.
Roxanne was taken aback by how the girl had launched herself into her arms, but after the shock came delight.
It was the same action as before. In the past, Estella would jump into Roxanne’s arms whenever she saw the latter.
Although the girl was crying, at the very least, she was reacting to her surroundings.
At that thought, Roxanne lifted her uninjured arm and gently hugged the girl to her. At the same time, she tentatively asked, “Essie, have you recovered? Do you know who I am now?”
The girl gave her a slight nod, but she continued to sniffle.
At that, Archie’s and Benny’s eyes lit up. They then walked over to Estella and pointed at themselves. “Then do you know who we are?”
However, Estella’s gaze was fixed on Roxanne’s injured arm; she did not look at them at all.
The boys were disappointed.
Sensing their emotions, Roxanne raised her hand to ruffle Estella’s hair and softly said, “The boys are here too. Do you see them? They’ve been taking care of you the past two days.”
It was then Estella slowly lifted her head out from Roxanne’s embrace and glanced at the two boys in front of her. She then gave a small incline of her head before turning to look at Roxanne again.
“Mommy, she sees that you’re hurt, and she’s worried about you,” Archie explained.
Hearing that, Roxanne could not help but freeze. She then looked at the spot Estella was looking at and realized that, indeed, the girl was staring at her injured arm.
Upon the revelation, Roxanne’s heart softened. She thought that they would have to put in much more time and effort to have Estella recover. Yet, the girl had walked out of her own world just because Roxanne was hurt.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Roxanne showed her arm to Estella by lifting it.
After staring at it for a few seconds, Estella then carefully blew on the wound.
The smile on Roxanne’s face turned even more tender. She patted the girl’s head and said, “Thank you, Essie. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Finally, Estella’s sobbing eased a little.
“I’m a doctor, and I’m pretty good at my job. This wound is nothing. It’ll recover quickly once I treat it. Why don’t you come with me?” Roxanne stood up.
At that, the girl nodded fervently and grabbed the hem of Roxanne’s shirt before following her out.