Ch. 131..140
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 131
Something Happening To Mommy
Roxanne led the girl to the living room’s couch. The two boys soon brought her the medical kit before sitting at the side, waiting to watch Roxanne treat her wound.
Roxanne accepted the kit from the boys and thanked them. Just as she took out the burn cream, she realized that she had hurt her dominant arm—her right arm. It would be tough for her to use her left hand.
“Mommy, let me help you out!” Archie kindly volunteered as he reached out toward her, hoping to help her out.
It was inconvenient for Roxanne to do it herself, so she bobbed her head in response. Right as she was about to hand Archie the burn cream, a large hand intercepted them and took the tube away.
Both Roxanne and Archie turned toward the owner of the hand.
“Let me.” Lucian’s brows were slightly knitted as the man crouched in front of Roxanne.
Archie pursed his lips and pushed Benny. The two then shifted a little more to the side to let Lucian take a seat beside their mother.
When the man gently held her hand in his, something flashed past Roxanne’s eyes. She then lowered her gaze and muttered, “Sorry to trouble you.”
Lucian’s frown only deepened at her courteous response; he did not say anything else.
In the meantime, Estella was holding onto Roxanne’s shirt tightly as she stared at her father’s hands. It was as if she was fearful that Roxanne would feel pain.
Sensing the girl’s nervousness, Roxanne looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile. “It doesn’t hurt at all.”
Estella’s eyes glinted, but she continued to fix her gaze on the woman’s hand.
Archie was seated right beside Lucian. Although he was wracked with worry for his mother, he never spoke.
On the other hand, Benny cocked his head to the side as he stared at his mother’s hand. He then said, “It looks serious. Will blisters form? Mommy’s a doctor, and her hands are important to her. We can’t let anything happen to her.
A laugh escaped Roxanne when she heard the boy’s worries. “It’ll be fine. Don’t you know that I’m a great doctor? This cream is something I’ve specially picked. It’s useful for burns. I used to apply this whenever you two got burns when you were younger.”
At that, Benny dipped his head in response. A few seconds of silence later, he nervously asked again, “Will it leave a scar? Mommy’s arms are pretty. Please don’t let it leave a scar!”
Roxanne shook her head. “It won’t. Don’t worry.”
She was speaking to the boy, but still, she could not bring herself to ignore the man beside her.
It was only mere minutes, but it felt as if centuries had passed.
“It should be fine now. Take a look,” came the man’s magnetic voice by her ear.
After a quick glimpse at her arm, she looked away and retracted it. “It’s all right now. Thank you.”
Lucian’s hand froze in midair. He then slowly pulled it back and quietly rose to his feet.
Estella tugged on Roxanne’s shirt, and that brought the woman back to her senses. She then showed the girl her treated arm.
Estella stared intently at it for a while before raising her head and giving Roxanne a smile.
Roxanne’s heart lurched when she saw Estella smiling at her. Nervously, she looked at the girl and said, “Are you at ease now that I’ve treated my wound?”
She wanted to find out if the girl really had recovered or not.
In the next second, she saw Estella smiling and nodding her head. There was even a little dimple by the corners of her lips.
“Mommy, Essie’s smiling!” Benny excitedly leaped out of the couch.
Roxanne saw it as well, but she was so thrilled she had no idea how to respond to it.
By the time she recollected herself, tears were welling up in her eyes. As she hugged Estella, she said, “I’m glad that you’re getting better. Don’t scare me that way anymore, okay? The boys are going to go back to kindergarten. They’ll play with you next time. You have to tell us if you encounter any trouble next time, okay?”
Estella bobbed her head in agreement as she let Roxanne hug her.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 132
Let Us Take Care Of You
Warmth seeped into Roxanne’s heart at the girl’s reply. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but a smile was on her face.
At the sight of the two, even Lucian’s heart was melting. He had to take in a deep breath before uttering, “Let’s eat first.”
It was then Roxanne let go of the girl and blinked away her tears. With a smile, she said, “Yes, let’s eat first.”
Then, recalling the mess in the kitchen, she stood up and walked toward the kitchen to clean up.
Realizing what she was going to do, Lucian said, “I’ve asked Catalina to come. She’ll be taking care of you all for the next two days, so sit down and eat first.”
Roxanne halted in her tracks before turning to thank the man, “Thank you.”
She was not going to act like she was a stranger to Lucian because of Estella, so she was not going to turn him down on his offer.
Lucian nodded.
Roxanne turned to the boys. “Come on. You must be hungry too. Dig in while the food is still hot.”
It was true that the boys were starving. Upon hearing her words, they jumped down from the couch and walked toward the dining table in a line.
Roxanne was squeezed between them. Habitually, she tried to take care of them by taking food for them. However, she only recalled her injury right after she raised her hand. Thus, she had no choice but to use her left hand, but her movements were clumsy because of that.
At the sight of the slowness of their mother’s actions, Archie and Benny said to Roxanne, “Mommy, you don’t need to take care of us. Let us take care of you instead!”
With that said, they both stood up to take the food that Roxanne liked for her.
A tender look appeared in Roxanne’s eyes as she watched the sensible boys work away. Touched, she then said, “Thank you, my darlings.”
When Estella saw the boys bring food for Roxanne, she, too, mimicked them and took a little of her favorite food for Roxanne.
Once she put the food on Roxanne’s plate, she stared at Roxanne with bright eyes, enthusiastically waiting for the woman to eat it.
At that, Roxanne lifted the food into her mouth. Smiling, she patted Estella’s head and said, “Thank you, Essie. It’s delicious!”
Hearing that, Estella beamed, and she began giving Roxanne more food.
For a moment, the three children kept putting more and more food onto Roxanne’s plate as if it was a competition.
Roxanne was starting to feel too full, but when she thought about how that was the children’s kind gestures, she forced herself to slowly polish off her plate.
“That’s enough. Kids, focus on your own food instead,” Lucian intervened, unsure if he should laugh or sigh at the scene.
He did not know if he should praise them for being sensible or chide Roxanne for being too soft-hearted.
Roxanne could barely straighten her back from the overeating by then. Thus, when she heard his intervention, she lifted her head to cast him a grateful look.
Fortunately, the children did not dare to go against Lucian’s words, so the food on Roxanne’s plate did not increase further.
After dinner, Catalina arrived.
Roxanne helped tidy up the table a little, and just as she was about to offer more help, Catalina convinced her to stop. “Ms. Jarvis, you’re still injured, so do head out to keep the children company instead.”
Roxanne had no choice but to agree to that. She then stepped out to the living room to seek out the children.
Just as she entered the living room, she spotted Estella and Lucian standing by the doorway. The man had already put on his jacket, and it seemed like he was ready to leave.
Roxanne walked over in puzzlement.
“Daddy’s leaving first. Stay with Ms. Jarvis and the boys. Be good, and don’t trouble Ms. Jarvis. Catalina will be taking care of you for the next few days here,” Lucian said to Estella in a gentle tone.
Estella bobbed her head obediently.
Even though she was reluctant to let her father leave, she quite liked living in Roxanne’s place.
When Lucian saw Roxanne walking over, he straightened up and looked at her. “Something has cropped up at my company, so I have to leave first. Essie’s just recovered, and her condition is still a little unstable. I was thinking of having her live with you for two more days. Catalina will be here to take care of her. If this troubles you, you can ask Catalina to bring her back after she’s done cleaning up the table.”
Roxanne stood transfixed for a moment before she patted the girl’s head. “It’s all right. Let her stay here.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 133
Mother Of Estella
That night, after Roxanne asked Archie and Benny to head to bed, she went back to the room to take care of Estella.
Once Catalina learned that Estella had recovered, she stuck to the girl’s side like glue.
In fact, the two women even showered Estella together.
Catalina’s heart ached when she saw the bruise on Estella’s bottom. Instantly, she could not help but complain, “Who did this? Ms. Estella has always been in poor health, and Mr. Farwell can’t even bring himself to be stern with her…”
Hearing that, Estella blinked at Catalina. Nevertheless, when she thought about Aubree’s warning, she clamped her mouth shut.
All of a sudden, Roxanne recalled what Lucian had said back at the haunted house.
The mystery of Estella’s mother’s identity kept swirling in her head.
Upon thinking about how Catalina had been working in the Farwell residence for all those years and about how she might know something, Roxanne asked in a nonchalant tone, “Catalina, why didn’t Essie’s mother come and visit her despite how bad her episode was? Did some other emergency happen?”
Hearing that, Catalina visibly stiffened before looking at Roxanne in shock.
She thought Roxanne had known that Estella was her child all along. After all, she gave birth to Estella.
That was why the question startled her that much.
Ms. Jarvis is subtly asking me who’s Essie’s biological mother? How am I supposed to answer that?
A moment of hesitation later, Catalina asked, “Did… Mr. Farwell not talk to you about this before?”
Roxanne thought that her response was strange, but she could not fathom why. Hence, she replied, “He only told me that Essie’s biological mother isn’t Aubree.”
So Mr. Farwell knows about this as well, but he didn’t tell Ms. Jarvis about it.
Catalina came to a conclusion at that. She then smiled at Roxanne and said, “Did you think that it was Ms. Pearson all along? Ms. Estella looks nothing like her. I’m not sure why you thought that.”
Roxanne chuckled. “Then can you tell me who’s Essie’s biological mother?”
Catalina shook her head. “This is Mr. Farwell’s personal matter. I wouldn’t dare to tell anyone about it. It’s best for you to wait until Mr. Farwell tells you about it himself.”
With that said, Catalina threw herself back into her work. She dared not continue the topic any longer, for she was afraid that she might let something slip.
When Roxanne noticed how Catalina was avoiding the topic, she stopped prodding for more information.
Still, a trace of suspicion lingered in her mind.
After all, she had seen for herself how obsessed Lucian was with Aubree all those years ago.
In fact, the man had even declared that Aubree was the only one worthy of being his wife.
How did he end up having a child with another woman then? What kind of feelings does he have toward Aubree? Could it be that their feelings for each other are fading after six years?
Roxanne simply could not seem to find an answer no matter how hard she tried. Instead, she only made herself frustrated.
After bathing Estella, Roxanne brought the girl to bed. Even then, she continued to wonder about the subject.
It seemed like Estella could see that Roxanne had something on her mind, for the girl buried herself into Roxanne’s arms slowly before looking at the woman with big, concerned eyes.
As Roxanne looked at the girl’s clear eyes, she recollected herself and hugged her.
Her heart melted when her arms wrapped around the small and soft body. At the same time, she found herself letting go of the niggling question.
The identity of Estella’s biological mother and the current relationship between Lucian and Aubree had nothing to do with her at all.
She and Lucian should have been strangers. They were only interacting because of Estella. That was all.
Overthinking things would only make her feel even more frustrated.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 134
To Not Be With Him
In the meantime, at the Farwell residence, Sonya and Elias were about to rest. When they heard the sudden ringing of the doorbell, they hastily opened the door.
Instantly, they were greeted by the apologetic faces of Samuel and Gina. Aubree was behind them, her eyes red.
“What happened?” Sonya asked in confusion when she registered the trio’s expressions.
Gina turned to shoot Aubree a glare.
Aubree’s eyes were bloodshot, and remorse was written all over her face. Even her voice was a little hoarse as she said, “Mrs. Farwell, I’ve come to apologize.”
Sonya became even more puzzled by that response. She then led the three to the couch and had the maid pour them cups of tea before asking, “What happened? Why are you apologizing to me?”
Aubree kept her head low, not daring to look at Sonya at all. “You convinced Essie to get into my car yesterday morning, so I thought she’d be quiet while I bring her to the kindergarten. However, she began kicking up a fuss and insisting on getting down from the car midway. She even tried to open the door despite how dangerous it was. I tried to stop her, but she refused to listen to me. In the end, I got too anxious and hit her a few times after I stopped the car.”
The moment Sonya and Elias heard that Sonya had laid a finger on Estella, their expressions darkened.
Aubree continued in a miserable tone, “I really didn’t mean it. I know it’s my fault; I shouldn’t have done anything to a kid. Estella’s so cute, and she’s your precious princess. Even now, I feel like slapping myself for having done that. If only I was more patient at that time.”
At the sight of her remorseful demeanor, Sonya’s dark expression lightened up a little. “If you know that you’ve done wrong, you should know that it’s pointless to come to us. You should be apologizing to Essie instead. You can’t do this anymore in the future.”
A conflicted look crossed Aubree’s face. “Mrs. Farwell, that’s what I thought too, but Lucian found out about this matter. He’s furious…”
“It’s normal for him to be mad. Have a good talk with him.” A line appeared between Sonya’s brows. She felt that Lucian had gone a little overboard with his response.
Just as she said that, she saw Aubree turn even paler.
“I don’t mind doing anything as long as Lucian forgives me, but…” the younger woman trailed off.
Gina, who was beside her, then said, “Sonya, you have no idea how severe things are. Lucian’s absolutely livid. It was as if he had lost his mind last night. He even attacked Aubree. Look.”
She then lifted Aubree’s hair from behind her back to show Sonya the mark on Aubree’s neck.
Both Sonya and Elias froze when they saw the bruise on Aubree’s neck. They never thought that Lucian would be so rough with her.
Once they recomposed themselves, Sonya asked, “How’s… your bruise? Is it bad?”
Aubree pursed her lips and shook her head. “It’s nothing. As long as Lucian forgives me, this injury is nothing.”
The upset Sonya felt toward Aubree withered quite a bit when she saw the regretful look and bad bruise that Aubree had.
After all, they had witnessed with their own two eyes what Aubree had done all those years.
Furthermore, it was true that Estella was rather aloof and stubborn. It would be quite challenging for outsiders to take care of her.
Therefore, Sonya could understand why Aubree had hit Estella.
“Lucian’s just caught up in his anger. I apologize to you on behalf of him. Don’t take this incident to heart,” Sonya apologized to Aubree.
However, tears fell from Aubree’s eyes. “I’m fine, but… I might not be able to be with Lucian anymore. I can’t even take care of Essie. I’ve betrayed the trust you’ve given to me. If Lucian chooses Roxanne, I’ll definitely give them my blessings.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 135
Not Letting Her Into The Family
At that, Sonya frowned. “Aubree, what are you talking about? It’s impossible for Lucian to be with Roxanne anymore. I’ve asked him about this before, and he told me that he’s not thinking of getting back together with her, so don’t overthink it.”
Still, Aubree continued to sob. “But Essie is with Roxanne all day long now. In fact, she’s living at Roxanne’s place. Essie likes her so much. If Lucian isn’t planning to be with her anymore, why would he have her take care of Essie?”
Although Lucian had berated her about it, she still kept sending people to spy on Roxanne.
The moment she found out that Estella was staying at Roxanne’s place, Aubree panicked. That was why she told her parents everything. After getting scolded by them, she was then brought over to apologize to Sonya and Elias.
Then, when she heard Sonya forgiving her, she could not help but complain to her.
Sonya never thought that Lucian would let that woman take care of Estella. She instantly fumed, “This is ridiculous! Who told him to do this?”
Then, she forced her anger aside and consoled Aubree. “Don’t worry. There’s no way they’ll be together again. Even if Lucian wants to do that, I won’t let that woman come back here!”
Aubree shifted her doe eyes to Sonya to make sure that Sonya was serious about her words.
Sonya uttered grimly, “That woman gave up on Essie herself back then. There’s no way I’m going to let her take care of Essie again!”
A tiny sliver of confidence finally crept into Aubree’s heart at her promise.
The few of them then chatted for a while longer before Gina led Aubree away.
They had gotten Sonya’s promise, so they had achieved what they had come for.
All that was needed was a few drops of tears from Aubree. Not only did Sonya not blame her for hitting the child, but she even felt that she had wronged Aubree. In addition to that, she even promised not to let Roxanne into the family.
In other words, they had hit two birds with one stone.
Sonya could not sleep almost the entire night because of Aubree’s words.
Consoling Aubree was not the only reason she had told Aubree that she was not going to let Roxanne into the family. It was also because she genuinely hated that ruthless woman.
That ruthless woman was capable of abandoning Lucian and Estella once, so Sonya was sure that she would do it again.
I have no idea what my son’s thinking about. I can’t believe he’s actually thinking of having her marry into the family again.
The more Sonya thought about it, the angrier she became. That night, she sent men to find out where Roxanne was living, planning to visit her the next day.
By the time Roxanne woke the next morning, Catalina had already made breakfast. Just as she was eating breakfast with the three children, someone rang the doorbell.
Roxanne then asked Catalina to take care of the children as she went to open the door.
Originally, she thought that Lucian had come to pick them up for kindergarten, but she was dumbfounded by the person outside upon opening the door.
“What’s the matter? Do you not recognize me anymore?” Sonya was dressed to her nines by the doorway. The older woman looked at Roxanne from head to toe coldly before her eyes flicked to the inside of the house, wanting to find out if Estella really was at Roxanne’s place.
Roxanne snapped back to her senses. Although she did not know why Sonya was there, she knew that the other woman must not have come for a friendly visit. She was wary, but she still politely greeted, “Mrs. Farwell.”
Sonya inclined her head a little before shooting her a displeased glare. “Is this the manners you have? You let your guests stand by the doorway?”
Roxanne knitted her brows and forced down the rising emotions in her as she stepped aside. “Please come in.”
Sonya scoffed and strode in. She headed straight to the living room’s couch and sat down.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 136
Give Up
Roxanne watched her sit down on the couch before she turned to close the door. After taking a seat on the armchair, she looked the older woman in the eyes and said, “Mrs. Farwell, may I know what’s the reason for your early visit?”
Sonya did not beat about the bush at all. “I’ve come to tell you to stay away from Lucian. Also, don’t you try winning over Essie. She has nothing to do with you. You were the one who chose to get a divorce and leave without telling anyone, so you don’t have the right to come back now.”
Hearing that, Roxanne nearly scoffed. She flatly replied, “Don’t worry. I never thought of coming back when I chose to leave back then.”
“Is that so?” Sonya sneered. “Then explain why you met Lucian. Also, why is Essie here with you?”
Sonya then stared at Roxanne contemptuously.
She said she’s not coming back, but everything she’s doing is to curry favor with them. What a liar!
Roxanne’s brows drew together as she changed into a more aggressive demeanor. “I think you’ve misunderstood something. It’s but a coincidence that I met Lucian. Lucian had gone to meet Old Mr. Queen when I was treating him. Also, Essie is going to the same kindergarten as my children. They’re friends, so she often comes to play with them.”
Roxanne did not tell her about how Estella had been clingy to her when she was sick.
With how hostile Sonya was to her, Roxanne was sure that she would assume that Roxanne was deluding herself.
Yet, unexpectedly, despite Roxanne clarifying everything and doing her best to draw the line between her and Lucian and his daughter, Sonya still refused to let her go.
“How can something so coincidental happen? It shouldn’t be tricky for you to check the kindergarten with the status you now have. Why did you end up picking the one the Farwell family is investing in?” Sonya questioned.
For a moment, Roxanne did not know how to explain it to Sonya.
Madilyn was the one who had recommended the kindergarten to her. Naturally, she would not think about looking into the kindergarten.
If she had done an investigation, she would not have sent her two sons there in the first place.
When Sonya heard nothing from Roxanne, she assumed that Roxanne was feeling too guilty to answer her. Thus, she scoffed and said, “Regardless of what kind of plan you have, I’m not going to let you join the family again. Give up!”
Roxanne nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ve never thought of going back there.”
“I hope you’ll remember what you’ve said,” Sonya warned.
Just then, the three children were done with their breakfast. When they came out, they saw Sonya. Archie and Benny were confused, but they could sense the hostile attitude that Sonya had toward their mother. Thus, they ran over to Roxanne, wanting to protect her.
On the other hand, Estella recognized her grandmother and ran toward Sonya. She then looked at her grandmother with wide eyes, perplexed.
Sonya ruffled her granddaughter’s hair when she saw Estella. “Essie, be good and come home with Grandma, okay?”
Hearing that, Estella shook her head without hesitation. She then turned around, ready to return to Roxanne’s side.
Sonya could see what she wanted to do, so she instantly shot out her hand to grab Estella’s arm.
Estella thrashed, but she could not struggle out of her grandmother’s grip. Within seconds, her face was red with anxiety.
“Be good and come home with me!” Sonya’s tone was getting sterner and sterner by the second, and subconsciously, she gripped the girl tighter.
Estella could feel the pain, but she did not want to leave Roxanne. The corners of her lips turned downward, and she began crying silently on the spot.
It was only then Sonya realized that she seemed to have responded too harshly. Frowning, she let go of the girl, but Estella never stopped crying.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 137
End Up Just Like Them
When Catalina saw Estella sobbing her eyes out, she quickly stepped forward and said, “Mrs. Farwell, Ms. Estella had an episode again, and Ms. Pearson hit her. Her condition has only started improving today and hasn’t stabilized yet. Please don’t scare her.”
Catalina had mulled over the incident the night before, and she could mostly guess who had hit Estella. To convince Sonya to stop, she had no choice but to steel herself and tell the other woman her speculation.
However, Sonya seemed unfazed by that. “Sonya has told me about this already. Essie was the one who had not been obedient, and Aubree only punished her in that way in her panic. She has already apologized to me. Essie is at fault too. Aubree will be her stepmother in the future, but she’s still kicking up fusses like these.”
Hearing that, Catalina realized she could not say anything else. All she could do was cast a pitying look at Estella.
The girl had just walked out of her own world recently. After this crying session, Catalina was afraid that she might revert to her state from the day before.
After Archie and Benny heard their conversation, they guessed that the unfamiliar woman was Estella’s grandmother. Nevertheless, they did not hold themselves back as they refuted, “Essie didn’t kick up a fuss. That bad woman is in the wrong to have hurt a kid! Why would you listen to an outsider and scold Essie? She’s been badly hit, but you don’t feel upset for her at all? If not for my mommy’s care, Essie might not have recovered by now!”
Sonya was disgruntled with the way the children were chiding her. “What do you know? Children shouldn’t be intervening in the business of adults!”
With that said, she grabbed Estella’s arm again. “Look at them. They’re completely uncultured. If you keep staying here, you’re going to be just like them. Come home with me right now!”
Estella remained rooted to the spot, but her arm ached from Sonya’s pull. Tears kept rolling down her cheeks as resistance shone brightly in her eyes.
Roxanne had decided not to intervene in Estella’s matters after the earlier conversation, but she was reminded of how the girl was like the day before at the sight of her tears. Hence, she drew her brows together and said, “Mrs. Farwell, I’ve heard that you dote on Essie a lot, but is this the way you dote on her? Essie’s crying, but you won’t even heed what she wants?”
Sonya gave her a side-eye. “Who knows how you’ve bewitched my granddaughter?”
Just as the two were at a stand-still, someone rang the doorbell again.
Knowing that it must be their father, Archie dashed to the door to open it.
Lucian froze for a second when he saw the boy. Then, he noticed the tinge of anger on the boy’s face.
When he lifted his head to look straight ahead, he saw his mother grabbing Estella’s arm tightly and Estella sobbing in utmost distress in the living room.
At that, Lucian frowned and strode over to pry his mother’s hand away. “What are you doing?”
Sonya’s scowl deepened. “If I had come any later, my granddaughter was going to be someone else’s granddaughter.”
She then shot her son a discontented look.
She could not believe that he had not told her that an outsider was taking care of her granddaughter, let alone the fact that the outsider was Roxanne.
Lucian’s eyes then flicked toward Roxanne, who had a similar cold look on her face.
The tension in the living room was palpable.
Finally, Lucian looked back at his mother and uttered, “Let’s have a talk.”
Right as he said that, he turned and exited the mansion.
Sonya stared at her son’s retreating figure dubiously and hesitantly for a few seconds before she followed him out.
Just as she stepped out of the house, she said to her son, “Let me tell you now that, no matter what you say to me, I’m still going to take Essie away from here with me!”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 138
You Have Gone Overboard
Upon hearing his mother’s words, Lucian gave her a noncommittal nod.
Assuming that he had agreed, Sonya turned around and prepared to take Estella with her. However, Lucian’s voice suddenly rang out.
“You might not be aware of how Essie was over the last two days.”
His words caused her to stop abruptly. Although she had heard from Catalina about Estella’s autistic episode over the last two days, she wasn’t aware of how serious it was.
“Essie’s episode this time was more intense than the last. Even James had no solution for it. Only when she’s with Roxanne does she behave like a normal child. Furthermore, Roxanne has even managed to get her to talk the other day. Do you know how significant this is compared to the past?” Lucian questioned with a deep voice.
Essie has talked?
Sonya was filled with shock, as she had mentally prepared herself for Estella to remain mute her entire life.
I can’t believe that woman managed to get her to speak!
When he saw the astonishment on Sonya’s face, Lucian pursed his lips. “I was equally surprised, but there’s no denying it. In fact, Essie refuses to leave Roxanne’s side despite not even knowing the latter is her mother. Even if you refuse to admit it, there’s no way you can erase the instinctive bond between them.”
Sonya knitted her brows in displeasure. She knew that Lucian was right despite her unwillingness to accept the truth.
At that moment, she couldn’t find the words to rebut him.
“Mom, we have spent many years trying to cure Essie to no avail. But now, we finally have hope. Even if Essie accepts Roxanne, I have no objections as long as she can fully recover.”
Lucian spoke in a mellow and convincing voice. “Given how much you love Essie, I’m sure you, too, want the best for her. Therefore, I hope that you won’t disrupt their lives anymore, as Essie can’t afford to suffer another blow.”
Even though the thought of Estella’s autism caused Sonya to waver, she still couldn’t get over the past. She questioned angrily, “Are you saying that you’re willing to accept her even after what she has done to you?”
Lucian replied, “That’s between the two of us. I’ll deal with it properly.”
Sonya pressed on. “What about Essie? By allowing her to grow close to Roxanne, what’s going to happen when she finds out that she was once abandoned by the latter? How will she feel? Will she be able to take it?”
Lucian furrowed his brows together.
Given that the matter was potentially a misunderstanding and it wasn’t fully investigated yet, he had no intention of explaining. He simply answered, “There’s no need for you to worry. Whatever Essie deserves to know, I won’t hide it from her.”
In other words, he would continue his relationship with Roxanne and also allow Estella to do the same.
Cognizant of her son’s character, Sonya knew that whatever she said would be useless. Nonetheless, she still couldn’t help but remind him of Aubree. “What about Aubree? What do you expect her to do? After she waited by your side for so many years and sacrificed so much for us, do you plan to abandon her just like that?”
Lucian was filled with hatred at the mention of Aubree. “Do you know why Essie resents her?”
Stunned, Sonya explained at once, “Is it because of what Aubree did to Essie? Didn’t she explain it to us already? She didn’t do it on purpose and was only worried about Essie’s safety. It only happened under desperate circumstances. Moreover, she regrets her action and has apologized to us about it.”
Just as she finished, she turned the tables on him. “As for you, you have gone overboard with your recent behavior toward her!”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 139
Will You Really Cancel The Engagement
Sonya’s intentions were clear. She still hoped that Lucian would marry Aubree.
Over the last six years, she had pestered him many times about it.
Lucian cocked a brow in annoyance. “I know what I’m doing. There’s no need for you to interfere.”
Sonya was upset. “You know what you’re doing? Are you really planning on canceling the engagement?”
Before Lucian could reply, Sonya’s expression drastically changed while the resolve in her voice hardened. “No matter what, you personally agreed to the engagement with the Pearson family. You cannot disappoint her after how long she has waited. I forbid you from reneging on your word, so don’t ever bring it up in front of me again!”
Subsequently, Sonya threw her son a stern look before shooting a glare at the mansion’s main door. It was as if she could pierce through it with her eyes and see Roxanne inside. In the end, she recovered her gaze before storming off.
After watching his mother’s silhouette disappear, Lucian collected his emotions and returned to the mansion.
Estella had stopped crying in Roxanne’s arms and didn’t appear to be badly affected. The moment she saw him enter, she jumped out of Roxanne’s embrace and ran to hug his thigh. When she stared blankly at him, he could see that her eyes and nose were a bit red.
After stroking her head to comfort her, Lucian shifted his gaze in Roxanne’s direction. “I’m sorry that my mom has caused you trouble. I didn’t expect her to suddenly come here.”
Having regained her composure, Roxanne nodded calmly. “It’s fine. I’m not the least bit surprised by her attitude. After all, I left the Farwell family on very bad terms. Besides, she never approved of our marriage, and time has proven her right.”
Back then, Roxanne had married Lucian in spite of Sonya’s objections. Unfortunately, they tormented each other in the end.
When she returned to the country, she had considered the possibility of the Farwell family giving her trouble. Nevertheless, she never expected to be involved with Lucian again, let alone encounter Sonya under such circumstances.
Lucian frowned slightly at her answer but didn’t know what to say, for Roxanne was merely stating the facts.
In fact, his mother’s prejudice against her had never decreased one bit.
Suddenly, silence descended upon the living room.
“Ms. Jarvis, Mr. Farwell,” Catalina remarked carefully. “It’s time to send the children to school.”
Both of them were jolted back to their senses.
When Roxanne held her sons’ hands, she hesitated for a while before looking at Lucian. “As for Essie… Do you want to take her, or do you want me to continue looking after her?”
Sonya’s words earlier had reminded Roxanne that Estella couldn’t stay by her side forever.
Just when Lucian was about to reply, Estella released his leg and ran back to grab Roxanne’s dress.
Both Roxanne and Lucian were shocked by her reaction.
When Estella heard for the second time that morning that she was going to leave Roxanne, her already reddened eyes moistened further. Giving Lucian a pleading look, she looked like she was going to continue crying if he were to decide to take her away.
As he had no such intention, Lucian replied, “Please continue watching over her as her condition has yet to stabilize. When it’s inconvenient for you to do so, you can let Catalina bring her home.”
When Roxanne saw how pitiful Estella looked, she nodded with a wavering heart.
Upon Roxanne’s agreement, Estella’s miserable expression was replaced by a delightful smile.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 140
Patience Is Required
On the way home from Roxanne’s house, Sonya pondered upon the matter and decided to give Aubree a call.
Meanwhile, Aubree was puzzled to receive Sonya’s call so early in the morning.
“Aubree, I have already spoken to Lucian, and he will not speak of canceling the engagement with you again.” Even though Sonya had requested it unilaterally, she conveyed the decision simply because her son didn’t object to it.
Aubree was ecstatic to hear the news. “Is it true, Mrs. Farwell?”
Just as she spoke, she inquired further, “But what about Roxanne? She seems to be very close to Lucian. Furthermore, Essie likes her too.”
Sonya’s tone turned grim at the mention of Roxanne. “Just ignore her, as only you can be Lucian’s future wife. With regard to Essie, you have to be more patient with her, for she’s still just a child. I’ll let the matter slide this time, but you had better not do that again!”
Aubree readily agreed, “Mrs. Farwell, please rest assured that I’ll treat Essie as if she’s my own daughter.”
Nevertheless, the thought of Estella staying with Roxanne over the last two days continued to unsettle her. Hence, she pried further, “By the way, has Essie gone home yet? I want to find an opportunity to apologize to her.”
Sonya replied in a lackluster tone, “Not yet. I wanted to bring her back, but her condition hasn’t stabilized. She wants to stay with Roxanne, and it’s also good for her recovery. By the time she feels better, I’ll bring her back again.”
In response, an icy glint flashed across Aubree’s eyes.
That despicable kid is still together with Roxanne! Prior to this, she has been the reason why Lucian doesn’t like me and refuses to marry me. Now that she is growing closer to Roxanne, she might become the reason for him to remarry the latter!
The more Aubree thought about it, the more upset she became. Aware that her only hope continued to rest on Sonya, she maintained a cordial tone while speaking. “I understand, Mrs. Farwell. Essie’s well-being takes priority.”
When Sonya heard Aubree’s caring words, she advised in a solemn tone, “Aubree, you have to be patient when it comes to getting what you want. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I do, Mrs. Farwell. Don’t worry,” Aubree replied calmly.
Sonya nodded in satisfaction. “Soon, I’ll invite your parents to finalize your marriage. There’s no need to feel anxious, as that will not help you achieve success.”
With the doubts in her heart removed, Aubree’s eyes lit up as she agreed with a smile.
In the evening, Roxanne arrived at the kindergarten on the dot to collect the three children. There, Lucian was already waiting.
She had assumed that he would stay for dinner just like the day before. However, he left right away after dropping them off at the door, saying that he was busy.
Upon entering the house, they were welcomed by the dinner Catalina had prepared. After finishing their food, Roxanne played with the children for a while downstairs before ushering them to bed.
Roxanne tucked Archie and Benny in and returned to her room, where Catalina had just given Estella a bath. Having put on her bunny pajamas, Estella looked like a stuffed toy as she sat starry-eyed on the bed while waiting for Roxanne.
The moment she saw the latter enter, she broke into a sweet smile and stretched her arms out for a hug.
As Roxanne picked Estella up, the latter wrapped her arms around Roxanne’s neck obediently. When Estella laid her face against hers, Roxanne felt as if her heart was about to melt from the sensation.