Ch. 141..150
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 141
Getting Involved Again
The next morning, Roxanne sent the children to school alone as Lucian didn’t come.
When Pippa saw Roxanne by herself, she was surprised. “Ms. Jarvis, where’s Mr. Farwell today?”
Roxanne was briefly stunned by the comment.
She wasn’t expecting Pippa to notice that Lucian had brought the children to school with her over the last two days, let alone inquire about his absence.
As it gave the impression that she and Lucian were close, Roxanne was stumped for an answer.
Nonetheless, Estella brought out her notebook and wrote: I’m living with Ms. Jarvis now!
She then raised it up with a vibrant smile on her face.
When Pippa saw how cheerful Estella was now in contrast to her listless expression from two days ago, she couldn’t help but beam and stroke Estella’s hair. “I see.”
Subsequently, she returned her gaze to Roxanne and was bowled over by how much Estella liked Roxanne and her sons.
Roxanne heaved a sigh of relief in her mind when she saw Estella answer on her behalf. After handing the children over, she remarked, “Thanks for taking care of them.”
With that, she bid farewell to the children before driving off.
Due to how busy she was taking care of Estella and managing the affairs of the research institute, she didn’t manage to visit Alfred even though it was time for his next treatment.
With that thought in mind, Roxanne turned her car around and headed to the Queen residence after confirming with Jonathan that it was a good time to visit.
In the meantime, Jonathan was already waiting at home.
He gave Roxanne a warm welcome the moment she entered. “Dr. Jarvis, I was already about to call you because you hadn’t gotten in touch.”
Roxanne smiled apologetically. “Something came up the last two days. How is Old Mr. Queen doing?”
In truth, Jonathan was just making idle chatter and didn’t mean to blame her. In response to her question, his eyes glistened in admiration. “Thanks to your amazing medical skills, Grandpa’s condition has improved significantly. Or else, I would already be pestering you.”
Relieved to hear that Alfred was doing well, Roxanne went upstairs with her medical kit.
Following her from behind, Jonathan furrowed his brows when he accidentally caught a glimpse of her hand that was holding the kit. “Did you hurt yourself?”
Roxanne thought nothing of it. “I accidentally scalded myself when I spilled soup on it. It’s not a bother at all.”
After a momentary pause, she added, “Don’t worry, it won’t affect Old Mr. Queen’s treatment.”
Alfred had received advance notice of her arrival, so when they entered his room one after another, he was already sitting in bed.
Roxanne took a seat by Alfred’s bed and began the treatment after greeting him cordially.
Even though the wound on her hand looked nasty, she no longer felt any pain due to the effectiveness of her own medication. Therefore, it wasn’t a hindrance to her when she inserted the needles into Alfred’s body.
Once the treatment was completed, Roxanne started to pack up. Seeing that, Jonathan came over to help.
Cognizant that he was concerned about her wound, Roxanne didn’t stop him despite being briefly stunned.
Upon arriving downstairs, Jonathan called out to her when she was about to leave. “Dr. Jarvis, please hold on.”
Stopping in her tracks, she gave Jonathan a puzzled look as he retrieved something from a drawer and walked up to her. “This is my family’s best medication for burn wounds. As a doctor, you have to take good care of your hands, as they’re indispensable.”
Just when she was about to thank him, Frieda’s cynical voice rang out.
“Jonathan, you had better not be so kind. Otherwise, you might end up making someone fall for you.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 142
Not What I Meant
In the end, Roxanne’s thanks never left her mouth.
Jonathan, too, was stunned. Frowning at Frieda, he reprimanded her, “Frieda, what are you blabbering about?”
With a shrug of her shoulders, Frieda replied in nonchalance, “I’m being serious. Even though someone has broken up with Lucian without saying a word back then, she’s still thick-skinned enough to cling to him now. Doesn’t she already know that Aubree is with Lucian? What’s the difference between her and a third party?”
As she spoke, Frieda threw Roxanne a contemptuous look.
I just can’t stand her, and she’ll never earn my respect even if she cures Grandpa.
Although she didn’t name names, it was clear that she was talking about Roxanne.
As a gloomy expression gradually descended upon Roxanne’s face, she said coldly, “Ms. Queen, instead of making snide comments, you had better learn some proper manners yourself before going around patronizing others.”
With a drastic change in her expression, Frieda shot Roxanne a glare. “How dare you accuse me of being ill-mannered!”
Roxanne met her gaze with an emotionless face. “What has my affairs with Lucian got anything to do with you? This is my personal matter, and you have no right to interfere. As a lady of a prominent family, don’t you think it’s unbecoming of you to stick your nose in the business of others?”
Roxanne’s admonishment rendered Frieda speechless.
She was worried about being labeled as uncultured if she continued the argument.
Recovering her gaze, Roxanne warned, “To me, you’re nothing but a stranger. At most, you’re just a family member of my patient. Hence, you better not question me about my personal affairs!”
With that, Roxanne bade goodbye to Jonathan and left before Frieda could react.
Watching Roxanne’s leaving silhouette, Frieda gritted her teeth in anger, for she had seen how Aubree stayed by Lucian’s side over the years.
If it wasn’t for her, Lucian would already have married Aubree. And now that she has returned, she managed to draw Lucian’s attention again. I don’t know what gives her the cheek to even put on such airs! Aubree has treated Grandpa very well over the years and isn’t inferior to her in any way. How dare this homewrecker accuse me of being ill-mannered!
When Jonathan saw the rage on Frieda’s face, he shot her a glare before chasing after Roxanne.
“Dr. Jarvis!”
Roxanne stopped and turned around upon hearing his voice. She was greeted by the sight of him running toward her.
Giving him a baffled look, she asked, “What is it?”
Jonathan was visibly apologetic. “I’m here to say sorry on my sister’s behalf. I don’t know what has gotten into her. She seems to be easily agitated recently and keeps making snarky remarks. Please don’t take what she said to heart.”
Roxanne smiled plainly. “Don’t worry. I won’t. I won’t stop treating Old Mr. Queen because of her words either.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Jonathan felt helpless.
He admired Roxanne and felt that she would make a good friend. Yet, regardless of what he said, she would always steer the conversation back to Alfred’s treatment.
In no mood for idle chatter, Roxanne asked out of courtesy, “Is there anything else?”
As it would be rude to hold her back, Jonathan replied, “That’s all. Goodbye.”
Roxanne nodded before getting into her car.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 143
Picking Up The Children
After watching Roxanne drive away, Jonathan returned to the mansion.
Frieda, who was drinking coffee on the couch with a scowl on her face, gave him the side-eye before recovering her gaze.
Jonathan’s expression darkened when he caught her reaction. “Why are you behaving this way? What has Dr. Jarvis done to you for you to be so hostile to her? Don’t forget that she is Grandpa’s savior!”
Frieda looked at Jonathan and refuted, “Savior? It’s not like we didn’t offer her anything. We’re just getting what each of us needs out of it.”
Filled with displeasure, she inquired further, “Jonathan, why are you standing up for her? Has she tricked you too? In response to you asking me how she has offended me, I should be asking you if she has gotten in your head.”
Jonathan glared at her. “Stop spewing nonsense. Whatever is going on between Dr. Jarvis and Lucian is between the two of them. We have no right to question her. You better not bring it up again!”
Noticing Jonathan’s anger, Frieda kept her mouth shut despite the indignance she felt inside.
Even though Roxanne had no intention of taking Frieda’s words seriously, she couldn’t help being affected by them. Therefore, she still felt disheartened when she returned to the research institute.
After going on her rounds and realizing there wasn’t much to do, she decided to go home and rest so that she could collect her thoughts.
Just when she was about to leave, someone knocked on her door.
Opening it, she saw that it was one of the reputable professors of the research institute.
“Dr. Jarvis, thank goodness you’re still here. We have encountered a problem with our formulation during our experiments. We’ve been trying the entire morning, but we can’t seem to figure out what’s wrong with it. Can you take a look at it for us?”
With a solemn expression, Roxanne changed into her lab coat and followed him back to the lab.
After going through it, she realized that the issue was indeed a serious one. As it was related to an important project of the institute, she dived into the research without any delay.
Before she knew it, it was already the evening, and she had forgotten about the children at school.
“Dr. Jarvis, your phone is ringing,” someone meekly reminded her.
Jolted back to her senses, Roxanne picked up her phone from her lab pocket to check. When she saw the caller ID on the screen, her brows couldn’t help but knit together.
Ever since she started taking care of Estella, she had removed Lucian’s number from her blacklist.
Why is he calling me at this hour?
“What is it?” Roxanne answered after a brief hesitation.
Over at the other end, Lucian glanced at the time before asking in a deep voice, “Where are you now?”
Roxanne replied, “I’m at the research institute. We’re still figuring out a problem that we have encountered. What’s wrong?”
Lucian frowned at her answer. “I understand. The kindergarten just called and said that they couldn’t get you on the phone. Apparently, no one has picked up the children. Since you’re busy, I’ll collect them instead.”
Only then did Roxanne remember that the children were still at school.
With regard to the boys, they were used to her picking them up late when she was bogged down by work.
However, the concern was that Estella, who had just shown some progress, might be affected by it.
Holding that thought, Roxanne began to feel bad. “I’m sorry. I was too caught up with work and didn’t hear my phone. Why don’t I go and pick them up?”
Lucian was already on his way to the elevator with his jacket in his hand. “It’s fine. It doesn’t matter which of us does it. You should continue with your work.”
Just when Roxanne was about to say something, the call had already ended.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 144
Why Are You Picking Us Up
Staring at her phone, Roxanne hesitated briefly before putting it away and continuing with her research.
Since she needed more time for work, she was glad that Lucian was able to take the task off her hands.
Meanwhile, the three children were sitting on a bench at the kindergarten field with their bags behind their backs. Used to the fact that Roxanne would run late due to work, the boys sat upright and chatted with Pippa occasionally.
Sitting between the two brothers, Estella started out feeling anxious. However, after a while, she began to be slowly distracted until she cupped her chin with her hands and listened intently to their conversation.
Even when Lucian arrived, none of them noticed his presence.
When he saw the three of them sitting together, Lucian felt his heart warm up. Subconsciously, he quickened his pace and hurried up to them.
“Mr. Farwell,” Pippa greeted when she saw him.
Only then did the children look up and reacted with disappointment at the sight of him.
Faced with the drastic change in the children’s expressions, Lucian cocked a brow but didn’t comment. Instead, he informed Pippa, “I’m sorry, I was caught up with work. I’ll be picking Archie and Benny up, too.”
Well aware that the three children were always together the past few days, Pippa didn’t inquire any further. After handing them over to him, she took her leave and went home.
In spite of that, the children continued to sit on the bench without moving.
Lucian stared at them in amusement. “Do you still feel like sitting here for a while?”
Benny shook his head in reflex, for he didn’t want to continue staying there. The air was cold, while the bench was hard. Moreover, his bag was heavy, and he could already hear his stomach growling.
Archie looked at Lucian with a serious expression. “Where’s Mommy? Why are you the one picking us up?”
Estella, too, stared at her daddy and awaited his reply.
“She’s still busy at the research institute, and it would be too late by the time she’s done. I came over first to take all of you to dinner,” Lucian summarized. “Besides, I’m sure all of you are hungry. Come with me.”
Nevertheless, Archie remained hesitant.
As for Benny, he was famished and also excited that he finally had an opportunity to spend time with his father.
However, when he didn’t hear Archie’s response, he, too, fell silent and waited for his brother to express his thoughts.
When it came to Estella, she had no objections, for she was used to eating with Lucian. In spite of that, she remained seated when she didn’t see any movement from the boys.
Noticing the expectant look in Benny’s eyes, Archie paused for a moment before indicating his agreement by getting off the bench.
Behaving just like his lackeys, Benny and Estella followed suit.
Even though no words were exchanged, Lucian recognized their tacit agreement to have dinner with him.
After the four of them got into the car, Lucian drove, while the children sat in a uniform row behind.
“Since I don’t know what you like, I’ll just bring you to one of Estella’s favorite restaurants.” Lucian decided on the spot.
Benny answered without another thought. “I’m fine with that!”
Just as he spoke, he felt a tug from Archie and proceeded to keep his mouth shut sheepishly.
Without another word, Lucian drove them straight to the restaurant.
The high-end restaurant they were brought to had a historical look to it. Since Archie and Benny grew up overseas, they had never seen such a design before. Hence, they looked around curiously once they took their seats.
Lucian felt a warm sensation in his heart when he saw how their interest was piqued. “What would you like to eat?”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 145
I Dislike Him For Leaving Us
Feeling famished, Benny recovered his gaze from the decorations the moment he heard Lucian mention food. He counted with his fingers. “I would like pork ribs, fried fish, drumsticks… All these are our favorite food!”
Lucian subsequently turned his attention toward Archie, who wasn’t keen on answering initially.
However, since Benny had replied on his behalf, Archie had no choice but to quietly nod.
After ordering the food based on the children’s taste, Lucian didn’t know what to talk to them about, causing an awkward silence to fall upon the table.
Once the dishes arrived, Lucian instructed the waiter to place them in front of the boys.
It was only then that Archie uttered in a cordial yet distant tone, “Thank you, Mr. Farwell.”
“Don’t mention it.” Lucian nodded in acknowledgment. His tone sounded awkward as he had seldom spent time interacting with them.
During dinner, he would serve them food even though he didn’t feed them as Roxanne did.
Nonetheless, the children wolfed down their food.
“Is the food right to your taste?” Finally, Lucian thought of what to ask after struggling to find a topic.
Raising his head, Benny rubbed his stomach before giving the question some thought. In the end, he responded in an earnest tone, “It’s delicious but not as good as Mommy’s cooking.”
Lucian cocked his brow in surprise. “Does your mommy cook often?”
Without thinking twice, Benny replied candidly, “Mmm-hmm. She’ll cook for us when she’s not busy. But when she’s overwhelmed by work, she won’t even have time to eat.”
At that moment, a concerned expression emerged on his face, for he was sure that she had yet to eat.
Meanwhile, Estella’s eyes lit up in envy. She, too, wanted to have Roxanne’s cooking every day.
Oblivious to what was going through their minds, Lucian remained curious about Archie and Benny’s daily lives. “In that case, how do you cope when your mommy is busy?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Lucian regretted it at once.
If Roxanne is busy, their father would naturally be the one to take care of them. There’s no way the three of them lived overseas alone.
With that thought in mind, Lucian couldn’t help but think about Roxanne.
Compared to six years ago, she looked sterner now. He figured that her losing weight might be one of the reasons behind it.
Unaware of what was going through Lucian’s mind, Benny answered naively, “When Mommy is busy, her professor or assistant will help to babysit us. Sometimes, she’ll even bring us to the research institute, where her colleagues adore us.”
Rattled back to his senses, Lucian was baffled and a little displeased. “What about your daddy? Why doesn’t he take care of you?”
His words stunned the brothers.
Daddy? Our daddy is sitting right in front of us. He just doesn’t know it.
Putting his cutlery down, Archie furrowed his brows and stopped Benny from speaking. He stared at Lucian and demanded, “What do you want to know?”
Lucian was slightly shocked. A brief moment later, he pursed his lips as if nothing had happened and replied, “Nothing, I was just showing some concern.”
After staring at Lucian for quite a while, Archie recovered his exasperated gaze before asserting in a firm tone, “Ever since we were born, we have not seen our daddy. He’s a villain for abandoning Mommy and us. Therefore, I don’t like him!”
When he finished, Archie raised his head to give Lucian another glance before going back to his food.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 146
Disappointment
Meanwhile, Benny, who had something to say, swallowed his words after his brother’s tirade.
I have almost forgotten that Daddy is a villain, and we were supposed to ignore him!
Lucian frowned when he sensed the unhappiness in the boys. Realizing that he had asked an inappropriate question, he apologized, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up your painful past.”
Despite opening his mouth, no words came out after that, for he didn’t know how else to comfort them.
Archie lowered his head and pretended to focus on his food. “It’s all right. We have gotten used to it, anyway,” he said.
At that moment, the atmosphere at the table grew tense.
Unable to restrain himself after eating in silence, Benny raised a teary-eyed gaze at Lucian. “Mr. Farwell, do you like children?”
Lucian was dumbstruck by the look on Benny’s face.
Benny continued with his soliloquy. “I suppose you do, as I can see that you treat Essie very well. Since you don’t hate children, why do you dislike us then?”
While speaking, Benny looked at Lucian with puppy eyes.
It’s clear that you don’t hate kids, so why did you abandon us, Daddy?
He was on the brink of vocalizing the question in his mind.
Startled by his brother’s words, Archie was well aware of what the former wanted to ask. Hence, he preempted the question by serving him some food. “Didn’t you say that you were hungry? Here, eat up.”
Despite the sadness within him, he didn’t want to show it in front of Lucian.
Furthermore, he knew that Roxanne didn’t want Lucian to know their identity.
Having been reminded by his brother, Benny pouted and continued to eat the food on his plate. However, he no longer took any extras.
In the end, Lucian had no answers to Benny’s questions. In fact, he was intrigued about the actual genesis of the questions.
Subsequently, the tension at the table intensified with no one saying another word until dinner was over.
When Estella, who didn’t speak anyway, saw the somber mood the brothers were in, she felt equally glum.
As the only adult at the table, Lucian tried to liven up the atmosphere with new topics but failed when the brothers just refused to talk.
Once dinner was over, he sent the children back to Roxanne’s house.
As Roxanne wasn’t back yet, Catalina, who was feeling worried, was relieved to see Lucian and the children.
Instead of leaving right away, Lucian stayed to make small talk with Catalina while watching the children play in the living room.
It wasn’t until around eight o’clock that Roxanne finally returned from work.
However, the children only threw her a glance and didn’t rush to welcome her like they usually did.
From their response, Roxanne could sense that something was amiss with their mood.
Since Lucian was still around, she went over and asked, “What has gotten into them? Were they bullied in school?”
Furrowing his brows slightly, Lucian gave her an apologetic look. “They became like that after I inquired about their father during dinner. I’m sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Roxanne was startled by his words. After she regained her composure, her expression was a bit dark. “What did you ask them such a question for?”
Unable to figure out the reason for it, Lucian was momentarily speechless.
Roxanne suppressed the panic within her and gave him a stern warning. “Both of them grew up without a father and don’t like others bringing it up. Therefore, Mr. Farwell, please do not ask them such questions ever again.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 147
Heartache
Lucian assumed that Roxanne was angry because the children were upset. Thus, he promised in an apologetic tone, “I didn’t know that before. Now that I do, you can rest assured that I won’t mention this in front of them again.”
After glancing at the children, who were playing Lego, Roxanne suddenly felt what a close shave it was for Lucian to talk to the boys about their father. With nothing else to say to him, she hinted for him to leave. “It’s getting late, Mr. Farwell. Why don’t you head home first? Thank you for taking the trouble to pick the kids up on my behalf today.”
After a brief hesitation, Lucian nodded before leaving.
On the journey home, he felt extremely unsettled but couldn’t put a finger on what it was.
When he arrived, he removed his tie in frustration and sat on the couch for a while. Even then, he continued to feel disturbed.
Subsequently, he brought out a bottle of wine from the cabinet, sitting by the window to drink alone.
After two glasses, images of what happened at dinner gradually emerged in his mind.
The children were giving him angry yet pitiful looks while demanding to know why he didn’t like them.
With their faces and tone in his mind, Lucian couldn’t help but feel a piercing pain in his heart.
After Lucian was gone, Roxanne played with the children for a while before sending them to bed.
Having tucked Estella in, Roxanne pondered a moment before knocking on the boys’ door.
Meanwhile, both of them were unable to sleep as they were still disturbed by the event earlier.
“Mommy, what is it?” Archie asked curiously when he opened the door and saw her.
Roxanne tousled his hair. “I just want to have a talk with both of you. Let’s go inside.”
Archie nodded before climbing back up to bed. He looked exceptionally adorable in his cow-print pajamas while his loose fringes billowed in front of his eyes.
As her heart softened, Roxanne closed the door and settled down by the bedside. She asked softly, “Did Mr. Farwell ask you about your daddy during dinner?”
The boys nodded in unison.
Archie added in his squeaky voice, “We told him that we don’t have a daddy and also the fact that we dislike our daddy.”
Roxanne felt her heart clam up in response. She could sense a faint sadness in the boy’s tone.
After all, she had kept their family origins from them and told them that they didn’t have a father.
However, if I were to tell them the man they had dinner with was their daddy, how would they react?
“Boys… Do you feel that you’re different from other children? Have you ever thought of wanting a daddy?” Roxanne asked after a momentary pause.
The boys shook their heads. “No.”
Roxanne’s brows knitted slightly. “But…” They’re clearly saddened by the events of the evening.
With each of them holding one of her arms, they put on a serious expression. “Even though we don’t have a daddy, we still have you, and you are the best mommy in the whole wide world! No one can compare to you, so we’re the envy of all our friends!”
As if to prove a point, Benny gave Roxanne an earnest look. “Although Essie has a daddy, she still prefers you because you’re the best. Therefore, we don’t need a daddy at all!”
Roxanne was both touched and heartbroken at the same time. Hugging the children in a tight embrace, she didn’t say a word for a long time.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 148
Making It Up To Her
Feeling bad for making the boys sad, Lucian didn’t show up for the next few days. Instead, he would occasionally send a message to check in on Estella.
As for Roxanne, she heightened her vigilance after what happened and was secretly relieved that he didn’t drop by.
When she saw that his messages were not related to the boys, she replied to all of them accordingly.
From the frequent messages that he sent, Roxanne could see how much he cared for Estella.
Since he cares so much about her, why hasn’t he made an appearance? Is he not worried about leaving her with me just like that? I really have no idea what’s going through that mind of his.
Luckily, Estella was adorable. Not only did she have exquisite features, she was also exceptionally obedient.
Every time she cozied up to Roxanne, Roxanne would be reminded of the daughter she had lost. If she managed to grow up safely, she would be Essie’s age.
With that thought in mind, Roxanne treated Estella as if she was family. Deep down, she felt that being nice to the latter was her way of making it up to her lost daughter.
After spending a lot of time together, Archie and Benny began to see Estella as their own sister. Whether they were at home or in kindergarten, they would constantly protect her.
Meanwhile, Estella smiled all the time during her stay with Roxanne.
When Roxanne saw how happy Estella was, she could feel her heartstrings being tugged.
At the rate they were progressing, Estella’s condition quickly stabilized. In other words, she would be able to go home soon.
Holding that thought, Roxanne began to feel reluctant to part with Estella.
During the weekend, Roxanne planned to take them out for the day, as they have not gone on an outing ever since Estella started staying with them.
“Mommy!” Archie and Benny approached her enthusiastically. “Let’s take Essie to the aquarium!”
Hearing that, Roxanne looked in Estella’s direction to seek her opinion.
The latter nodded obediently.
As long as I can stay with Ms. Jarvis, Archie, and Benny, it doesn’t matter where I go.
With that, Roxanne got the children to pack up before heading to the aquarium together.
Since Lucian was usually busy with work, he seldom brought Estella out. As for Archie and Benny, it was the first time both of them visited an aquarium in the country.
The moment the children entered the aquarium, they were captivated by the smorgasbord of marine life in it. From time to time, they would stop to interact with the fishes.
Roxanne would patiently wait and take pictures for them. Furthermore, she would also provide an explanation of the fish that she recognized.
As a result, the children had a blast inside.
Afterward, Roxanne took them to the children’s activity center where she sat by the side and waited.
Just then, her phone rang.
When she saw who it was, her brows slightly knitted.
Lucian? He has only been sending messages recently, so why is he calling now?
Lucian’s voice rang out once the call connected. “Where are you?”
Roxanne was briefly stunned. “Did something come up?”
Lucian replied in a deep voice. “I brought Essie something, but Catalina told me that you guys have gone out. Where are you? I’ll go over instead.”
He dropped by early in the morning to see Estella but didn’t find her there. When Cayden asked him whether he wanted to go home, Lucian hesitated before giving Roxanne a call.
Since it was about Estella, Roxanne pondered briefly before replying, “We’re at the aquarium.”
Over the line, Lucian’s voice rang out at once. “I’ll head over right away.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 149
Estella Spoke Again
After hanging up, Roxanne could not help but worry as she watched the three children playing happily.
Due to what happened previously, she was concerned that Lucian would bring up Archie and Benny’s background again.
Furthermore, she did not want Lucian to find out about Estella’s present condition and decided to take her back.
Soon, Lucian called again. “I have arrived. Which attraction are you at?”
At the same time, the three children urged Roxanne to bring them to a beluga whale performance.
Thus, Roxanne agreed to the children’s requests and replied to Lucien, “We will wait for you at the beluga whale aquarium.”
After hanging up, Roxanne went to the beluga whale aquarium with the children. Meanwhile, Lucian and Cayden bought tickets before heading there too.
Roxanne led the children to sit in the front row near the side. Soon, Lucian came in and saw them instantly. He went to sit beside them.
Estella greeted Lucian happily upon seeing him but soon turned her attention back to the beluga whale performance.
On the other hand, Archie and Benny only nodded in his direction and did not bother to say hi.
Lucian could see Archie and Benny still did not want to talk to him.
He knew it was due to what happened during dinner that night and felt frustrated.
Meanwhile, Roxanne also only greeted him briefly before turning her attention to the performance.
Seeing this, Lucian had no choice but to remain silent.
An aquarium staff stood below the stage and alternated between directing the beluga whales to leap out of the water or getting them to spin around. The beluga whales carried out the orders perfectly and looked adorable.
The children watched with sparkles in their eyes.
“Is there anyone among the audience who would like to come and play with our beluga whales?” The staff turned to look at the audience.
The children raised their hands excitedly upon hearing the offer.
Benny stretched his hand as high as he could and shouted, “Me! Me!”
To their delight, the staff turned to them and said, “The two boys and a girl over there. I can see you like beluga whales very much. Why don’t you come here to play with them?”
Hearing that, the children jumped with joy but did not forget to seek Roxanne’s permission.
As Roxanne was concerned about the children’s safety, the staff added, “May I ask the parents to come here with the children?”
Therefore, Roxanne and the children held hands and went to the side of the pool.
Then, they followed the staff’s instructions and played with the beluga whales for a while.
Soon, it was break time, but the four of them stayed by the pool.
The staff found the children’s enthusiasm endearing and guided them to interact with the beluga whales.
Meanwhile, Roxanne watched from the side.
Archie and Benny stayed together. Benny had always been playful. He kneeled by the pool and scooped water onto the beluga whale. “I’m bathing you! You must stay still and not move!”
However, why would the beluga whale listen to his instruction? It kept splashing water back at Benny.
Thus, Benny and the beluga whale splashed water at each other.
The water soon drenched Archie who watched from the side.
Archie was annoyed and stepped further away from them.
On the other hand, Estella squatted quietly by the pool and gently patted a beluga whale’s head. She looked at it adoringly.
The beluga whale floated near the surface obediently and accepted her touch.
The staff saw how well Estella was getting along with the small beluga whale and gave instructions to the beluga whale from behind Estella.
Suddenly, the beluga whale leaped out of the water’s surface.
The sudden movement shocked Estella, and she tried to step away. However, she felt a cool sensation on her cheek.
Soon, the beluga whale dived back into the water with a splash.
Estella was stunned for a few seconds and turned to Roxanne excitedly to share her joy. “Wow, Ms. Jarvis, the beluga whale kissed me!”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 150
It Was Always Related To Her
Roxanne could hear Estella’s childish voice clearly through the splashing noise.
She could not help but remain stunned for a moment, thinking she had misheard. Then, she looked at Estella with an astonished expression.
Benny was also stunned and stopped whatever he was doing. He did not even care about water splashing on him.
However, Estella soon continued playing with the beluga whale. She did not notice Roxanne and the others’ shocked expressions.
The staff finally let them return to their seats when the next segment began.
Roxanne and the two boys were still stunned. On the other hand, Estella held Roxanne’s hand and sat down like nothing strange had happened.
Lucian noticed their dazed expressions and asked with a frown, “What’s wrong?”
Roxanne finally came to her senses. She glanced at Estella before whispering, “Estella… She seemed to have spoken just now.”
Furthermore, she spoke fluently and has a lovely voice.
Lucian glanced at his daughter with a surprised expression and asked, “What did she say?”
Roxanne was taken aback by his question. She was too surprised by Estella speaking suddenly and could not remember what Estella said.
Archie chimed in. “She said the beluga whale kissed her.”
Next to Archie, Benny could not resist his curiosity and asked, “Isn’t Essie mute?”
They had always thought Estella was mute. After all, they had never heard her speak since they first met her.
Lucian frowned and answered, “When did I ever say that Essie was mute?”
Archie and Benny exchanged glances.
Roxanne asked in confusion, “Essie doesn’t speak. You also prepared a notepad so that she can write to communicate.”
Lucian felt a little helpless as they mentioned this matter. “Estella was usually unwilling to speak because of autism. Even I only hear a few words from her occasionally. Thankfully, she is willing to write to communicate with us.”
Roxanne suddenly remembered how Estella was when something triggered her autism. Her heart ached for Estella.
On the other hand, Lucian looked conflicted.
Estella was diagnosed with autism when she was little. Thus, Lucian could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times she spoke.
The last time Estella spoke was when she was anxious about Roxanne leaving.
If what Roxanne and the boys said were true, Estella spoke again in Roxanne’s presence. The two times she had spoken concerned Roxanne. Could it be the special bond between a mother and daughter?
Lucian’s eyes darkened as he thought about this. Then, he turned to Estella and asked gently, “Essie, did you have fun playing with the beluga whale just now?”
Estella smiled, forming dimples on her cheeks. She nodded obediently but did not speak.
That prompted Lucian to frown slightly. However, he continued to attempt to coax her to speak. “What did you play with the beluga whale? Can you tell me about it?”
Benny heard Estella speak for the first time just now. He was curious and wanted to hear more. Thus, he urged Estella, “Essie, tell me too! My beluga whale would not listen to me. I bathed it, but it sprayed water all over Archie and me! How was yours so obedient?”
Estella knitted her brow slightly and became flustered by their numerous questions. She searched through Roxanne’s bag to find a pencil and paper to write to them.
Lucian saw what Estella was planning to do and frowned. He did not ask any more questions.