Ch. 691..700
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 691 Who Is She With
Lucian’s gaze darkened slightly at Archie’s reply. Treating a child? Roxanne could be with either Jack or Larry. Lucian clung to the last sliver of hope as he asked Archie and Benny, “Do you remember what the man looked like?”
The boys looked at each other. Benny sensibly remained silent and allowed Archie to take the lead. The elder twin replied somberly, “The man looked very handsome and seemed to be on good terms with Mommy.”
He hoped it would remind Lucian that their mother had many admirers and spur him to step up his courtship. Sadly, his plan backfired. He did not know Lucian and Roxanne’s relationship had grown tense because of Larry and Jack.
Archie’s reply only added to Lucian’s suspicions of Roxanne’s relationship with the two men.
He thought of asking the boys for more details but decided against it when he noticed their blank expressions. With his brows still knitted, Lucian asked, “How will you go to school later? Do you need me to give you a lift?”
The boys shook their heads. “Mommy already told the school we’re not coming in today.”
Lucian looked to Estella upon hearing the boys’ reply.
The young girl had been upset after learning that Roxanne had left with another man. In fact, she was taking it out on her father by giving him the cold shoulder.
I told Daddy I wanted to see Ms. Jarvis in the morning! Daddy took his sweet time and made us late. Now, Ms. Jarvis has left with someone else!
Estella even began doubting her father’s ability to woo Roxanne and give her the mother she wanted.
Lucian sensed his daughter’s discontent and massaged his temples in frustration. Then, he asked Archie and Benny, “Can I leave Essie with you two? I have to get to work, so I won’t take a detour to her kindergarten. Do you promise to take care of yourselves?”
The boys immediately jumped at the opportunity to spend time with their sister. “Of course! We’ll take good care of Essie!”
Lucian turned to Estella next, relieved to notice the hint of a smile curving her mouth.
Despite her earlier displeasure, she evidently cheered up at the thought of spending time with Archie and Benny.
He knew his daughter best. If he insisted on sending her to kindergarten, she would be mad at him for the rest of the day until she met Roxanne.
It was better to leave her at Roxanne’s house and allow her to play with the boys. Her mood would certainly improve.
After leaving Estella in Archie and Benny’s care, Lucian waved goodbye to the children and got into his car.
Still, he felt insecure about leaving the children at home alone and called Cayden, instructing him to arrange for some men to watch the house and keep the children safe.
Cayden quickly agreed to his orders.
After hanging up, Lucian instinctively pulled up Roxanne’s number on his phone and hesitated about calling her.
I should at least figure out who she’s with right now.
He quickly squashed the thought before it could take root in his mind.
After all, Roxanne had never appreciated his efforts of snooping around her life, and she had repeatedly explained the innocent nature of her relationship with Larry and Jack to him.
Lucian merely refused to believe her.
His suspicions had riled her up on many occasions.
If he called her now and interrogated her on her whereabouts, he would destroy his previous efforts to improve her impression of him.
Despite his frustration, Lucian reined in his jealousy and kept his phone.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 692 Absolutely Unacceptable
Meanwhile, Roxanne and Jack had just arrived at the hospital.
The director of the orphanage was already waiting for them in the lobby. He quickly greeted them and led them straight to Jamie’s ward.
A doctor, who looked like he was working for the Damaris family, was treating Jamie at the time.
He stood up and greeted Jack the moment he saw him. “Hello, Mr. Damaris.”
Jack nodded. “How is he doing?”
“He’s burning up pretty badly and has been suffering from diarrhea. I’m still trying to figure out how to diagnose this,” the doctor replied with a somewhat conflicted look on his face.
Jack glanced at Roxanne after hearing that.
Roxanne’s gaze had been fixated on Jamie since they entered the ward.
It pained her deeply to see how pale his face was as he lay there on the hospital bed.
Having noticed Jack staring at her, Roxanne gave him a nod to indicate that she was ready to treat Jamie anytime.
Jack then told the doctor, “This here is Dr. Jarvis. She helped treat this boy during the previous medical consultation. Please let her take a look at him.”
The doctor nodded and stepped aside to make space for Roxanne.
With a worried frown on her face, Roxanne sat down beside the bed and took Jamie’s pulse.
Despite being a little delirious from the high fever, Jamie was able to recognize Roxanne and smiled weakly at her.
Roxanne felt her heart ache when she saw how brave he was. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to treat you,” she said in a soft and reassuring voice.
Jamie simply nodded obediently at her in response.
Afraid that she would tear up if she maintained eye contact, Roxanne quickly looked away and focused on treating him.
Jamie has gotten a lot skinnier since I last saw him during the medical consultation. He’s burning up with a really high fever, and his face is white as a sheet. Even so, he still smiles at me so I wouldn’t worry about him… Being the mother of two kids, it absolutely breaks my heart to see him like this.
Roxanne’s frown deepened after taking Jamie’s pulse, and she looked at Jack with panic and confusion in her eyes.
For some reason, she was unable to determine what was making Jamie so sick.
He’s in so much pain and suffering right now, and yet, I can’t do anything to help him out…
Roxanne’s eyes reddened as the seconds ticked by.
Jack frowned when he saw the look she gave him. He stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder as he said, “Calm down. It’s easy to miss some details when you’re anxious. If you are unable to diagnose his illness, then we’ll first focus on stabilizing his condition to prevent it from worsening.”
He knew Jamie wouldn’t survive if his condition got any worse than this.
Jack’s words snapped Roxanne out of her state of despair.
He’s right! I have encountered situations like this in the past. I can’t believe I got all worked up simply because the patient is a young child. As a medical practitioner, this is absolutely unacceptable!
“Ms. Jarvis…” Jamie called out weakly.
Roxanne quickly turned around to check on him and asked, “I’m right here. What is it? Are you feeling unwell?”
Jamie shook his head slowly as he replied, “I believe in you… You were the one who treated me last time…”
Those words hit her in the heart like a sledgehammer. With reddened eyes, Roxanne said with a sob, “Yeah, I will do my best! You’ll get better for sure!”
Jamie nodded at her with a smile.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 693 A Lot More Knowledgeable
As time was of the essence, Roxanne forced herself to calm down and asked Jack for an acupuncture kit.
She then got to work and administered acupuncture treatment to help stabilize Jamie’s condition and keep his illness under control.
Fortunately, it wasn’t Jamie’s first time experiencing such a treatment, so he felt no fear whatsoever when he saw the long needles.
Roxanne remembered how Jamie had rather unique acupuncture points. Since he was ill, she made sure to be extra careful when inserting the needles.
Her entire forehead was drenched in sweat by the time she completed the acupuncture procedure.
“I’ve just spoken to the doctor in charge of Jamie,” Jack called out to her from behind.
Roxanne immediately tensed up upon hearing that. “What did he say? Did you manage to obtain any useful information?”
“All we know is that Jamie is suffering from some malnutrition,” Jack replied with a frown.
Roxanne furrowed her brows as the two of them shifted their gaze toward the director of the orphanage, who was standing in the corner.
Lucian donated a huge amount of resources to the orphanage under the name of Queen Group on the day of the medical consultation. We also made another personal donation after that, so this shouldn’t be happening at all.
The orphanage director let out a helpless sigh when he noticed the two staring at him. “Jamie refused to finish his meals ever since he arrived at the orphanage. He eats very little during each meal. We try to talk him into eating more, but he never listens.”
The two then shifted their gazes back toward Jamie, who was smiling apologetically at them.
The sight of his smile stabbed at Roxanne’s heart like a knife. Not wanting to press on any further, she sat down beside the bed and took Jamie’s pulse again.
Having found a direction to go in, Roxanne was soon able to determine the cause of his medical condition.
Jamie had been skipping meals very often before he arrived at the orphanage. That caused a lot of issues for his digestive system.
Although he was able to have proper meals after arriving at the orphanage, Jamie’s appetite had been greatly reduced by the discomfort from his stomach.
As time went by, his condition grew worse and worse. Eventually, his body reached its limits, which led to the condition he was currently in.
Roxanne’s eyes teared up a little at the thought of what Jamie must have gone through.
“Well? Did you manage to find out the cause of his condition?” Jack asked solemnly.
Roxanne stood up and nodded at them as she said, “I’ll prescribe him some medication.”
Jack immediately had someone fetch her a pen and a piece of paper.
With a frown on her face, Roxanne began scribbling down the prescription.
Jamie isn’t just suffering from gastrointestinal disease. He has also developed anorexia over time. If I don’t treat that issue first, it won’t be long before his gastrointestinal problems come back even worse than before. Jamie is still a kid, so I can’t prescribe him anything too potent either.
With all those problems in mind, Roxanne couldn’t help but wonder if her prescription would be okay for Jamie.
Having noticed her conflicted expression, Jack stepped forward and asked, “What’s the problem?”
Roxanne looked up at him and told him about her concerns.
Being the heir to the Damaris family, Jack was a lot more knowledgeable than Roxanne when it came to medicine.
After taking her concerns into consideration, Jack provided her with some suggestions and even modified some of her prescriptions.
In just a matter of minutes, the two came up with the perfect prescription for Jamie. They handed it over to the director of the orphanage and had him prepare the medication.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 694 Having Lunch With Me
The tension in the ward was lifted the moment they found a treatment plan.
Jamie flashed Roxanne a grateful smile when he heard he would get better soon. “Thanks, Ms. Jarvis.”
Roxanne’s expression turned solemn when she heard his weak voice. “I’m just doing my job, so there’s no need to thank me. You must’ve had a really rough time, huh?”
Jamie nodded shyly with an anxious look on his face.
This is the first time someone apart from the orphanage director and the other kids has shown me genuine concern! On top of that, she’s also really pretty! She kind of reminds me of Mom…
Roxanne patted him gently on the head. “I’ve prescribed you some medication. Make sure to take your medicine according to the instructions, and you’ll get better in no time. You also need to eat properly after you’re discharged, okay? I know you don’t feel like eating a lot, but you have to force yourself to anyway. Otherwise, you’ll end up suffering like this again. Is that understood?”
Jamie nodded obediently in response.
Roxanne let out a relieved chuckle when she saw him complying with her instructions.
For some reason, Jack felt his heart skip a beat when he saw her comforting Jamie so patiently.
The orphanage director returned with the medication shortly after and thanked the two profusely for helping out.
Roxanne flashed him a faint smile as she replied, “We’re just doing our job. You must’ve had it rough looking after all these kids at the orphanage.”
She then pulled out a wad of cash from her wallet and handed it over to the director. “I didn’t bring much cash with me since I left in a hurry today. It’s not much, but you can use this to buy Jamie some food to replenish the nutrients he’s lacking. Just give me a call if the orphanage ever needs anything in the future.”
“You two have already done a lot to help the orphanage out. I can’t possibly accept your money! If anything, I should be the one thanking you!” the orphanage director protested.
Roxanne shoved the money into his hand and said, “I’m a mother of two, and I can’t stand seeing children suffer. Think of this as me trying to show the children some motherly love.”
The orphanage director was about to say something, but Roxanne stopped him by changing the topic and bringing up Jamie’s medication.
Seeing as she wouldn’t take no for an answer, the orphanage director had no choice but to accept her money.
After giving some instructions regarding Jamie’s prescription, Roxanne said goodbye and left the ward with Jack.
“Thank you for the pointers earlier, Mr. Damaris. Had it not been for your help, I would probably still be struggling with the prescription right now,” Roxanne said gratefully as the two of them walked down the corridor.
Jack arched an eyebrow at her in response. “I was just doing my job.”
Roxanne pursed her lips and flashed him a smile.
“However…” Jack added.
Roxanne tensed up when she heard that. “What is it? Is there an issue with Jamie’s condition?”
“While I was indeed just doing my job, I can’t exactly stop you from expressing your gratitude toward me. I feel like just saying thanks isn’t sincere enough, though.”
Roxanne frowned as she found that sentence somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Even so, she knew she had to do something after hearing what Jack said.
“You’re right, Mr. Damaris. I should’ve realized this sooner. Since it’s almost noon, how about having lunch with me?” she asked.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 695
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 695 Not A Couple
Jack knew she only invited him to lunch because of all those hints he dropped, but he still agreed to it happily when he saw the smile on her face.
Although Roxanne was the one paying, Jack was the one who drove and picked the restaurant to dine at.
Roxanne’s jaw dropped in surprise when they arrived outside the restaurant.
Given Jack’s status, she had assumed he would take her to some fancy restaurant in the city.
Instead, the one they were at was an old Chanaean restaurant. It had a rather tasteful decor, but the food there was fairly cheap. The customers were mostly ordinary white-collar workers and middle-class families.
“I got used to having Chanaean cuisine at home. I’m not sure if this is to your liking, though,” Jack said with a smile.
Roxanne flashed him a smile in return. “Honestly, I’ve been eating Chanaean food throughout the years I spent overseas.”
Jack arched an eyebrow at her in amusement. “Is that so? I thought you would prefer western cuisine instead.”
The two of them continued joking with each other as they entered the restaurant.
The waitress who greeted them at the door asked in a really friendly tone, “Good afternoon! Will you two require a private room?”
Jack instinctively turned to look at Roxanne when he heard that.
“What do you mean by private room?” Roxanne asked in confusion.
“Couples who dine here would usually request a private room as it gives them more privacy,” the waitress explained with a smile.
She looked as though she was certain about them being a couple.
Roxanne flashed Jack an apologetic smile when she realized the misunderstanding. She then turned toward the waitress and said, “I’m afraid you’ve gotten the wrong idea. We’re not a couple, so we won’t be needing a private room.”
The waitress turned to look at Jack in shock and disbelief. How is it possible that these two are not a couple? They look so perfect together!
Jack simply flashed her a faint smile and said, “We’ll have a table by the window, please.”
The waitress blushed a little when she saw his smile. She then led the two of them over to a table by the window.
Even after taking their order, the waitress still found it hard to believe that they weren’t a couple.
I have never seen such a great-looking pair before! I can’t believe they’re not a couple.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how she got the wrong idea,” Roxanne said apologetically after the waitress left.
Jack let out a nonchalant chuckle and said, “There’s no need for you to apologize. In fact, I feel it’s an honor to be mistaken for your boyfriend, Ms. Jarvis.”
Roxanne froze and shot him a wary glance after hearing that.
“You don’t seem to realize how amazing you are, Ms. Jarvis. If people mistake me for your boyfriend, then they would think highly of me as well. That’s why I say it’s an honor,” Jack added calmly.
He thinks it’s an honor because other people will think highly of him?
Feeling relieved at the thought of that, Roxanne said with a smile, “You give me too much credit, Mr. Damaris. You’re the truly excellent one here. Had you not introduced me, people wouldn’t have known a nobody like me.”
Jack’s eyes were filled with admiration as he smiled at her without saying anything.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 696 You Still Remember Me
When Roxanne checked her phone and saw that it was noon, she realized she had forgotten to discuss lunch with Archie and Benny when she left earlier.
“Excuse me, I need to make a phone call,” Roxanne said apologetically as she stood up.
Jack wasn’t sure what she was up to, but he didn’t bother to ask her about it. He simply nodded in response and watched as she made her way to a quiet corner of the restaurant.
Archie and Benny were watching TV with Estella at home when they heard the phone ringing.
Knowing that their mother was the only one who would call that landline, they immediately rushed over to answer the phone.
“When are you coming back, Mommy? Essie came over to play! We’re keeping her company right now!” Benny asked while glancing at Estella.
He then passed the phone over to Estella and motioned at her to say something.
“Hi, Ms. Jarvis!” Estella called out with a wide grin on her face.
Roxanne’s heart melted when she heard Estella’s adorable voice. “Hi, Essie! What brings you here today?”
“You were drenched in the rain yesterday. I was worried that you might get sick, so I came over to check on you!” Estella replied.
“I’m sorry, Essie, but I probably won’t be back for a while. I’ll have someone else bring you some food, okay?” Roxanne said apologetically.
“Okay!” Estella answered with a nod.
Roxanne then told Archie and Benny to take good care of Estella before hanging up the phone. After that, she prayed that Madilyn wouldn’t be too busy as she dialed her number.
“What’s up, Roxanne?” Madilyn answered the phone rather quickly.
“Are you home?” Roxanne asked.
Madilyn let out a huge sigh as she replied, “Of course I am! It wasn’t easy getting a few days off work, you know?”
She had pestered the director endlessly for days just to get a break from work.
Roxanne breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that Madilyn was home. “I’m outside at the moment. Archie, Benny, and Estella are by themselves at my house. I didn’t have time to prepare lunch for them today, so could you bring them some food when you make lunch later?”
Naturally, Madilyn agreed to her request since she cared deeply about the three kids.
However, she wasn’t about to go through the trouble of cooking on her day off. After giving it some thought, Madilyn decided to just order takeout for herself and the kids. She soon showed up outside Roxanne’s house with the bags of food.
The kids made sure to check the intercom to confirm it was her before opening the door.
“Hi, Aunt Madilyn!” Benny’s eyes lit up with excitement when he saw the food in her hands.
As she wasn’t sure what the kids liked, she decided to play it safe and went with fried chicken and hamburgers.
Sure enough, those happened to be Benny’s favorites.
“Your mommy couldn’t make it home in time, so she had me bring you kids lunch. You are allowed to have deep-fried stuff, right?” Madilyn said as she placed the food on the dining table.
Her gaze soon fell upon Estella, who was sitting in a corner of the living room.
As she had only seen Estella once, she didn’t remember much about the little girl.
Huh? Is it just me, or does this girl kind of resemble Roxanne in some way?
“You’re Estella, right? Do you remember me?” Madilyn asked as she stepped forward to take a closer look at her.
Estella blinked a couple of times before nodding and replying, “Yes, I do! It’s nice to see you again!”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 697 Are You Sure
Madilyn felt touched when she heard Estella’s adorable voice. I still remember how she refused to say a word the last time I saw her. A lot of people thought she was mute because of that. I can’t believe she changed so much in such a short amount of time! Not only is she willing to speak, but she also has an angelic voice and a sweet smile!
Madilyn gave her a little pat on the head when she saw how cute she was. “There’s a good girl!” As Madilyn stood up, Estella’s gaze fell upon the food on the dining table, and she got really curious.
Because she had been raised in a wealthy household where either a professional cook or her grandmother would prepare all her meals, Estella had no idea what takeout or fast food was. As such, she couldn’t understand why Benny and Archie were so excited about the food.
Madilyn had been sleeping in until Roxanne’s call woke her up, so she was getting a little hungry as she didn’t have breakfast. She then opened up the food packaging and handed the kids a fried chicken drumstick each.
Unsure of what to do with the drumstick, Estella just stared blankly at Madilyn. Madilyn paused in confusion, only to realize Estella probably never had fried chicken drumsticks before due to her status.
She then fetched Estella some disposable gloves, patiently put them on her tiny hands, and taught her how to hold the drumstick. Estella flashed her a shy smile in response. “Thanks.”
Madilyn felt her heart melt when she heard that. She was so distracted by Estella’s cuteness that she even forgot to eat. It wasn’t until the girl had finished eating her drumstick that Madilyn came to her senses and began munching away.
She had just eaten one when her phone started ringing in her pocket.
Madilyn tensed up when she heard that and reluctantly answered the phone.
Sure enough, it was none other than the director calling to have her return to work.
Madilyn rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone and stuffed a few chunks of fried chicken into her mouth. She then said goodbye to the kids and left the house.
After that, the kids gathered around the dining table and continued eating the rest of the food.
Meanwhile, Roxanne was completely clueless as to how things were with the kids at home.
She trusted Madilyn enough to not let the kids starve.
As the two of them chatted about medicine throughout the meal, Jack asked, “I realized something when I saw you preparing Jamie’s prescription earlier. You’re not very good at medicine, are you?”
Roxanne let out an awkward chuckle as she replied, “Yeah, that’s true. I major in acupuncture, so I’m not too knowledgeable when it comes to medications. I’d say my skill and knowledge are mediocre at best. Thank goodness you were there earlier.”
Jack nodded. “We all have something we excel in. Your acupuncture skills are so incredible that seeing them makes my jaw drop. As for the use of medication… I have some medical journals and books that I could lend you if you’d like.”
Roxanne couldn’t help but feel a little shocked when she heard that. “A-Are you sure?”
I chose to stay and work with the Damaris family partially because I wanted their ancient medicine books. Is he seriously going to just hand them over to me?
Jack arched an eyebrow at her. “Why not? You’re a partner of the Damaris family, so your improvements in the medical field will also benefit us.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 698 Keep This A Secret
Roxanne couldn’t quite believe her ears. She froze for a good few seconds before flashing him a grateful smile. “In that case, I’ll give our collaboration my best effort.”
Jack raised his glass and said, “Great! On behalf of all the other partners, I hereby thank you for working with us! Here’s to our partnership!”
Roxanne chuckled as she clinked glasses with him. Jack sure has been a great help to me all this while! For some reason, I never seem to run out of things to talk about when I’m with Jack and Larry. Maybe this is because we’re all in the same field of work. My conversations with Lucian, on the other hand, often end horribly…
The smile on Roxanne’s face faded slightly at the thought of Lucian. “Oh, by the way…” Jack was about to say something when he noticed the change in her expression. While he didn’t know what was on her mind, he instinctively changed the topic to relieve some of the tension anyway. “What are the names of the two kids from earlier today?”
Roxanne’s smile returned when she heard him mention her kids. “Archie and Benny.”
Jack nodded. “I’ve always known about you having kids, but this is the first time I’ve seen those cute little angels in person. They sure look a lot like you!”
Roxanne froze after hearing that as she felt a strange sensation sweeping through her heart.
Jack’s choice of words sure can be misleading! For a moment there, I thought he was calling me cute!
Roxanne pinched herself underneath the table to snap herself out of it.
No, no, no! What am I thinking? What has gotten into me lately? Why have I been having such crazy thoughts? Jack is complimenting my kids, for goodness’ sake! Why did I associate that with myself? This must be Lucian’s fault! I’m being paranoid because of those strange things he said!
“It’s my first time meeting them, so I should bring them some presents. What would they like?” Jack asked.
Roxanne turned him down politely, “That won’t be necessary. Archie and Benny don’t really care about this sort of thing. Besides, they already have everything they need.”
Jack frowned. “Why are you so against me giving them some presents? Since we’re partners, I’ll be seeing them fairly often in the future anyway. I wouldn’t want them to hate me for not giving them presents.”
Unsure of how to counter that statement, Roxanne could only reply with a smile, “If you insist, then I shall gladly accept your offer. If you’re going to give them something, then…”
That was when Roxanne realized she couldn’t think of a suitable present for them.
The kids have never asked me for anything. They usually just buy whatever they need with the money from Archie’s piggy bank. As for presents, they liked anything I bought them, so I don’t really know what they actually like. Hmm… If I recall, they seemed to like the presents that Lucian got them very much.
With that in mind, Roxanne continued a little uncertainly, “I think you should give them stuff like Lego sets or scale models of aircraft.”
Jack arched his eyebrow slightly and said, “All right, I’ll be sure to prepare the presents. Make sure to keep this a secret, okay?”
Roxanne chuckled as she nodded at him in response.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 699 Your Company Is More Than Enough
Jack excused himself to answer a phone call in the middle of the meal. He returned with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, my grandpa summoned me back but didn’t explain why.”
Roxanne smiled considerately. “You should hurry up and return since Old Mr. Damaris is looking for you. I’ll go home by myself.” He apologized again before rising to leave.
She finished her meal alone before glancing at the time. It was already one in the afternoon. She got a little worried thinking about the kids at home and got up to pay the bill.
“The gentleman who left has already paid the bill,” the staff said, smiling. Roxanne was surprised to hear that. Didn’t we agree that I will treat him to this meal as a thank-you gesture? Yet he settled the bill…
“Oh, this is a gift from that gentleman.” The staff handed her a bouquet, a look of envy plain on her face. “You’re so lucky.” Roxanne was caught off guard when her relationship with Jack was once again misconstrued.
Her gaze strayed to the flowers when she was about to explain herself. Although Jack’s intentions were unclear, his actions could give the wrong impression.
She was afraid of muddling up the situation by over-explaining. At that thought, she smiled ruefully and accepted the bouquet without saying anything before turning to leave the restaurant.
Roxanne managed to hail a cab after waiting at an intersection for a while. She hugged the bouquet to herself and slid into the car, her phone pinging with a text from Jack: I’m home.
Just as she was about to reply to his text and ask about the bouquet, another message came: Did you receive the flowers?
She frowned as she flicked her gaze to the flowers, her fingers flying across the screen: I received it, but I’m not sure why you gave those to me.
Logically, Jack shouldn’t regard her as anything other than a coworker, but with the flowers and what he told her, she couldn’t help but misinterpret.
Jack read her response and arched his brow, pursing his lips as he replied: Shouldn’t I have given you flowers to express my gratitude after you treated me to a meal?
Roxanne was bewildered by the text. She replied: But didn’t you pay for the meal?
Besides, his reasoning was so absurd that she began to suspect that he had ulterior motives.
Humor sparked in his eyes as he typed: A Damaris would never let a woman pay the bill. Your company at lunch was more than enough.
Roxanne’s expression hardened.
She then received another text from Jack: I was only kidding. I gave you the flowers on Jamie’s behalf as a token of gratitude. After all, the orphanage is the Damaris family’s responsibility, and you have been an enormous help to us.
As though afraid she wouldn’t believe him, he added: There are many lilies, and they symbolize gratitude, so it wouldn’t cause a misunderstanding when the kids see it.
Only then did she realize how many lilies were in the arrangement, with a few accent flowers that she couldn’t name nestled among them.
Chagrin flashed deep in Roxanne’s eyes at his words.
Even Archie and Benny would not have misinterpreted the situation, yet she did.
What is going on with me lately?
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 700 Voluntarily Apologizing
Roxanne snapped out of it and typed out a reply: Thank you, but it’s what I should have done. We will be working together in the future, so you shouldn’t be so courteous every time.
Jack smiled guardedly and replied: Indeed, it won’t happen again. A rustling sound came from upstairs as soon as he sent the text.
He pocketed the phone, and his gaze shot up to see a middle-aged man guiding Hector down the stairs in slow, measured steps, both of them engrossed in a conversation.
The man’s presence made Jack frown, but he was a product of his upbringing, so he greeted politely, “Grandpa, Mr. Hightower.” That man was Stephen Hightower, Jessica’s father.
One could only imagine why he would want Grandpa to summon me back home. The only possibility is to plead in favor of Jessica after the mess she made.
Irritation surged in him when he remembered that night’s events. Hector and Stephen turned to look in his direction when he spoke. “You’re home so soon?” Hector glanced at him with a smile, clearly enjoying his conversation with Stephen.
A frown drew Jack’s brows together, and he nodded at Hector. “Why did you call me back?”
Hector glanced at Stephen. “I hope we didn’t interrupt you by summoning you back abruptly.” Stephen’s words of concern conveyed his apology. With Hector present, Jack decided not to escalate the situation and only replied flatly, “No.”
Stephen heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I had your grandpa call you home after Jessica told me things between both of you are tense. I’d like to apologize on her behalf.”
“You and Jessica grew up together. What could possibly put a strain on your relationship? Both of you can talk it out, whatever it is,” Hector advised.
Now that Hector had spoken up, Jack could only say, “She was drunk that night. Tell her it doesn’t matter and that she shouldn’t take it personally.”
Then, he arched his brow as he thought of something.
Wait. Jessica should be apologizing to someone else. The commotion she caused that night was nothing but a mere annoyance to me, but Roxanne suffered the most. She should be apologizing to the right person.
Stephen seemed to read his thoughts and continued, “Jessica mentioned that there was another lady involved, and she said she hopes to meet the lady to formally apologize.”
Jack’s eyes mirrored doubt as he wondered when did Jessica become so mature.
“You should know the lady if both of you were together that night. Why don’t you make arrangements so that Jessica could apologize to that lady?” Stephen proposed.
Jack’s doubt amplified when he heard that.
As far as I know, Jessica is domineering and will never admit to her fault when she makes a mistake. Why will she voluntarily apologize, especially to Roxanne, whom she detests?
Hector’s voice rang out again when he was about to probe the reason. “You should do Mr. Hightower a favor since he asked. I’m guessing that the other lady is Dr. Jarvis. Although we had only met once, I know she isn’t someone who will harbor grudges.”
Jack frowned. “It’s not that simple, Grandpa.”