Roxanne looked at the girl apologetically, caressing her hair. “I’m so sorry, but I have a lot to do these few days. I have been putting aside a project my professor assigned to me for personal reasons, so I really have to get back to the research institute tomorrow. I’ll have to stay back to make up for the lost time, so I won’t even have time to take care of Archie and Benny…”
Roxanne did not say explicitly that she did not have time for Estella and that she had to turn the girl down, but what she said amounted to a rejection.
Estella was dejected.
Lucian frowned and looked at the girl helplessly.
“As you said, what Essie needs now is someone who can take good care of her, and that is not something I can promise. Keeping her here will only hinder her recovery, so, Mr. Farwell, I guess you know what’s best for her,” Roxanne continued.
Although what she said was true, it was partially an excuse for her to convince Lucian to bring the girl home.
She genuinely hoped that Estella could bounce back from her sickness, and to do that, professional intervention by professional psychologists was imperative.
Lucian could not think of anything else he could say to help Estella. He pursed his lips, looking at the girl. “Well, I guess you have to say goodbye to Ms. Jarvis, then, Essie.”
Estella could not believe what Roxanne had just said. Her teary eyes were opened wide in disbelief as she pinned her gaze on the woman and held on to the hem of her shirt.
Roxanne quickly looked away. It pained her to see the girl in such a state.
She knew she could not bring herself to say no to the girl if she maintained eye contact.
“Ms. Jarvis…” Estella’s voice quivered, but Roxanne hardened her heart and refused to turn back.
Archie and Benny felt so wretched when they saw how desperate Estella was. “Mommy, why don’t we just let Essie stay? She looks so—”
“Aunt Madilyn will be taking care of both of you these two days, so make sure you guys behave,” Roxanne interrupted, trying to prove her point that she would be busy.
The boys clammed up immediately.
Then, Roxanne pulled Estella’s hand away and addressed Lucian, “It’s late. You guys should go home. You still have to go to work tomorrow.”
When Lucian heard that, he nodded lightly and got up without taking another look at Estella—he could not stand the sight of how disappointed she was.
Estella’s gaze was glued to Roxanne’s back, tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Archie and Benny were equally miserable. They did not expect Roxanne to be so heartless. When they saw that the girl was crying, they went over and consoled her.
“Don’t cry, Essie. Mommy is really busy these few days. You can always come over and play once Mommy is free again,” Benny cajoled with a smile, yet his attempt was futile.
When Archie saw that Estella was still sobbing, he took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears as he comforted her, “We can still play together at the kindergarten, Essie. Mommy really likes you because you’re a good girl, so don’t cry. You’ll look ugly if you keep crying, and Mommy doesn’t like that.”
Estella stopped and looked at the boy with doubt in her eyes.
“Yeah! Archie’s right,” Benny quickly chimed in with a nod. “Mommy doesn’t like kids who cry.”
It was not until then that Estella finally held back her tears with much effort.
An inexplicable glint shone in Lucian’s eyes when he saw how deeply Archie and Benny cared for Estella. “Thank you for saying that,” he said to the boys as he walked toward them.
The two children initially wanted to ignore him, but when they remembered how they were partially at fault for making Estella cry because they hurried Lucian home, they evaded the man’s gaze with guilt. “We’re just telling her the truth.”
They knew that Roxanne loved Estella, but like themselves, she distanced herself from Estella because of Lucian.
Instead of answering the boys, Lucian smiled at them and held Estella’s hand.
This time, the girl did not run away.
“Say goodbye to Archie and Benny, Essie,” he said to her softly.
The girl did as she was told and waved at them, still trying to swallow her tears. “Goodbye, Archie. Goodbye, Benny. I’ll come again.”
“We can’t wait to see you again too! Bye!” the two kids replied, forcing a smile.
After sending Estella off at the door and watching the car disappear out of their sight, the boys went back up to Roxanne. They found her staring blankly into the air in the study.
She could not stop thinking about how downcast Estella was when she turned her down.
Regret ate her up from the inside after the girl left. She had said so herself that the children were innocent. But over and over again, she had hurt Estella because of what happened between her and Lucian.
Roxanne was so deep in her thoughts thinking about Estella that she did not even realize the boys were already back.
“Mommy?” Archie and Benny whispered carefully as they went closer to her. The look on her face was telling how remorseful she felt.
When Roxanne knew she had let her mind wander off, she cracked a stiff smile and stroked their heads. “Is Essie gone?”
The boys nodded firmly. “Was she crying her heart out when she left?” she asked out of guilt after some time.
Archie and Benny nodded again.
She wanted to treat Estella well and make her happy, but she ended up making her cry again.
“Don’t worry, Mommy. She stopped crying after we talked to her,” the children said with a smile, knowing that Roxanne would beat herself up.
Roxanne smiled in relief, pulling them into her arms. “Thank you. What would I do without both of you?”
“Essie said that she likes you a lot, Mommy. She also said she’ll come again soon,” they replied, hugging her back.
Roxanne felt comforted when she knew that the boys had taken care of everything.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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