Chapter 525 – Her Sudden Departure: A Tale of Love and Redemption (Lucian & Roxanne)

Estella froze in shock.

What? I’m transferring to another kindergarten? Does that mean I won’t get to play with Archie and Benny anymore?

“No! I don’t want to transfer to another kindergarten!” Estella protested.

She didn’t even want to go to kindergarten at first, but having Archie and Benny around made it a fun place for her.

She would rather quit than transfer to another one.

“Then you can attend kindergarten at home instead. I’ll hire the best teachers for you,” Lucian replied and began leading her toward the head of kindergarten’s office.

“No! I don’t want to!” Estella grabbed the hem of Lucian’s shirt and refused to transfer no matter what.

If I transfer to another kindergarten, I won’t be able to see Ms. Jarvis, Archie, and Benny again!

“Why do I have to transfer to another kindergarten, Daddy? You’re the one who fought with Ms. Jarvis, not me! I don’t even see Ms. Jarvis at school!” she sobbed, adding fuel to the fire.

Lucian’s face darkened.

“I’m not transferring to another kindergarten!” Estella repeated with tears in her eyes.

Eventually, Lucian gave in and gave her a reassuring pat on the head.

“We’ll talk about this at home,” he said as he carried Estella into his car.

Estella kept crying throughout the entire drive back to the Farwell residence. “I don’t want to transfer to another kindergarten, Daddy…” she choked out while tugging at the hem of Lucian’s shirt.

Catalina was shocked when she saw them coming in. “What happened, Mr. Farwell?” Lucian simply maintained his icy-cold expression and said nothing.

Hoping that Catalina would help her out, Estella turned toward her and said, “I don’t want to transfer to another kindergarten, Ms. Catalina…”

Transfer to another kindergarten? Catalina was confused.

If I recall correctly, the kindergarten that Ms. Estella attends is invested by the Farwell family. Why would she need a transfer? Besides, given Ms. Estella’s condition, a transfer isn’t exactly suitable for her!

Feeling worried about Estella, Catalina glanced at Lucian cautiously and asked, “What happened, Mr. Farwell? Why are you transferring Ms. Estella to another kindergarten all of a sudden? It wasn’t easy for her to get used to the environment at the kindergarten, so a sudden transfer might not be a good idea…”

Lucian frowned as he glanced at Estella, who was still crying uncontrollably in his arms. Her eyes and nose were red, and tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

Lucian was starting to feel sorry for Estella when he saw how sad she was, but he quickly recalled how dependent she was on Roxanne.

If Roxanne has truly given up on me, then she will never become Estella’s mother. Instead of having Estella wait in anticipation and get disappointed, I’d rather have her cut ties with Roxanne sooner!

Having decided, Lucian made up an excuse and said, “Farwell Group has recently invested in a much better kindergarten. The students are all from prestigious families in Horington, so it would do Essie good to make friends with them.”

Catalina frowned slightly, but she didn’t say anything further.

Estella broke down crying again. “No! I don’t want to meet them! I just want to play with Archie and Benny!”

“Then you’ll have to attend kindergarten at home,” Lucian said, then handed her to Catalina. “Bring her upstairs.”

Feeling sorry for Estella, Catalina said, “Ms. Estella doesn’t seem to like it very much, Mr. Farwell. Maybe you should reconsider this arrangement.”

Lucian remained unmoved.

Realizing that he was adamant about his decision, Catalina had no choice but to carry Estella to the bedroom upstairs.

Estella’s cries grew softer as she knew she would not get her way with Lucian.

Catalina’s heart ached when she heard Estella sobbing.

Ms. Estella will always go quiet whenever her autism gets triggered. Even her cries become silent…

Lucian felt his temples aching as he watched Catalina bring Estella upstairs.

Essie’s condition has yet to stabilize, and Roxanne and her kids have a huge influence on her. I can already predict how Essie will respond if I forcefully cut them out of her life, but I have no choice in this matter. I have to do this!

Lucian slumped against the couch and called up the head of the kindergarten.

The latter freaked out when he heard Lucian’s decision. “What? You want to transfer Essie to another school? Is there something we’re not doing right, Mr. Farwell? If yes, please let me know! I promise I’ll fix it!”

“It’s a personal reason and has nothing to do with the kindergarten. Don’t worry; Farwell Group will not withdraw its funding,” Lucian replied calmly.

Feeling relieved, the head of kindergarten then agreed to his request and took care of the transfer procedures.

Meanwhile, Archie and Benny were standing next to Pippa at the kindergarten. “Where did Essie go, Ms. Ward?” Pippa had no idea where Estella went, but she tried to reassure the boys. “Essie took the day off. But I’m not too sure about the reason.”

“Will we be able to see her tomorrow?” Archie asked. Pippa was hesitant to answer that question at first. Seeing how anxious the two of them were, however, she flashed them a smile. “Yes, you will.”

Only then did Archie and Benny breathe sighs of relief. When classes were almost over, Pippa received a call from the head of kindergarten.

He summoned her to his office and handed her a document and a pen. “All that’s left to do is for you to sign this.” Pippa took the pen and quickly read through the document.

“Essie is transferring to another kindergarten? But why? Is there something we’re not doing well enough?” she asked in confusion when she realized what it was.

“Mr. Farwell said it was a personal reason. He also said he would continue funding this kindergarten, so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Just go ahead and sign the document,” the head of kindergarten replied with a smile. For some reason, Pippa couldn’t bring herself to sign the document.

I was the one who sent Essie out the gate today. Had I known she would be transferring to another kindergarten, I would’ve at least had a word with Mr. Farwell! Essie is in no condition to transfer right now! Besides, I just promised Archie and Benny that they’d be able to see her tomorrow. If I sign this now, how will I answer the boys tomorrow?

“Well? Hurry up and sign the document. I want to keep Essie here too because it’ll maximize the amount of funding we receive from Mr. Farwell. However, this is his decision, so there’s nothing much we can do about it,” said the head of kindergarten.

After taking a moment to recompose herself, Pippa signed her name on the document.

The next morning, Archie and Benny ran up to Pippa immediately after Lysa dropped them off at the gate.

“Good morning, Ms. Ward! Is Essie here?” they asked in unison.

With a conflicted look on her face, Pippa shook her head.

Thinking Estella was just running late, Archie and Benny stood next to Pippa and said, “Then we’ll wait for her here!”

Pippa opened her mouth, but the words were somehow stuck in her throat.

When it was time for class, Archie and Benny still saw no sign of Estella.

Realizing that it was impossible to keep it a secret anymore, Pippa said, “Stop waiting. Essie won’t be coming anymore.”

Archie and Benny went wide-eyed with shock. “Huh? Why?”

She was just fine yesterday! Why would she stop coming all of a sudden?

Pippa looked away to avoid their gazes as she replied helplessly, “I only found out about this after class yesterday. Essie is transferring to another kindergarten.”

Sure enough, Archie and Benny were shocked to the core.

Essie is going to transfer to another kindergarten? Why don’t we know about this? Essie would’ve told us!

“It was probably a last-minute decision. I’m not too sure about the exact reason behind her transfer,” Pippa said.

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