To her surprise, before she could speak, Estella’s voice rang out. “Thank you, Mr. Damaris, but I much prefer Ms. Jarvis’ cooking!”
The boys nodded in agreement.
Their rejection was direct, which prompted Jack to raise his eyebrow.
Roxanne was stunned for a few seconds before she returned to her senses and smiled at Jack apologetically. “I’m sorry. Mr. Farwell will be here soon to pick up Essie, so there’s not enough time for lunch outside. Next time, perhaps?”
Jack nodded nonchalantly and rose to his feet. “Very well, then. I’ll take my leave now.”
Roxanne proceeded to send him out with the children.
Once Jack’s car was far enough away, the children glanced at Roxanne before returning to the living room in unison.
The sight of the flowers still lying on the couch made their faces fall.
Roxanne was confounded by their reaction until she realized they were staring at the flowers.
She could tell what the children were thinking. They want me to be with Lucian. While I don’t think of Jack the way they assume I do, I don’t have a future with Lucian. Yet, I can’t help but feel guilty when I face them.
“Ms. Jarvis…” Estella lowered her eyes with disappointment and tugged at the hem of Roxanne’s shirt.
Squatting down, Roxanne looked at her. “What’s the matter?”
“Is it because you want to be with Mr. Damaris that you can’t be my mommy?” The girl sounded aggrieved.
Roxanne was taken aback by that question. “Mr. Damaris and I are only friends.”
“You accepted Mr. Damaris’ flower but not Daddy’s.” I still remember Ms. Jarvis almost returned the roses Daddy bought for her when we went to a concert.
For a moment, Roxanne wasn’t sure how to answer that question.
Her conversation about work with Jack and the sudden return of the children had diverted her attention from the presence of the flowers. She had completely forgotten about it.
If the children hadn’t cared so much about it, she wouldn’t have remembered it.
Roxanne’s silence prompted Estella to tilt her head thoughtfully and question, “Is it because you like baby’s breath and not roses?”
“Yes,” Roxanne blurted out. That answer brought a smile to Estella’s face again. However, she still found the sight of the flowers to be an eyesore.
The boys also detested the flower, so they put it in a corner. “This is taking up space. Let’s put it here first!” Roxanne was aware of her sons’ intentions, but she didn’t comment on it. Suddenly, the doorbell rang again.
The brothers tensed up as they subconsciously protected Estella behind them. If Mr. Damaris was the one who pressed the doorbell earlier, then this must be Mr. Farwell! We still haven’t played hide and seek with Essie yet!
Roxanne thought the same, but despite her unwillingness to let Estella leave, she still opened the door. When she saw the person at the door, she was puzzled. “Mr. Damaris? Why are you back here? Is there anything else?”
Jack smiled helplessly. “I may need to stay at your place for a while because someone punctured my tire with a nail. It went flat after I drove for a while.”
As he spoke, he glanced at the children somewhat intentionally.
Without hesitation, Roxanne let him in.
Jack wondered out loud, “It’s strange. The tire was fine when I came by in the morning. I don’t know when it was punctured by a nail.”
Upon detecting his stare, the boys looked back at him confidently. Why is he looking at us? We didn’t do anything! Is he trying to sow discord between Mommy and us?
A second later, Jack looked away.
Standing behind the boys, Estella hid her hands behind her back guiltily and played with her fingers.
“What are you going to do now, Mr. Damaris? How about I send you back home?” Roxanne suggested.
“No need. I’ve already contacted the towing company. The driver will pick me up once they arrive, so I’ll be staying here until then.”
“All right,” Roxanne responded, then began talking about work with him once more.
The children kept their eyes on the adults alertly from the side.
Sensing Archie’s and Benny’s gaze, Jack frowned as though he thought of something.
Then he pondered the matter further and realized he might’ve acted too antagonistically toward the two.
Roxanne, perplexed by the strange changes in his expression, asked, “What’s the matter?”
Jack recomposed himself and shook his head with a smile. “It’s nothing. I’m probably overthinking things.”
Despite his words, he was still visibly distracted when they resumed their conversation.
After the driver called Jack, Roxanne sent him out.
The children didn’t follow her.
Before he entered the car, Jack stopped, appearing as though he had something to say.
Roxanne’s heart sank as she waited for him to speak.
“I have something I’m not sure if I should mention.” Jack sounded hesitant.
Roxanne nodded, hinting him to continue.
Jack furrowed his brows. “I want to preface that what I’m about to say doesn’t come from a place of animosity. However, for some reason, the children seem to have a very hostile attitude toward me.
They’re likely the only people who had access to my car before my tire was punctured.”
Roxanne’s heart dropped violently. I do remember asking the children to play outside in the morning. They could have sabotaged his car during that period. And he’s right about the children’s antagonism toward him…
Roxanne’s thoughts were in disarray. Still, she defended the children against Jack’s accusation. “You’re overthinking it, Mr. Damaris. There’s no way these young children can do something like this. Besides, you’re assuming they have the strength to pull this off, a strength that they may not possess.”
Jack smiled indifferently. “It was just a guess. Besides, as I said, I’m not harboring any animosity toward them. It’ll be great if that’s not the case.” Roxanne forced a smile. After Jack left, she returned to the mansion with a complicated expression.
The children were huddled together, discussing Roxanne’s relationship with Jack and how they could force him to leave far away from her. They dispersed immediately when they saw Roxanne entering.
On her way back, she kept thinking about Jack’s words. Upon closing the door behind her, she sat next to the children.
“Mommy.”
“Ms. Jarvis.” The children promptly gathered around her. Instead of responding to or looking at them, Roxanne lowered her eyes and asked, “Did you all know about Mr. Damaris’ punctured tire?”
The children nodded innocently because that was the first thing Jack had mentioned when he returned to the house.
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.