Lessie's POV “They’re fine. They even asked about you the other day. Why didn’t you call them? Were you busy?”Ella laughed, a proud sort of laugh. Before I could ask, she explained.“No, I wasn’t busy. I just wanted to see if my babies missed me,” she said. “When I asked James if he missed me, that little rascal told me he didn’t!”I scratched my nose at her words. Actually, I wasn’t lying when I said the kids missed her—Jasmine had asked about her. I could tell James missed her too, even if he didn’t say it. But I kept that to myself, not wanting to spoil Ella’s excitement.“Well, I’d say your plan worked,” I chuckled, and Ella hummed in satisfaction.“I miss you, Ella,” I blurted out, my emotions getting the best of me.“I miss you more, Lessie. You have no idea how much I miss seeing your pretty face,” she replied, sounding emotional too.“I know my Ella loves me,” I smiled.“Yes, I do. Lessie… do you think you’ll ever come back to Syracuse?”I could hear her voice quiver. I wasn
Lessie's POV "Hey, don’t shout! I heard you, I’m just surprised."I sighed."How did he even get your number? It’s been years, and you never mentioned him calling before. Why now?""We ran into each other at a party, so maybe that’s how he got it." My voice was barely above a whisper.The fact that he had my number wasn’t the real issue, his words were.Her eyes widened. "Wait, he didn’t just call, he actually saw you? Doesn’t that risk everything you’ve been hiding all these years?"Her concern warmed me."And the kids? Did he find out about them?" she asked, and when I hesitated, she added, "If not, you should take them and leave quickly.""Ella, that’s the real problem. I don’t know if Freddie knows about the kids," I said. "He called just before you did, saying he’s found out everything I’ve hidden.""What are we going to do? We can’t be sure he really knows everything.""But…" I hesitated. I could tell Ella was trying to reassure me, but Freddie’s tone on the phone made me feel
Lessie's POV The cab drove straight to the company.This was my first time here, as we had only met Mr. Rodriguez at his social party before now.My colleagues must have already arrived. The meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m., and I was twenty minutes early.I approached the secretary’s desk and gave her my name.“Ah, Mrs. Green? This is where you’ll wait until the CEO is ready to see you,” she said, gesturing towards an entrance.I wasn't exactly sure where to go, as she only pointed in a general direction, but I couldn’t ask her for more help since she had to stay at her post. Luckily, just then, someone passed by, and the secretary asked them to guide me to the waiting area.“Thank you,” I said politely before following the person.When I arrived, I saw my colleagues were already there. As soon as they spotted me, they called out in unison.“Lessie is here!”I scratched my head apologetically. “Sorry I’m a bit later than you guys.”I’m usually punctual for work events, and this was
Lessie's POV I still didn’t care. I just wanted to leave quickly, but Mr. Rodriguez, who should’ve been on his way to his office, suddenly came back. Maybe he’d noticed the commotion.“Mr. Benjamin, shouldn’t you join for the meal? After all, we’re all partners, and Mr. Freddie just wants to create a stronger bond,” Mr. Rodriguez said, his message unmistakable.None of us bought what Mr. Rodriguez was saying. What sort of “bond” could someone like Freddie be interested in creating?Benjamin stopped, so I had to stop too, even though I wanted to pull him away.“Uh, yes. You’re right,” Benjamin nodded, and my shoulders slumped.Mr. Rodriguez turned to me with a smile. “Mr. Benjamin has already agreed, so I’m sure you have no problem joining the meal, right?”Since Benjamin had already agreed, I just nodded. “No problem,” I mumbled.“You all can go,” I said, looking sadly at my colleagues.I’m not sure if Benjamin misread my sadness, because the next thing I knew, he was turning to Fred
Lessie's POV Benjamin paused mid-sip, looking up with a small smile at Lucy's words."Yes, yes, yes, it's truly the boss. How could Lucy claim to know Lessie best when the boss knew her long before she started working here?" one of the others chimed in, prompting nods from the rest.They all turned to Charlotte with smirks.Charlotte frowned, shooting Benjamin a glare, which only made everyone laugh."Charlotte, don't tell me you're going to challenge the boss? Just admit he knows Lessie better," Lucy teased, sticking her tongue out playfully."Who said I would do that?" Charlotte retorted, though her expression betrayed her.I chuckled.Just then, that same uneasy feeling crept over me, it was Freddie again, and he was angry. What on earth was wrong with this man?Before I knew it, Freddie was already beside me, pulling me to my feet by the hand.I frowned and yelled, "What are you doing?"The other customers turned to watch. I was sure they were silently annoyed by the disturbance.
Lessie's POV I gave him a puzzled look, surprised by his sudden change in attitude. I'd expected us to argue endlessly, certain he wouldn’t back down, but now he’d softened out of nowhere. Was it because of what I’d just said? I hadn’t said anything wrong, though.I shot him a confused glance before attempting to walk away, noticing he seemed stunned, almost oblivious to my movements. Seeing an opening, I slipped away quickly.Back at our table, I found my colleagues, Benjamin and Mr. Rodriguez, still seated.“Why are you guys still here? I thought you’d have left by now,” I said, looking between them.They exchanged looks before all eyes landed on Benjamin.I quickly caught on. “Benjamin, you told them not to go,” I said, half-asking.“Mm,” Benjamin replied, not denying it.I thought to ask why but stopped, noticing his mood seemed off. I kept quiet, guessing it had to do with Freddie. After the scene today, anyone could tell something was wrong.That man just wouldn’t let me find p
Lessie's POV When I returned to the room, I wasn’t surprised to find it empty. The secretary downstairs had mentioned that the nanny took the kids out and left the key.The quietness of the house brought me a bit of relief. How would I have explained my swollen face if the kids had seen it?The bed was neatly made, so I climbed in and stared up at the ceiling. I expected my mind to keep racing, but surprisingly, I felt myself drifting off, and soon I was fast asleep.It was the children’s voices that woke me later.“Shh, Jasmine, Mommy’s sleeping,” I heard James whisper.“But Mommy looks pale,” Jasmine replied, concerned.“James is right, Jasmine. Let Mommy rest and don’t disturb her,” their nanny said softly.I almost sat up, but hearing their nanny’s words, I decided to stay put. I still felt a bit drowsy, so I let myself drift back to sleep.When I woke up again, it was already evening. This time I was wide awake. As I lazily opened my eyes, I nearly jumped out of bed in shock.“A
Freddie's POV "Why, why, why? She’s always messing with my mind. I went to Mr. Rodriguez’s office, fully intent on venting my anger at Lessie. I was ready to unleash all my rage, but somehow, I ended up leaving calm.I'd stayed up all night thinking about her here and there. I just don't know what to do.I hate feeling this way—being pulled around by my own emotions. Yes, I’m angry. Angry that I feel this rage, and even angrier that I can’t release it.I've been looking for her for five years now. I knew she’d probably moved somewhere else, so I wasn’t surprised when Zenith confirmed it. But finding out she’d spent those years with another man? That was something I never anticipated!How could she do this? And when I called the other day, she actually hung up on me, acting as though she was the one in the right. Has she come to hate me that much?"Goodness,” I murmured. I don’t want to feel this way anymore. Yes, I was wrong in the past, but haven't these years of torment shown I’ve
Lessie's POV When I heard the worker’s voice, I let out a sigh of relief. Right after Freddie ended the call, I started panicking, wondering if he had lied. But deep down, I knew he wasn’t lying. He said he was coming, and I believed him.I glanced back at the room, then slowly walked toward the door.Before I could touch the doorknob, Benjamin spoke.“Stay back, I’ll open the door.”I wiped my sweaty hands and gave him a weak smile. “Alright.”I stepped aside so he could go ahead. Right after Freddie hung up, I told Benjamin someone was coming. Benjamin wanted to ask more questions, but the knock came too quickly.I fidgeted with my hands as I watched Benjamin open the door. But instead of a gentle knock, we heard a loud, forceful sound.Benjamin was pushed back and nearly fell to the floor.I looked toward the door and saw three people. One was clearly a hotel staff member based on the uniform.But the other two made my heart drop.Freddie and Zenith.“Oh my God.” My hands began to
Lessie's POV My mouth fell open before I could say a word."You're always trying to make me angry, and I honestly don't know what to do with you. What is all this I'm hearing? I wanted you here with me, but you went ahead and left anyway—and now this? How could you still be with that guy up till now? Seriously?"I listened quietly as Freddie kept ranting, not even letting me say a word. Who does he think he is, calling me out of nowhere just to yell nonsense?I bit my lower lip hard. I wanted to throw insults at him, but everyone in the room was staring at me.Suddenly, Benjamin got up and turned on the light, brightening the dim room.“It’s late. I need to sleep. Let’s talk in the morning,” I said quietly, trying to hang up.“Don’t you dare hang up,” Freddie snapped, as if he knew exactly what I was about to do. “It’s late at night, and you’re staying alone with a man?”“What are you even talking about? What man—” I paused, then it hit me.Was Freddie talking about Benjamin? Did he
Lessie's POV We were just talking about changing rooms, but suddenly, he brought up something completely different.“I mean, you keep turning down my help, so I have to ask—what do you really think of me? Do I even matter to you? Is that why you always hesitate before accepting anything from me?” he said, frowning.I was speechless. The kids were watching us, and I wanted him to stop talking, but he seemed like a different person entirely.Matter to me? What?“You ignore me a lot. Before we got to the room, I asked you something in the car and you didn’t say a word. I feel like you’re hiding things from me. I’ve tried to be patient, thinking maybe you’re not in the mood to talk, but now I get it. It’s because you don’t see me as someone important,” he added.Still, I had nothing to say. My mouth opened but closed again. He looked like a hurt child.“Can you please calm down?” I finally said quietly.Why was he reacting like this? Did he really think I saw him as a stranger? I guess i
Lessie's POV James crossed his arms. "That still doesn't answer my question," he said, his voice both firm and a little childish.I let out a sigh. "Tell me, what do you want to hear?""I want to know why you got into that car," he asked, his eyes filled with worry and curiosity.I fidgeted with my fingers. A part of me wanted to lie, but the way James was staring at me made me feel like he wouldn’t believe it."James," I paused,But before I could continue, Jasmine suddenly stepped in front of me, a deep frown on her face."Don't listen to James, Mommy. You don't have to answer him," she said, gripping my sleeve with her small, soft hands.Then she turned to James. "Stop bothering Mommy," she scolded.James shrugged. "How am I bothering Mommy?""You're making Mommy uncomfortable by asking where she went when you know she doesn’t want to say," Jasmine said, her small voice rising.Her words caught me off guard, and I suddenly felt embarrassed. I had thought I was hiding it well, but
Lessie's POVI opened my mouth to speak, but Benjamin cut me off, leaving me speechless."Don’t tell me it’s nothing," he said seriously.I couldn’t blame him. He knew that’s how I usually brushed things off."I’m not," I assured him with a smile. "Let’s leave here first."I wasn’t sure where the kids were, so I let Benjamin lead the way.Thankfully, he nodded and walked ahead to his car, which was parked down the street.Neither of us spoke as he started driving. I rolled down the window and rested my elbow, enjoying the fresh air on my face. A small, satisfied smile appeared on my lips.We stayed silent for a long time. I wasn’t sure how long until I felt the car slow down.Confused, I glanced at Benjamin. He let out a frustrated sigh.I blinked, then looked outside. We weren’t in a residential area.He had stopped the car in a quiet place—no pedestrians, no cars."Ben—" I barely got a word out before he turned to face me, making me flinch."You’re not going to ask how I found you t
Lessie's POV I bit my tongue.It was clear that she had noticed someone standing there, but now that she was actually looking at me, she seemed unsure.She blinked as if to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. “You’re… Lessie?” she asked hesitantly.I pressed my lips together and didn’t reply.Hearing her voice and seeing her face brought back unpleasant memories.Freddie’s mother had never liked me.She never once treated me kindly or wanted anything to do with me. To her, I was a stain—someone unworthy of being her son’s wife.Back then, it used to hurt. I had tried so hard to prove myself to her.But not anymore.Now, I was surprised to realize that I felt nothing toward her.I stared at her."Aren't you Lessie?" she repeated.Just like before, I stayed silent. That question wasn’t for me to answer, it was her son’s problem, not mine. It wasn’t like I wanted to be here anyway.Crossing my arms, I remained indifferent.When I didn’t respond, she turned to Freddie. "She’s Lessie,
Lessie's POV We both turned and saw the housemaid who had served me upstairs.I wanted to smile at her, but Freddie's next words made me blush in embarrassment."Where's the tray of food? I hope it's still in the kitchen," he asked her.She blinked in confusion. "But sir, you—"Freddie cut her off. "You what? I just hope the food is still there. You can warm it up and eat later since someone here says she's not hungry.""And I'm sure that someone still hasn't eaten. Her stomach must be so full," he added, his eyes fixed on me, making my embarrassment worse.I avoided his gaze, looking anywhere but at him. What was he doing?Yes, I'd refused to eat when he asked, but I didn’t really mean it. So why was it a big deal if I ate the food later?The room suddenly fell silent. None of us spoke, and he kept staring at me.The awkwardness was finally broken by the housemaid’s cough.Her expression showed she understood what Freddie’s was up to."Sir, I need to clean the kitchen now. Bye." Wit
Lessie's POV The househelp flinched in fear at the sound of my voice. I quickly offered her an apologetic look, knowing that it was my fault for raising my voice, though I was still suspicious.“Ma’am, I’m sorry,” she said softly.“You can pretend you never heard my question. Just… please don’t be upset,” she pleaded, her eyes already brimming with tears.As I looked at her, my expression softened. Despite being a housemaid, she appeared quite young, or maybe it was just my imagination. Perhaps I had overreacted.Replaying her question in my mind, I realized it wasn’t as bad or suspicious as I had initially thought. It might have simply been a harmless question.“I’m not angry,” I assured her. “And I’m sorry for overreacting.”Hearing my words, she finally calmed down.“I’ll be leaving now.” She fiddled with her hands before turning to leave.“Wait,” I quickly stopped her. “Don’t you want to know who I am?”“You’ll tell me?” Her dull eyes suddenly brightened, and I nodded.“Actually,
Lessie's POV A dull ache throbbed in my head as I struggled to open my eyes, only to find myself in an unfamiliar room.The ceiling looked different from what I was used to. Frowning, I glanced around in confusion, trying to make sense of my surroundings.Just as I thought I would remain in this dazed and blank state for a while, a flood of memories rushed back to me.“Oh… so I fell asleep in his car?” I recalled following Freddie to his house. He had been so persistent, and I couldn’t risk him seeing the children.“But… who carried me inside?!” My eyes widened in shock as the realization hit me. It was Freddie. Again.Gosh. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.I took another look around as I stood up. This room was nothing like the one I once lived in.It was obvious—Freddie had changed the entire design.I continued scanning the space, from the bedroom to the bathroom. Every corner of the room passed through my scrutiny. I should be worried about how to leave, but I knew panicking