Ex Husband Wants Me Back

Chapter 6

Lessie's POV

°Five years later°

“Mommy!”

“Hug me.” My heart melted as my adorable daughter eagerly climbed into my lap, her voice bubbling with energy.

“Here we go...” Without hesitation, I scooped her up, her joyous laughter filling the house.

As I embraced her, I turned to Jacob, my other child, who was busy tying his shoelaces.

“You both are running late for school. We should get going.” Jacob quickly finished tying his shoes, and I considered putting my daughter down, but she clung to me even tighter.

“Will you come down now, darling?” I asked gently.

Jasmine shook her head and snuggled closer. I sighed, knowing that she wasn’t going to let go. Jasmine was the clingy one, and I’d learned that once she latched on, there was no letting go.

Grabbing my car keys, I headed out of the house with Jacob walking beside me and Jasmine still in my arms.

Seeing the two of them together always filled me with a deep sense of contentment. Jasmine was my mini-me, though her confidence was unmistakably from her father. I never considered myself the confident type, so that part of her couldn’t have come from me.

On the way to school, Jasmine's excited voice mixed with the rush of air through the car.

"Mommy, do you know my friend Belinda? We started a racing group, and we won!" she said enthusiastically, while I nodded along to every bit of her story.

When we arrived at the school, I waved at them as they disappeared inside, before finally getting back into the car.

Just then, my phone rang, and I answered.

“Lessie, are you on your way to work? I'm already here and, guess what? I beat you to it!” The voice on the other end was filled with excitement.

“Yeah, yeah, don't get too excited. I was just late today, not next time,” I laughed, already picturing her mock frustration.

Life hasn’t been perfect since I moved, but I’ve worked hard to become a better version of myself. During my pregnancy, I worked three jobs a day, barely had any sleep, and even when I could, it was only for a few short hours.

Juggling work and a school schedule was exhausting, but going back to school allowed me to secure a better job. Fortunately, the company that hired me back then is the same one I work for now. It allows me to provide for myself and my two children.

When I reached the office, I parked in the lot and headed inside.

The security guard rushed over to help with my bag, but I politely declined.

“It’s alright,” I said with a smile, continuing on my way. The staff here are very supportive, and I know they enjoy lending a hand but I couldn't disrupt them from their jobs.

Stepping inside, I headed upstairs to my office and worked a bit on my computer. I only got up when it was time for lunch. After closing the office door behind me, I made my way to the company’s restaurant. Along the way, I ran into three of my colleagues, Charlotte, Lucy, and David.

“Hey, Lessie!” Charlotte, the blonde, waved as I approached them.

“We should grab our food first,” David suggested, and we all headed to the serving area before finding a seat.

“You know, I heard the boss is having trouble with that business deal... it's not going smoothly,” Lucy said suddenly, catching our attention.

“Really? I thought the deal was already in the bag,” I replied, surprised.

“Not sure. Maybe there’s something shady going on behind the scenes,” Charlotte shrugged while continuing to eat.

They kept eating, but I couldn’t shake the worry. We had put so much effort into our proposal, and now it seemed like we might not secure the deal.

Lost in thought, I suddenly noticed a commotion around the restaurant. Confused, I glanced at Lucy and the others.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Look over there, it’s our boss...” Charlotte whispered, blushing.

I innocently turned to look and saw a tall figure approaching, hands in his pockets. His bright complexion and warm smile seemed to make every woman around swoon.

“Benjamin,” I muttered, my voice trailing off. My colleagues burst into laughter, making me realize I had just called him by his first name.

Benjamin was not only our boss but also my close friend. Though he always told me to call him by his name, I made sure to address him as “boss” at work, just like everyone else. Now, having slipped up, I couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

“Why are you here?” I asked, clearing my throat to clear the awkward air.

"Not much. Just thought I'd have lunch," Benjamin shrugged before sitting down.

I gave him a curious look. "Couldn't your assistant bring your lunch to the office? Why come down to the public cafeteria?"

Benjamin chuckled but didn’t reply.

"Lessie, let’s eat. Isn’t it great that the boss is joining us?" Charlotte chimed in, her eyes lighting up as she glanced at Benjamin.

I sighed, knowing Charlotte was clearly just as captivated by Benjamin's good looks as the rest of the women at work. The male employees could only grumble in the background, knowing their female colleagues were snatched.

We all resumed eating, the silence only broken once we were done.

I turned to Benjamin with a serious expression. "What’s going on with the business deal we’re trying to land?"

Benjamin set down his spoon, wiped his mouth, and met my gaze. "You’ve heard?"

"Mhm," I nodded.

"Alright. A few of us won’t be getting much rest for at least a week. There’s a lot of work to get through," he paused before asking, "Will you be available?"

"Oh my, oh my," Lucy and David teased with playful awws.

"Yes, I’ll be available," I responded to Benjamin, ignoring them. I knew he was only asking because he’s aware I have children to care for, but my colleagues just wouldn’t understand.

After that lunch we had together, the days that followed became incredibly busy. We were constantly working alongside the boss. I hardly saw my kids, but I made sure they were well cared for by their nanny.