Ex Husband Wants Me Back

Chapter 14

Lessie's POV

“Mr. Rodriguez, could there be a misunderstanding?” I asked suddenly, disrupting the stunned silence around me.

I could see the surprise on my colleagues' faces, they were shocked that a billionaire like Freddie, owner of an entire conglomerate, had decided to partner with us. But for me, it was more than surprise; I was in a state of panic.

How… how could he have partnered with us? No, this can’t be happening.

“No, there’s no mistake,” Mr. Rodriguez replied calmly.

“I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken. Adding new companies wasn’t part of our original plan,” I continued, my words spilling out in a rush as anxiety tightened my chest.

“You’re right; we hadn’t discussed this before. But Mr. Green approached me just a few minutes ago, and we agreed to the partnership today,” Mr. Rodriguez explained, but I could barely focus, frustration building inside me.

“But you… you can’t just add someone in like this,” I said softly, a headache beginning to throb at my temples.

All I wanted was to stay in Syracuse long enough to finalize our deal with Mr. Rodriguez's company and then leave. But now… Freddie was here.

“I apologize for not informing you earlier,” Mr. Rodriguez said, his tone sincere. “But I had to agree. Mr. Green’s conglomerate would significantly boost our project's success.”

I sighed, wanting to argue further, but seeing the firm resolve on Mr. Rodriguez’s face, I decided against it. After all, it was understandable that he’d be pleased to partner with someone like Mr. Green.

Suddenly, Mr. Rodriguez’s earlier words echoed in my mind: ‘Mr. Green just met with me some minutes ago.’

Did Freddie already know about our existing deal with Mr. Rodriguez’s company? Is that why he wanted to join? My heart sank as I looked at Freddie, gritting my teeth.

“No problem, Mr. Rodriguez. With the three of us in this deal, it’s for the best,” Benjamin said, breaking the tension.

I cleared my throat and forced a smile at Mr. Rodriguez. I knew there was no point in pushing further. He won't listen.

Shortly after, Mr. Rodriguez and Freddie left, leaving me with Benjamin and my colleagues. I let out a sigh of relief.

“Lessie, it looks like the party is over. Should we head out?” Charlotte asked.

I nodded almost instantly. “Yes, let’s go.” The moment I saw Freddie, an overwhelming exhaustion had washed over me.

If I had known Freddie would be attending this event, I would have found an excuse to stay home.

We all got up and left the party hall. We intended to say goodbye to Mr. Rodriguez, but when we saw him surrounded by guests, we decided to slip out quietly.

Once outside, my colleagues and I parted ways since they were staying at a different hotel. Benjamin, however, insisted on giving me a ride back to mine.

We got into his car, and he drove off. It was dark, but the streetlights brightened the road, making the journey smooth. The ride was silent, and I was too drained to speak.

As soon as we reached the hotel and I was about to close the passenger door, Benjamin unexpectedly got out of the car.

I looked at him, puzzled. "Why did you get out?" It was already late, so he should be heading home. Surely, he isn't planning to see the kids at this hour, right?

"Lessie, do you have something to say?" He hesitated, and I regarded him with a skeptical expression.

Perhaps noticing my confusion, he clarified, "I mean, you seemed off at the party tonight. I just wanted to check if there's something on your mind."

"Oh." I hesitated, then closed my mouth again. I wasn't sure what he wanted to hear, but if it was about Freddie, I wasn’t in the mood to discuss it... maybe not tonight, maybe another time.

"Lessie, I'm waiting." He was persistent, clearly wanting an answer.

I bit my lower lip, knowing that Benjamin genuinely wanted to know, even though I was reluctant.

I tried to speak again, but the words felt bitter on my tongue. Maybe I could confide in Benjamin. After all, he wasn’t just anyone; he had been my close friend for five years.

"Benjamin, actually, you know Mr..." I began, but my words were cut short by my phone vibrating in my handbag.

I checked and saw it was a call from the nanny.

"Ah, sorry Benjamin, maybe another time. The kids are missing me." I quickly put my phone back in my bag and gestured for Benjamin to get back in his car.

Even though I was eager to head upstairs, I couldn't just leave without saying goodbye. Fortunately, Benjamin didn't make it difficult. He smiled, got into his car, and drove away.

I only headed into the hotel once his car was out of sight.

The moment I knocked on my room door, it opened, and James and Jasmine's little bodies came rushing at me.

"Mommy, hug me!"

"Mommy, carry me!" Jasmine's delicate voice and James' eager eyes were fixed on me.

I bent down and scooped them both up. "Did you miss Mommy?" I asked.

"Yes, we missed Mommy so much. Mommy, how was the party? Did you meet any handsome guys?" Jasmine asked, and the answer I was about to give her got stuck in my throat.

Right now, I felt like giving her a light scolding. What was this about handsome guys?

"Sweetheart, Mommy isn't interested in handsome guys."

"Really?" Jasmine pouted, and I tried to reassure her. "So, is Mommy only interested in ugly guys?"

Jasmine's words completely threw me off. Did she just say I like ugly guys? I immediately set her down and gave her a gentle smack on the bum before she could realize it.

"Ouch, ouch, Mommy, it hurts," she whined, running away from me.

I chased after her, not feeling like that small smack was enough. Her mouth had been running like a tap, so she had to deal with the consequences.

"Waah!" She cried out.

"Mommy, that's enough. Jasmine is fragile," James said, rushing to shield his pouting sister.

I knew I had already s*****d her enough, so I didn’t stop James.

“But Mommy, little Jasmine didn’t say anything wrong,” Jasmine said, feeling hurt.

“You didn’t do anything wrong? Really?” I teased, playfully raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, really,” Jasmine insisted, wiping her nose.

Before I could respond, James spoke up.

“Mommy, are you talking about when Jasmine said you like ugly guys?” he asked, and I nodded.

“If that's it, then Jasmine wasn’t wrong,” he continued.

“Jasmine said I like ugly guys, and that’s not true, so she’s wrong,” I argued.

“She wouldn’t have said that if you hadn’t said you don’t like handsome guys. You clearly don’t like handsome guys, so Jasmine thought you must like ugly ones,” he explained, more eloquent than usual.

I was left speechless, glancing between James and my little, aggrieved Jasmine. So that’s what she meant...

Ah, I was too harsh on her. Why was I acting so childish earlier, even s******g my poor Jasmine?

“Baby,” I knelt down beside her and checked her little bottom. I sighed in relief when I saw there were no red marks or swelling. Thankfully, I’d been gentle.

“Baby, Mommy is sorry,” I said, but Jasmine refused to look at me. I stood up and headed to the kitchen, aware that Jasmine’s eyes were on my back, though I pretended not to notice.

In the kitchen, Nanny Adele was preparing dinner.

“Welcome, ma'am,” she greeted, and I nodded.

“What’s going on? Did you get groceries?” I asked, noticing she was making a homemade meal.

“Yes, I went to a nearby shop to pick up a few things,” she explained, gesturing toward the small pile of groceries in the cupboards.

“Oh, okay.” I left the kitchen. Originally, I had planned to make Jasmine’s favorite dish, but since Adele was already cooking, there was no need.

I returned to find Jasmine still looking upset.

“Wait a minute,” I said, suddenly thinking of something. I ran to the fridge and pulled out a big bar of chocolate.

“Here, sweetheart,” I offered, holding it out to her. When Jasmine saw it, she swallowed hard. Even though I’d bought plenty of chocolates for her, Adele usually wouldn’t let her have them every day.

“For me?” she asked, still a bit hesitant.

“Yes, it’s for you, sweetheart. Please forgive Mommy.” I put my hands to my ears in a playful gesture of apology. I knew I looked silly, but I didn’t care.

“Mommy, don’t put your hands on your ears. I’m not angry with you,” Jasmine said, gently pulling my hands away before wrapping her arms around me.

She stayed snuggled in my arms until she finished her chocolate.