Ex Husband Wants Me Back

Chapter 19

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 he knew much more than he was letting on.

“No, no,” Ella cut me off gently. “Let’s just take things as they come. If it turns out to be what you’re thinking, then we’ll figure out what to do.”

“Are you sure?” I still felt uneasy.

Ella sat up straight and took my hands. “Lessie, you’re stressing over things you don’t even know for sure. Freddie’s words might not mean what you think, so try to stay calm.” Her reassurance brought me some comfort, and I nodded.

Maybe she was right. I shouldn’t be this worried. Freddie said he’d discovered everything I’d been hiding, but to what extent? I wasn’t sure.

Perhaps his anger was about something else entirely. I held onto that thought.

“Thank you, Ella. I couldn’t think straight until I talked to you,” I admitted honestly.

Ella pulled her hand away and gave me a playful smack on the back. “Thank me? What for?” She pretended to be offended.

“Sorry!” I pouted, sticking my tongue out.

The mood lightened after that, and I felt more at ease. Talking it all out with Ella had really helped.

“Have you eaten? Want to go out for a bite?” she suggested.

“Sure.” I thought for a moment before agreeing. I hadn’t eaten since leaving the hotel, and I knew Adele had probably fed the kids.

We headed to a cozy local restaurant near Ella’s place, where we ate, laughed, and took a stroll while chatting.

Ella was in a great mood, holding my hand and laughing loudly. Passersby occasionally gave us odd looks, but we didn’t mind.

“Ella, it’s already nighttime. I should head back now,” I said as we stopped at a yogurt stand.

“Is it that late?” Ella looked around, surprised. I rolled my eyes—she’d been so absorbed in talking that she hadn’t noticed.

“Yes, chatterbox, it’s night.” I teased. “I’m heading out.” Thankfully, I had my phone with me, so we didn’t need to go back to her place.

“Oh, Lessie, we just got started, and now you’re leaving?” she whined, making a sad face. I patted her hair like I did with my kids.

“I have to go. The kids are waiting,” I explained, pretending to look sad, hoping she wouldn’t think I was too eager to leave.

“You’re right. I’m sure my sweet Jasmine misses you already. Go on,” she said, gently pushing me toward the street.

She insisted on waiting until I got into a cab before heading home. Once I was in the cab and drove off, I saw her walking away.

When I got back to the hotel, the kids were already asleep. Adele opened the door, and I quickly took a shower and went to bed.

Tomorrow, we’d have our first official meeting with Mr. Rodriguez’s company. Thankfully, Freddie hadn’t called again since this morning, so maybe Ella was right—maybe he didn’t really know everything.

I wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or worried, but eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up around six. With Adele and the kids still asleep, the room was peaceful, allowing me to work on my laptop for a bit and organize files for the meeting.

Once I finished, I yawned and went back to sleep for a bit longer. This time, it was the kids’ voices that woke me.

“Mommy’s awake!” James noticed first.

Hearing him, Jasmine turned and squealed, “Mommy!”

“My babies!” I said sweetly, patting their heads as they came closer.

I glanced at the clock and saw I’d managed to sleep an extra two hours.

“Have they had a bath?” I asked Adele.

She nodded. “They’ve also eaten. Your breakfast is in the kitchen.”

I smiled at her—I could already smell the food.

“I’ll go freshen up. I have work today,” I said, heading to the bathroom.

By six, I’d put on my outfit for the meeting, a brown suit with loose-fit trousers. When I returned, my kids beamed at me.

“Mommy, you look so pretty! I love your clothes!” Jasmine said in her sweet, childish voice.

James’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

“Thank you, my babies. I look great, and my two sweethearts are handsome and pretty, too!” I said proudly.

They were my kids, after all, so I didn’t hold back on showing them off. I wasn’t even exaggerating—they were perfect in every way.

“Mommy loves us!” Jasmine cheered, nudging James, who smiled and nodded.

“All right, I’m off. Be good, okay?”

“Sure, Mommy,” they replied in unison. Adele was with them, so I didn’t need to worry.

I quickly left the hotel and grabbed a cab to Mr. Rodriguez’s company address.