CHAPTER 137
LILY’S POV
~ Amid my frustration, a sleek black Sedan car, one of the latest models glided smoothly into my driveway, stopping just a few feet away from me as if in a showcase.
I thought maybe Noah had somehow managed to find out the kids and I were stranded and sent someone. But as the passenger door opened, I was surprised to see Robert stepping out in style and approaching like a superhero coming to save the day.
Seriously? Can this day get any worse? ~
Rage quickly filled me. My lips pressed firmly together and my fist balled on seeing him.
“Just what are you? A monitoring spirit?” I hissed, my voice laced with irritation. “Why won’t you leave us alone? I thought I made it very clear to you yesterday to stay away from us. It’s that so hard for you to understand? That’s it. I’ve had just about enough of your unwanted presence. I’m calling the estate security to kick your ass out and ban you from ever coming here. I don’t even know how you got access to this place in the first place.”
I was about to bring out my phone when he called me that thing that irked me to the bones, coming closer to me.
“Easy there little tiger…”
“Don’t you dare call me little tiger!” I snapped cutting him off. “And don’t you come any close to me,” I warned, my tone venomous.
He stopped in his tracks, heaved a loud sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. But something else caught my attention. I couldn’t help noticing his appearance had improved since the day we crossed paths at the meeting.
The dark circles under his eyes had faded. His hair and beard were neatly trimmed and expertly shaped, now deep ebony, with no trace of the grey streaks that once marked them. His skin, once dull and weary, had regained a smooth, healthy glow.
I checked for the injuries he sustained yesterday in his arms after his fight with Noah. The one I felt guilty for not calling him back for and cleaning but couldn’t see them. The long-sleeved dress shirt he had on covered the entirety of his arms. The dress shirt was bespoke and midnight blue, fitting his form, matching his black pencil slacks and complementing his skin tone perfectly.
It was as if he had taken some sort of potion that transformed him overnight. I couldn’t understand how he was suddenly looking different from the Robert I had been seeing since that day at the meeting. It felt as if the polished and confident man I once knew and married was back. But I refused to let that distract me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, pinning him with a hard stare. “Don’t you think all the damage you caused yesterday was more than enough for you to stay away for good? I suggest you leave right away because if call the estate security it’ll turn out to be very ugly for you.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea, Lily,” he said, his calm demeanour only fueling my rage. “I know you need help. That’s why I came. There is no way you can take the kids to school and go to work with that car,” he added, directing his gaze toward the flat tyres before looking back at me in pity.
My eyes grew big in shock. How did he know all that? Did he perhaps install a hidden camera somewhere around the house to monitor me and the kids?
“How did you know the tyres had gone flat and I needed help?” I asked, watching him closely, my brows pulling in sharply in suspicion. “Don’t tell me you did this Robert…”
“No…” he grimaced intensely. “Why the hell would I want to do something like this to you?”
“I don’t know,” I said hysterically in an accusatory tone. “You tell me. Maybe because you’re a full-blown jerk and you’re desperate?”
Shaking his head, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose like I had been the most difficult person on earth to deal with.
But I know better. If he arrived this early out of nowhere just when I was facing this problem, posing as a superhero coming to save the day then he must have had a hand in this.
How did he manage to pull this cheap trick off? Did he send one of his underlings to do it? If so, I would have noticed because I was awake almost all night. Besides, the estate was one of the most secure places in the city. It was nearly impossible for intruders to get in.
This led me to believe he did it himself. He must have secretly done it yesterday after bringing the kids home. After Noah and I arrived yesterday, I had gone out of his car immediately without even waiting for him to turn off the engine.
I didn’t bother checking my car which was a bit further on the driveway or anything else because of how angry and flustered I was. And throughout the evening of yesterday, I didn’t check the car because of everything that happened. If I did, I would have spotted this problem earlier and fixed it.
“Don’t think like that, Lily,” Robert said gently, almost pleading as he tried to erase whatever suspicions I had of him being behind this. “I only came this morning to check up on you and the kids and apologize for yesterday. I know what I did was wrong, taking the kids from school without your knowledge. I acknowledge my mistake and I’m deeply sorry for putting you through all that trauma.”
“You don’t need to check up on us,” I said, making it clear his words did not affect me. “We’re doing way better than you left us years ago. And I don’t need your apology. I couldn’t care less. Honestly, it means nothing to me.”
My nonchalant attitude and harsh words made guilt and sadness wash over him. I liked that I was making him suffer. I relished the joy that came with it.
This was exactly how he treated me while we were married-both in private and in front of everyone. I was just returning the favour, giving him a taste of his own medicine.
“I want you and your fancy toy car off my property and this estate for good. I won’t say it again.” I said sternly, fishing out my phone to call the estate security. Maybe he thought I was joking about calling them.
However, the door to the house flew open, stopping me. The kids came rushing to him with big smiles on their faces, shouting “Daddy! Daddy! You’re back.”