Chapter 111: Drawing Clear Boundaries

Estella, still playing with her doll on the carpet, occasionally glanced at Roxanne. She overheard their conversation clearly. When Roxanne asked her father why he'd expelled the two older boys, Estella frowned in confusion. She expected her father to say he'd changed his mind, but he remained silent.

Estella pouted angrily. "Daddy's a liar and a bad guy! He promised me he wouldn't expel Archie and Benny, but he did!"

Tossing her doll onto the floor, Estella ran upstairs without looking back. "I'll never trust Daddy again!"

Lucian heard her and felt a headache coming on. He realized she'd overheard and misunderstood, leading to another tantrum. If he didn't explain, she'd only get angrier.

Massaging his temples, he said in a deep voice, "I spoke to the head of kindergarten. After Estella's tantrum, I told him not to expel them. I have no idea what you're talking about. If you like, I can ask him again."

Roxanne felt he was lying. "Why should I believe you? It's done, and the head of kindergarten is under you. He'll naturally side with you. Lucian, do you think I'm an idiot?"

She wasn't entirely wrong. Lucian felt a headache tightening, and wanted to explain, but Roxanne stood up. "I wish I'd never met you," she said calmly, each word precise. She turned and left.

Lucian's face darkened as he watched her go, his stare intense. As she disappeared, he called Cayden. "Find out what happened at the kindergarten. Why the hell did they defy my orders!"

Cayden, hearing the rage in his boss's voice, immediately complied.

Roxanne, exhausted after leaving the Farwell residence, pulled over to the side of the road to compose herself. Why is Lucian doing this? she wondered. How would he feel if he knew he was hurting his own sons? How would Archie and Benny feel if they knew how much their father hated them?

She didn't want to consider their feelings. With Lucian, she didn't know where to send her sons. She feared every other kindergarten would refuse them for the same reason.

The thought of Archie and Benny's future filled her with guilt. Tears streamed down her face. Taking deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down.

This made it clear: Lucian would never accept Archie and Benny. They only had her now; she had to be strong for them. It was just a matter of avoiding kindergarten—a good opportunity to set clear boundaries with Lucian. From that day on, they would have nothing to do with each other.

(Note: The promotional text at the end was removed as it was irrelevant to the passage's content.)