The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 101: Chapter 101

As soon as closing time hit, Serena did something completely out of character. She packed up all her things and got ready to leave.
Her coworkers couldn't help but find it strange since Serena usually stayed late. She was famous for being a workaholic, and her dedication had made the entire design department step up their game.
Today the office overachiever was actually leaving on time.
"Serena, did you finish all your work already?" one colleague asked.
Serena shook her head with a smile. "Not really, but I have plans tonight, so I'm heading out early."
Her coworker grinned teasingly. "Don't tell me you're going on a date?"
Serena quickly waved her hands. "Just meeting a friend."
Her colleague had only been joking around, but seeing how flustered Serena got, she nodded and laughed, "Well, if you've got plans, don't let me keep you chatting. Go on. Don't keep your friend waiting."
Serena nodded, finished packing her things, said goodbye to her coworkers, and headed downstairs. Keith was already waiting in his car outside the company entrance. As soon as he saw Serena, he rolled down the back window.
"Alyssa, it's so good to see you." Serena's heart melted when she saw the little girl sitting obediently in her car seat. She opened the door and got in beside her.
Alyssa looked at Serena with longing eyes, missing her terribly.
Keith had explained that Serena was busy with work, which was why they couldn't visit. Being the understanding child she was, Alyssa pressed her lips together and nodded shyly.
"I already made dinner reservations before we came. Alyssa, didn't you say you had a gift for Serena?" Keith said.
"Really?" Serena looked at Alyssa with delighted surprise.
Alyssa ducked her head and pulled a brooch from her little bunny purse. It was simple in design, but it suited Serena perfectly. Even in the dim car interior, it gave off a soft, delicate sparkle.
Serena could tell right away that the pearls were expensive. She reached over and gently pinched Alyssa's cheek. "I love it, but this brooch is way too valuable."
Keith spoke up from the driver's seat, "Alyssa rarely wants to buy anything, and she picked this one out herself. Just accept it. It's not that big of a deal."
Alyssa nodded and took Serena's finger with her small, soft hand, pushing the brooch toward her.
Keith rarely showed such emotional reactions, so when he caught sight of this scene in the rearview mirror, he couldn't help but smile. "Alyssa's definitely closer to you. You two sitting together look more like a family than we do," he said.
Serena laughed and ruffled Alyssa's hair. "Alyssa, looks like your dad's getting jealous. You'll have to make it up to him when we get out of the car, okay?"
Alyssa nodded, her bright eyes sparkling with amusement.
Sure enough, as soon as they got out of the car, Serena immediately grabbed Keith's hand while keeping a firm grip on Serena's with the other one, playing no favorites whatsoever.
Serena looked down at their three shadows stretching across the ground and felt a flutter of embarrassment. 'Walking hand in hand like this, we really do look like a family,' she thought.
The idea made her cheeks warm, but if Serena let go of Alyssa's hand now, Alyssa would definitely feel hurt. So she had no choice but to walk into the mall with them like this.
They passed by the mother and baby section on the first floor, and the store clerk's eyes lit up when she saw the three of them approaching.
The man was gorgeous, the woman was beautiful, and even the little girl they were holding hands with was absolutely adorable. Their store was running a promotion and desperately needed some family photos.
This family looked like they were born to be models.
The store clerk quickly walked over with a warm smile, focusing on Serena. "Ma'am, we're running a special promotion right now. If you take a family photo, you can pick out a small gift to take home. Would you like to try it?"
Serena had already felt awkward earlier, and now being mistaken for Keith's wife made her even more flustered. She waved her hands frantically in denial. "Oh no, we're not together like that. Sorry."
The clerk realized she'd made a mistake and felt embarrassed for Serena, so she quickly apologized too.
After that little scene ended, Serena let out a small sigh of relief. When she turned around, she saw both Alyssa and Keith staring at her.
"It's okay," Keith said, reading her thoughts and easing her discomfort. "The restaurant is just ahead. Let's go."
Alyssa didn't really understand what had happened, but being next to Serena made her feel safe and content.
Seeing that neither Keith and Alyssa seemed bothered by the mix-up, Serena realized she'd been overthinking it. She looked down with a small smile. "Alright, let's go."
Keith had reserved a quiet table. Serena and Alyssa sat on one side, and Alyssa helped her put on the brooch.
"It's beautiful," Serena said quietly. Alyssa immediately felt embarrassed, her cheeks turning bright red in the most adorable way.
The food arrived quickly, and Keith said, "I've been so busy I forgot to ask. Where are you staying now that you're back?"
Serena paused for a moment. She'd been staying at Kristy's place this whole time since she didn't have anywhere else to go locally.
But she felt bad about disrupting someone else's normal life for so long, so she'd been looking for her own place. She just hadn't found anything suitable yet.
After Serena briefly explained her situation, Keith nodded. "I actually have an empty apartment near the office. It would be really convenient for commuting."
Serena immediately understood what he was offering and instinctively started to decline. She'd already troubled Keith so many times. There was no way she could feel comfortable living in his place.
Besides, apartments in that area near the company were expensive even for rent, and Serena didn't want to owe Keith even more than she already did.
"Don't say no just yet," Keith said, having anticipated her reaction. "Actually, I have a favor to ask you."
A flicker of confusion crossed Serena's eyes, but she still said, "You've helped me so much already. If there's anything I can do to help you, I definitely will."
Seeing Serena's response, Keith seemed to relax. "Alyssa has a school event coming up in a few days, but I'm swamped with work and can't take time off to go with her.
"That's why I was hoping you could help out and keep Alyssa company. Besides you, she doesn't really get close to anyone else."
Keith's gaze was sincere, and Serena turned to look at Alyssa, who was blinking her big, glistening eyes and nodding along.