The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 138: Chapter 138

When Serena got home from work that evening, her heart beat with nervous anticipation.
Keith had already prepared dinner and was waiting in the dining room. Their eyes met across the space, and Serena pressed her lips together briefly.
"Go put your things down and wash up for dinner," Keith said.
Alyssa sensed the subtle tension between the two adults. After finishing her meal obediently, she retreated to her room to watch cartoons.
The dining room fell quiet, leaving only Serena and Keith.
Something about Keith seemed different tonight—not angry, but somehow deflated, almost lost.
"Keith." Serena spoke first, the warm amber light catching in her eyes. "You've been off all day. As your friend, can you tell me what's going on?"
Her voice carried that gentle, water-like quality that always seemed to reach him. Keith stepped closer, his gaze dropping. He asked, "Do you hate me?"
The question caught Serena completely off guard.
Since getting to know Keith, he had helped her countless times. Though Serena had never formally expressed it, she genuinely appreciated everything he'd done for her.
She quickly shook her head. "How could you think that? We're friends, aren't we? Why would I hate you?"
Remembering how harsh she'd been in the conference room that afternoon, Serena explained, "I only spoke to you that way because something seemed off about you.
"If I'd been gentle, you probably wouldn't have listened. But I'll admit, I was pretty angry in that meeting room, so I wasn't exactly nice to you. I'm sorry."
Keith pressed his lips together. "It wasn't your fault."
His eyes swirled with complex emotions. After a long moment, he spoke, "If you don't hate me, then would you be willing to become Alyssa's mother?"
Serena hadn't expected him to bring this up. She stared at him for several seconds before hesitantly asking, "Do you mean what I think you mean?"
"Yes. I want you to marry me and become Alyssa's real mother."
Keith knew Serena well enough to realize she probably didn't have feelings for him right now. A confession would definitely end in rejection.
So he chose this somewhat underhanded approach—using this method to tie Serena to him. As for love, that could develop over time.
However, Serena shook her head. "I'm sorry. I really do love Alyssa, but the responsibility of being a mother is too overwhelming."
She lowered her head as well. "I'm not ready for that kind of commitment, and I haven't prepared myself for it."
She had already failed as a mother once before. Even though Leon's eventual path might not have had anything to do with Serena herself, she still couldn't help wondering what she had done wrong and what mistakes she had made in raising her child.
"So that's why you looked so serious earlier—you were thinking about this." Serena's expression returned to its usual calm, a gentle smile crossing her lips.
She said, "Don't worry though. Even if Alyssa and I don't have any legal relationship, I'll still treat her like a mother would—I'll take care of her and I won't just walk away."
Keith nodded with obvious disappointment. "That's okay. As long as you're willing to stay with Alyssa, that's what matters."
At least Serena wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, which allowed Keith to slowly help her understand him better—and maybe even fall in love with him.
After saying this, Serena returned to her room. She lay on the bed, the full weight of the conversation finally hitting her.
Keith had always been the picture of propriety—the last person to make such a bold proposal about marriage.
Combined with his unusual behavior today, a thought crept into Serena's mind. 'Could Keith actually have feelings for me?'
The possibility left her feeling unsettled and confused.
She wasn't remotely prepared to welcome someone new into her life. As for whether she had feelings for Keith, it was something she'd never even considered, because she'd never imagined he might feel that way about her.
After a restless night of tossing and turning, Serena knew what she had to do. She didn't want to leave Alyssa, but facing these complicated emotions felt impossible. Running away seemed like her only option.
Keith was already there when she stepped out of her room the next morning.
She hesitated before speaking, "I've got several projects piling up at work, and Alyssa seems to be doing much better. Maybe I should move back to my place?"
Keith noticed the careful way she avoided his eyes, the wariness in her voice. He understood immediately—this was her way of rejecting him.
He said nothing, and Serena took his silence as agreement. She nodded and headed for the door.
When Serena went to deliver files to the executive office at lunch, her stomach was in knots. She thought, 'What if I run into Keith?'
Instead, James informed her that Keith had flown to Hayland that morning for a month-long business trip.
"If Ms. Gray needs anything while he's away, just let me know," James said with his perfectly professional smile. "Mr. Brannon's orders."
This morning, Serena had announced she wanted to move out. Now, Keith was suddenly proposing a month-long business trip. She couldn't help but read more into it and felt somewhat embarrassed about the situation.
She was the one who had rejected him, yet somehow he was the one leaving.
Since Serena had nowhere else to go during this time, she had no choice but to turn to Kristy.
"I'm so sorry to bother you guys again," Serena said.
Kristy pulled Serena inside, immediately putting on a stern expression. "Are you even going to treat me like a friend? It's such a small thing—what's all this talk about bothering us?"
Serena couldn't help but sigh. Kristy noticed the worry clouding her face and ventured a guess. "Don't tell me you had a fight with Mr. Brannon?"
It did involve Keith, though they hadn't exactly fought. Serena didn't want to expose Keith's privacy, so she shook her head.
"Then it's relationship stuff. Wait—did Keith confess to you?" Kristy was shocked.
Kristy's uncanny intuition made Serena's eyes widen. Seeing her reaction, Kristy knew she'd hit the mark. "Come on, tell me what happened! Let's go out and talk properly—I'll book us a restaurant!"
Before she knew it, Serena found herself being dragged out the door by Kristy. At the restaurant, Serena told her everything that had happened, along with her own suspicions.
Kristy said, "I've felt like something was off between you two for ages. I came by your place that night you got drunk."
Keith had never mentioned this, so Serena had no idea. She looked at Kristy in surprise.
Kristy continued, "I thought the way he looked at you was totally loaded with meaning, but you kept denying there was anything between you two. I figured it was one-sided on his part. Turns out I was right."
Serena couldn't help but sigh.
"So what are your feelings toward Keith?" Kristy asked.