The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 166: Chapter 166

"I need to head to work first. You've barely had a chance to rest lately. Stay home and sleep a little," Keith said.
A soft kiss landed on her forehead. Serena couldn't help smiling as she watched Keith walk away, waving. "Be safe on the road."
Serena did spend the day resting at home, only getting ready to go out with Keith in the evening to meet Lana.
The moment Lana saw them arrive together, a hint of teasing flickered across her face, followed by a mix of wistfulness and relief. Serena sighed, shaking her head at the range of emotions.
"I'm so glad you're doing this well," Lana said sincerely. "You deserve to be happy. Someone as great as you should be with someone just as wonderful."
She truly wanted Serena to break free from her past troubles and live happily.
The meeting was a cheerful one. Lana, thrilled to have secured the shop, couldn't resist having a few drinks. It wasn't until Keith stepped away to pay the bill that she leaned over to Serena.
Lana said, "Honestly, I was worried he wouldn't take my money. Then, we'd be stuck with this huge favor, and I don't want to hold you back."
Serena smiled at her words.
Keith must have thought of that, too. That was why he'd picked a modest 5,000 dollars. He might seem cold sometimes, but he always thought things through carefully.
"I really approve of Keith now." Lana nodded, already sounding a little fuzzy. "With him, you're gonna be happy."
Serena reached out to pat her back, about to reassure her that she really was doing well, when she noticed Lana's shoulders tremble.
"Ugh, seeing you so happy makes me sad," Lana sniffled. "I was doing fine, too, then that jerk dumped me when I was abroad."
Serena froze mid-pat. 'Wait, what did I just hear?' she wondered.
"Ugh, he's such a total jerk—cheating, thick-headed. I hope he can never have kids." Lana had always been a bit wild, and with the alcohol hitting her, she was talking without holding back. Serena quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, startled.
"What's going on?" Keith came over from the other side. He'd caught snippets of the conversation, but Serena had acted so fast that he hadn't quite heard.
"She's had too much to drink and is acting up," Serena said.
Serena was still reeling from what she'd heard. She'd had no idea Lana had been in a relationship while abroad, and it clearly hadn't ended well.
Even though she was curious and wanted to know what had happened, Lana was too drunk to think straight. If Lana blurted something out now, she might regret it the next day.
Serena didn't want to pry into her secrets this way.
"Let's get her back first," Serena said.
Keith hadn't expected it, but Lana and Serena really were two of a kind—both had terrible tolerance for alcohol. But Serena hadn't had a chance to ask where Lana lived, so they had no choice but to take her back to their place.
"I'll get her to the room," Serena said, supporting Lana.
Keith nodded, standing by the door. As their eyes met, both could see the faint helplessness in each other's gaze.
"Okay, we're home now. It's all right," Serena said softly, patting Lana's back.
Lana had already quieted down in the car, sniffling quietly. Serena had never seen Lana like this before.
In Serena's mind, no matter what life threw at her, Lana was like a bright sunflower. Nothing could ever knock her down.
This might have been the first time Serena had seen her cry.
"I came back to the country to stay away from him," Lana mumbled, bits and pieces of her words spilling out. "I never want to see that bastard again, not for the rest of my life."
Even though Serena hadn't meant to dig into it, she'd pieced together bits of the truth. Lana had met some kind of love rat abroad. He'd chased her until he'd won her over, then dumped her hard.
Serena didn't know what to say, but it was clear Lana had given her whole heart. That was why she was this hurt.
"Men are all trash," Lana clung to Serena's hand, sobbing. "You hear me? Men are all jerks, every last one!"
Serena could tell Lana wouldn't let it go until she agreed, so she just went along. "Yeah, men are all jerks, every last one."
Keith, standing by the door, fell silent. Serena heard the sound of his footsteps, and their eyes met. She suddenly felt like she'd choked on her own saliva.
"I didn't mean you," she said. Her eyes, soft in the warm yellow light, made her look like a gentle little lamb as she spoke.
Keith's heart softened at the sight. "I know."
He held out a glass of honey water. "Give her this. She'll probably feel better after sleeping it off."
Serena nodded. By the time she'd gotten Lana to fall asleep, she was too tired to keep her eyes open. She drifted off, half-asleep, leaning against the edge of the bed.
In that fuzzy state between waking and sleeping, it felt like big hands were lifting her up. Serena cracked one eye open and saw Keith's sharp jawline.
"I'll carry you back to bed," he said.
His embrace was warm and steady. Serena, still half-asleep, felt completely at ease when she heard his words.
She shut her eyes and unconsciously nuzzled against his chest. "Mmm, okay."
Everything was quiet around them.
Early the next morning, Lana blinked awake drowsily. Staring at the unfamiliar room, she thought she must still be dreaming. She was about to lie back down when all the memories from last night came flooding back.
"Ugh, I made such a fool of myself." Lana tapped her forehead, a flicker of regret in her eyes.
It would've been bad enough to act drunk in front of Serena, but there was also Keith, someone she'd only just met.
"Awake?" Serena leaned against the doorframe.
The second Lana saw her, she craned her neck to look outside, and Serena could guess what she was thinking.
Serena couldn't help smiling as she stepped into the room. "Don't worry, he's already gone to work. It's just us right now."
Even Alyssa had left early for kindergarten.
Lana let out a relieved breath. "Sorry for all the trouble last night."