Lahat ng Kabanata ng COMEBACK OF THE REJECTED WIFE.: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

~ ANGELO ~ I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Thinking back to how well I communicated with Annika during the meeting made me proud of myself. Standing up for the idea when others thought it wasn't the best made me so happy. I wanted to scream it to the world, but I couldn't. No one but me would know how much this meant to me.Sighing, I tapped my index finger on my desk, reflecting on the smile on her face. It was the first time she had genuinely smiled at me since she returned. The smile wasn't as forced as the ones I was used to. She was truly happy, which made me feel accomplished for causing that expression. I had never been this happy before, not even when my father signed the company over to me after I completed my studies.Having her smile was an accomplishment. It showed I was getting closer to my goal of getting her to change her attitude toward me. It wouldn't be easy to pull off, but I was determined to do whatever it took to make her realize I was a changed m

~ ANNIKA ~ A bouquet was waiting for me on my desk when I arrived. I assumed Angelo was the one who placed it, since he was the only one who could do something like this, but I discovered he wasn't after reading the card. Grace sent it.I took the flowers from my table and walked over to my dustbin to dispose of them, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. Groaning in frustration, I returned to my desk, placing them back the way I'd found them before I sat down to stare at them. If she thought sending a bouquet with a card would make me forgive her easily, then she had another thing coming. Things like this don't cut it for me.I was still lost in thought when I got a knock on my door, and Grace stepped in, with her gaze on the floor. She closed the distance between us and walked over to my side, her gaze still averted. Frowning, I watched her, waiting for her to say something."I'm sorry," she finally whispered. The rest of her words were inaudible."Annika," she said

~ ANNIKA ~ "I greatly appreciate your help," I said, my smile forced and my body trembling. We had just finished the drawing session, and Angelo had asked me to meet him outside. At first, I didn't want to go. I wanted to lie and say I had to take care of my kids, but I knew that would only make him more suspicious. The sooner I got this over with, the better.It didn't seem like he knew Pippa was his daughter. If he had, he wouldn't have calmly sat with them. He would have confronted me the moment I showed up. He wouldn't have waited this long to talk to me. Right?I wiped my sweaty palms on my suit jacket as I watched him, waiting for him to say something. Aside from asking me to meet him, Angelo hadn't said a word to me since I arrived, which was strange. I glanced around, noticing how deserted the playground was. With the parents and teachers in the hall, we were the only ones around, and that worked for me. I didn't need anyone to get involved."Angelo?" I called out to h

~ ANNIKA ~ After telling the kids who Pa James was, I signed them out and we headed to the car. Pippa got her lollipop while they took Powell's drawing to hang on the wall after I gave them permission. I wanted to refuse, but his eyes sparkled so much at the offer that I couldn't say no. Besides, I had more than enough of his drawings hanging on my own walls. If I ever needed more, I could just ask him to draw another one for me. "Are we using your car or mine?" Angelo asked when we got to him. He stepped away from his car, smiling as he glanced at the kids, who waved shyly back at him. "I will drive my kids. We will follow your car," I said without missing a beat. There was no use debating it. He looked disappointed. I could tell he wanted to be in the same car as us, but he didn't protest. Nodding, he walked to his car while I helped my kids into mine and buckled them up. "Why is Mr. Angelo going with us?" Powell asked once I was in the driver's seat. "He knows who Pa James i

~ ANNIKA ~ I stayed there for close to one hour, and by the time I left, my eyes were puffy and my throat dry. Talking became painful for me. I drove back to the house, while Angelo returned to wherever he had in mind. He knew I needed a moment to myself, and didn't strike up any conversation with me. He just let me be. At home, I left the kids with Julie and retired to my room, so I could cry to my heart's content without being disturbed. I plopped down on the bed and closed my eyes, letting everyone wash over me. I took a leave from work to avoid being bombarded with questions. I looked like a zombie. My eyes were bloodshot, and the dark circles around them were alarming. Having stayed up all night, thinking back to the precious time I spent with Pa James, I barely had sufficient rest. I slept at the crack of dawn, but it wasn't enough to soothe my soul. After I had my bath and an ice cream, I felt good. Even though the weight of Pa James's death was still there, I felt lig