You Want Me Back? Sorry, Request Rejected Chapter 22

You Want Me Back? Sorry, Request Rejected Chapter 22

Elise thought for a moment. That all-black profile picture… Was that Jordan? He’d messaged her at a very convenient time—right after she’d turned in her drafts.

She replied to him. “Okay. Where should I send it?”

His reply was instantaneous. “The hospital.”

Finding out Jordan was still at the hospital made Elise’s guilt deepen a little. Soon, she’d ordered all the ingredients she needed for the soup on a delivery app. While waiting for the groceries to arrive, she went out to the balcony to get some air.

To her surprise, all the pear blossoms in the planter box had burst into full bloom overnight and looked especially beautiful.

A petal was blown loose by the wind. Elise raised her hand and caught it, the heavy gloom stuck in her chest easing a little.

“Hey, now. Who’s the flower thief?” Hector from next door hustled over in a few quick steps.

Elise smiled. “It’s the flower that picked me. I didn’t pick it.”

“You rascal.” Hector smiled, too. “I haven’t seen you these past few days. Were you away on a business trip?”

“No, I’ve been working from home these days. I haven’t had time to come out.”

“Look how hard they’re working you. Your company’s treating you like one of those overworked mules!” Hector grumbled. “You really won’t consider going on a blind date with my youngest son?”

Elise didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed. “I’m still waiting for my divorce to go through. A blind date doesn’t seem very appropriate.”

“A date isn’t a marriage. Not like anyone will call the cops on you!” Hector patiently tried to talk her around. “My youngest son is good-looking and loaded. I can guarantee you with a clear conscience that there isn’t a single young hotshot in this city who can hold a candle to him.”

Just bringing this up annoyed him. Keith, the brat, had actually said that Jordan was into married women. Did he think he could stump him with that?

Hah! Not a chance. Look at Elise—she was a perfect match…

Elise felt like his lines sounded oddly familiar, but for a moment, she couldn’t remember where she’d heard them before.

Hector kept enthusiastically pitching Jordan, leaving Elise’s cheeks burning. As soon as the grocery delivery arrived, she escaped back inside with that as an excuse.

She honestly hadn’t expected that after six years of marriage, she would still get to experience the full insanity of elders pushing her to get married. She could only smile helplessly as she took the groceries.

Elise made a pot of nourishing soup, finding that there was enough left for another portion. Isabel’s face flashed through her mind. She wondered if she was still at the hospital.

With that thought, her hands had already moved on their own and packed up a second serving. Well, she might as well bring both. If fate was on their side, maybe they would run into each other. Besides, it seemed like… Jordan hadn’t had enough of the soup last time.

When Elise got to the hospital, she did what she’d done last time and gave them the room number. The front-desk clerk swiped a special elevator card that was supposed to bring her straight up.

To her surprise, the elevator stopped at the ninth floor. A moment later, the doors slid open without warning. Outside stood Calvin, holding Rowan in his arms. Sabrina was tucked against his side and holding tightly onto Regina’s hand.

They were a picture—perfect family of four. The instant their eyes met, all four of their smiles froze.

Rowan’s face lit up at first. Then, as if remembering something, he shot Elise a look of pure disgust and flopped back down onto Calvin’s shoulder. Regina rolled her eyes at Elise and even looked like she was about to spit at her.

Sabrina, watching Elise’s expression from the corner of her eye, lightly patted Regina’s hand and murmured something to soothe her.

Calvin’s lips twitched. His dark gaze slid over Elise and the food containers she held. So, in the end, no matter how much she pretended not to care, she still couldn’t let go of her children. Had she arrived this late because she’d been home cooking soup for Rowan?

“You sure have perfect timing,” he said with a sarcastic sneer.

Elise didn’t respond. Her eyes moved over the row of people in front of her, but she stayed silent. For a moment, the air turned strangely still.

Rowan secretly peeked back and caught sight of the soup in her hands. He snorted. “Now you show up with the soup? I don’t want it anymore. Take your soup and get out of here!”

These past few days, he and Sabrina had both been sick, so a lot of the attention that usually went to Regina had been split between them.