"Can't you and the kids just stay here?" Michael asked, having found the courage to do so. He looked Sarah straight in the eye, and his tone was serious.
He didn't need time to think about this anymore, because he didn't want to be separated from Sarah and the kids anymore. He didn't even think that Sarah was actually trying to find a new apartment for her and the kids.
"What?" Sarah's eyes opened wide when she heard that. She didn't expect Michael to say that at all.
"What do you mean? Me and the kids stay here to change your father's will," said Sarah immediately rejecting the offer.
Even though Michael knew by now about the kids being his, and she had given Michael a chance, Sarah never forgot that she and the kids lived here because of Mr Collins.
Nothing has changed about that.
Michael fell silent when he heard that. He had expected Sarah to turn down his offer, but hearing it directly from her lips made his heart ache.
"Then can't you stay here for me? I mean, I don't mean anything bad, but living here is way better than living anywhere else," Michael said pleadingly.
Sarah's head subconsciously nodded in agreement with that. After all, they live in a penthouse with a large balcony and a private pool that they can use.
Compared to this place, Sarah couldn't find a better place. She knew about it too.
"I can't do that," Sarah objected firmly.
"Why?" asked Michael, starting to sound frustrated. Why didn't Sarah want to live with him? He wanted to know that!
"Because this situation alone is strange, Michael! Even though we have children, we are divorced! Don't you find it strange to live together with your ex-wife?" Sarah asked, confused as to why Michael wanted to continue living with them.
This is indeed the best for the children, but it is not with her. After finding out Michael wasn't engaged, she started to feel weird every time she saw Michael. So she'd better stick to her original plan of leaving here after Mr Collins changed his will.
"No, I don't feel that way!" said Michael quickly. "I love living with you, as well as the kids," Michael continued gently.
"Can't we just continue living together?" Michael pleaded a little pleading then took Sarah's hand which was placed on the table.
Sarah bit her lower lip, doubtful. She had no idea that Michael had no problem with them living together like this. She thought Michael also did this because of his father's inheritance.
"But…" Sarah shook her head again and pulled Michael's hand away. She still felt that living with Michael was wrong.
Michael sighed when he saw this.
"What if it's like this? You want to find an apartment for you and the kids, right?" asked Michael, suddenly thinking of a solution Sarah might accept.
Sarah nodded.
"How about you give me the rent every month?" Michael asked.
"Hah?" Sarah's mouth opened in disbelief when she heard that.
"I mean, rather than you looking for another apartment to rent. Why not rent it from me? I'll give you a discount, and the money is included with the meal allowance," Michael said, trying to explain before Sarah misunderstood.
Sarah might feel uncomfortable living with him for free, so what if he asks her for rent? He knew he shouldn't be asking Sarah for money because compared to that woman, he had a lot of money.
However, he's talking about Sarah, who puts a line between the two of them because they've been divorced, her ego may not want to accept to live with him for free anymore.
Sarah was silent when she heard Michael's words starting to sound reasonable. Not only would Michael give her a discount, Michael would also provide her and the kids with food.
Isn't this an attractive offer for her who currently doesn't have a job?
"Then what about you?" Sarah asked, her expression changing with curiosity. "Are you going to stay here?"
"Of course!" said Michael clearly. Isn't that obvious?
"You can think of me as the landlord? I mean, think of it as a guest house where you have to live with the owner," Michael said, trying to make his brain work hard to find the right words for it.
He had never previously rented a place because he always bought it, so he had a little trouble finding the right words.
Sarah fell silent when she heard that, trying to think of Michael's offer.
Will the title of the novel, which used to be Cohabitation With My Ex-Husband, change to My Ex-Husband Is My Landlord?
Ahem~
"Please consider this carefully, Sarah. I still want to continue living with the kids. I've lost my five years, and two months is still not enough to make up for the lost time," Michael said, still trying to persuade Sarah when he saw the woman looked thoughtful and didn't refuse.
Sarah sighed when she heard Michael's desperate remark about it. After all, she did owe Michael for that.
"Okay, me and the kids will stay here for a while," Sarah said at last having made up her mind.
Michael's face immediately smiled when he heard that.
"And I'll still pay the rent," he continued.
She knew that paying Michael rent was stupid, but she didn't want to go into debt to Michael, or live with him for free again.
If so, aren't they just like husband and wife? They live together, and have children.
If she paid the rent, at least there was still a clear line between the two of them.
Michael nodded at that. He didn't really need Sarah's money, but he knew she would refuse if he told her not to pay him.
"By the way, what do you think about the Twins' school?" Sarah asked, trying to get back on topic again why she wanted to talk to Michael.
"Hmm… I really don't know, Sarah," Michael said desperately. "Like you said, we should find a school that is close and of course the best."
Sarah sighed, wasn't that obvious?
"Looks like you have a better idea than me, what do you think?" Michael asked with an awkward smile.
"Like you said, I was thinking of looking for the closest and the best, but I also plan to visit the school with the kids so they can see it and choose which school they like," Sarah explained.
She did the same for their kindergarten, and she plans to do it again for elementary school. She thought Michael at least had other ideas, but he didn't seem to.
Are all fathers like Michael? Well… Sarah didn't know, after all, she didn't have a father.
"Alright, that's a good plan. Let's just do that," Michael said, nodding in agreement.
As always, Sarah is a great Mom, and can be relied on!
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