My Ex Next Door

Novie widened her eyes and tried to compose herself. She\'s sleepy and exhausted but, the smell of coffee awaken her senses.

As the four of them took the first sip of their coffee, they all exhaled in pleasure at the same time.

After their little wedding charade at the church, they decided to go to Evan\'s house. Peyton and Daniella kept on bantering which made it hard for Saina and Novie to relax.

When Peyton\'s phone buzzed, she looked at it and suddenly laughed. They wondered and asked what was wrong.

Peyton showed them the video of Alexa standing on the table with a spatula and a flower in her hand and scolding her uncle Ken.

Novie shook her head as she watched Ken\'s reaction. The man wouldn\'t let a five-year-old kid win the argument. He keeps on making up an excuse to defend himself.

After some time, they finally arrived in the villa.

As they entered, Novie went straight to Ken who was sitting on the couch with Alexa on his lap and her small arms wrapped around his neck while Leo and Ethan fight over their father\'s attention.

"Finally you are here!" Ken got up and walked to their direction. As he reached them, the man handed Alexa to her mother.

"mommy. I think I am sick" Alexa complained in a faint voice and, buried her face to her mother\'s shoulder.

"Honey we will go to bed now ok?" Daniella replied while massaging Alexa\'s neck. Seconds later, the little girl\'s eyes shut down.

"Maybe they can sleep in our room" Evan got up, he carried his son in his arms and walked towards his wife\'s direction.

Novie was startled when she felt a warm breath next to her ear. She turned her face to her side and found Ken with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Where did you go?" he asked.

Novie gulped, unsure of what to say. As she was about to speak, Daniella called her name.

"Novie can you stay here tonight? It will be nice to have breakfast with you and of course, Saina too" Daniella said while her eyes switched between her and Saina.

–

After some time, Danny came and ran to his girlfriend. They all seated in the living room, quietly talking.

When Daniella came back with Evan. Her husband occupied the single sofa while she sits on the armchair.

"Brothers" Daniella called her siblings which made the two men look at her.

Novie gulped repeatedly. She didn\'t like the smile on Daniella\'s lips. She knows that the wedding was fake but, she married a woman and almost kiss her.

She lowered her head to the floor, afraid to see the disappointment on Ken\'s face.

"I have great news! So, my two dearest friends just got married" Daniella spoke in a bright drunk voice while her hands were cheering in excitement.

In the other side, Saina and Novie\'s face went pale.

"who?"

"I don\'t care Shorty."

Ken and Danny spoke at the same time.

Daniella paused and plastered a big smile on her lips.

"Saina and Novie," as she said those words. Daniella got up and hide behind the sofa where her husband was sitting.

The two men got up with their hands clenched in anger, shocked with what they discovered.

"what did you do?" Ken asked as he shuffled towards Daniella.

Danny stopped him from walking by placing a hand to his chest "let\'s calm down. For sure she has an explanation." Danny turned to his sister and faked a smile.

"right sister?" he asked.

Novie shut her eyes and decided to defend Daniella. It was their idea so, blaming Daniella alone is not fair.

"Look, we both decided it. OK? We were drunk. Peyton offered it and Daniella acted as the priest. It\'s fake, nothing serious," she stretched her hand to reach Ken\'s arm and pulled him to sit next to her.

The anger in Danny and Ken\'s face faded when they heard Novie\'s explanation. They relaxed and sat back next to their girlfriends.

"Wait! Is it your revenge?" Ken asked Daniella after some time. He suddenly remembered her warning for sending the triplets to the orphanage.

The woman went silent for a moment. When her lips slowly curved a smile, Ken realized that their issue was not done.

"Actually no, so it must be the karma," Daniella said with a smirk.

Hearing those words, Ken flattened his expression.

"It\'s fake Daniella so, it\'s not really karma" he answered back in mockery.

Daniella got up and held her husband hand who\'s been quiet all along.

"I can always bring them to Vegas to have a real wedding. Let\'s see who will shed tears" after Daniella said those words, she ran upstairs dragging her husband with her.

Novie shook her head in disbelief. The two were having a silly fight once again.

They all agreed that they will stay except Peyton who\'s living at Matthew\'s house next to Evan.

When Novie remembered how sweet Daniella\'s family was, a needle poke her heart. She felt envious that their family seemed so lovely together even though Daniella and her kids were drunk.

After she saw Danny and Saina walking upstairs leaving her and Ken alone, she turned around to face him and held his hand.

"Ken. Have you thought of having a kid?" she blurted. She never opened this topic but, just like Alexa. She suddenly had the courage to speak what she had in her mind.

There was a moment of silence before Ken emitted a sighed. His hand rested on her head and patted it twice.

"We can have this conversation tomorrow. Once the alcohol is out of your system" saying that, Ken wrapped an arm around her shoulder and went upstairs to look for a room.

--

The next morning.

Novie woke up when she felt her bed moving. She slowly opened her eyes and found Alexa jumping on the bed next to Ken who was sleeping so tight.

"Good morning aunt Novie" Alexa spoke in a bright tone as if she was not drunk yesterday.

(Whoa! No hangover? Really?) she got up from the bed and went straight to the bathroom, she didn\'t even bother to stop Alexa from jumping on the bed.

In the other side, after Alexa saw Novie leaving, a sneaky smile pasted on her lips. She prepared herself for a big jump and, as she was about to launch her uncle woke up.

"Uncle Ken wake up! I downloaded an app that can predict your lifespan and it says you only have thirty more years to live... ah!" Alexa let out a loud scream when her uncle pulled her body down to the bed and locked her around his arm.

"Let me go! Mommy is here. I will tell her that you call her a liar" as she said those words, her uncle let her go.

"You remember what you did last night?" he asked with his eyes narrowed in doubt.

Alexa avoided his eyes and spoke nervously.

"I remember what I want to remember, though it\'s vague, I remember you said my mother lied to me" Ken\'s face went poker as he heard those word. He squeezed her small body tightly which caused for her dress to wrinkled.

Alexa got up and patted her yellow floral dress. Ken just noticed it now but, Alexa\'s face was so similar to Daniella especially her eyes.

"you wrinkled my dress uncle" Alexa pouted after complaining.

Ken chuckled and shook his head. He has been awake since Alexa came but, he pretended to sleep and wait for Alexa to get tired and leave but, he realized that the girl has so much energy, she can jump on the bed for a whole year without a problem.

With his spirit fully back in his body, he grabbed Alexa\'s hand and started tickling her.

The little girl laughed, cried and begged for him to stop but, Ken doesn\'t have a plan to stop.

"Stop! uncle Ken, I can\'t breathe" Alexa complained but, Ken knows better that she\'s forging it.

"Ah! MOMMY!" Alexa\'s screamed on the top of her lungs which made Ken cover his ears. It was too screeched that he felt like his eardrums have been destroyed.

When Alexa stopped, the door opened and let out Daniella in her lingerie with a kiss mark on her neck.

Ken\'s face went pale when the woman glared at them.

"If you two don\'t stop this silly fight. I will lock you both in the basement" saying that, Daniella smashed the door closed.

Ken and Alexa looked at each other with confusion.

"What happened to mommy\'s neck?" the girl asked, confusion was on her face.

Ken blow a sighed and shook his head, disbelief with the situation.

"probably mosquito bite" he got up from the bed as he gave his response.

"mosquito? But it\'s so huge. Does mommy found a rare mosquito?" she asked innocently.

Ken wanted to laugh but, afraid that Alexa might misunderstand it as she was wearing a yellow headband showing her forehead.

"Yes, Lexi dear, a rare and big mosquito called Evan Su ." Saying that he carried Alexa and opened the door.

Alexa didn\'t complain. Instead, she wrapped her small arms around his neck.

"Daddy? I also saw some bites on Aunt Novie\'s shoulder. Did daddy bit her?" she asked once again in confusion.

Ken shut his eyes with all her question, he blows a sighed and removed her arms around his neck.

"Nope. I did it."

He put Alexa down and asked her to leave but, instead of walking away the girl glared at him with both hands rested on her hips.

"Uncle Ken this is my daddy\'s house. I will stay wherever I want" with the sharp look she\'s giving to him, Ken realized how much Alexa hated him now.

"I know this is your daddy\'s house but, today this is my room so I will close the door as I please" with those words, Ken slowly closed the door but, in the process he could hear Alexa\'s footstep walking away while her mouth was like an Armalite keeps on firing him a harsh words.

"Uncle Ken we are not done. No yet!" when he heard those words, he peeped his head out to look and found Alexa walking backward. Their eyes met and, the little girl stuck her tongue out to piss him off.

Ken widened his eyes when he saw Alexa walking back towards the table in the hallway. Before he could warn her, the little girl had bumped her body at the corner of the table.

The sour expression Alexa had in her face made him laugh. His laugh echoed in the hallway which made Alexa felt embarrassed.

Ken tried to walk to her direction to calm her but, the little girl took a step back and shouted.

"Mommy! Uncle Ken is laughing at me!"

Seconds later, Daniella stormed out from the master bedroom and switched her round eyes to them.

"What happened to both of you. You used to love each other" Daniella spoke in disbelief and went back to the master bedroom without letting them speak.

Ken emitted a long sighed and was startled with Novie\'s presence.

When he saw her done with her shower, disappointment flashed in his face.

"You didn\'t wait for me?" he asked but, Novie looked at him in disappointment.

"Ken she\'s five years old. Grow up" Novie glared at him and went back to the room to change.

Ken was puzzled with how everyone was treating him. When he looked back at Alexa, the girl was giving him a devilish smile.

He marched to her direction and, squatted on the floor when she reached her.

"Are you doing this on purpose? I thought I was your favorite uncle" he spoke in a hurtful tone.

Before he had the accident, he and Alexa were inseparable. They paired to tricked people and always went out to the park to have fun.

At that moment, the mischievous smile on Alexa\'s face evaporated. Her hand pulled the necklaces she had in her sling yellow bag and showed him the pendant.

Ken widened his eyes when he saw the first engagement ring he gave to Novie.

"Because you made mommy cried by throwing this" Ken could hear the pain in Alexa\'s words.

He remembered the ring and he knows that he threw it but, as soon as he got his memory back, he went back to the building to look after it but, he can\'t find it anywhere.

He wanted to explain himself but, the Alexa ran away before he could open his lips.

He got up and watched Alexa carefully running on the stairs. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint his family but he did. The guilt rushed to his body, imagining Daniella\'s face when she picked up the ring.

"oh God! What have I done" he murmured and went back to his room.

An hour later.

Novie and Ken went downstairs after the maid informed them that the breakfast was ready. They walked downstairs hand in hand while Novie told him what happened yesterday.

"I am planning to visit my parent tomorrow. Would you like to come?" Novie asked as they walked towards the kitchen.

Ken sighed and tightened the grip to her hand, she paused and turned to him with confusion.

"Is it fine if I will not go? I am planning to take Daniella out for dinner today to discuss some things and, probably apologize for throwing the ring"

Novie was stunned as she heard the guilt in his tone. She was not expecting for Ken to wave the flag first and she was proud and felt satisfied.

She gave him a sweet smile while caressing his cheeks.

"that sounds great. What happened? Does your silly fight with Alexa made you matured?" she teasingly said.

Ken shrugged a shoulder and caught her hand. His lips switched to each of her hand and, rain it with small kisses.

"You can say that. Please explain my situation to your parents all right?" he asked. Novie nodded and said it\'s fine.

When they entered the dining room, they found Nathan, Matthew, Peyton, Saina, and Danny sitting and chatting to each other while Evan was talking to Mark by the door and Daniella scolding her kids about the alcohol they drunk yesterday.

Novie twitched her lips and looked at Ken, hesitating if she should greet them or not. The man stared back and gave her a wary smile.

"Let\'s hope that we will survive this breakfast" as he said those words, Ken pulled a chair for her and she sat down.

When Novie roamed her eyes to the people sitting on the dining, she realized how big Evan\'s family is and it\'s not even everyone.

When the maid started serving the food, a boy whom she recognized to be Daniella\'s oldest son came with a suitcase.

"Oh my God my son is here" she could see Daniella rush towards Danny and embraced him tightly.

Novie looked at Ken to confirm if it\'s really Danny. After getting the confirmation, her eyebrow rose by itself.

Danny was like his mother\'s other half. His eyes were similar to Daniella while his bronzed skin must be from his father. The boy had glasses on but, even so, he looked cute and smart.

Daniella was acting as if Danny just came back from war as a soldier. She shook her head as she watched Daniella dragged her son and asked him to sit next to the triplets.

"Alexa, take this monkey out of the dining" Daniellas ordered Alexa.

Novie\'s forehead furrowed in confusion, she could not find anything or anyone sitting on the empty chair beside Alexa.

When Alexa\'s hand gestured to picked something from the chair, her eyes widened in surprise. There was indeed a monkey sitting on the empty chair but, she didn\'t notice it since it was too small.

The little girl pouted and, handed the animal to the maid.

"Be careful please she\'s my best friend" the maid nodded and carefully carried the monkey out of the dining room.

The table was full of laughter and chattering. The fight between Matthew and, Daniella while they\'re eating was hilarious that Novie finds it hard to swallow her food.

In the other side. Alexa chewed on her food with her narrowed eyes glaring at her uncle Ken.

When Ken could no longer hold the watchful eyes of Alexa, he lowered his fork down and looked back at her.

"Why are you staring at me?" as he asked that question, everyone\'s eyes went to Alexa who is still staring at Ken.

"did you like the bacon?" she asked.

Ken nibbled on his lower lips to stop himself from smiling. He realized the reason behind Alexa\'s question.

"yes, I do" saying that, he grabbed another bacon from the platter and chewed it while staring at her.

"hm, this bacon is so crunchy. It reminds me of the steak I had in my party" he tauntingly said.

With the rage he saw at Alexa\'s face, he could not help but, pester her more.

The playful smile he had on his face disappeared when he felt someone pinching his leg. He turned to his right and found Novie glaring at him.

"what?" he asked dumbly.

Novie leaned closer to whisper, "Ken, she\'s five years old" she reminded him once again.

Ken cleared his throat and continue with his food.

"that\'s fine Aunt Novie. I am not going to eat any meat from now on. I will be a vegetarian just like Selena" Alexa said and, bite her sandwich.

Ken rose an eyebrow when he saw what the little girl was eating.

"Vegetarian? You\'re eating a turkey sandwich" when he said those words, Alexa graciously lowered her sandwich and sipped on her juice.

"Fine, then from tomorrow I will be vegetarian" she replied. The little girl took some bacon and mimicked his tone earlier.

"This bacon is indeed crunchy and tasty uncle Ken" Alexa\'s eyes were glowing in black as she stared at her uncle. She might not have noticed it, but everyone could see how pissed off she was.

When Novie finished her food, she found Ken and Alexa staring at each other and, racing silently who can eat more bacon.

When the last piece left, the two rushed to take it but, Daniella grabbed it first and glared at them.

"One more fight and, I will send you both to Sahara. Let\'s see who can survive" Daniella spoke in a deep voice and, thrust the bacon to Evan\'s mouth without a warning.

Ken sneered and wiped his mouth.

"Shorty. It\'s your daughter who said she will not invite me to her wedding"

Both Novie and Daniella glared at him which made him shut his lips.

"Don\'t worry uncle Ken I will invite you to my wedding," Leo said with a big smile on his face.

Ken softened his expression and smile back at him.

"Thank you, Leo"

"Stephanie" when Leo blurted a woman name, everyone looked at him in confusion.

"who\'s Stephanie?" Daniella asked.

"my future wife. I will find a woman named Stephanie and marry her" Leo spoke and sucked on the spoon he had while fantasizing.

Her brother Nathan who is sitting next to him suddenly hit his head. Leo glared at Ethan with his hand massaging his head.

"I was the one who told you about Stephanie. Mommy! Leo stole my future girlfriend\'s name" Ethan grumbled to his mother in a beaten voice.

When Ken looked at Daniella, the woman was not bothered by the scene. Instead, her eyes were focused at Evan, busy whispering to each other.

In the other side, Novie shook her head in unbelief. The two boys started quarreling about a non-existed girl name, Stephanie.

When she turned to Daniella and found her sternly talking to her husband, she sighed and decided to stop the two boys before they stab each other with a butter knife.

"Leo, Ethan. Why are you fighting over a girl who doesn\'t even exist" she expressed, hoping the two boys will understand her point.

In the other side, Matthew exploded and, called out Daniella.

"Hey! Daniella. Did you hear your son?" the laugh Matthew had vanished when Daniella throws him a deadly look.

Novie bit her lips to hide her smile. Ethan and Leo kept on arguing about Stephanie while Alexa didn\'t remove her sharp look at Ken.

Danny and Saina were quiet all along while Matthew and Peyton keep on flirting to each, not minding the kids around.

"Alexa stop staring at me as if I murdered someone you love. I mean I know you love bacon but, they are already dead when the maid cooked it" Ken spoke.

"Didn\'t you ran over her dog?" when Matthew blurted those words, everyone looked at Alexa. Her round eyes glaring at Ken slowly narrowed in anger.

"You\'re the driver who ran over Brownie?" tears formed in her eyes as she speaks in a shattered voice.

"It was an accident!" Ken defended himself.

Alexa shook her head that caused her tears to drop on the table.

"Mommy! Is it true? "Alexa turned to her mother and asked.

Daniella sighed while her expression went poker.

"Yes honey but, don\'t worry because your uncle will go to Siberia this weekend to get you a new one, right Ken?" when Daniella looked at him, he realized he couldn\'t say no. Not because of Daniella\'s round eyes looking at him intensely but, by the Swiss army knife, she took out from her bra and played around her finger.

Instead of replying, Ken shifted his eyes to Novie sitting beside him.

" Do you want to go Dog-Shopping?" Ken asked. Novie was silent for a moment but, later nodded and smiled.

As they were about to finish the breakfast, a loud scream followed by Selena\'s figure entered the kitchen. She had her jammies on and messed up hair as if she just finished a fight.

Her father Nathan got up from his chair and walked towards her in worry.

"daddy! Anders is gone!" she spoke in disbelief. Her worried expression made his estate looked vulnerable.

Nathan rested both hands on her shoulder and leaned closer with dramatic eyes.

"I know. Did he said something to you?" he asked.

Selena nodded absently.

"Yes. I was about to go to the bathroom when I received his voicemail. He confessed to me, daddy. He loves me" Selena\'s eyes went round in emotion as she speaks.

Out of nowhere, they heard Matthews voice saying, "well at least it\'s a confession, not a break up" he spoke in a bitter tone.

The next thing they saw was Peyton tugging on Matthew\'s ears and says, "It\'s been 10 years honey, move on. Daniella has a family and you\'re dining with them" Matthew groaned in pain after Peyton repeatedly tugged on his ear.

Everyone shifted their eyes back to Selena and ignored the tortured Matthew was suffering.

"How do you feel when you heard it?" Nathan meddled.

Selena went silent, seconds later she pulled her arms from her father\'s grip and, gesture to walk away.

"daddy I need to go," she said in hurry.

"No Selena. You can\'t follow Anders. Kirby is your boyfriend!" Nathan warned her.

Selena rose an eyebrow and, looked at her father with confusion all over her face.

"What are you talking about?" Selena tried so hard to take her arm from her father but, the man was gripping it so tightly.

"Do you have feelings for Anders?" Nathan asked once again.

Everyone in the dining room stared at Selena and wait for her answer while Leo and Ethan keep on fighting over Stephanie.

"I don\'t know daddy. All I know is that I need to go. My bladder is about to explode" saying that, Selena stormed out of the dining.

Nathan\'s body frost, thinking that he could finally help his daughter and give her relationship advise but, it turns out that she only cares about her bathroom problem.

He turned around and went back to his chair. When he looked at Daniella, the woman was staring at him deeply.

"I think you should call Kierry. She needs a mother right now"

When Daniella said those words, Nathan got up and walked out. On the way, he saw Mark running towards the dining with a serious face.

"Mrs. Su. The school is on fire"

Everyone in the dining was stunned to hear the news from Mark. One after another, people that was sitting in the dining started questioning him. Some took their phones out to read the news while the maid turned on the television on.

Before Daniella could get up from her chair, Alexa slammed her small hands on the table and, looked at Mark in shock.

The whole place went silent when Alexa shouted \'QUIET\'.

"Mark, what about my project? I left it in my locker, Mr. Dylan will scold me if I miss another project. Oh gosh! I spent five hours arranging the digestive system of that mannequin" after saying that, she rushed out of the dining room scratching her hair as if she just went bankrupt.

Daniella shook her head in disbelief and looked back at Mark.

"Any casualties?" she asked, one hand massaging her head while Evan caressed her back to calm her down.

Mark shook his head with his eyes following Alexa.

"Yup, Alexa\'s mannequin"