My Ex Next Door

After the class ended, Novie tried to search for the triplets but they suddenly vanished. Her eyebrow wrinkled in confusion.

(Did their father picked them up?) she asked herself.

Inside the quiet classroom, Novie dialed her boyfriend's number but he was not answering. She sighed and thought if she should call her father but decided not too.

(He will be fine right?) she asked in her mind.

She got up and collected all the books on her desk and left the classroom. While walking in the hallway, she saw the Principal walking in her direction.

Her eyes swelled, she immediately took her phone out and pretended to talk to someone.

"Yes, you can pick me up. Oh! Are you outside… wait for me" she vocalized in a full voice to let John hear it when they almost reach each other, Novie immediately run in a rapid speed as if she's a rabbit being chased by a lion.

After she got out of the gate, she clenched her chest, shortage of air.

"Hi Novie" a voice spoke from her side, her heart hammered when she thought that John might have followed her.

"Hey, you all right?" the voice again, Novie raised her face and saw the triplets with their Uncle Matthew.

"Matthew!" she called his name in a shocked tone. The man tittered and stretched his arm.

"The one and only, Now give me a big huge" he smiled broadly.

Novie move closer to him with uncertainty, she was never close to Matthew but since the man was so nice to her before, she decided to give him a hug.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in confusion.

The man shrugged his shoulder and glanced at the triplets.

"Someone anger the witch so she asked me to babysit the triplets. I believe the culprit was Ken since Daniella keep cursing, yelling, throwing and smashing the whole villa" Matthew rustled to her ear, Novie widened her eyes in shock, unaware the Ken has so much impact on Daniella.

"Is she going to be fine?" Novie asked in concern.

Matthew swept a hair away from his face and shook his head.

"You should be more concerned of the people around her" Matthew pauses and his eyes linger behind her, his expression distorts in a puzzle.

"Novie, can we talk?" Novie's shoulder jumped when she heard the familiar voice, she whirled around and saw John.

She bites her lips and about to refuse when she felt a hand over her shoulder.

"No, you can't" it was Matthew, he pulled her body closer to him and took her hand and wrapped it around his waist.

"Who are you?" John asked, his expression closed up.

"I am her boyfriend, who are you?" Matthew snarled in a rude tone.

John crossed his arms and focused at Matthew, "I am the Principal here. I thought your boyfriend was Ken Chu?" John shifted his eyes to Novie and asked.

"Ken is her fiance and I am her boyfriend so as you can see, she already have two men. I don't think she can handle more" Saying that, Matthew held her hand and drag her out of the gate, leaving the triplets.

John watched the two as they left when he lowered his eyes, he saw the triplets glaring at him particularly Alexa.

"What's your problem?" he asked in a serious tone to scare them away.

Alexa crossed her little arms and looked at Leo, and without talking Leo went behind John and he felt a pain in his leg.

"What's that?" he asked the boy and look behind to check his legs but there was nothing in there.

He looked back and saw the triplets running towards Matthew.

(Damn those kids) John curses inside.

In the car, Novie saw the three kids rushing to their direction, she seated in the passenger seat while Matthew fixes the seatbelt of the triplets.

"Matthew, how long are you going to stay here?" she asked after the man started the car.

Matthew looked at her and smiled.

"Until Ken apologizes to Daniella, I am not going back to my house which is just next to Evan's villa and get scolded every day by her. Evan and Peyton are the only people who can stand her" Matthew shook his head as he speaks.

"Oh yeah, how are you and Peyton?" Novie asked. Before she left the Villa, she heard from Daniella that Matthew and Peyton will get married.

Novie waited for Matthew's answer while checking on her phone. when the man didn't answer, she looked at him and saw the sadness in his eyes. It's different than the expression he had earlier.

"Hey" she tried to get his attention

Matthew cleared his throat and looked at her, "Peyton is fine, she often calls me to meet up" he briefly answered and focused his eyes on the road.

At that moment, Novie realized that there might be something wrong between Peyton and Matthew but she chose to keep quiet, thinking it was not her business.

After they reached the house, Novie got down to unlock the triplets seatbelt.

"Aunt Novie, can you carry me?" Alexa asked while making a cute face. Novie chuckled awkwardly and thought if she can carry her, her body is petite and she's afraid that her short arms are not enough to carry Alexa.

"Stop it, Alexa, you're too fat" Matthew blurted while having Leo in his arm.

Novie looked at Alexa who's face darkened, even the light outside could not brighten her face.

"Stop calling her fat Uncle Matt, " Leo said and immediately bite Matthew's shoulder.

"ugh " Matthew groaned, he tried to remove Leo's mouth from biting his shoulder but the boy was like a dog, he's afraid that if he pushes more, his skin might rip.

"fine…fine. I'm sorry Alexa. Your thin and sexy" Matthew blurted, if he doesn't take his words back, Leo will spend the rest of his life bitting him.

The moment Alexa's expression softened, Leo release his shoulder, Matthew looked at the boy and saw the smile in his face

"Sorry uncle Matt but mommy said I need to protect Alexa from bullies like you" Matthew poker his face, even without Daniella in his side, the woman knows how to torture him.

"Let's go," Novie said and opened the gate.

"So Matthew. How long are you going to stay here?" she asked as they walked to her house, Alexa was walking beside Ethan while Leo was still on Matthew's arm, wrapping his short arms around Matthew's neck like a monkey.

The man shrugged his shoulder.

"until your boyfriend apologized to his sister. I am not going back to my house knowing that the witch is angry" Novie could see Matthew's skin crawled.