Chapter 115 Now You’re Pleased?
The next day, Monday, Teresa headed to the university.
As she raised her right hand to write on the blackboard, a sharp-eyed student immediately noticed the ring on her finger; it was the very same one Gabriel had posted on Twitter the day before.
Some users suggested that the ring must be a unique creation by a famous luxury jewelry brand's lead designer, one-of-a-kind in the world.
Since it was the only pair, could it mean that Teresa was Gabriel's beloved, the love of his life?
Once the students snapped out of their surprise, they covered their mouths in utter shock. And then, while Teresa had her back turned to everyone, busy writing on the blackboard again, they stealthily whipped out a smartphone and took a whole bunch of photos, zooming in on the ring on her ring finger with crystal clear precision.
Without skipping a beat, the photos were sent out, captioned in feigned astonishment with "Mrs. Gabriel's wedding ring is on our teacher's finger?!"
Within minutes of the post going live, Finley got wind of it and rushed to report to Gabriel.
Gabriel was supposed to be in a meeting with a few vice presidents, but when he saw the photo and message a student had posted on Twitter, plus the pot-stirring comments that immediately followed, he couldn't help but curve his thin lips into a slight smirk.
"Boss, should we block this post?" Finley asked, trying to gauge Gabriel's thoughts.
"Not necessary. Take no action,” Gabriel grinned, set down his tablet, and got up, "Just make sure Teresa's security is notified to ensure her safety." Reaching behind his chair, he retrieved his suit jacket and gave the order, "Tell Skylar to cancel my next meeting and get the car ready. We're heading to Northern River University."
"Right away, Boss." Finley wasn't sure what Gabriel had in mind but nodded and went to carry out his order.
In the language school, Teresa was deeply engrossed in giving her lectures. As soon as the dismissal bell rang and she concluded her lecture, students swarmed around her and cut straight to the chase, "Teresa, are you married? Your ring is pretty and unique."
Teresa looked down at her ring and smiled. "Yeah, I'm married."
How could she have forgotten to take off her ring before class?
"Teresa, look, isn't this your hand, your ring?" another student chimed in, pulling up Gabriel's viral Twitter post from yesterday and grinning eagerly at Teresa.
That post, Gabriel's first and only, was blowing up the internet. It was still dominating the trending charts that day, its views nearly hitting 300 million, leaving the second trending spot in the dust by miles.
Caught by surprise at the image from yesterday's post, Teresa’s face flushed with a tinge of embarrassment. Just as she was pondering what to say, Terry burst in and called out to her, "Teresa, class is over, right? The Head of Department is looking for you; says it's urgent."
The moment Terry spoke, Teresa let out a sigh of relief and immediately replied, "Okay, got it. I'm on it."
Teresa hurriedly finished up by summarizing the main ideas her students were supposed to concentrate on in that lesson.
It wasn't that she didn't want to acknowledge being Gabriel's wife; it was just that she preferred to avoid unnecessary attention and keep a low profile. Otherwise, she feared that she might not find an empty seat in her own classroom in the future.
"Did the Head really want to see me?" Teresa asked with a smile as she stepped into the elevator with Terry.
"No, I just didn't want you to get mobbed and put in an awkward spot," Terry admitted with a glance her way.
Teresa returned the smile and said, "Thanks, Terry. I appreciate it."
"You don't have to play it down so much, you know. Eventually, everyone will get used to it," Terry said with a chuckle.
It wouldn't be long before Teresa's ties to the prestigious Bennett and Garcia families would become public knowledge at this rate.
Teresa nodded. "You're probably right. It may be not as complicated as I think. Perhaps I'm just not used to it."
Not used to Gabriel's public displays of affection and lavish attention.
"If your identity does come out, though, you'll probably get special treatment from the academy. It will bring its own set of problems," Terry mused.
Teresa just smiled and said nothing, as the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival on the ground floor. They stepped out, one after the other.
"Still heading to the main entrance? I'll walk you there," Terry offered as they strolled side by side out of the building, recalling Teresa's incident with the motorbike last week.
"No need," Teresa began, "I can't be that unlucky to get hit by..."
Snap! Snap! Snap!
In the middle of Teresa's sentence, as they emerged from the academic building, a tidal wave of journalists with cameras rushed toward her, their lenses all trained on her, firing off photo after photo.
Caught off guard by such an onslaught for the first time, Teresa instinctively raised her hand to shield her face and turned away.
Seeing the commotion, Terry stepped in front of her, blocking the blinding flashes meant for her.
"Hi, Teresa, we're with XX Magazine. You're from the Bennett, right? During your lecture today, a student snapped a photo where the ring on your right ring finger appears to be identical to the wedding band that Gabriel, the CEO of Nebula Consumer Products, showcased yesterday with his wife. Does this mean you're Mrs. Garcia?" In a frenzy, the journalists swarmed Teresa, bombarding her with questions in rapid succession.
"Teresa, we understand you've only recently finished your studies and returned. When did you and Gabriel get together and get married?"
"Teresa, you're a part of the Bennett Group and married to Gabriel of Nebula Consumer Products. Given his adoration for you and the fact that you are well-to-do yourself, why opt to teach at Northern River University?"
