Chapter 217 Will She Regret Walking Away?
"Sir, your phone." Halfway through brushing the horse, the housekeeper hurried over with Gabriel’s constantly buzzing cellphone.
As Gabriel continued to groom his horse, he glanced over and caught a glimpse of the name "William" flashing on the screen. He didn't take the call. Instead, he ordered, "Don't bother me again."
He knew exactly why William was calling; there was no doubt he was trying to mediate a reconciliation.
But whatever issues he had with Teresa weren't the kind anyone else could help resolve.
If Teresa really did have something with Terry, even if she was willing to apologize to him, there was no way he could accept it.
Seeing Gabriel's stern demeanor, the housekeeper was reluctant to disturb him further and quietly stepped aside with his phone.
William had called twice and Gabriel had not returned his calls. He was going to try again, but then, he paused and gave up.
Gabriel was most likely ignoring his calls on purpose. If he had simply not heard, he would have surely called back once he noticed the missed calls.
Gabriel wasn't a petulant man. This deliberate leak of a scandal with Kay Baxter was probably meant to provoke Teresa, likely hoping to make her jealous.
So, he decided to step back and let the couple sort things out on their own.
Putting his phone down, William leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and was suddenly taken back to his college days overseas, recalling his first encounter with Hayden's charming and lovely demeanor.
Back then, she was twenty-two, seated by the window of a coffee shop, with a cup of coffee and a slice of tiramisu in front of her.
Even though there was a spoon on the plate for her to eat the tiramisu, she still chose to scoop a piece up with her finger, savoring it slowly and then licking the creamy residue clean off her finger.
That gesture was not only endearing and cute but also full of allure.
However, the thought was quickly replaced by the memory of Hayden’s cold and resolute demeanor, chilling William’s mood.
Hayden had once said that she would rather fall in love with a homeless person than have any affection for him.
Words, once spoken, are like milk spilled.
People would eventually have to pay the price for their words and actions!
...
"Mommy, time to wake up and have breakfast."
In the Bennett house, Teresa had lain in bed for an extra half-hour as the pain in her lower abdomen slowly subsided and became less intense.
As she was drifting back to sleep, Sophia walked in with Croissant. He jumped onto the bed and smothered her with kisses while his little hands cupped her face.
"Teresa, you've been asleep for almost a whole day now, time for you to get up and eat something," Sophia said, sitting down beside her on the bed and lovingly pushing some tangled strands of hair behind her ear.
"Mom, kiddo," Teresa woke, lifting the corners of her mouth into a faint smile and nodded.
"Here, let me get you some clothes," said Sophia, as she stood up to get an outfit for Teresa. After Teresa freshened up, they descended the stairs together for dinner.
It wasn't until they were seated in the well-lit dining room that Sophia noticed Teresa's complexion hadn't improved after her nap; if anything, her face seemed even more pale.
"Teresa, are you okay? You look so pale," Sophia quickly reached out to touch Teresa's forehead.
No fever. Her temperature was normal.
Teresa shook her head, "Mom, I'm fine, just a bit under the weather with my period."
She was a few days late. Perhaps the recent stress was to blame, causing a delay. It had happened before when her mood had affected her cycle.
"That's a relief." sighed Sophia, who then promptly served Teresa a bowl of the homemade chicken soup she had just prepared, "Here, drink this soup to warm up. Later I'll have the housekeeper make you some energy drinks; it'll make you feel better."
"Okay," Teresa nodded, handing Michael a piece of pork rib and watching him enjoy it before she started eating as well.
Despite her appetite not improving, Teresa tried to eat the food that her excellent cook had prepared which were all her favorites.
Patrick and Sophia, worried she might get sick like she did in the morning if she ate too much, so they didn't pressure her to eat more.
After dinner, Teresa, not feeling like doing much, snuggled into the couch in the upstairs lounge, idly watching international news on TV while playing with Michael.
"Teresa, here, drink this," Sophia said, handing her a glass of energy drink that the housekeeper had prepared.
"Thanks," Teresa took it from her and had some sip.
"Teresa, honey, do you trust Gabriel?" Sophia asked, finally taking this opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation as she sat down beside her.
Trust Gabriel?
Teresa froze mid-motion, hesitating for just a moment before looking at Sophia with a wry smile, "Mom, whether I believe in him or not doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that he doesn't want to continue with me."
Otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately leaked rumors about him and Kay Baxter, causing such a stir by making headlines.
Teresa knew Gabriel's intentions were transparent enough to show her and the whole world that she wasn't special to him, that she could easily be replaced, and that’s why he embarrassed her publicly.
It would have been a simple thing for Gabriel to silence the media with just a word if he had wanted to.
What he did behind closed doors, whether affairs or something else, who would know?
"Teresa, tell me the truth," Sophia said, looking into her eyes while gently caressing her pale face, "What happened between you and Gabriel?"
Teresa shook her head, avoiding Sophia's gaze, "Mom, let's not talk about it. Even if Gabriel and I don't split now, it's bound to happen eventually."
"Why?" Sophia pressed on.
