Chapter 256
Gabriel was supposed to come along, but he decided to stay back to be with Teresa. He had called off a string of critical meetings and events and sent Raymond in his stead to the rest.
When the call was made, it was answered promptly, but not by Raymond—it was his secretary.
“Mrs. Garcia. Raymond is in a meeting. Can I help relay a message for you?” said the secretary.
“It’s urgent. Can he take the call?” Teresa replied.
“Just a moment, Mrs. Garcia. Let me inform him,” the secretary responded.
“Okay.” Teresa nodded, anxiety etched on her face as she waited.
“Hey, Teresa,” Raymond’s warm voice came through after about half a minute.
“Dad, something’s wrong with Gabriel,” blurted out Teresa, her concern overriding any formalities.
“What?!” Raymond’s voice came back shocked, “What’s going on, Teresa?”
If Mason adored his grandson, then Raymond’s love for his son Gabriel was equally profound, albeit rarely displayed outwardly over the years.
“Dad, Gabriel’s been having fevers and sweating a lot, and he’s lost weight. I found a lymph node the size of a peanut on his neck this morning. So, we called our family doctor, who took his blood for tests. Then we went to the hospital for a bone marrow biopsy,” Teresa recounted, regaining her composure.
“And the diagnosis?” Raymond asked urgently.
“He’s got malignant lymphoma, Dad. It’s already in the intermediate stage.”
“What?!” Again, the shock in Raymond’s voice was palpable as he staggered, caught just in time by his quick-reacting secretary.
“Malignant lymphoma?!” After steadying himself with help from his secretary, Raymond needed confirmation, “Are you sure, Teresa? When did you find out?”
Teresa’s eyes began to tear up despite her efforts to stay strong, “Yes, Dad, it’s confirmed. We just got the results from the marrow test.”
On the other end, Raymond was silent upon hearing the confirmation—the weight of the news seemed to age him in seconds.
Even when he knew Mason was at the end, he had never seemed so burdened.
“Dad?” Teresa called gently after a prolonged silence from Raymond.
“Teresa, don’t worry too much. I’m getting in touch with the best oncologist right now, and we’ll have Gabriel consulted first thing in the morning.” Having weathered many storms in his life, Raymond quickly regained his composure and set about comforting Teresa.
“Okay, thanks, Dad.” Teresa nodded. “I’m heading over to Capital Construction to head home with Gabriel.”
....
At the Capital Construction skyscraper, in the CEO’s penthouse office, Teresa arrived to find Gabriel standing in front of the bulletproof floor-to-ceiling windows, on the phone. His tall frame was silhouetted against the dying light of the winter afternoon, basking him in a warm glow.
“Honey.”
Teresa watched him for a moment and then walked up, wrapping her arms around him from behind and pressing her cheek against his broad back, murmuring gently.
Gabriel ended his call, put down his phone, and turned around. His fingers gently lifted her chin as he leaned in to kiss her lips, and he asked, “Did you get the results?”
Looking up at him, it was clear he knew about the diagnosis before she did.
“Honey, can we check into the hospital tomorrow, please?” Teresa asked with a mix of coquettishness and pleading.
“Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you say.” Gabriel didn’t want to add to Teresa’s worries and agreed without hesitation, smiling, “Finally, I can enjoy being pampered by my sweetheart for a while.”
Lymphoma in its mid-stages wasn’t insurmountable, and Gabriel was far from frightened.
“What do you mean by that?” Teresa chided him playfully, reaching around to pinch him through his thin shirt.
“Ouch!” Gabriel exaggerated pain, grabbing Teresa’s hand and bringing it to his lips for a kiss, “Sweetheart, I’m the patient here. How can you be so rough?”
“What’s the big deal?” Teresa replied with a raised eyebrow and a teasing tone, “If you don’t recover soon, I’ll keep on pinching you until you’re healed...”
Before she could finish, Gabriel leaned in and kissed her.
....
Teresa stayed in the office with Gabriel until he finished up his work, and then they both left for the Garcia family house.
Michael bounded up to them as they arrived, joyfully exclaiming, “Daddy, Mommy!”
Gabriel scooped up his son and kissed him. The family of three stepped into the house to play together.
Honestly, since getting married, Gabriel has devoted most of his time to his wife, Teresa, and his son, Michael. He was an exceptional husband and father. Seeing Michael perched on Gabriel’s shoulders, roughhousing as if they were two schoolboys, Teresa felt an indescribable sense of joy and contentment.
From the day she was born, the Bennett family’s fortunes had begun to rise. Her father, Patrick, always believed that her arrival brought the family good luck. As a result, she’d grown up cherished, never experiencing hardship, fatigue, or financial woes. She had never felt much about her privileged life.
But now, watching her husband and son, Teresa was deeply grateful.
She was grateful to have such a brilliant and adorable son and a perfect and considerate partner.
All she desired now was for her loved ones to be healthy and safe. Nothing else mattered.
The house was quiet without Mason and Raymond around, leaving only the housekeepers, the three family members, and Katherine.
Katherine seemed cheerful, still unaware of Gabriel’s health issues.
Teresa decided to keep the news to herself for now, not wanting to worry Katherine as well.
Unexpectedly, however, around seven in the evening, just before dinner, Mason and Raymond returned home.
“Grandpa, Dad,” Teresa greeted them, rising to her feet.
“Great Grandpa, Grandpa!” Michael called out excitedly from atop Gabriel’s neck.
Katherine emerged from the kitchen, surprised to see Raymond. “Raymond, didn’t you say you wouldn’t be back for a couple of days? What brings you home so soon?”
