Chapter 78 Want a Kick?
"Don't you dare leave!" Yvonne's angry command stopped Teresa just as she turned, "Teresa, today you need to stay and clear the air with us."
"What in the world, Yvonne?" Tyler, who had been sitting aside, could no longer bear it.
"Shut up!" Yvonne was seething with rage, her voice thunderous as she lashed out at Tyler. Her venomous gaze then shot back towards Teresa, "Teresa, you've really outdone yourself, haven't you? Seducing Gabriel, tossing aside my son, and then scampering off to tie the knot with the guy. And now, you've got the nerve to push my son to resign from all his positions at the company and cut ties with the Evans family. Just what are you..."
"Mom, that's enough!"
The door slammed shut mid-tirade as Liam interrupted her with a roar.
Teresa stood petrified, shuddering at the interruption.
"Still don't get why I left the company and why I've distanced myself from the Evans family?" Liam's eyes blazed as he stared down Yvonne. Bulging veins throbbed on his forehead. In the next instant, however, his laughter was laced with scorn, "It's because of you, not Teresa."
"What... Liam, what are you saying?" Yvonne gasped in utter disbelief.
"Isn't it?" Liam sneered, his eyes reddening. "Mom, I'm a person, not some puppet you can manipulate. Every single thing about me, haven't you always controlled it? I've had enough."
"Me, controlling you?!" Yvonne's fury peaked, "Liam, tell me, when have I ever done you wrong? When haven't I given you the best, always with your interests at heart? Yet, you've fallen under Teresa's spell, she's been leading you by the nose."
Teresa stood by the door, watching Liam's pain, filled with self-reproach. She lowered her head, closed her eyes, and in a whisper, admitted, "It's true I've wronged Liam. But Yvonne, you don't have to keep shifting the blame onto me. I'm not as formidable as you say."
"You son of…"
"That's enough!" Yvonne was about to scold Teresa when Liam cut her off with another roar, his declaration unwavering, "Mom, this may very well be the last time I call you that. From tomorrow on, I'll have nothing to do with Evans Group or the Evans family. And stop blaming Teresa. She hasn't done anything wrong. If anything, I owe her."
Turning to Teresa, his face softened, rage giving way to a gentle smile, "Teresa, I'm sorry. You should go ahead."
Teresa looked at him, her head gently shaking. Then, from her pocket, she took out a ring and took his hand, placing the ring in his palm. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm giving this back to you. Someday, it'll grace the hand of the woman who truly deserves your love."
Liam's lips curled into a bittersweet smile as he gazed at the ring nestled in his hand, choosing to remain silent.
"I'm leaving now." Teresa's words hung in the air as she turned on her heel, flung open the door, and walked out with determined strides.
Liam watched her go, his grip tightening around the ring.
Once outside the Evans Group building, Teresa felt a tightness in her chest.
She hadn't expected that in the end, Liam would actually part ways with the Evans family.
Perhaps if it weren't for her, Liam and his mother might not have ended up like this.
But what could she do now, with things as they were?
Just then, the buzzing of her cell phone in her pocket interrupted her thoughts. It was Diana calling. She quickly answered.
"Teresa, where are you? I've been busy around these days. It drove me nuts. I'm finally free today. Where's Patrick? Which hospital is he at? I want to pay a visit."
Diana's voice was a comfort to Teresa. She got into her car and relayed the hospital information to Diana, including the room number. They chatted briefly before ending the call.
Soon after Teresa arrived at the hospital, Diana followed.
After they visited Patrick, it was noon, and Sophia insisted on taking Teresa and Diana out for lunch.
In the three years Teresa and Diana had been abroad, having Diana there for her had been a wonderful helper, and that's why both she and her family held special affection and kindness towards her.
"Why didn't you bring Croissant to the hospital?" Diana inquired as they left the hospital room.
Teresa furrowed her brows in thought and answered honestly, "The Garcia family took him."
"The Garcias?" Diana looked puzzled. "Who are they? Some relatives of yours?"
"Gabriel," Teresa clarified with a shake of her head.
"Gabriel?" Diana frowned, puzzled for a moment. Then realization dawned, and her eyes widened in shock. "You mean... you're talking about... Unity's husband? The Gabriel of Capital Construction and Nebula Consumer Products?"
"Yes," Teresa nodded. "Gabriel and Unity divorced two years ago."
"What... What did you say, Teresa? I'm all mixed up here. What's going on?" Diana asked, her face a picture of utter confusion.
"Let's get in the car, and I'll explain everything on the road," Teresa said with a nod.
Diana nodded and promptly took Teresa downstairs, and as they got into the car, she eagerly awaited Teresa's explanation, eager for gossip.
Teresa, looking straight at her, laid out the entire story without holding anything back, telling it all in detail.
After hearing everything, Diana was so stunned that she was momentarily speechless, taking almost half a minute to regain her composure before asking hesitantly, "So... Liam just stepped aside like that, leaving you and Gabriel to be together?"
"Yeah," Teresa nodded again, choosing to remain silent on anything more.
Diana let out a deep sigh, "I feel like Liam is so noble, yet... so pitiful."
Teresa remained silent.
"So now, you're officially Mrs. Garcia of the Garcia family, and Croissant is a Garcia?" Diana looked at Teresa with piercing curiosity.
"Yes," Teresa confirmed with a nod. "Aside from our families, you're the only one I've talked about Gabriel and me getting our marriage certificate. Let's keep it between us for now."
Diana pursed her lips and nodded, then pressed on, "Teresa, honestly, who do you have more feelings for right now, Liam or Gabriel?"
"I..." Teresa was truly at a loss for words. "I guess I have a greater fondness for Croissant... and myself."
It was complicated. As for Liam, any affection that might have lingered was now overshadowed by a sense of guilt more than anything else. And her feelings for Gabriel? The resentment had faded away to the point where his embraces and kisses no longer repelled her.
She couldn't quite sort out her feelings for Liam and Gabriel, but one thing was crystal clear: she could live perfectly well without either man, but a life without Croissant was simply unthinkable.
Alright! Diana rolled her eyes at Teresa, then suddenly added, "No wonder Unity has been laying low on social media and hasn't been seen these past two years. I can't believe she was kicked out of the Garcia family, and yet she still had the nerve and tactics to pull something like that! To think she'd be bold enough to pose as you, to pick up some random kid and pass him off as the Garcias' child. With a family like the Garcias, lineage is everything; I can't fathom how she thought she’d get away with it."
Teresa was speechless.
"Do you think Unity knows about Croissant and Gabriel recognizing each other?" Diana inquired further.
Teresa shook her head, "She better not find it out."
"But you can't keep it a secret forever. Sooner or later, your identity as the young Mrs. Garcia is going to come out." Diana raised her eyebrows teasingly. "Look at how Unity lived it up as Mrs. Garcia, how many people were green with envy."
Again, Teresa was speechless.
"Anyway, Croissant finally found his real dad, and such a powerful one at that. Let's see who dares to look down on him or gossip now," Diana mumbled to herself.
Just then, Teresa's phone rang — the caller was Gabriel.
Seeing this, Diana couldn't help but chuckle, "Checking in on you?"
Teresa gave her a playful glare and answered the call.
"Honey, I've made reservations at the restaurant and I'm sending someone to pick you up now," Gabriel's voice came through.
