Chapter 119
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Teresa was the last to return to the Sullivan Mansion. When she walked into the hall, Theodore and Yvonne were sitting together on the sofa, clearly waiting for her.
Teresa shrank back a little and called out in a timid voice, “Theodore, Yvonne.”
Theodore turned and shot her a glare, “Come here. I’ve got something to ask you.” His tone was harsh–Teresa could immediately tell this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation,
Teresa had always been scared of Theodore, even though she knew deep down he cared about her.
Teresa walked over and stood by the coffee table. Yvonne was about to invite her to sit down, but Theodore jumped in first. “So, is the divorce still not settled?”
Teresa shook her head. “I’m still waiting for Charles to sign the papers.”
Theodore frowned. “Is he refusing to sign, or is it something to do with splitting the assets?”
Teresa honestly had no idea why Charles was delaying the signature. “I don’t know. He hasn’t mentioned anything to me about it.”
Theodore’s face darkened, his voice cold. “If you’ve made up your mind to get divorced, then stop dragging it out.”
Teresa noticed that Theodore was still upset about Charles showing up earlier. She spoke gently, “Theodore, I’ll call him once I go upstairs. I’ll make sure to talk things through with him about the divorce.”
Theodore just grunted. “Okay, go ahead.”
Teresa looked at Theo, then at Yvonne. “Goodnight, Theodore. Goodnight, Yvonne.” With that, she made her way upstairs.
The pressure from Theodore’s talk about the divorce pushed away the whispers of Troy in her ear. For a moment, she forgot about the “surprise” Troy had mentioned.
When she pushed open her bedroom door, she instinctively switched on the light. But what she saw made her gasp and cover her mouth in shock.
Afraid that Theodore or Yvonne might notice, Teresa quickly closed the door behind her,
Her once warm and tidy room was now covered in red rose petals, and in the center of the bed sat an enormous bouquet of champagne–colored roses. Next to them was a big box.
Teresa stepped over the petals and headed to the bed, where she spotted a birthday card. It said: [Ilappy birthday to my darling.]
The handwriting was bold and flamboyant–exactly like Troy, full of swagger.
Inside the big box were various small gifts, each one corresponding to a different age in her life.
When she turned one, Troy gave her a lollipop.
When she turned two, he gave her a picture book.
When she turned three, it was a delicate hairpin.
When she turned four, it was a set of toy puzzles.
Many gifts were neatly arranged in the box, placed in order.
When she turned eighteen, it was a pair of crystal high heels–flawlessly crafted, expensive–looking
When she turned twenty–two, it was a pearl bracelet.
When she turned twenty–six, it was a red strapless gown.
When she turned twenty–seven, it was a card with Troy’s handwriting: (Write ‘I do‘ and unlock your next birthday gift
Teresa knew this was a total trap, so of course she didn’t write “I do” Knowing Troy, she was sure he had planned this whole thing out.
173
11:25 AM P P.
Chapter 119
Judging by how he’d decked out the room, he must’ve spent a ton of time getting everything ready.
Teresa had been home all day, so it was obvious he only came in after they left for the restaurant. He set everything up, then rushed to the restaurant, pretending to “accidentally” run into them.
Though she wasn’t sure what his true intention was, Teresa had to admit that Troy knew how to win a girl’s heart. But Teresa couldn’t tell if he was being sincere.
Teresa sat down at the edge of the bed, gently tracing her fingers over the rose petals. For some reason, she found herself thinking about Charles.
Five years of marriage, and not once had Charles given her a birthday present. This was the first time Teresa had ever felt someone had truly put thought into making her happy.
Even if Troy had ulterior motives, she had to admit, his gestures did make her feel special.
Just then, her phone rang. Thinking it was Charles, Teresa picked it up immediately, only to hear Troy’s teasing laugh on the other end. “Honey, do you like the surprise I prepared for you?”
After a few seconds of silence, Teresa was about to say something, but Troy cut her off. “Look out the window.”
Curious, Teresa gripped her phone tightly and walked over to the window. Troy’s voice came through again. “Look down at the street.”
Teresa looked down and saw a sleek black car parked beneath the tree. Under the cool moonlight, a long shadow stretched across the pavement.
There was Troy, leaning casually against the car door, his black coat fluttering in the breeze. His tousled hair and confident smile lit up his face in the night.
He held the phone with his left hand and waved toward her with his right hand. Through the phone, she could hear the wind softly rushing, blending with Troy’s voice. “Do you like the gift I gave you?”
Troy’s gaze locked onto Teresa, his tall, lean figure standing out against the night sky. He looked almost too good to be real, like he’d stepped right out of a painting.
Teresa had to admit, those gifts really made her heart skip a beat. But she wasn’t naive anymore–she knew Troy had something up his sleeve.
So she put on a cold front and said, “Troy, you really don’t have to go this far. I’m not someone worth all this.”
She didn’t have some fancy background, and even if Troy was only chasing her because of Charles, she knew she was nothing to Charles. With that, she hung up the phone.
Downstairs, Troy didn’t leave. Instead, he set off a box of fireworks, and as the fireworks exploded in the night sky, Teresa saw him turn and give her a smile.
At the same time, her phone buzzed with a new message from Troy. [I’ll always be like this.]
The fireworks faded quickly, and Teresa quickly pulled the curtains shut. She didn’t bother replying to Troy’s message. Instead, she dialed Charles’s number.
Someone picked up almost right away, but instead of Charles, it was Yolanda who answered. “Mom?”
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