When She Turns Her Back (Teresa and Charles) novel Chapter 241

Chapter 241

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Charles knew exactly what Hector was about to say, but when Teresa cut him off like that, he actually felt a weird sense of delight bubbling up inside. ‘Why am I even a little happy about this?‘ he wondered to himself.

For some reason, deep down, he couldn’t help but think that maybe Teresa only had eyes for him.

After everyone had chatted for a bit, Cedric finally spoke up. “Alright everyone, let’s dig in.”

And just like that, the room fell silent.

Hector saw that Teresa was really enjoying the lamb chops, so he gently spun the lazy Susan and slid another piece onto her plate.

As he placed it in her bowl, he leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t worry too much about what people say. Just be yourself, and try to be a little braver, okay?”

Teresa nodded with a soft smile. “Sure.”

Hector smiled in return, but just as he was about to sit up, Teresa called out softly, “Hector, thank you.”

Hector knew exactly what she meant, but a wave of disappointment still washed over him. “Honestly, I’d rather you just said it out loud.”

Teresa paused, her expression complicated as she looked at him, unsure what to say.

Seeing her hesitation, Hector just gave a gentle smile and said, “Let’s eat.”

Meanwhile, Naomi kept her head down, absently picking at her food, but her attention was locked on Hector.

She’d always thought he was handsome, talented, and destined for something big.

But the way he looked out for Teresa just now made Naomi feel a sudden twinge of jealousy.

‘If only he were looking out for me like that,’ she thought longingly.

Back when Teresa wasn’t always around Hector, he treated Naomi like she really mattered.

But ever since Teresa started hanging around, Hector wasn’t the same with her anymore.

‘I can’t help but hate Teresa even more,’ Naomi thought to herself, her jealousy gnawing away inside.

Charles noticed Naomi’s absent–mindedness and, picking up the chopsticks, gently placed a lamb chop onto her plate.

Naomi saw the lamb chop, but suddenly just didn’t feel like eating anymore

Still, she forced a small smile and said to Charles, “Thanks.”

Nibbling on her lamb chop, Naomi couldn’t stop watching Hector. The whole time, he only had eyes for Teresa–nobody else even seemed to exist to him, not even Cedric, who he didn’t bother looking at twice.

The people nearby couldn’t help but notice how attentive Hector was to Teresa.

A couple of the guys sitting close–friends of Hector’s–started ribbing him. “Hey, Hector, you really dote on Teresa, don’t you?”

Hector smiled faintly, almost a little proud, and said, “Yeah, because she deseryes it. She’s honestly a truly wonderful person.”

You could tell from his serious tone that he meant every word.

Just then, one of Hector’s buddies teased. “I gotta say, other than Naomi, we’ve never seen you go out of your way for anyone else like

this.”

Hector replied openly. “That’s different. I only see Ms. Yates as a classinate.”

“And what about this junior of yours?” the friend pressed.

Hector glanced at Teresa, caught her almost pleading gaze, and with a gentle smile replied. “That’s a secret.”

Even as he smiled, something in Hector’s chest tightened.

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Naomi took in every detail, her chest burning with a tangled mix of jealousy and bitterness.

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In her mind, she told herself, ‘Hector must feel something for me too. If it weren’t for how close I am with Charles, he would’ve chosen me instead of Teresa.

As the meal was wrapping up, Cedric looked over at Teresa and Hector. “You two, stay behind with me for a bit. Let’s have some tea together–I’ve got something to talk to you about.”

At that, Teresa and Hector replied in perfect sync, “Okay.”

Seeing that, Naomi just felt her heart twist with even more jealousy.

She even started thinking. ‘If only I hadn’t cozied up to Charles before… If Hector was backing me in the medical world, I’d be shining bright too.‘

The dinner kept going, but for Naomi, it all just tasted bland now.

*****

Outside the private room, Troy was sitting in the restaurant’s lounge area, buried in his phone, trying to catch up on work.

He’d been so focused on spending time with Teresa these past few days that he’d let a ton of work pile up. Now that he had a moment, he figured he’d knock out as much as he could.

Just as he was typing out a reply, Troy heard a man’s voice coming from the front desk area of the restaurant. “Do you have any private rooms available?”

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d heard that voice somewhere before.

Glancing up, Troy’s brows shot up–it was Andrew.

In a split second, Troy’s face darkened completely.

But with other people around, he swallowed his anger and managed to keep a straight face.

Andrew got himself a private room and followed the waiter inside.

About half an hour later, Andrew stepped out of the private room.

Troy kept tabs on him, watching as Andrew made his way into the public restroom in the restaurant’s main hall.

Once Andrew was inside, Troy strolled in after him, taking his time.

འ ཇ 。 ཧ ལྷ ད

Standing in front of the mirror, Troy quietly lit a cigarette.

By the time the first cigarette burned down to the filter, Andrew still hadn’t come out.

It wasn’t until Troy was halfway through his second cigarette that Andrew finally stepped out of the bathroom.

As soon as Andrew stepped out and caught a whiff of the thick smoke, he snapped, “Seriously, can you cut it out? Are you trying to choke me to death?”

Troy knew Andrew hadn’t recognized him–he was standing with his back facing him.

Seeing Troy blocking the way, Andrew shot back, “I’m talking to you! Are you deaf or what? Didn’t you hear me? Got a death wish or something?”

As he spoke, Andrew reached out to grab Troy’s shoulder.

Troy didn’t dodge. He let Andrew’s hand grab his shoulder. At the same time, he turned his head, letting Andrew’s grip guide the

motion.

Andrew was about to snap at him again, but the moment he saw Troy’s face, he went rigid, eyes wide in shock as if he’d seen a ghost. He stumbled backward several steps in pure fright.

He only stopped when his back slammed into the wall, barely steadying himself

Andrew stared at Troy, looking as if he’d just seen a ghost. His voice came out shaky and nervous. “Why

why are you here?”

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Troy didn’t say a word. He dropped his cigarette to the floor and ground it out, then started closing in on Andrew, step by step, his every move radiating silent menace.

Andrew backed up until there was nowhere left to go. He yelled, “Troy, stay back! Don’t come any closer!”

Troy let out a cold, sarcastic snort, then leaned in and lowered his voice. “So, I heard Stella Sandhurst is your woman, huh?”

At Stella’s name, Andrew blurted out instinctively. “Where is she? What did you do to her?”

Troy let out a cold laugh, still not giving an answer. Instead, his voice turned mocking as he pressed, “I hear you can’t stand my baby. That right?”

Andrew shrank back into the corner, his whole body shaking with fear. His voice trembled as he asked, “Who?”

Troy raised an eyebrow, his tone razor–sharp. “Who do you think I mean?”

Andrew kept his gaze firmly averted, just shaking his head again and again. “I don’t know who you mean.”

Raising his voice, Troy glared at him. “You let Stella walk all over her–you stood by while she bullied her, hit her, and humiliated her. Andrew, you know exactly who I’m talking about, don’t you?”

The moment Troy said that, Andrew was overwhelmed by the pressure. Terrified, he tried to make a run for it without even thinking.

But before he could get away, Troy seized him by the collar and hauled him back, slamming Andrew’s whole body into the wall with a heavy thud.

In the bright light, you could even make out each tiny speck of dust hanging in the air.

Troy’s anger was reaching its peak. He lunged forward and clamped his hand around Andrew’s throat, his eyes bloodshot, the corners an unsettling, furious red.

His voice was low and shaky, as if he might break down at any moment. “After everything she’s done to me, I can’t even get mad at her, not for a second. Andrew, how could you ever let somebody lay a finger on her?”

Andrew’s throat was squeezed tight, and he could barely breathe.

But Troy’s eyes looked as if they were drenched in blood–he glared fiercely at Andrew and pressed on, “Is it just because Charles is your brother that you think I wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you?”

Andrew grasped desperately at the hand Troy had clamped around his throat, trying to pry his fingers loose, but it was completely useless.

When he saw it was pointless, Andrew finally gave up struggling. He managed to choke out in a rough, muffled voice, “If you so much as touch me today, my brother, Jason, and Finn–they’ll never let you get away with it.”

Andrew didn’t show a shred of regret–in fact, he only got cockier.

Seeing Andrew act like that, Troy didn’t bother with any more words. He raised his hand and went straight for him,

Troy absolutely couldn’t stand being threatened, not in this life.

The more Andrew tried to throw warnings at him, the more it fueled Troy’s resolve to do exactly what he wanted.

Part of Troy wanted to see for himself if he really laid hands on Andrew, what could Charles, Jason, or Finn actually do about it?

Andrew didn’t even have time to react before Troy swung a punch right into his face.

He was so dazed he completely forgot to fight back.

It was only after Troy had vented all his rage that he finally stopped.

Andrew was cowering in the corner of the bathroom, his face full of panic and disarray.

Troy strode to the sink, switched on the faucet, and rinsed his bloody hand beneath the cold stream

He watched as crimson spread through the basin, swirling before being washed clear–until nor a trace of blood remained.

With his hands cleaned but the water still running. Troy lifted his head and caught Andrew’s terrified gaze in the mirror. “Go ahead. Call

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them,” he said coolly.

Andrew just stayed frozen, silent and motionless.

Seeing this, Troy scoffed, the sound sharp and mocking.

Then he shut off the water, snatched up a couple of paper towels, and quickly wiped his hands clean.

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When he was done, he balled up the tissues and tossed them at Andrew with a sneer. “I’ll be right here all night. I want to see what you guys can really do to me.”

With that, Troy turned around and left the bathroom without even looking back.

Meanwhile, back in the private room, the dinner was winding down, but no one seemed in a hurry to leave. They were all still chatting

away.

After Charles and Naomi had toasted Cedric, Charles felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.

He ignored it at first.

But then it buzzed again.

After a few more times, Charles realized it might be something important. He leaned in close to Naomi and whispered, “I need to step out and take this call. I’ll be right back.”

Naomi nodded. “Okay.”

On the other side of the table, Teresa took it all in, not missing a single detail.

After five years of marriage to Charles, it had never crossed Teresa’s mind that he could be so thoughtful, caring even about the tiniest things–just not when it came to her.

She used to tell herself that Charles only kept his distance because of his status, that it was just who he was.

But now, watching him, she finally got it–it was never about any of that. He simply never loved her, that was all.

As Charles stepped out of the private room, Troy had just come back to the lounge and was only sitting there for a moment.

Their eyes met, but neither of them spoke.