When She Walks Away (Teresa) novel Chapter 115

After returning to the Sullivan Mansion, Teresa headed straight for the shower.

Afterward, she checked her phone, but there were no messages or calls from Charles.

She had no idea if he even cared about what she said, let alone whether he’d signed the divorce papers. But no matter what, she couldn’t let this drag on any longer.

If nothing had happened today, she would push him again tomorrow. If he was still busy, she’d try again the day after. She would keep asking him about the divorce every day until it was done.

The next morning, Teresa called Charles several times, but he didn’t pick up. Since she had to get to work, she didn’t keep calling.

At noon, she tried again, but his phone was off.

In the evening, she called once more. This time, he answered, but it was noisy on his end–he was likely with Jason and Finn.

When he picked up, Teresa got straight to the point. “Did you sign the agreement?”

“W

Charles, unable to hear her clearly over the noise, quickly replied, “I’ll call you back later.”

Teresa wanted to say more, but he’d already hung up. She stared at her phone and let out a helpless sigh.

When they had gotten married, it was Richard who had pushed him into getting the marriage certificate. It had only taken a few minutes, but getting a divorce involved endless procedures.

If she’d known it would turn out like this, Teresa never would have married him.

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As expected, she fell asleep waiting for his call, and it never came.

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The next day, a Friday, Teresa had the day off. She sent Charles a message early, asking about the divorce agreement, but he didn’t reply.

With the graduate school application deadline approaching, she couldn’t afford to waste any time, so she grabbed her books and headed to the library.

Halfway through her study session, her phone lit up. She thought it might be Charles finally calling back, but it was Sylvia. Teresa stepped into the restroom to answer.

“Teresa, tomorrow’s your birthday. Want to come to Lorham and hang out?” Sylvia asked.

“Sylvia, I’m busy preparing for my grad school application and also dealing with the divorce, so I won’t be able to come,” Teresa said.

When Sylvia heard about the divorce and the grad school application, she gasped, “Are

you

serious?

“Yeah, I just want to start living for myself now,” Teresa replied.

Sylvia was genuinely happy for her. “You should’ve done this ages ago. You’re amazing, Teresa. You shouldn’t be trapped by the daily grind, or held back by family or relationships that aren’t worth it.”

They talked for a while, and Teresa even asked Sylvia for advice on grad school–related matters.

After hanging up, Teresa sent Charles another message. [Can we meet and talk?]

He didn’t reply until the afternoon. [I’m out of town for work, I’ll get in touch when I’m back.]

Teresa stared at his reply, and couldn’t help but feel annoyed for no reason. If Charles was willing, they could get divorced in no time. But Teresa wasn’t sure if he was really too busy, or if he was just stalling.

He was so in love with Naomi. It shouldn’t be a problem for him to get a divorce.

Teresa knew there was no point in pushing him while he was busy, so she focused on her studies instead. She spent the whole day at the library, and by evening, her eyes were nearly bloodshot from all the reading.

That evening, Hector called her. “Teresa, want to grab dinner?”

With nothing else on her plate, Teresa said, “Sure.”

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11:25 AM

Chapter 115

“I’ll come pick you up. Are you still at the library?” Hector asked.

Hector laughed. “Alright, I’ll text you the address.”

After receiving the address, Teresa went back to the Sullivan Mansion to drop off her books before heading out.

As he was scanning the menu, the server at the door called out cheerfully, “Hello, welcome!”

Naomi gave a cautious smile, speaking gently. “Hector, we’re both Professor Judd’s students, and you’ve always been someone I look up to. I actually have a few medical questions I’d love to ask you–would you mind giving me some advice?”

There was a smile in his eyes, but it wasn’t sincere–in fact, there was a clear trace of mockery there.

Hector instinctively looked over, and there was Teresa walking in.

SE THE M

Ignoring Jason’s anger, Hector stood up the moment he saw Teresa. He turned to Jason and said coolly, “Mr. Gould, I don’t need to put on an act. And I certainly don’t need to waste my time giving advice to someone with questionable character.”

Though Hector didn’t say it outright, everyone in the room knew exactly who he was talking about.

Naomi knew he was talking about her, and she never expected Hector to treat her this way.

By

They were both in medicine, and the medical world was small. Naomi admired Hector, and he had heard of her. They had even had dinner together once when Cedric invited them.

At the time, Hector had praised Naomi, calling her a rare find in surgery–smart, beautiful, and dedicated. But now, Hector was treating her with contempt.

Naomi wondered if this had something to do with Teresa. But Teresa was just an undergrad, a low–level doctor, and Naomi couldn’t understand why Hector would dislike her because of someone like that.

Naomi convinced herself Hector must have misunderstood something, and that Teresa had turned him against her.

Naomi glanced at Hector, opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, he was already walking away from the table and heading straight for Teresa.

“Teresa, let’s go somewhere else for dinner,” Hector said, his voice warm and gentle.

Teresa looked up, understanding that he was defending her. Gratitude filled her, and she smiled. “Sure, I’ll go wherever you want.”

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Hector naturally took her coat and draped it over her shoulders. “It’s chilly out. Don’t want you catching a cold.”

Teresa smiled softly. “Thanks, Hector.” Together, they left the restaurant side by side.

Naomi watched them go, tears filling her eyes. Maybe it was because Hector had been so cold and sarcastic toward her, or because he no longer praised her like before.

Jason quickly handed Naomi a tissue and said, “Naomi, don’t cry. You didn’t do anything wrong. Charles doesn’t love Teresa. Honestly, the one with no self–respect is the one who clings to someone who doesn’t love them.”