When She Walks Away (Teresa) novel Chapter 82

Chapter 82

A couple of minutes later, Teresa opened the hotel room door.

Charles didn’t even look back at her. He just strode down the hall. “Follow me,” he said, his voice flat.

His tone gave nothing away, and Teresa couldn’t read his expression at all.

All she could do was follow.

At the end of the hall, Charles pushed open the door to the stairwell. He went in, and Teresa followed.

As the door clicked shut, he blocked it with his body, clearly intending to keep Troy out.

Teresa watched it all happen, her heart pounding with a mix of shock and fear.

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In their five years of marriage, she had loved and respected Charles. After deciding on the divorce, she’d started to let go of that love and respect, to stop caring.

But she had never, ever been afraid of him like this.

Leaning against the door, Charles lit a cigarette. The flame from the lighter illuminated his grim face for a second, his features hard and completely devoid of warmth.

He looked menacing, and a chill went down her spine.

He took a long drag before finally looking down at her. “You’re coming with me,” he said through a plume of smoke.

Teresa just stared at him. Any thought she’d had about him being hurt or angry vanished, replaced by a bitter, laughable truth.

So this is it, she thought. A man who truly doesn’t love you doesn’t even care if you cheat on him.’

If it had been Naomi who’d done something to betray him, he’d be losing his mind right now–furious, heartbroken, completely. unhinged

Her heart plummeted. She wanted to cry, to laugh, but she couldn’t do either. She just felt numb.

Charles started down the stairs. When he noticed she wasn’t following, he turned back. “Teresa, my patience is wearing thin.”

It was both a warning and an instruction.

But Teresa didn’t care anymore.

He’d never cared about her, so why should she start now?

When he’d first shown up at the door, she’d actually felt a pang of guilt.

Maybe she shouldn’t have done this, not before the divorce was final.

But looking at him now, she realized how foolish that was. It was all in her head.

She numbly followed ham down the stairs.

Somehow, they made it to the parking garage. Charles got into the driver’s seat without so much as holding the door for her

It was always a different story with him. He treated her and Naomi like two completely different people.

If it had been Naomi, he would have opened her door, shielded her head as she got in, arranged her dress, and buckled her seatbelt for

her

Teresa got into the back seat. She had no idea where he was taking her, and they drove in complete silence.

Charles didn’t say a single word about her and Troy

He seemed to be in a hurry, driving fast. In the rearview mirror, she could see his jaw was clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line. His phone kept ringing, the screen lighting up again and again, but he ignored it.

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Chapter 82

Teresa couldn’t see who was calling, but she was sure it wasn’t Naomi. He would never ignore a call from Naomi.

When the car finally stopped, Teresa realized he’d brought her to Riverdale Hospital, where she worked.

He got out and walked toward the entrance without waiting, just telling her to keep up.

He led her to an observation room in the ER. Through the partially open door, Teresa saw a man lying on the bed in the center of the

room.

A closer look revealed it was Hector.

Her eyes were red as she turned and glared at him. “What do you want to talk about?”

Charles narrowed his eyes. “Get Hector to perform a surgery.”

She remembered the time Yolanda was barely a year old, crawling all over the place. Teresa had come down with a high fever, her head was throbbing, and she felt completely drained of energy.

Reading those words felt surreal. She knew what each word meant, but strung together, they felt like they were from a stranger.

She fell into a depression after that. It was only later that she found out why he hadn’t come home: he was out avenging some slight against his assistant.

Charles was evasive. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

Teresa didn’t press “I can’t make decisions for Hector,” she said. “Besides, he’s a patient himself right now. We don’t even know his condition or if he’s cleared for surgery.

“It’s an extremely urgent surgery, Charles said bluntly. “I’ve asked around. He’s the only one who can do it”

Maybe this surgery Charles was talking about, the one only Hector could perform was the key

But whatever the case, she stood her ground. “You should ask Hector yourself. I don’t have the right to make choices for other people.”

Charles was silent for a moment When he spoke again, his voice was tight. “Teresa, this is a matter of life and death. If I had enough pull to convince Hector Reed myself. I wouldn’t be here wasting my breath on you”

He was clearly getting angry.

Teresa looked up at him and let out a humorless laugh “A big deal? So when it’s your problem, it’s a big deal bur

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Chapter 82

problems are just minor inconveniences?”

Just yesterday, she couldn’t get in touch with Hector and even drove all the way to Ternton find him. What was their attitude then?

Why is it that when the tables are turned, he can’t just brush it off as nothing?

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Charles clearly had no interest in dredging up the past. He cut right to the chase. “Jason’s mother was rushed to the hospital with a sudden illness. It’s a brain tumor. She means the world to him, and Hector is the only surgeon who can do this. You two are close. If you ask him, he won’t refuse. But if I ask, what do you think will happen?”

Teresa didn’t want to hear it. “How should I know?”

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Charles wasn’t in the mood to argue. His face went cold as he delivered his threat. “You can refuse to ask him. And I can make one phone call, and everyone in the Sullivan family will feel the consequences.”

That just made Teresa even angrier. “You’re always so damn arrogant, Charles,” she snarled. “After everything Jason did to Hector, if you were in his shoes, could you just forgive and forget?”

Charles said nothing.

Teresa pressed on. “Go ahead, come after my family. But you’d better think carefully about whether Hector will still be willing to perform that surgery after you do.”

Charles just stared at her for a long moment. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.”

Teresa didn’t chase after him. Instead, she pushed open the door and went into the observation room.

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