Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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In the living room, Howard and Linda sat stiffly on the couch. The atmosphere was tense and quiet. A tea set sat on the table. The water was already boiling, but nobody moved a muscle.
Seeing Teresa walk in, Howard sat up a little straighter. “Teresa, come brew us some tea.” he said, “It’s been too long since you made us a cup.”
Before Teresa married Charles, Howard had always loved her tea. He’d often talked to her about business matters.
Back then, Teresa cared less about the family business. She never paid full attention, just humored him with a few vague words and a smile.
Thinking about it now filled Teresa with guilt.
She’d bent over backwards to please the Logan family, who hadn’t lifted a finger for her. Yet her own parents had poured everything into raising her—only for her to turn around and become someone else’s eager–to–please servant. It felt ridiculous.
Teresa murmured an agreement and walked over to the tea table. She sat on the small stool and began making the tea, her movements practiced and automatic.
Howard and Linda watched her quietly. Not a word was spoken. Teresa could feel that they were holding back words, wanting to say something.
She didn’t know what it was, and she couldn
figure out what was on their mind. She didn’t push them, just
waited patiently.
Once the tea was ready, she handed a cup to Howard. “Dad, your tea.” she said.
Linda, who avoided caffeine at night to help her sleep, simply shook her head.
Before Teresa got married, life in the Sullivan Family had been genuinely warm and cozy.
Theodore talked tough but had a soft heart. Back then, he always said his little sister should marry completely.
someone
We who
truly
cherished her
But life had other plans. Teresa ended up married to Charles, who didn’t love her.
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When Yvonne married Theodore, she treated Teresa like her own sister. Teresa had gained another person to love her.
Teresa knew why Linda avoided tea at night, and it was partly her fault.
དཀརྟ་ཀ་ང་བ་དང་དེ་ད
After Teresa threw herself into the Logan Family, Linda spent countless nights crying herself to sleep. Back then, peaceful rest was almost impossible for her.
Howard took the teacup but didn’t drink. He looked at Teresa for a long moment before the words one thing. But that child? You risked your life bringing her into this world. You have to fight
“Your mother and I talked. Bring her home. We’ll raise her.” His tone hardened. “Why should the
spilled out. “Teresa, divorce is
Logan Family get to keep your child?”
Teresa’s heart sank a little hearing this. Of course she’d love to have her own daughter live with her.
“Dad, it’s not that I don’t want custody.” she said, looking down with a heavy heart, “It’s just. Yolanda doesn’t voice was thick with the difficulty of it all.
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to be with me,” Her
Howard wasn’t having it. “Yolanda’s a girl.” he said firmly, “Girls belong with their mothers. If it were a boy, well, maybe we wouldn’t be so insistent on custody. Haven’t the Logan Family always been desperate for a son? How can you be okay with them raising Yolanda?”
Teresa understood where Howard was coming from. He was scared the Logan Family, who clearly wanted a boy, wouldn’t treat Yolanda right
Teresa knew the Logans weren’t great people, but Charles was different. He was Yolanda’s father, after all.
Teresa took a breath before continuing. “Dad, Charles is Yolanda’s father. He wouldn’t do her wrong.”
い
Howard’s voice shot up, clearly worked up. “Are you seriously putting your trust in him over us? Come on, Teresa, you know deep down who really has Yolanda’s best interest at heart.”
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Chapter 18
Teresa couldn’t deny the hurt Charles had caused her with his neglect. But he was a decent dad to their daughter.
Faced with Howard’s question, Teresa couldn’t give him a straight answer. Instead, she just looked at him helplessly, her voice dragging out the word, “Dad…”
Howard’s knuckles went white where he gripped the teacup. He looked away sharply, his eyes suddenly glistening. When he spoke again, his voice shook without meaning to. “Then at least let me see the child. I haven’t laid eyes on her since the day she was born. She’s your flesh and blood…”
His words trailed off as Linda beside him began silently dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
Teresa watched her parents, her own heart twisting.
She’d barely been back to the Sullivan Family since her marriage. Afraid her parents and brother wouldn’t welcome Yolanda, she’d kept the child sheltered at Joyacre Villa.
But Teresa had never thought that her parents and brother were people with such good hearts that they would also love her child.
so distant from her. Teresa honestly didn’t know if she could even get her daughter
to
visit the
The problem was, Yolanda had Sullivan Family now.
Linda patted Howard’s back, her
red–rimmed as she looked at Teresa. “Your dad hasn’t slept properly for days because of this.”
born, he’s been setting things aside for her, just hoping one day you’d bring her home
she said, her voice thick, “Ever since Yolanda so he could finally give them to her.
was
“We supported you when you wanted the divorce. But Yolanda’s your own daughter. And it’s not like we couldn’t afford to keep her. Why hand her over to the Logan Family like that?” She wiped away tears before pressing on, “Even if you don’t get custody, shouldn’t Yolanda at least know who her grandparents are? Your dad and me… we just want to lay eyes
anddaughter. That’s all…”
Teresa stared down at the pattern on the table, her gaze unfocused. A long, silent stretch passed before she finally spoke, her voice quiet. “Okay. I’ll try.”
As for the custody battle, Teresa could let that go. But her parents‘ plea tugged at her heart. She couldn’t bring
After all, they were just grandparents who wanted to see their granddaughter.
*
herself to ignore
- it.
At ten that night, Teresa stepped out of the shower. Wrapped in a towel, she stood lost in thought in front of her vanity.
After a long moment of standing there, she finally decided to call Charles. Normally, he might not have picked up. But tonight, surprisingly, he answered on the first ring.
“What is it?” Charles’s voice, the one she’d once longed to hear, came through the line.
Teresa froze for a second. The old rush of warmth she used to feel was gone.
“Is Yolanda there?” Teresa’s voice was flat and detached, like she was discussing business with a total stranger.
Charles replied, “She is.”
Without missing a beat, Teresa said, “Put her on. I need to talk to her.”
Charles didn’t verbally agree, but Teresa heard him call out, not far away, “Yolanda. It’s your mom on the phone. Come take this.”
Almost immediately, Yolanda’s voice cut through, thick with resentment, “No. I don’t want to talk to her.”
Yolanda was standing her ground with Teresa. Her teacher had said that one would get credit for owning up to the mistake and making it right. Yolanda figured, ‘Until Mom says sorry, I’m not making up with her.
Teresa had no clue what Yolanda was thinking, and she wasn’t about to try and figure it out. If Yolanda didn’t want to talk, Teresa wasn’t gonna push it.
Just as she was about to hang up, Charles‘ voice suddenly dropped low, “Yolanda Logan.”
Using her full name meant Charles was ticked off. Yolanda was scared of her dad, and she flinched without thinking.
But still sulking, she muttered, “Dad, Mom’s the one who messed up. She hasn’t even said sorry to Miss Naomi yet. Why should I take
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