Chapter 253

252 252
252. 252
“ Fine , go pack your things ! Let’s see where you think you can go , ” Evelyn snapped , her voice sharp with anger . She stormed off , slamming the door behind her with a loud bang that echoed through the hallway .
Michael tugged on Teresa’s sleeve , his small face filled with worry . Teresa knelt down , her voice soft and soothing . “ Don’t worry , sweetheart . Mommy’s here , and everything . will be fine . ”
“ Mom , Grandma didn’t scold me . She just told me to speak nicely and not to lead Isabel astray . I promise I’ll be good . Please don’t be upset with Grandma , okay ? ” Michael said , his voice small and earnest .
“ Silly boy , ” Teresa said with a gentle smile , planting a kiss on his cheek . “ I’m not upset with her. You’re the most important person in my life . You don’t need to worry about Isabel anymore . It’s not something you should have to deal with . ”
She had always longed for Evelyn’s love . Like that time when she was struggling to start her business and instinctively thought of asking Evelyn for help . But when she saw Evelyn cradling Isabel , all the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat .
After all , she was still her mother . Teresa had told herself that over and over again .
That was why , every time Evelyn was rushed to the hospital for emergency care , Teresa would drop everything and race to her side . She loved Evelyn deeply , despite everything .
Jennifer was Evelyn’s daughter too , but she never stepped up when Evelyn was hospitalized . It was Teresa who stayed by Evelyn’s side , looking after her and also taking care of her baby sister , Isabel , who was barely over a year old at the time .
In the family , the more responsible you were , the more you were overlooked . The more you gave , the less you were valued .
Teresa knew Jonathan had been truly good to her . A man as exceptional as he deserved someone better . She had let go of the idea of a future with him , the hope that Evelyn might love her , and the pain of being left behind .
“ Do you regret leaving your child behind when you divorced ? If you had another . chance , would you take your child with you ? ” Teresa no longer needed an answer to that question .
“ You’re really leaving ? ” Evelyn stared at Teresa in disbelief , her eyes fixed on the two suitcases she was pushing .
To Evelyn , it seemed absurd for Teresa to leave over something so trivial . What she failed to grasp was that disappointment built up day by day . Every departure had its breaking point . “ Are you going back to Nareigh ? ”
“ I’m not going back to Nareigh . I’ve got somewhere else to be . ”
252 252 “ Where ? ”
Teresa didn’t answer . She wasn’t planning to tell anyone – not Evelyn , not Jennifer . This time , she had learned her lesson .
“ Then what am I supposed to tell Hannah ? If you leave , she’s bound to ask . ” Evelyn’s voice wavered with worry . Hannah had started treating her a little better . She was terrified Hannah would start resenting her again .
Teresa scoffed , her voice dripping with sarcasm . “ She’s too busy with her new . boyfriend to care about me . ”
“ What ? She’s dating ? Who is she dating- ”
“ Ask her yourself . If she asks about me , just tell her I’m fine . And tell her to stay out of my business . That’s all . ” With that , Teresa left , taking Michael with her .
This time , she cut ties with Evelyn and Jennifer completely . She didn’t tell anyone where she was going – not even Miriam .
Before boarding the plane , she idly scrolled through her social media feed . To her surprise , Jennifer , who rarely posted anything , had shared a photo . Teresa stared at the post for a moment , her finger hovering over the like button , before she scoffed and scrolled past .
In the past , if Jennifer had posted something like this , Teresa would have liked it and sincerely wished her well . Jennifer had promised they’d leave Nareigh together , yet she had stayed behind while Teresa was forced to leave . Teresa couldn’t help but feel
bitter .
Jennifer , unaware of Teresa’s departure , called her . She said she would save up to buy a house , and once she had one , she would bring Teresa and Michael to live with her . No matter what , she wouldn’t forget Teresa .
“ There’s no need . I don’t want to live with you , and neither does my son . ”
“ Teresa , I know you’re upset , Jennifer said after a pause . “ I stayed in Nareigh because I don’t have anything they can use against me . But you’re not safe here . I only pushed you to leave because I was thinking of your safety . ”