Chapter 3

Teresa didn't want to watch it, but she still clicked it out of habit. The video again had just a picture that showed Cameron bending down in front of Cecilia. The caption read, "Had a bit to drink and caught a cold breeze. With one call from me, you came. Having you here at this moment is truly wonderful." When Teresa saw this, her heart still ached inexplicably. Since Cameron and Cecilia loved each other so much, shouldn't she be more magnanimous and let them be together? If they divorced, Teresa would only ask for Rosalie and her fair share of assets. Besides that, she wanted nothing else. Teresa put away her phone and stepped into the living room. Leah Lannick spotted her and was briefly stunned before greeting, "Mrs. Langdon." "Where's Rosalie?" Teresa asked. "Ms. Rosalie is upstairs playing with her dolls," Leah replied. As soon as Leah finished speaking, Rosalie's surprised voice suddenly came from upstairs. "Mommy?" After not seeing her daughter for so long, Teresa felt a bittersweet pang in her heart. She hurried upstairs and hugged Rosalie. She crouched in front of her and kissed her face repeatedly. Just as Teresa was done kissing her and was about to ask something, she saw Rosalie raise her hand and continuously wipe her face until the skin turned red. Teresa felt a pang in her chest, and she swallowed the words she was about to say. She looked at Rosalie with teary eyes, feeling a jumble of emotions. But before Teresa could say anything, Rosalie quickly said, "Mommy, you came back just in time. I was just about to call you. I'm starting kindergarten soon, and I want to go to East Street Kindergarten." Rosalie's eyes lit up at the mention of the kindergarten. Teresa was a bit puzzled, but since Rosalie insisted, she didn't want to disappoint her. Besides, it was just kindergarten. If the place wasn't suitable, they could always switch later. Thus, she agreed, "Alright, let's go to East Street Kindergarten then." Rosalie jumped with joy upon hearing this. "Thank you, Mommy! You're the best!" When she saw her daughter so happy, Teresa couldn't bring herself to speak. She subconsciously touched her belly. When she looked up again, she asked Rosalie seriously, "Would you want a little brother or sister?" Rosalie seemed eager to return to her room, but she still thought for a moment before answering, "I want a little brother." A sharp pain shot through Teresa's heart. With teary eyes, she asked again, "What if I'm scared?" Although the risk of amniotic fluid embolism was long past, the psychological hurdle remained. Rosalie looked at Teresa and replied earnestly, "You shouldn't be so selfish. Didn't you also give birth to me?" The words struck her like a sudden bolt of lightning. Teresa stood rooted to the spot with her face drained of color. She was unable to move. After a long time, her mouth opened and closed soundlessly before she finally managed to ask, "Aren't you scared of losing me?" Since Rosalie was born, Teresa had been caring for her day and night, working hard to soothe her to sleep or feed her. For these four years, she had hardly slept a full night. At that moment, she wanted to ask Rosalie whether she still loved her. But then, she saw Rosalie frown and say, "Oh, I need to go to bed now." With that, Rosalie ran back to her bedroom and closed the door. Teresa stood at the top of the stairs, petrified. Her whole body felt ice-cold. Soon, Rosalie's excited voice came from the bedroom. "Ms. Cece, I can go to East Street Kindergarten! After you finish work, you can come pick me up directly. Then you won't have to work so hard. "Oh, and, Ms. Cece, you and Daddy can't have a little brother or sister. I heard Mommy say that giving birth is very dangerous. You lose a lot of blood and can even die. Having a brother should be left to Mommy. She has already given birth to me, so she won't be scared. "I miss you so much. I want to hear you tell stories and give me cuddles…" Teresa stood outside the door and recalled how her daughter had resisted when she kissed her just now. She felt as if her heart was shattering with pain. She thought that even if she divorced Cameron, at least her daughter would still be hers. She never expected that Rosalie would also grow closer to an outsider as Cameron did. It turned out that in her marriage with Cameron, her sacrifices and efforts were a joke. No one really cared about what she had done in the past. A long time later, Teresa dragged her exhausted body downstairs. Upon seeing her dazed state, Leah came forward to ask something, but Teresa waved her hand and brushed her off. Just outside of Joy Garden, Teresa called Cameron. She dialed several times, but no one answered. However, she didn't give up and kept trying. Usually, if she called once or twice and he didn't answer, she wouldn't call again. But tonight, she was like a madwoman, calling repeatedly. Finally, Cameron answered, "I'm busy. What—" Before he could finish, Teresa cut him off and yelled, "I need to see you! Now! Immediately!" Over the phone line, Teresa seemed to be incensed, roaring and shouting at Cameron. It was only after Teresa calmed down a bit that Cameron replied, "Whatever it is, we'll talk about it next month when we meet." As soon as he finished speaking, he ended the call without hesitation. Teresa couldn't even cry anymore despite hearing the dial tone. This was how Cameron was—he gave her no outlet for her anger. Teresa had lived too tiredly for the past five years. She absolutely had to end this marriage. Still, she had to fight for custody of Rosalie. Even if Rosalie was now closer to Cecilia York, she had to try. She had given birth to Rosalie and raised her through countless days and nights. She would never easily hand her over to someone else. As soon as she made up her mind, Cameron's Rolls-Royce screeched to a halt at the entrance of Joy Garden. Teresa looked over. Through the windshield, she saw Cameron in the driver's seat and Cecilia in the passenger seat. Cecilia had a bouquet on her lap. Cameron spotted Teresa, too. The two stared at each other across the distance in silence. As for Cecilia's existence, Teresa hadn't dared to make a scene in the past. Now, she just couldn't be bothered to make a fuss over it. After a long silence, Cameron finally got out of the car. He acted as if he didn't see Teresa and headed to the passenger side to open the door for Cecilia. Just then, Teresa called out to him, "Cameron, let's talk." Cameron ignored her, his hand still outstretched to open the car door for Cecilia. However, Teresa rushed over in a few steps, slapped his hand away, and said angrily, "Cameron, you can be with anyone you want, but I gave birth to Rosalie! What right do you have to let an outsider get between my daughter and me?" Finally, Cameron glanced at Teresa. He looked down at her and said in a deep voice, "Cecilia is more suitable to be a mother than you." With that, he pushed her aside and opened the car door. Teresa stood where she was. It took her a long moment to react and grasp the subtle meaning in his words. Was he trying to make Rosalie regard Cecilia as her mother?