Chapter 8

Meanwhile, at the Sutton residence, Teresa hadn't returned for half a year, and the atmosphere was oddly tense. The dining table was laden with food, most of which was Teresa's favorite. The Sutton family had strongly opposed her marriage to Cameron, but Teresa had threatened to cut ties with them, leaving them no choice but to accept it. Even after the wedding, Cameron had never once come back to the Sutton residence with her. Jonathan and Zachary both wore cold expressions. Teresa's mother, Elizabeth Harper, had red-rimmed eyes as she continued to wipe away her tears. Wendy wanted to smooth things over but didn't know how to begin, while Melinda quietly studied everyone's expressions. Teresa was just about to stand and apologize when Zachary suddenly asked in a sarcastic tone, "Tomorrow is William Langdon's birthday. You're not going to the Langdon estate to take care of that whole family, yet you still have time to come back to the Sutton residence?" Every word was like a barb, but Teresa merely smiled and said calmly, "Zach, from now on, I'll only celebrate Dad's birthday." Zachary was momentarily taken aback. Although he was slightly worried deep down, his voice remained cold. "What games are you playing this time?" Teresa said, "I've decided to divorce Cameron." The moment those words left her lips, the atmosphere grew even more tense. Almost everyone's gaze was fixed on Teresa, their eyes wide with shock. Wendy, concerned, asked, "What about Rosie's custody?" Teresa's smile faded, and her voice was filled with a sense of helplessness. "Wendy, Rosie doesn't want to live with me, so I plan to give up custody." As a mother, how could she bear to let go of her own child? Yet her heart ached at the thought of Rosalie. In the end, though, letting go when it was meant to be was always the right choice. Wendy, being a mother herself, could naturally empathize with Teresa's pain. Besides, everyone had seen just how deeply Teresa loved Rosalie. For Teresa to voluntarily give up custody, it must have been a decision born of utter disappointment. Elizabeth choked up as she listened. As Wendy handed her a tissue, she also gently said to Teresa, "Divorcing is probably the right choice. One day, you'll find someone who truly cherishes you and loves you." Teresa put on a faint smile and said calmly, "We'll see what the future holds. For now, I don't plan on looking for anyone else." In truth, the outcome was clear—there was no need to repeat past mistakes. Wendy didn't press further. She picked up her cutlery and piled a whole plate of food for Teresa. "From now on, the Sutton residence is your home. You'll always be the cherished daughter of the Sutton family, and our whole family welcomes you back." Melinda quickly added, "Aunt Teresa, when I grow up, I'll take care of you too." Jonathan stayed silent, keeping his head down as he peeled shrimp. After peeling four or five, he finally pushed the plate toward Teresa. Teresa's eyes welled up with tears as soon as she saw this. She had given her all to serve the Langdon family for five years, yet no one had ever thanked her. But with the Sutton family, she didn't have to lift a finger, and they treated her like a treasure. Teresa lowered her head to eat, but her tears had already soaked her food. Halfway through the meal, Melinda suddenly pointed to the coffee table behind her. "Aunt Teresa, your phone is ringing." Teresa glanced over and saw that it was a call from Cameron. She didn't have a habit of blocking anyone. The calls she had missed were simply because her phone had been on silent. Teresa's face turned ghostly pale the moment she answered the call. She froze for a moment before saying, "I'll be there right away." She put the phone away and was about to leave without explaining. Wendy, concerned, stood up and asked, "Teresa, what's going on?" "Rosie had an allergic reaction to mango. She's at the hospital, and I need to check on her," Teresa replied. Zachary quickly shot Wendy a meaningful glance. Wendy grasped the situation right away and said, "I'll go with you." Melinda jumped up as well. "I want to go too." … It wasn't until 10:30 pm that Rosalie regained consciousness and immediately saw Teresa. "Rosie, are you feeling a little better?" Teresa's worry only eased when she saw her daughter awake. She had already been watching over Rosalie in the hospital ward for more than an hour. Cameron had gone to pay the bill, leaving only Teresa, Wendy, and Melinda in the room. When she saw it was Teresa, Rosalie said nothing and turned her face away angrily. Teresa didn't know why Rosalie was upset and assumed she just wanted to see Cecilia instead of her. Teresa felt a pang in her heart at the thought. After tucking Rosalie's blanket around her, she stood up and said, "Get some rest. I'll head back first." Since Rosalie was unhappy, Teresa had no intention of staying. Just as Teresa turned and held Melinda's hand, Rosalie looked back and shouted at her retreating figure, "Hmph, bad mommy!" Melinda couldn't stand it any longer. She let go of Teresa's hand and ran to the bedside. "Rosalie, mind your words! Don't say that about my aunt!" Fuming, Rosalie shot back, "Ugly fatty! What's it got to do with you?" Melinda refused to back down. "Crybaby! Ungrateful brat! Spoiled rich girl!" Losing the argument, Rosalie grew furious and burst into tears. "Ugly fatty! Ugly fatty! No one will want you when you grow up!" Melinda had been well-fed and was a bit chubby. She hated being called fat more than anything. Teresa knew this, and besides, Rosalie had started it. "Rosie, apologize to Melinda!" Teresa put Melinda behind her and chided Rosalie firmly. Seeing that Teresa wasn't defending her, Rosalie felt even more wronged and cried harder. Wendy had intended to step in as a peacemaker, but the next moment, Cameron pushed the door open and walked in. At the sight of him, Rosalie's tears streamed down her face, and she threw her arms around him. "Daddy, Mommy was mean to me." She kept sobbing, and Cameron's heart ached when he heard that. He lifted his gaze to Teresa, his eyes sharp as blades, clearly displeased. Teresa met his eyes, obviously not intimidated by his piercing gaze. Then, she said, "I don't think I did anything wrong. If you think this is my fault, then think whatever you want. I don't care." She had never shown such cold indifference toward Cameron before. Cameron didn't have time to process the change and simply asked, "Is this how you raise a child?" Teresa just couldn't be bothered to explain herself. "Yes, as you can see." She took full responsibility, without hesitation. Cameron didn't hold back either. "Then it seems I wasn't wrong the other day when I said Cecilia would be more suitable as a mother than you." Teresa looked at him and replied calmly, "Yes." Cameron hadn't expected such a composed response and was momentarily stunned. "You—" Teresa didn't want to hear any more from him. She shot back sharply, "You all think you're better at taking care of Rosie than I am, but how come none of you knew about her mango allergy?" Cameron was momentarily taken aback, then replied calmly, "You never told me." Teresa didn't want to argue, but for Rosalie's sake, she felt it was necessary to explain everything. Her tone turned serious as she said to Cameron, "Fine, you'd better listen carefully. Rosie is a girl. She needs daily cleaning of her private parts and monthly vaccinations. She can't drink cold water, and she can't eat mangoes—" She went on and listed everything. When she finished, she didn't care how Cameron felt and simply took Melinda's hand and left. After all, since they were getting a divorce, it was better to clarify everything early for Rosalie's sake.