Chapter 17 Chapter 17 C 28 Forced fruit never tastes sweet . Especially since Teresa couldn't have kept that marriage going even if she tried . Even if she hadn't asked for the divorce , Charles would have done it after their second child . But Teresa didn't want to be a breeding tool anymore . Much less a caged bird . Watching her tears fall , Hector's heart ached . Beyond offering comfort and wiping away her tears , there was nothing else he could do . After Yolanda dashed onto the stage , Charles didn't follow immediately . Instead , his gaze drifted sideways - just in time to see Hector wiping tears from Teresa's cheek . They stood so close that from Charles's angle , they looked practically pressed together . By then , Naomi had changed out of her gown . Taking Yolanda's hand , she walked toward Charles . " Charles . " she called softly . Charles snapped back to attention , his eyes arming as they met hers . " Dinner together ? " Naomi suggested . Sure . " Charles answered with a smile . Yolanda tugged at Charles's arm . " Daddy , I want roasted n meat . " Naomi booped her nose playfully . " Little foodie . " she teased . Outside the concert hall , the cool air cleared Teresa's head . The weight lifted off her chest . Charles and Yolanda walked away from her , not the other way around . She had nothing to apologize for . Seeing Teresa looked more herself , Hector spoke up . " Want to grab dinner ? " Teresa thought for a second , then nodded . " Why not ? " She was hungry . Besides , she didn't want to turn Hector down . At the restaurant , Hector held the door for Teresa . The moment Teresa stepped inside , she froze . Right at the center table sat six people , including Charles , Yolanda , and Naomi . Charles and Yolanda had their backs to the entrance , completely unaware Teresa had entered . Naomi sat beside Charles , her view toward the doorway blocked unless she turned around . Across from Charles sat two men and a woman . Teresa recognized both men , Jason and Finn . But the woman was a stranger to her . In their wealthy circle , men tended to bring different women to different events . Even married ones . As for Charles , Naomi was the only one ever by his side . Everyone in his world knew Naomi well . But very few knew Charles actually had a wife named Teresa . Hector followed her in . Seeing Teresa frozen in place , he asked right away , " What's up ? " But the words were barely out of his mouth when he spotted Charles and the others nearby . Grabbing Teresa's arm , he said , ' Let's grab a bite somewhere else . Teresa didn't budge . Instead , she held him back . Looking straight at him , she said in a steady voice , " It's fine . Let's eat here . " It wasn't her who'd screwed things up . She wasn't about to hide from anyone . Hector looked at Teresa for a few moments , then smiled . Alright " Teresa chose a table near the entrance , quite a ways away from Charles . The two groups sat back - to - back , so no one could see the other pany . Hector handed the menu to Teresa and let her order . She didn't play coy and picked two dishes she liked . 1/3 P Chapter 17 Soon , the food arrived . Teresa had barely taken her first bite when she heard Yolanda's excited voice from nearby . " Uncle Gould , you know what ? Miss Naomi is super talented . She played the piano beautifully . I've never heard anything like it . " Jason chuckled at Yolanda's words . He leaned across the table to look her right in the eye . " Listen , Yolanda . " he said , " Your Miss Naomi is the real deal . She just finished her master's and is heading for her doctoral degree . And her family's got money . " On top of that , she's got a pile of piano awards and certificates . Oh , and she does some modeling and acting on the side . She doesn't just do things well . She can do an amazing job at anything she tries . Seriously . " Jason was clearly impressed . Yolanda , swelling with pride at his words , turned to Naomi . " Miss Naomi , " she said seriously , " you're so awesome . Really amazing . " Naomi patted her head , her voice warm and affectionate . " You'll do amazing things too , sweetie . Because you have an exceptional dad ." Yolanda glanced at Charles , her pride growing even bigger . Her dad was an exceptional man , and Miss Naomi everyone admired her . was ** 50 popular that Finn sat across from them . No matter what yone said , he seemed pretty chill . Gossip just wasn't his thing . Thinking this , Finn murmured , " Think I spotted someone I know . " He still wasn't sure But Finn kept thinking the woman by the door looked familiar . It took him a while to place her . He finally remembered seeing her when he visited Yolanda , She was Charles ' wife . she w wife , but he tossed it out casually anyway . The moment Finn said it , Charles , Yolanda , and Naomi all turned to look toward Teresa was her back . sa . Teresa Yolanda let out a huff . " Ugh , so annoying . " she complained , " I keep running into Mom everywhere ." Charles looked away . He put some food on Yolanda's plate and said , " Eat up ." Yolanda was huffing and puffing , her appetite suddenly gone . ' Running into Mom at the concert was bad enough , she thought , ' but at a restaurant too ? She must be following us around secretly . But … maybe she couldn't help it ? Maybe she wants to say sorry ? " The thought made Yolanda's mood brighten a little . Since the two groups were sitting back - to - back , it wasn't until Yolanda sneaked another peek at Teresa that she realized that Teresa was gone . Yolanda was thrown for a loop . She couldn't figure out Teresa's intention . Charles hadn't noticed when Teresa had left either . He just didn't care enough to ask . Hector drove Teresa back to Sullivan Mansion . When they arrived , Yvonne was waiting in the doorway , wrapped in a coat . Teresa got out of the car , looking puzzled . " Yvonne , what are you doing out here ? " she asked . Yvonne glanced at Teresa , then her eyes shifted to the driver's seat . There sat a tall and handsome man . His clothes were clearly well - off . The car he drove was low - key but solid , radiating quality . Hector noticed Yvonne checking him out . He met her gaze naturally and introduced himself , " I was Teresa's university classmate , two years above her . " Yvonne smiled . " Hello " Hector gave a slight nod . His good manners showed in the little things . Teresa and Hector chatted for another moment . " Next time , dinner's on me . " she insisted . A warm , deep smile lit up Hector's eyes . He knew Teresa too well . Letting her feel she owed him was the perfect way to guarantee countless more meet - ups . 2/3 P Chapter 17 They'd been close friends back then . But since Teresa got married , things had naturally faded away . After Hector left , Yvonne looked at Teresa with a thoughtful , curious look . " Just a classmate ? " she pressed . Teresa nodded , her reply quick and firm . " Yeah , just a classmate . But we were close friends . " Seeing Teresa clearly wasn't in the mood for any talk about romance , Yvonne dropped it . Instead , she suddenly turned serious . " Dad's waiting for you in the living room . Says it's something important . " The look on Yvonne's face told Teresa this wouldn't be easy for her . 3/3