Chapter 98.
Chapter 98
When the teachers at the Therapy Center saw Eliana arrive, they were about to greet her, but then they froze at the man trailing behind her.
They couldn’t believe such a handsome and dignified man existed in real life.
A round–faced teacher, Daria Reed, couldn’t help tugging Eliana’s sleeve and whispering, “Ellie, who is this?”
As they all stared at Theodore curiously, Eliana was about to speak when Theodore suddenly pulled her into his arms and said to the group, “I’m Ellie’s husband. My last name is Russell.”
The teachers barely snapped out of their trance from Theodore’s magnetic voice before being shocked by the news that Ellie had secretly married.
“Ellie, why didn’t you tell us?” Daria asked with a hint of displeasure, as the other teachers chimed in agreement.
Theodore listened quietly. As Eliana had said, these teachers were simple and kind. Their only reaction to her marriage was genuine concern.
“Okay, it’s my fault,” Eliana apologized in a joking tone, then joked with a pleading tone, “That’s why I brought him here to meet you guys. Give me a break.”
“Since we missed your wedding, you owe us some compensation,” one teacher teased.
“You tell me.” To better deceive them, Eliana had prepared gifts in advance. “The presents are all in the car. You can come with me to get them later.”
“Huh, that’s more like it.” The teachers nodded, then turned back to Theodore. “Mr. Russell, how did you meet our Ellie?”
“Wait, he looks familiar.”
“Me too.”
Theodore hadn’t appeared in public for two years, and the teachers, occupied with caring for the children almost 24/7, hadn’t followed gossip news closely. Though they felt Theodore looked familiar, they couldn’t confirm his identity.
Suddenly, Daria had an epiphany. “Are you a celebrity? After all, Ellie works at Starlight Media and might interact with artists.”
Hearing this, Theodore couldn’t help recalling the young actor Eliana had mentioned yesterday, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Eliana laughed. “You’re letting your imagination run too wild!”
After some playful banter, she grew serious. “Is Bernie here?”
At the mention of Bernice, the teachers‘ expressions dimmed. “She is, but she’s been listless ever since you left yesterday. She won’t tell us what’s wrong. We have no idea what’s bothering her.”
Eliana knocked on Bernice’s office door. After a moment, a woman said in a faint tone, “Come in.”
When Eliana entered, she saw Bernice sitting in her office chair, gently massaging her chest. On her desk lay half a glass of water and a bottle of cancer
medication.
Eliana said worriedly, “Bernie.”
Startled, Bernice quickly dropped her hand and looked up.
Glancing at Eliana’s anxious profile, Theodore said, “Bernie, do you remember me?”
Bernice paused, then recognized Theodore’s voice. “You were the man who called me last time?”
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Chapter 98
Theodore nodded. “Yes, I’m Ellie’s husband.”
Bernice could no longer deceive herself.
She stood abruptly, leaning on the desk with trembling hands, and asked coldly, “Mr. Russell, I heard you married Ellie just to have her ward off your bad
luck?”
Facing such a pointed question, Theodore nodded. After all, that was how he and Eliana had met.
Bernice continued, “During the two years you were blind, you had a terrible temper and often took it out on her, hadn’t you?”
Theodore thought of his early sarcasm and being difficult to Eliana, and he nodded again.
Eliana was nearly frantic with worry. She’d invited him to pretend to be affectionate, not to expose their secrets.
Seeing Bernice’s displeased expression, Eliana gritted her teeth. “Bernie, he’s been good to me since then.”
Bernice turned to her. “He won’t even publicly acknowledge your marriage. Is that what you call good?”
“No, it’s not like that.” Eliana quickly raised her hand, which was intertwined with Theodore’s, to show their wedding rings. “Look at this.”
Bernice froze at the sight of the rings, then said, “Ellie, please get out now. I want to speak with him alone.”
Eliana shot Theodore a pleading look, hoping he wouldn’t say anything to upset Bernice.
After Eliana hesitated and left, Bernice asked, “Mr. Russell, be honest. Do you love Ellie?”
Theodore paused, then said gravely, “I care about her.”
Bernice knew it was rare for a powerful man like Theodore to care for someone, but she wasn’t satisfied.
“You’re lying. If you truly cared, why did you leave with another woman in your arms?” Bernice demanded.
“I admit I was too impulsive that day,” Theodore said.
Five years with Alice had ingrained a habit of protecting her. When the chandelier fell, his body had acted before his mind could think.
Bernice pressed relentlessly, “Just impulse? Did you ever consider How humiliating it would have been for Ellie if everyone knew she was your wife? And her hand was injured. Why didn’t you save her first?”
Thinking of the bandage still wrapped around Eliana’s left hand, Theodore said guiltily, “I’m sorry. I didn’t notice her then.”
“That proves you don’t care!” Bernice snapped, dropping her calm facade and pounding her chest. “But I do! Ellie is the child I love mo you marry her but don’t treat her well, it’s like stabbing my heart!”
After calming her breath, she said, “Mr. Russell, now that your eyes are healed, set Ellie free.”
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Theodore was shocked and blurted out, “Not unless I’m dead.”
Bernice glared at him. “Easy to say. Ellie is naive. She’ll definitely fall for your tricks some day. I can’t watch her sink deeper,”
Theodore’s jaw tensed. “I was indeed cruel to her before, but now I’m sincere. Why can you only see the bad? Now that we’ve exchanged rings, we’ve decided to spend our lives together.”
Bernice said, “Do you think I don’t know you’re just putting on a show for me?”
She yanked open a desk drawer, pulled out a magazine, and slammed it in front of Theodore. “You weren’t wearing that ring when you carried Alice. The only explanation is that you and Ellie bought these rings just to fool me.”
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