Leaving It All Behind (Teresa and Cameron) novel Chapter 6

When the door was gently pushed open, Cameron instinctively reached out to switch off the light.

The room was instantly swallowed by darkness.

As Cameron untied the belt of his robe, he said, "It's late. Let's get started. I still have things to deal with afterward."

Light from the hallway seeped in through the open door, casting a blurred silhouette at the entrance.

Hearing Cameron's words, Brenda froze. She didn't dare step further inside and softly reminded him, "Mr. Langdon, it's me."

Cameron paused at her voice. Once he realized who it was, he reached out to turn the light back on.

Looking at Brenda, he asked in a puzzled tone, "Teresa isn't back yet?"

Sweat glistening on her skin, Brenda nodded. "Not yet."

The air in the room seemed to grow heavier instantly.

Brenda knew Cameron was displeased. There was nothing she could do, so she tried to reassure him. "Mrs. Langdon usually comes home very early. Last month, she was back before 6:00 pm almost every day. Since she isn't back today, I guess something must have held her up."

Cameron caught the implication in her words and offered a brief reply. "Got it."

Brenda was about to remind him to get some rest, but before she could speak, he suddenly sat up straight on the bed.

The words she was about to say died on her lips.

Five minutes later, Cameron got changed and left Willowbrook Garden.

Brenda walked him downstairs to see him off, a faint feeling nagging at her, as if she had forgotten something.

It wasn't until Cameron's car disappeared from view that she finally remembered that Teresa had mentioned the things in the study.

In the car, Cameron had barely driven out of Willowbrook Garden when Cecilia's call came through.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Under the dim glow of the dashboard lights, his features were soft, devoid of their usual sharpness.

Cecilia's voice drifted softly through the phone. "Cam, I have a really important concert tomorrow, but Rosie's kindergarten is holding a parent-child event for their first day of school. I'm afraid—"

She didn't finish, but Cameron already knew what she was trying to say.

"I got it. I'll have Teresa go."

Upon hearing this, Cecilia let out a sigh of relief. "I've already talked to Rosie about it. You just need to let Ms. Sutton know."

"Alright," Cameron said. "Just focus on your performance."

After hanging up, he pulled the car over to the side of the road.

He scrolled through his call history, but that familiar number was nowhere to be found.

Only then did it hit him that Teresa hadn't contacted him on her own in a long time.

Back when she was taking care of Rosalie full-time, she would call him every day to ask whether he'd be coming home for dinner. He didn't go home often, and when he did, it was only to spend time with their daughter.

After she mentioned wanting a second child, she would still occasionally ask whether he was coming home, but he didn't answer every call.

Sometimes he would reject the call, but sometimes he would let it ring out. Yet whenever he wanted to reach Teresa, her number was always easy to find.

But now, no matter how many times he scrolled through his phone, that familiar number was nowhere in sight.

He wasn't sure how long he searched before he finally found it, but the last call record was from three months ago.

Had it really been that long since they last spoke?

Cameron couldn't even remember whether he had answered Teresa's last call.

Without thinking too much, he dialed her number—only to be met by a cold, automated voice saying the call couldn't be connected.

Cameron had never encountered this before. Momentarily stunned, he tried again.

The result was the same.

He called four or five more times in a row, still unable to get through. In the end, he gave up.

He considered video-calling Teresa on WhatsApp, but when he checked his contacts, she wasn't there.

Finally, he sent a text message: "Rosie has a parent-child event for their first day at the kindergarten tomorrow. She wants you to go with her. 2:00 pm, East Street Kindergarten."

Once the message went through, Cameron drove off.

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