True Love Waits

Chapter 1188 Where Is She

Early on, Erica had been able to see that the guy Julianna was seeing was a punk. Repeatedly, Erica had tried to convince her friend to break things off with him. But Julianna hadn't listened, and after they'd had one too many arguments over it, she and Erica fell out.

Later, Tam moved back to Y City because of his career, taking Julianna with him, and the two women hadn't seen each other since.

Still on the phone with her friend Rhea, Erica thought back on those old wounds until it twisted her stomach into a knot. Finally she said, "Forget it. I'll just ask for my brother's help!" Gifford was good at locating people, just as much as Wesley.

But Rhea suggested, "Why don't you just ask your husband for help? It will be quicker that way."

"No, Phoebe is still in his office," said Erica quickly. "I guess he is busy comforting her. I'd better not disturb them." The more she thought about it, the more wretched she felt. Here she was, stuck in a marriage that, more often than not, seemed loveless. Yet in some ways this man actually was very good to her. Not to mention, he was a source of financial stability, so Erica was reluctant to leave him.

She was a bit startled by what Rhea said next. "What nonsense! Have you forgotten you're the legal wife here? Why are you acting like you're the mistress? Stand up for yourself! You should go back to that office right now and kick Phoebe out of it. No matter how good their relationship was before, he is your husband-not hers! There's no reason at all for you to be accommodating yourself to them."

Erica winced, and her fingers tightened around her cell phone. Deep down, she thought her friend was right. But Matthew didn't even like her, let alone love her, and her feelings toward him were no warmer. Why should she go back there and make a scene over Phoebe?

"No, forget it," she declared. "I'm going to try Gifford. Besides, we haven't talked in a while. I should see if he has found a girlfriend and forgotten his little sister."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything," Rhea said.

"Okay. Bye!"

Still sitting on the curb, Erica took a few minutes to let her mood get back to normal before calling Gifford. The phone rang for almost a full minute before he finally answered. Gifford took the first word-and sure enough, it was a barb. "Matthew doesn't strike me as a stingy man. Why are you calling?"

Erica rolled her eyes. It seemed like his opinion of her hadn't changed much. "Brother, do you think I would only call you to ask for money?"

Gifford didn't miss a beat. "Yes, that's exactly what I think."

I don't need money.

bit. "Well, go ahead.

Tessie had met several times, so Erica thought he should remember her.

lip, then decided to just go with the truth. "Tessie's sister said that she's not dead. I want to see

"Why don't you ask

And the way Gifford saw it, Matthew would be faster

enough of an emotional ordeal. She wasn't happy about having to tell Rhea that her husband was with Phoebe; she didn't want her brother to know about it too. She decided to show some teeth. "Hey, Brother, why are you acting like a sissy? Will you

he snarled. "You'd better not call me again!" Erica was definitely the first and only person who dared to call him a sissy! "Bye!" she said sweetly, then immediately hung

minutes, Gifford sent

a taxi and headed to

she was too wrapped up in the unpleasant questions that haunted her. If Tessie was really alive, then why had the doctor said that she died of difficult labor? Had Tessie run away from her whole life-and from her own son, Ethan? If so, why? If she'd been

too much to puzzle out, and she

hour later she

stepped out of the taxi at the entrance of a detached villa. She double-checked the number on the mailbox with the address her

iron gate, Erica went up

a maid. "Hello. What can I do for you?" Erica had thought about what to say on

here.

Tessie's friend.

of

black Benz coming to a stop

the driver and of a lone passenger in the

the gate open all

out of the way and the

a well-dressed, middle-aged woman. Her delicate face regarded Erica with guarded dispassion. "Mrs. Huo?" Although Erica had never met this woman before, she recognized her at a glance-Phoebe and Tessie looked so much like her. "Hello, Mrs. Su. I'm Erica