Chapter 105

Jonathan checked the time. It was 6:30 p.m., around dinner time. He figured she was buying dinner or groceries. That was until he saw her walk out carrying cans of beer. It infuriated him.

He thought, ‘She's just ruining herself like this! Every time she has problems, she drinks. It's been like this for years!’

He didn't need to follow her; he could easily guess where she lived. ‘She wasn't at Rosary Estates anymore—she was definitely living with Miriam,’ he thought. Teresa drove to Miriam's residential area—Begonia Estates.

Jonathan didn't drive over immediately. Once he confirmed she lived there, he turned around and left.

“Miriam, I’m back,” Teresa said, carrying some beer. The house buzzed with activity. Miriam, Michael, and Cheryl were there.

Cheryl proudly announced, “Teresa, I’m here to teach Mike how to draw.”

Teresa relaxed her furrowed brows. ‘How great! Cheryl graduated from Lumina School of Art and majored in painting. Michael has a knack for art, so it’s perfect for her to guide him.’

“Mike,” Teresa patted Michael’s head. “Make sure to learn well from Aunt Cheryl. She’s really talented.”

Michael stated, “Mommy, I’m not quite happy.”

Teresa quickly asked Michael why he was upset.

Michael pouted. “Aunt Cheryl told me Mr. Lime likes daughters! It’s a shame I’m not a girl.”

Cheryl burst into laughter, and Teresa playfully nudged her. ‘She’s still laughing!’ she thought.

Teresa urged, “Don’t bring up anything about Jonathan with Michael anymore, or I won’t keep your secret.”

“No, Teresa, I was wrong!” Cheryl immediately pleaded.

Teresa relented, and just then, Miriam emerged from the kitchen holding a spatula. “Ahem, it’s a failure. We won’t be having grilled fish tonight.”

A cloud of greasy, burnt smell wafted from the kitchen.

Teresa asked Cheryl to take Michael to his room. She put on a mask and rushed into the kitchen. Miriam had indeed tried to grill fish, but since she couldn't even manage sautéed vegetables, grilling the fish was a complete failure.

Teresa grabbed a pot of cold water and quickly poured it into the smoking pan, then opened the window to let the smoke out.

Miriam, covered in soot, went to wash her face.

Teresa turned on the range hood to clear the smoke, coughing as she said, “Hey, don’t force yourself to try things you can’t do. I’ll just order some fried chicken.”

“No!” Miriam cried, running over. “We ate fried chicken for two days in a row. I’m going to be sick. Please, no more!”

“How about pizza?” Teresa suggested.

Miriam said, “No. We just had that the day before yesterday, and I’m tired of it.”

“So what should we eat?” Teresa asked. She asked Miriam to decide so she could order delivery. She had also picked up some beer to go with it.

Right now, Miriam just wanted some simple homemade side dishes, but none of them—Teresa, Cheryl, or herself—could cook. The best they could manage was a pot of gruel or some instant noodles.

Teresa suggested, “Let’s order some ravioli and maybe some sautéed vegetables, too. I hope we can find some good ones.”

Miriam said, “The ravioli from stores don’t taste good. They’re not as good as the homemade ones. Remember last time when Sherry made those beef ravioli? They were quite tasty.”

Teresa stated, “Sherry isn’t here, so we can’t make them. Christian’s father is sick, so she’s accompanying him home.”

Hearing this, Miriam agreed to order ravioli. It was better than greasy fried chicken or pizza, which she was truly tired of.

“I’ll order the ravioli and make some plain gruel for Michael,” Teresa said.

“Why? Why? I want to have ravioli too!” Michael protested loudly.

Teresa explained, “Kids should have gruel at night. It’s easier to digest. Be good.”

Teresa was about to order three portions of ravioli when Miriam’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she exclaimed in surprise, “Jonathan’s calling!”

Teresa’s hand froze just before she could confirm the order. She motioned for Miriam to take the call somewhere quiet.

The kitchen was no longer smoky, so Miriam turned off the exhaust and answered the call, putting it on speaker.

Jonathan got straight to the point. “I’m downstairs in your residential area. I know Teresa and a little boy live at your place. I’m coming up now.”

After speaking, Jonathan hung up without waiting for Miriam to reply. He took out the ingredients he had just bought from the market—vegetables, meat, crabs, shrimp, and short ribs—and carried them upstairs.

Miriam stood there, stunned. She shook Teresa’s arm. “This is bad! How does Jonathan know you’re living here? And he knows Mike is here too!”

Teresa said she had heard everything. Then she thought, ‘How did Jonathan figure out I was here? And that Mike was too?’

However, it was too late to send Michael downstairs now. They would definitely run into Jonathan. Plus, sending Michael away without a plan wasn't an option, as she had already locked the door at Rosary Estates.

Teresa said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. He doesn’t know Mike is his son. Besides, there are three of us. It’s three against one. I’m sure we can handle him.”

It was indeed three against one. However, Miriam shook her head. “I’m not smart enough, and Cheryl seems a bit clueless too. You two will have to deal with it yourselves.”

The doorbell rang.