Teresa chuckled coldly, her tone sharp and cutting. Glancing at the time as she prepared to board, she said, “Cut the crap, Hannah. I’m not coming back, and I’m sure as hell not dragging your nephew into this mess. Unlike you, I’m not that cruel.”

“How could you think that about me? Do you even know why I kept switching the DNA test results? It was all for you. I was terrified Irene would take Mike away, scared you’d end up trapped in that miserable marriage again.”

“And what did I say? You’re happy now, aren’t you? What more could you possibly want?”

“Teresa, your words really cut deep,” Jennifer said firmly. “Fine, go ahead and come back. Let Irene snatch your child right in front of you. Would that make you happy? Everything I did was for your own good, but you never appreciated it.”

Teresa closed her eyes, suppressing the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She could have lashed out at Jennifer, unleashed all the harsh words she’d been holding back, and severed ties completely. But there was no deep-seated hatred between them. They were like two flowers struggling to grow in the barren soil of their dysfunctional family, never properly nurtured. Both she and Hannah had their flaws, but Hannah had endured more pain, and that pain had twisted her into someone even more obsessive.

Unless Hannah could come to terms with her obsession and see it for what it was, nothing would change. Even if Teresa argued with her now, Hannah would still believe she was right, that everything she did was for Teresa’s sake.

“Jennifer, I still hope you can find happiness,” Teresa said softly. Her words carried both a blessing and a farewell. She ended the call, pulled out the SIM card, and without hesitation, tossed it into the trash.

Holding Michael’s small hand, she walked away without looking back. As the plane roared to life and lifted off, Teresa felt the weight of her old life finally begin to fade.

Jonathan had been receiving mysterious bouquets repeatedly. The cards always carried the same cryptic message: [Guess who? My last name is Larkin.] Jonathan frowned and called his assistant. “Throw these out,” he ordered.

“Mr. Lynn, Ms. Larkin is downstairs and wants to see you,” the assistant reported.

“Which Ms. Larkin?” Jonathan asked.

“She said her name is Simona,” the assistant replied.

Jonathan glanced at the card again, and everything clicked. His brows furrowed even deeper. He wondered what the woman who had drugged him before wanted.

Simona had been waiting for Jonathan, but instead of seeing him, she was greeted by his assistant. She quickly asked, “What did Jonathan say?”

The assistant handed her a card and said, “Ms. Larkin, Mr. Lynn asked me to pass this on to you.”

Simona grabbed the card and froze when she saw it was for the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. Her face twisted with fury. She slammed the card to the ground and stomped on it.

Irene arrived at Jonathan’s office and happened to see Simona driving away, her expression stormy. Confused, she asked Jonathan about it. “Why was Simona leaving your office?”

“I have no idea,” Jonathan replied flatly, not even bothering to look up.

“Ugh, that Simona is no good. She even drugged you. Her character is just awful.” Irene pulled out some photos, her tone shifting. “Look, I’ve found a few good ones for you.”

“Just leave them there,” he said, his voice distant.

“Let me guess, the moment I leave, you’ll just throw them away, right? I know you too well.” Irene softened her tone. “At least take a look. I specifically picked ones who resemble Teresa. You can’t say they don’t remind you of her.”

Jonathan froze at the mention of Teresa, his hand hovering over the desk. Slowly, he set down his pen and fixed Irene with a piercing stare. “What did she say to you before she left?”

“Still thinking about her, huh? Fine, keep obsessing over her. If it weren’t for her, you’d have been ruined!” Irene snapped, her voice laced with frustration.

“And how, exactly, would I have been ruined?” Jonathan shot back, his tone sharp and unyielding.

“Don’t think I don’t know you took her to Chicoham. You’re so careless. Do you even realize your current status? Taking random photos with strangers? What if they’re criminals or fugitives? You wouldn’t even know.”

Jonathan’s gaze darkened as he pressed her further, his voice low and tense. “Criminals? What are you talking about? Did something happen?”