Chapter 309

She had told Jonathan that life here was comfortable and fulfilling. She was supposed to feel happy.

Suddenly, warmth enveloped her shoulders as someone draped a jacket over her. Blinking through her tears, Teresa looked up into the concerned eyes of Rebecca Nelson, the doctor overseeing her prenatal checkups.

“Why are you sitting here crying?” she asked, frowning. “Pregnant women shouldn’t sit on the floor. It’s cold. What happened?”

Teresa shook her head and stood up, hastily wiping her cheeks. “My eyes are watering from the wind. Don’t worry about me,” she explained.

“Where do you live? Let me drive you home,” Rebecca offered.

“No need—I live nearby,” Teresa replied.

“Then have your husband pick you up. Where is he, anyway?” Rebecca’s tone sharpened. She’d never seen Teresa’s husband at any of her appointments. Was he uninvolved, or worse?

Teresa sighed, pressing her lips together before admitting, “Actually, we divorced some time ago.”

“What?” Rebecca’s voice rose, her gaze dropping to Teresa’s swollen belly. “You’re carrying his child, and he left you? Is he even human?”

Growing up in an all-girls’ village school, Rebecca had always been deeply troubled by stories of men abandoning their wives and children.

Teresa shook her head. “No, he’s actually a good guy. This pregnancy happened after we separated.”

“That’s even worse!” Rebecca snapped. “He gets you pregnant after the divorce and doesn’t step up? Give me his information. I’ll call the police.”

“It’s not like that. I should go—I’ve got things to do.” Teresa was too exhausted to explain further.

“Wait.” Rebecca removed her jacket. “May nights can still be chilly. Take this and don’t catch a cold.”

“No need, Dr. Nelson. I’m fine—”

“Take it. It’s just a jacket,” Rebecca insisted. “Honestly, you remind me of a stubborn junior schoolmate I once knew.”

Teresa finally accepted it and said, “Thank you.” She promised to return it the next day.

“No rush,” Rebecca smiled.

As Teresa walked away, Rebecca lingered on her features—something hauntingly familiar, like her junior schoolmate, Jennifer Nelson. Teresa Johnston and Jennifer Nelson? Different last names. Could there be any relationship between them? Rebecca shrugged off the coincidence.

When Teresa got home, she’d already scrubbed the tear tracks from her face and pasted on a cheerful smile for her child. Adulthood wasn’t simple, but at least she wouldn’t let her kid see her vulnerability.

Over dinner, Michael blurted out, “Mom! Our school is having a family sports day next week.”

Teresa froze. ‘A family sports day? But I’m pregnant. Could I join in something like that?’ she thought.

“Next week?” she murmured.

“Yeah! The teacher said it’s for the upcoming Children’s Day,” Michael explained, bouncing in his seat.

“Oh, I see.” Teresa cupped Michael’s face in her hands and smiled. “My sweet boy, what should Mom get you for the big day? I’ll make sure to have it ready.”

Michael grinned, shaking his head like a bobblehead. “Guess.”

Teresa chuckled. “Alright, let me put on my thinking cap. I’ll prepare a real surprise for my little prince.”

Michael stuck out his pinky. “Pinky promise. You’ve gotta get my gift ready.”

“Promise,” Teresa said as their linked pinkies sealed the deal.

After dinner, Teresa ran a bath and let the hot water melt her tension. Her phone buzzed incessantly—Lysander had flooded her with multiple voice messages.

“Hey Teresa, what are you up to tonight? A pretty flower like you needs protection, right?” His slurred voice reeked of whiskey and sleaze, like oil sliding across a parking lot. “Come on, be my woman. I’ll show you how to live it up!”

The sound of his disgusting laugh made her gag. Teresa pressed the screen record button, capturing every grotesque second before saving the file as evidence.

Then she replied, “You disgusting old creep, I’ve put up with your crap long enough at school. Do you even own a mirror, you pig-faced bastard?”

Teresa took a deep breath and continued, “I haven’t lost my temper in ages, but you’re really pushing my buttons, you bald-headed cockroach. Harass me one more time, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

After hitting send, Teresa felt a wave of relief. Getting that off her chest made her feel so much better.

If it weren’t for her kid just settling into kindergarten and her school contract tying her down, she wouldn’t want to stay at this terrible school. Otherwise, breaking the contract would mean paying a penalty.

Early the next morning, Lysander showed up at school and immediately called Teresa to come to his office. His face was twisted with anger. “Teresa, what did you mean by that voice message you sent yesterday?”

Teresa shot back with a cold smile. “And what do you mean by harassing a female teacher late at night? If you don’t care about your reputation, I can forward your voice message to the entire staff group.”

Lysander’s jowls quivered like angry jelly as he jabbed the air between them. “I tried to be nice, but you just had to make things hard. You just wait.” With that, he turned and stormed off.

Teresa took a deep breath. She didn’t feel she’d done anything wrong. She just got on with her day and went to class as usual. A little girl who had helped her yesterday ran up and handed her a paper heart she’d folded herself. “Ms. Johnston, I’m sorry my mom gave you a hard time. I wanted to say sorry for her.”

Teresa accepted the heart with a gentle smile. “You don’t need to apologize. What’s important is your health. Next time you’re unwell, tell your mom straight out, ‘I don’t feel good. I can’t do homework right now! Okay? Always put yourself first.”

Put yourself first. The advice slipped effortlessly from Teresa’s lips, yet she couldn’t bring herself to follow it.

“Thank you, Ms. Johnston. Your child must be so lucky,” the girl said earnestly.

Teresa chuckled, picturing her son’s mock scowl. “He’s always giving me that look.”

“Wow, Ms. Johnston, you’re already a mom?” The girl’s eyes widened. “You have a son?”

Teresa knelt to meet the girl’s eyes and whispered, “Shhh… It’s my little secret. Can you keep it between us?”

“Okay!” The girl hooked her pinky with Teresa’s, sealing their promise.

Teresa gently stroked the girl’s hair. “Alright, back to class now.”

Teresa didn’t have classes that afternoon, so she left school early and headed to the hospital to return Jennifer’s jacket, bringing a basket of fresh seasonal grapes and cantaloupe as a gift.

Rebecca studied Teresa’s face. “You seem better today. No more tears, huh?”

Teresa’s lips curled into a stubborn smile. “I didn’t cry yesterday,” she insisted.

Rebecca chuckled. “It’s okay to cry, Teresa. Adults cry too. No need to put on a brave face.”

Teresa hummed softly. “Thank you for yesterday, Dr. Nelson. Really.”

Rebecca waved a hand dismissively. “All I did was lend you a jacket. No need for thanks.”

Teresa wrapped her arms around herself, her voice softening. “It’s just… in a strange city, even a little warmth feels so precious.”