Chapter 318

Jonathan stared at Benny as Benny voiced his suspicion, “What if Teresa isn’t acting on her own? What if someone is threatening her?”

Jonathan frowned and lowered his head. “With her temper? Who would even dare to threaten her?”

Benny clicked his tongue. “Just because you treat her like she’s precious and can’t bear to upset her doesn’t mean everyone else feels the same way!”

A flicker passed through Jonathan’s eyes, his gaze growing even more thoughtful.

Michael woke up at Jadeleal Apartment, only to find Jonathan already gone. Realizing he was back in his own bed at home, he became upset and fussed, insisting he wanted to see Jonathan.

Teresa sighed helplessly. “He’s busy with work, sweetheart. He already left.”

Michael’s lips trembled, his eyes brimming with tears as he sniffled. “But I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Mr. Lime.”

“Next time, okay?” Teresa turned away so he wouldn’t see the tears welling up in her own eyes. She told him she was going to make dinner.

She figured Benny would probably reach out, and sure enough, he called that night to ask where she was. When he suggested a place to meet, Teresa replied, “Let’s do it during the day. It’s late, I need to get some rest.”

“Are you staying at a hotel or an apartment?” Benny asked.

“I’ll stay wherever I want. Mind your own business,” Teresa shot back, then hung up.

They met at a restaurant in Everport, with Benny arriving half an hour early. When Benny saw Teresa, she wasn’t wearing any flashy jewelry. Her hair was loosely tied back, no fancy styling, just a simple white shirt and flats.

Benny couldn’t help but tease, “You know, one of the women at my law firm is pregnant, and she dresses almost exactly like you right now.”

Teresa frowned. “Can you cut the nonsense and get to the point?”

Benny glanced casually at her flat stomach, thinking maybe he was overthinking things. He finally got down to business.

“Seriously, Teresa, I just don’t understand why you won’t get back together with Jonathan. With him backing you in Nareigh, you could do whatever you want. You could live in his mansion and live a free life.”

“No, thank you,” Teresa cut in quickly. “If his mother hears that, she’ll say I’m making things up. Just drop it, okay?”

Benny raised an eyebrow. “What’s the big deal? You’re with him, not his mother. What’s Irene got against you anyway? If you want, I can talk to Jonathan about it.”

“It’s not like Irene’s done anything to me. She just doesn’t like me. You don’t need to talk to him, and don’t put him in a tough spot. I don’t want his mother thinking I’m trying to turn them against each other,” Teresa replied.

They were already divorced. Complaining to Jonathan about Irene was pointless. Besides, with Irene’s temper, she’d definitely think Teresa was badmouthing her to Jonathan, and that would only make things worse.

“Let him find someone his mother actually likes, and someone he likes too. Someone who’s really right for him,” Teresa added.

Benny pressed his lips. From his perspective, it was obvious Teresa still had feelings for Jonathan. If she truly didn’t care, she wouldn’t be thinking about him this much.

Benny sighed. “Honestly, if it weren’t for you, Jonathan wouldn’t have come back to Nareigh at all. He’d probably be living in Archulea by now. He only came back for you.”

Teresa’s fingers tightened at her side, but she just looked up and said, “So you called me out here to talk about me? If you’re using his situation…there’s nothing left to say. Clearly, you don’t see me as a friend.”

Benny pressed, “He said you’ve got someone in Everport. Who is this guy? Is he richer than Jonathan? Does he treat you better? As your friend, I don’t want to see you make a mistake.”

Teresa gave a wry smile. “Thanks, but he’s just a colleague’s younger brother who’s been chasing after me. I never dated him, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer and cornered me on the street. Jonathan happened to see it, and I didn’t explain.”

“You know, what’s there to explain? If I tried to clear things up, it’d look like I wanted to get back together. I’d rather let him think I’m just that cold-hearted.”

Benny finally understood. So that was it. He knew Teresa wouldn’t fall for someone else, not with Jonathan’s qualities.

“Fine, if you’ve really moved on, I’ll drop it. But honestly, you haven’t let go of Jonathan at all. I don’t get why you two are always so stubborn. As a friend, you two are driving me crazy,” Benny grumbled.

“Alright, I’m heading out,” he said. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell Jonathan about any of this.” Benny gave Teresa’s shoulder a reassuring pat. “Even if Jonathan’s not around, you still have me and Miriam. If you ever need money or help, just let us know. You’re not alone, you know?”

Teresa’s nose stung as she watched Benny’s car disappear down the road. She reached up to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep going on this path. Suddenly, she felt lost.

Her phone rang unexpectedly. It was Sherry calling. She and Christian were about to leave; Christian planned to take his mother to a big hospital in Harrisburg for another checkup, and Sherry was going with him.

Teresa went to see them off, and that’s when she saw Christian, who looked so thin and worn out.

Christian greeted her respectfully, “Ma’am.”

Teresa waved her hand. “Just call me Teresa.”

Christian nodded. “Is Mr. Lynn in Everport too?”

Teresa shook her head. “I’m not sure if he’s still here or if he’s already gone back to Nareigh. He was here a couple of days ago, though.”

Christian was quiet for a few seconds. “When I left, I told Mr. Lynn that Michael wasn’t my son. I felt like I hadn’t let down Mr. Lynn, or you and Sherry. But Mr. Lynn never realized Michael is his son.”

Teresa didn’t say anything. She lowered her head and glanced at her belly. Not only did Jonathan not know Michael was his child, but now she was pregnant with his second child, and even Sherry didn’t know about it yet.