Chapter 325

When Teresa woke up again, her lips were red and a little swollen at the corners. In the bathroom, as she was washing, Jonathan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Teresa shot him an annoyed look. "What do you want now? Haven't I ‘taken care of’ you enough already? Two hours wasn't enough for you?"

Jonathan frowned at her attitude. "Is that it? Use me and toss me aside?"

Teresa was exasperated. "Seriously? And you even said I wasn't good enough. Why don't you find someone more skilled next time?"

Jonathan smirked. "Practice makes perfect. Keep up the good work."

Teresa was speechless.

Teresa returned to school; it was already afternoon. Lysander wasn't at school; he was still in bed after the beating, maybe even in the hospital. Jonathan had driven Teresa, parked at the school gate, and walked in with her.

Teresa glanced at him and asked, "Don't you have work to do at your company?"

Jonathan advised, "You shouldn't keep teaching here. Just quit."

"I'm on a contract," Teresa replied. "If I break it, I have to pay a penalty."

Jonathan nodded. "I'll pay the penalty for you. Don't worry about it."

Teresa was quiet for a few seconds. "No, that's okay. I can pay it myself, and I'll handle the resignation on my own."

"I'll go with you," Jonathan said, walking beside her.

A bittersweet warmth welled up in Teresa's heart. She couldn't quite put the feeling into words.

They headed to the office. Tina and Ivy were there. Ivy had met Jonathan before, but seeing him with Teresa still stunned her. "Ms. Johnston, who's this handsome guy?"

"This is my ex-husband," Teresa introduced Jonathan.

"You told me before you didn't know him. Teresa, you've been hiding things from us, huh? And that little boy you always drop off at kindergarten is your son, right?"

Jonathan asked, "What boy?"

Ivy said without thinking, "I always see Teresa taking a little boy to kindergarten."

Teresa stayed calm and looked at Jonathan. "She's talking about Mike."

Jonathan didn't think much of it. "That's our friend's kid."

Ivy said, "Oh, I got it," and immediately changed the subject. "So, handsome, you're rich and good-looking. Why did you and Teresa divorce? Were you cheating or something?"

Jonathan glanced at Teresa, waiting for her to answer. But Teresa just frowned and said nothing about her and Jonathan. Instead, she said, "I'm quitting."

"What? You're quitting? Why would you quit?" Ivy blurted out, totally clueless about what happened with Lysander.

"If you're quitting, you need to tell Lysander, but he's not here today," Tina chimed in.

"I'll just talk to the vice principal later," Teresa replied.

"Ms. Thompson, thanks for letting my ex-husband know yesterday," Teresa said. Otherwise, it would have been hard for her to get away from Lysander on her own.

Tina shook her head and, right in front of Jonathan, said purposely, "Come on, we're good friends. No need to thank me."

Teresa went to the vice principal's office with Jonathan, who helped as the vice principal processed her resignation. When Jonathan saw she'd signed a three-year contract, he frowned deeply. "Three years? You were really planning to live here by yourself for three years?"

"That was the plan," Teresa admitted. "It worked out for Michael to go to kindergarten here, and after three years, he'd be ready for elementary school. Maybe we'd leave Everport then. Besides, most contracts like this start at three years anyway."

Jonathan could hardly believe her. "What on earth goes through your mind every day?"

Teresa shot him a look. "I'm feeling pretty emotional right now. Don't ruin my mood."

"What's there to be sad about?"

"I still have to say goodbye to my class. Those kids have been really good to me."

Teresa taught Class 2, Grade 3. She went to say goodbye to the kids while Jonathan waited outside, leaning casually against the corridor window. The kids crowded around the window, peeking out at Jonathan and whispering among themselves.

"Ms. Johnston, is that your boyfriend?" one of them asked, full of curiosity.

"Or maybe he's your husband? Ms. Johnston, is he your boyfriend or your husband?" another piped up, eager for gossip.

"He's so tall and handsome! If you're a princess, then he must be your prince!" a little girl said, eyes shining.

Teresa almost laughed. She thought they were just two regular people in real life.

She turned to the class and said warmly, "Thank you. I've enjoyed being your teacher. I have some family matters to take care of, so I won't be able to keep teaching you. I hope you all study hard and grow up healthy and strong."

"Aw…" The kids were caught off guard by her sudden announcement, and none of them wanted her to leave. That little girl who'd come to school sick but still insisted on studying looked the most upset. Teresa had sent her to the nurse's office to rest, and her mom had even made a fuss. She cried the hardest and, not caring about the whole class watching, ran to the front and hugged Teresa tightly.

Teresa gently patted her head and wiped away her tears. "Don't cry. We'll see each other again, okay?"

Only then did the girl reluctantly let go, her eyes still brimming with tears. She whispered, "Ms. Johnston, I've kept that secret you asked me to keep."

Teresa suddenly remembered and nodded. "Thank you."

The girl glanced out the window at Jonathan, who was quietly waiting. She looked like she wanted to say something but held back at the last second.

After class, when Teresa left the classroom, the girl hurried after her, calling out, "Ms. Johnston, please wait!"

Teresa and Jonathan turned around. Teresa asked, "Is something wrong?"

Seeing Jonathan nearby, the girl said, "Sir, could you give us a moment? I want to talk to Ms. Johnston alone."

Jonathan didn't say anything, just glanced at Teresa, then walked to the end of the hallway, giving the girl her space.

Only then did the girl turn to Teresa and ask, "Ms. Johnston, is he your husband?"

Teresa almost said "ex-husband," but worried a third-grader wouldn't understand. She didn't want her own failed marriage to mess with the girl's view of relationships, so she just said, "Yes, he's my husband."

"Oh, I get it, Ms. Johnston! You're quitting because your husband came to find you, right? Are you leaving with your family?"

Teresa didn't know how to answer, so she nodded. She told her to study hard, love herself, and not let her parents guilt-trip her. Teresa had been pressured by her family, and by the time she realized it, it was already too late.