Chapter 333

Benny clicked his tongue. “Come on, Teresa, don’t be so modest.” He knew precisely how much Teresa could drink.

Teresa waved it off, remaining calm. “Forget it. I’m done for tonight. You guys go ahead.”

Jonathan’s eyes fell on Teresa. He sensed something was wrong. “What’s going on?” he asked. “You used to be the one who partied the hardest.”

Jiang Tong thought about the baby. She pressed her lips together, then glanced at Miriam, avoiding the question. “It’s all Miriam’s fault. She scared me so much that I’m still not over it.”

“I’m sorry,” Miriam leaned her head on Teresa’s shoulder. “Seeing you worry about me makes me feel better. I was really scared you didn’t care about me anymore. I promise, I won’t freak you out like that again.”

“Just make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Teresa said.

Benny poured himself another drink and chimed in, “If you ask me, if we’re putting on a show, let’s go all out—just lure Teresa back to Nareigh. She’s the only one left here anyway.”

But as soon as Benny finished, Teresa’s smile faded, and she frowned. She wasn’t the only one here.

Teresa’s phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, stood up, and walked out to answer. “Hello, Ivy?”

Ivy said, “Teresa. This little guy you left me at preschool won’t stop crying. He keeps asking if you don’t want him anymore and won’t come with me, no matter what. I can’t calm him down. Please come.”

Teresa’s heart tightened. “Okay, I got it. I’ll come right away. Where are you?”

Ivy said, “I’m at my place. I sent you the address on WhatsApp. Are you free now?”

Teresa said, “I’m free. I’ll be there right away.”

After hanging up, she turned around. Jonathan had come up behind her. Noticing how anxious and tense she looked, he asked what was wrong.

Teresa gripped her phone tightly. “I thought Miriam’s accident was really serious, so I left my friend’s child with a former colleague. But the child won’t stay with her and has been crying his eyes out. I need to go check on him.”

Jonathan knew who she was referring to and offered to drive her, but Teresa said she could go alone. Jonathan said, “I’ll go with you. I’ll let Benny know.”

“Alright,” Teresa agreed. At that moment, her mind was entirely focused on Michael. She couldn’t help but worry whether Michael was crying his eyes out. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.

On the road, Jonathan glanced at the anxious Teresa as he drove. “No wonder, he’s not your kid. You handed him to an old coworker without a second thought. Cold-hearted, aren’t you?”

Teresa explained, “What else could I do? I don’t know anyone else around here.”

Jonathan asked, “Why didn’t you just leave him with me in the first place?”

Teresa said, “I called you, but you didn’t answer. That’s why I asked my old coworker. I thought something really bad happened to Miriam.”

Jonathan finally checked his phone at a red light. “You called me right when my mom was trying to get in touch with me.”

Teresa didn’t bother thinking about what he was doing or who he was talking to. It had nothing to do with her. She leaned her head against the headrest, looking tired.

When they arrived at Ivy’s building, Teresa opened the door and got out first. Jonathan was still parking, and when he caught sight of her with nothing in her hands, he frowned.

He wanted to call after her, but Teresa was already running upstairs. Ivy lived on the second floor. As soon as Teresa knocked, Ivy opened the door. “Where’s Michael?” Teresa asked.

The moment Michael heard Teresa’s voice from the living room, he rushed over and threw himself into her arms, sobbing, “I thought you didn’t want me anymore.” Tears streaked his face, and his little hands clung tightly to her.

Teresa hugged him tightly, gently wiping away his tears and stroking his hair. “How could I ever not want you? Your Aunt Miriam had an unexpected matter come up. I thought she’d been in a car accident. I was so frightened.”

Michael looked up at her, his eyes still full of tears. “Did Aunt Miriam get hurt?”

Teresa wiped away his tears again. “She’s fine now. She’s just having dinner nearby. We can go and see her tonight, okay?”

As she spoke, Teresa held Michael close and turned to Ivy. “I’m sorry for all the trouble. Let me send you a little something as a token of gratitude—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ivy sighed, watching as Michael clung to Teresa’s clothes, refusing to let go.

Ivy said, “After school, I went to pick him up. He wouldn’t come. I showed him our messages and managed to get him out, but he started crying on the way, kept asking for you. I really don’t know how to comfort him.”

Teresa looked down at Michael, then back at Ivy. “Sorry he gave you such a hard time.”

“Let me take him. I’ll calm him down,” Jonathan’s deep voice sounded right by her ear. Teresa turned and realized he was already standing behind her, even though she hadn’t noticed when he arrived.

Michael let go of Teresa and dove straight into Jonathan’s arms. “Mr. Lime.”

Jonathan bent down, picked up the little fellow, and gently patted his back to soothe him. “Hey, little guy, why are you crying so much? Come on, if you keep crying, you won’t look cool anymore.”

Jonathan had a natural way with kids. In his warm embrace, Michael quickly calmed down. Ivy glanced at the tall and handsome Jonathan, with the little one clinging to him, and then at Teresa.

“Teresa, if you don’t mind me asking… that kid, are you sure he’s not yours and this handsome guy’s? You two really aren’t a couple?” Michael was right there, resting quietly on Jonathan’s shoulder. Teresa simply shook her head at Ivy, skipping the explanation.

Jonathan handed over the coffee beans he was holding. “Just a small token, please accept it. Thanks for taking care of the kid.” He had noticed that Teresa hadn’t brought anything, so he helped her return the favor.

“It’s no trouble,” Ivy said, but her cheeks turned red as she accepted the gift. When her fingers brushed Jonathan’s, her face flushed even more.

Jonathan turned and carried Michael out, with Teresa following close behind.

Once they got in the car, Teresa didn’t sit in the front this time. Instead, she took the back seat. Michael lay across her lap, holding her hand tightly and refusing to let go.

Teresa gently kept stroking Michael’s head. It was part comfort, part apology, and part guilt. Under her soothing touch, he soon drifted off to sleep. Even in his dreams, he still held onto Teresa’s thumb.

Jonathan carried Michael into the room at Jadeleaf Apartment and tucked him in. He teased, “His mom must really trust you, leaving him with someone as absent-minded as you.”

Teresa stayed silent. Jonathan glanced at her. “You sure you can handle this on your own? I can stay with you if you want.”

Chapter 334