Chapter 369

Jonathan felt Teresa wouldn't show up. He hadn't planned to come either, but Donald had invited him three times, mentioning Teresa had been invited as well.

“I might as well leave. You guys can have your fun,” Jonathan said, turning to leave. Donald quickly grabbed his arm.

“Hey, man, you’re only thirty. Don’t act like an old man. Why not stay? If you walk out now, my colleagues are going to chase after you instead of watching my proposal,” Donald joked.

Jonathan was silent for a moment. Then, another round of cheers erupted from the front. The car that had come to pick up Jennifer arrived. Donald finally released Jonathan and hurried to organize the crowd.

Jennifer stepped out of the car and saw the crowd, her face showing a hint of confusion. But when she saw the photo of herself and Donald on the big screen, she suddenly understood, and her eyes welled up with tears.

“Jennifer, I’m so jealous. I wish you all the happiness in the world,” one of the hospital colleagues said, handing her a flower.

“Jennifer, Donald really went all out this time. You two are such a perfect match. You have to be happy,” another added.

Jennifer accepted the flowers with a smile, thanked them, and walked to the end of the aisle, where Donald’s mom, Cathy, handed her another flower. Jennifer hugged Cathy and said, “Mrs. Lynn, thank you for coming. I appreciate it!”

As soon as she released Cathy, Evelyn, standing behind, couldn’t help but want to hug Jennifer. Jennifer’s eyes were cold, and she was reluctant as she hugged her mother. Evelyn shed tears and whispered emotionally in Jennifer’s ear, “Hannah, it’s so great to see you happy. As long as he’s the one you love, I have no right to say no.”

Jennifer replied in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Who are you to stop me? Don’t think that just because you’re back, I’ll forgive you.”

Evelyn’s body stiffened slightly. Jennifer continued, “You owe me. I’ll never forgive you in my lifetime. Ever since I fell off the cliff when I was little, I’ve said it before. I don’t consider you my mother anymore.”

Her expression darkened as she spoke those words. To outsiders, it looked like a touching mother-daughter moment. ‘You owe me forever,’ Jennifer wondered.

After they released each other, Jennifer regained her usual composure. She scanned the crowd, looking for the one person she wanted to see, but Teresa wasn’t there. A hint of disappointment and regret flickered in her eyes.

“Jennifer?” the prince of the day called out. Donald stood right in front of Jennifer and handed her the bouquet of 99 bright red roses he was holding.

Jennifer snapped back to reality, tears streaming down her face as she accepted the flowers from Donald. The next moment, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Donald knelt down on one knee. A sparkling diamond ring was presented to Jennifer. “Marry me,” he said.

The crowd erupted in cheers. “Marry him!”

Jonathan was also watching the scene unfold. His eyes were filled with blessings and a tinge of regret; his mind filled with the image of someone who hadn’t shown up today.

Suddenly, a hand clapped his shoulder. Jonathan turned around and saw Benny. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“Donald’s proposing. It’s a big crowd, lots of fun,” Benny replied, then subtly pointed northwest with his eyes.

Under the shade of the trees, Jonathan caught sight of Teresa standing alone. At the same moment, Jennifer said, “I do.”

With a series of bangs, confetti cannons and fireworks burst into the sky, showering Jennifer and Donald with colorful ribbons.

Amidst the cheering crowd and dazzling fireworks, Teresa’s gaze met Jonathan’s. For a few seconds, they locked eyes at the proposal scene. Then Teresa broke the gaze and turned to leave.

Jonathan pushed Benny aside and chased after her. “Wait.”

At the entrance of the venue, separated from the cheering crowd, he called out to Teresa. Teresa stopped in her tracks but didn’t turn around. Jonathan walked up to her, looked down into her eyes, and said with a hint of helplessness, “After Donald’s engagement, I’m leaving Nareigh. I didn’t mean to overstay my welcome.”

Teresa pursed her lips. “Do as you please. Whether you stay or go, we agreed to act like we never met, didn’t we?”

Jonathan furrowed his brow. “How did you get here? Let me give you a ride.”

“No need. I’ve already called a cab,” she said.

“I never properly proposed to you, not like Donald just did. Back when we were–” Jonathan felt sorry.

“That was a long time ago,” Teresa interrupted. “We agreed to move on. Save your proposal for someone else. Goodbye.”

Jonathan’s brow furrowed even more. He wanted to say something but swallowed his words instead. Only after Teresa got into the taxi did he avert his gaze.

Donald and Jennifer, now successfully engaged, were inseparable and affectionate. It was already evening. Cathy invited Evelyn to dinner, and Hayden from the Lynn family was also there.

On one hand, it was the first time the two families were having a meal together. On the other hand, they were discussing the engagement plans for Donald and Jennifer, including preparations and arrangements.

When Hayden saw Evelyn, he shook her hand and quickly asked, “Where’s Teresa? Why isn’t she here?”

Evelyn replied with a sigh, “She’s busy and can’t make it.”

“No problem, we’ll wait for her. How could she miss such an important occasion?” he said.

“Let’s just forget about her,” someone suggested.

“No way,” Hayden insisted. “We can’t just let it go. Teresa is Hannah’s own sister.”

Soon after, Jonathan arrived. Hayden immediately asked him to call Teresa.

Jonathan pursed his thin lips. After nodding a greeting to Evelyn, he said to Hayden, “I’m her ex-husband. Why would I call her?”

“Well, maybe you should leave then. Let Teresa come over. Otherwise, with both of you here, won’t that be awkward for her?” Hayden was firm.

Jonathan was taken aback for a moment.

“Dad, let’s head to the restaurant,” Irene said as she walked over. She had already made a reservation.

Evelyn glanced at Irene, who ignored her. Evelyn, in turn, ignored Irene and continued talking to Cathy.

Seeing Evelyn and Cathy chatting amicably, Irene didn’t dare to make a scene in front of Hayden.

“Evelyn, this is Donald’s father, my husband, Werner,” Cathy introduced at the restaurant.

Werner greeted Evelyn, then put his arm around Cathy’s shoulders and pulled her aside to talk.

“How could that girl Cheryl not come back? This is her brother’s big day,” said Werner.

“Didn’t I tell you to contact Cheryl?” Cathy was puzzled.

“I did. She said she couldn’t make it. I didn’t push it,” Werner sighed.

“What’s going on?” Hayden walked over. “Where’s Cheryl?”

“Dad, Cheryl is in Lonisburg. She said she’s busy and can’t come back,” replied Werner.

“Go get her,” Hayden said firmly. “Today, nobody is allowed to miss out.”

Hayden also said to Cathy, “You have Teresa’s number, right? Call her and tell her I’m waiting for her.”