Chapter 383

Jennifer pressed her lips together, forcing herself to calm down as she saw Teresa about to make a reckless move.

Teresa nodded. “Sure, I’m not as old as you, but I’m not a kid anymore.”

Jennifer, annoyed by the jab about her age, pointed at Teresa. “Fine. But if this ends up taking Mike away, don’t come crying to me. And don’t regret what you said today.”

Teresa shot back, “Who knows which one of us will end up in tears? Deep down, we both know who’s got the upper hand.”

Jennifer snapped. “If you’re so brave, call Jonathan right now. Tell him Mike is his son. Go on, do it!”

Teresa, really pissed off, retorted, “You sure about that?” In a burst of anger, she pulled up Jonathan’s number on her phone and hit call.

Jennifer’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected Teresa to actually call Jonathan.

The phone rang twice, but no one picked up. Before the ringtone could finish, Jennifer snatched the phone from Teresa and hung up, staring at her in disbelief.

“Are you out of your mind? Seriously, you’re just going to throw away your peaceful life to confess to him? Have you even thought about how I feel?”

“And have you thought about how I feel? Or how your nephew feels! I’ve let Mike down, and I’ve let Jonathan down too.”

Tears streamed down Teresa’s face. She lifted her hand to cover it, not wanting Jennifer to see her break down. All the time she’d stayed silent and pretended to be cold toward Jonathan, suddenly she felt like she was falling apart.

Jennifer’s heart ached. “You haven’t let anyone down, Teresa. You did the right thing. You just wanted Mike to stay with his mom, not grow up in a mess.”

Teresa lowered her hand. “I was wrong. There were so many times I wanted to tell Jonathan the truth, but you always stopped me. Now, after everything that’s happened, I just can’t face him anymore.”

When Jonathan left Nairobi, he hugged Teresa once at the airport, then turned and walked away. If he’d just glanced back, he would have seen Teresa’s hand resting on her belly and her face streaked with tears.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, so why blame yourself?” Jennifer said. “Back when we weren’t even family, you told me you’d keep the baby a secret, not get back together, and never let his dad know.”

“You said your mother-in-law treated you terribly, and I saw for myself how much trouble Trene caused you. How could I stand by and watch you walk back into that mess?”

Teresa was quiet for a few seconds, and then she said, with a hint of meaning, “You once swore you’d leave Nairobi, but you changed your mind halfway through. So why can’t I? Isn’t everyone just figuring things out as they go?”

“But it’s too late now. Like you said, we both have to live with the choices we made. I just don’t have the face to keep getting tangled up with Jonathan.”

Jennifer’s voice was strained as she asked, “Do you want to get back together with him? Do you want to remarry him?”

Teresa shook her head. “You still don’t get it. I don’t want to remarry. But my son needs a father. That’s where I messed up. I thought I could raise him on my own, but I ignored his feelings. I’ve made too many mistakes.”

Not getting back together is one thing, but whether or not to tell Jonathan about Michael is a whole different story. After everything that had happened, she just couldn’t bring herself to confess without hesitation.

She was afraid to tell him, didn’t want to tell him, and couldn’t tell him. She didn’t know where to start with an apology, or who she should be apologizing to. Sometimes, people choose to ignore things because they didn’t know how to face them.

Chapter 383

Jennifer rested her hand on Teresa’s shoulder and said gently, “Teresa, I’m here for you. We’ll take care of Mike and the baby together. Things will get better, I promise.”

“It’s not the same. That kind of feeling… just isn’t the same.”

“Right,” Jennifer patted Teresa’s shoulder. “I owe you an apology.”

Teresa looked at her, a complicated mix of emotions flickering in her eyes, as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.

Jennifer spoke seriously, “I shouldn’t have hit you. I know my own strength; I could never really hurt you. I won’t do it again.”

The faint light in Teresa’s eyes faded. She gave a small, bitter smile. “You think the only thing you need to apologize for is that slap!”

“And there’s the whole thing with Donald buying a place, and the situation with Sanford. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

Teresa shot back, “Why did you tell Sanford I have a son? Aren’t you worried he’ll tell someone?”

Jennifer shook her head. “He won’t. We’ve been friends for years. I know him. Besides, he was the one who told me he liked you and wanted to pursue you. That’s when I told him about Mike, to see if he minded.”

“Just don’t get the wrong idea, okay? Don’t let this become a misunderstanding between us.” Since Sanford was nearby, Jennifer called him and asked him to come to the hospital.

Jennifer didn’t hold back as she tore into Sanford right in front of Teresa. “Are you out of your mind? Why would you propose to Teresa? You scared her half to death!”

Sanford glanced at Teresa, whose face was cold and full of disgust. A complicated look flickered in his eyes. “I’m serious. I’ll treat Teresa right. You have to trust me.”

Teresa shivered, goosebumps popping up on her arms. “I don’t need you to treat me well. Since Jennifer’s here, let me make this clear: I’m not interested in you. Don’t bother me again, or I won’t care about anyone’s feelings.”

She tossed out, “And don’t forget to handle things with Donald,” then walked out of the hospital without looking back.

Jennifer crossed her arms and stared Donald down. “Are you serious? Do you actually want to marry Teresa?”

Donald clicked his tongue. “Of course. I couldn’t be more serious.”

Jennifer studied him for a few more seconds, then let out a soft laugh. “I don’t know, you’re starting to seem like a stranger. I just hope you’re still the Sanford I know.”

Sanford was silent for a few seconds, then raised a hand. “I promise you, no matter what happens, I’ll never do anything to hurt you or Teresa.”

“You’re acting weird,” Jennifer muttered, though she couldn’t quite say why.

“Am I?” Donald replied. “I’m still me. Just trust me, okay?”

Jennifer almost told Sanford that Teresa was pregnant and wondered if he’d care, but remembering how upset Teresa was today, she kept quiet. “If you really like Teresa, then show her you mean it. Let her see your sincerity.”

“Alright,” Donald said, a calculating glint flashing in his eyes.