“Hello?” Teresa stepped into the hallway by the restroom before answering the call. Sanford’s voice came through, “When are you coming back to Narigh? I can pick you up. Some friends of mine in Marigh are having dinner and invited me. I told them you’re my girlfriend, so bring you along.”

“What?” Teresa was fuming. “Are you out of your mind? Since when did I become your girlfriend? I never agreed to that. And now you want me to have dinner with you? Both you and Jennifer seriously need to learn what respect means.”

Sanford clicked his tongue. “Hey, I’ve been looking after your kid. Even if I haven’t done anything big, I’ve at least put in the effort, right?”

“I already paid you extra for your trouble. I never said I’d be your girlfriend,” Teresa shot back.

“Isabel is so spoiled. She won’t even eat unless I chase her around. Taking care of your daughter isn’t easy. Can’t you just consider being my girlfriend as a way to thank me?” said Sanford.

Teresa let out a cold, mocking laugh. “A child isn’t some bargaining chip. Do you think it’s that easy to get her to call you Dad?”

“Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.”

After hanging up, Teresa turned around, only to be startled by the man behind her. She had no idea when Jonathan had appeared, but now he was standing there, staring at her with a dark, probing look.

“Who was that on the phone?” he asked.

“It’s none of your business,” Teresa frowned, slipping her phone into her pocket and trying to walk past him.

Jonathan grabbed her arm, holding her in place. “What kid? What did you mean by having the kid call someone ‘dad’? What’s really going on?”

“You heard it wrong. It was just a friend. That’s all,” said Teresa.

Teresa started to head back to her seat. At times like this, the more she tried to explain, the messier it got. So she decided to just keep quiet.

“You had a kid behind my back, didn’t you?” asked Jonathan.

Teresa froze mid-step, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. She stood there, stiff as a board, not daring to move. If Jonathan hadn’t been staring at her, he would have seen the huge beads of sweat and the panic all over her face.

Jonathan slowly walked up behind her, pressing closer. “So you had a kid with another man behind my back?”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Teresa said, back in her seat. Honestly, she could have snapped back at Jonathan and called him crazy, but she just couldn’t. Her guilt held her back. She really had a child, just not with another man.

Jonathan sat down too. “So what was that call about? Which friend was it, really?”

Teresa put her fork down. “I don’t owe you an explanation. It was just a friend calling. Do you think I had a kid out of thin air? Believe whatever you want. Can we just finish this meal in peace?”

Jonathan wiped the corner of his mouth, his face blank. “Thanks for dinner. I’ve got things to do, so I won’t walk you back to the hotel. And about that message I sent yesterday, saying I missed you, just pretend I was drunk and talking nonsense.”

He grabbed his jacket and left without looking back. Teresa stared at the table full of food in silence, her heart sinking. She craved a drink, wishing these days of not being able to drown her sorrows would just end. These days, she was cautious about marriage and kids. At twenty-two, she’d married Jonathan in a whirlwind of youthful recklessness. She could only say that her mindset and understanding changed as she got older.