Chapter 405
Then she heard his slow, steady breathing behind her. She turned and saw he had already fallen asleep, exhaustion etched into his kind features. Feeling a pang of tenderness, Teresa gently smoothed his thick, neat eyebrows. He’d been working overtime for days. “Forget it,” she thought, “his work adds to his stress. He’s already so busy, and Peter’s really counting on him. He must be exhausted.”
Teresa barely slept that night, and for once, she woke up early the next morning, only to find Jonathan already up and busy in the kitchen.
“Jonathan, I want to learn how to cook,” Teresa called out.
Jonathan chuckled, giving Teresa a playful look. “You’re my little angel. Just don’t set the kitchen on fire, alright?” he teased.
“I’m not that clumsy. I—” Before she could finish, Jonathan’s phone rang. He answered while still cooking, “Yeah, got it. I’ll be there soon.”
Turning to Teresa, he said, “I have to go on a business trip to Elarioa for a few days. I made you chicken soup, organic superfoods, and abalone risotto. They’re all in the fridge. Just heat them up when you’re hungry.”
“If you need anything, call or text me, and I’ll reply as soon as I can.”
“You made all this so early? Aren’t you tired?” Teresa asked, a little worried.
“Tired? Not at all. It’s for you, and for our home,” Jonathan replied, pulling her into a warm hug. Teresa felt a wave of warmth in her heart. She joked, “Well, since I’ll be home alone, I’ll just order takeout.”
“Go easy on the takeout, okay? Your stomach can’t handle junk food. And no more sneaky drinking while I’m gone,” Jonathan warned.
A few days ago, Teresa had downed three bottles of beer by herself at home, nearly driving Jonathan up the wall.
“Got it. Last time, I only drank because we argued, and you kept things from me,” Teresa admitted.
Jonathan sighed. “That whole thing with the woman at work was just a misunderstanding. You really don’t trust me, do you?”
It wasn’t that Teresa didn’t trust him. With such a handsome husband always traveling, she would worry a little, especially with Irene always causing trouble.
“Be careful on your trip—” Before Teresa could finish, Jonathan pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her deeply, just as he always did before leaving. He wanted to make it last since he’d be gone for days.
“Be good while I’m gone, okay?” he murmured.
“I will,” Teresa said, her fingers adjusting his tie. Then she watched him leave.
Alone at home again, Teresa figured she might as well tidy up, so she spent five hours cleaning the whole place from top to bottom. It was exhausting, but at least everything was finally spotless. She thought about calling Irene.
“Hello?” Irene answered.
“Hi, um, Irene, are you free today? Jonathan’s away on a business trip, and I’ve been trying out some new recipes. I was hoping you could come over. I wanted to cook for you.”
“No need. I’m out shopping with Yvonne.” Irene hung up before Teresa could say anything else.
Teresa stared at her phone, speechless. Right then, Jonathan texted her: [Miss you, babe.]
[Hi] Alone that evening, Teresa saw Jonathan’s message pop up. She couldn’t help but think about how Irene had brushed her off again today.
Jonathan: [Who upset you?]
Teresa thought, ‘Who else could it be?’ But she didn’t want Jonathan, who was away on business, to worry about things at home, and she definitely didn’t want to come between him and his mother, Irene. She knew Jonathan had lost his father when he was young, and Irene had raised him all by herself. It hadn’t been easy for Irene. Irene always put on a nice face in front of Jonathan, but whenever he was away, she’d find fault with Teresa. If she complained now and said anything bad about his mother, she’d just end up looking like the one ruining the relationship between her husband and his mother.