Teresa said, “Sanford and I aren’t a couple. When Charlie came back to Nareigh, I was driving after him. Sanford just happened to run into me, and together we took the elderly woman Charlie hit to the hospital.”

“As for the lawyer, I honestly didn’t know my mom had called you. I didn’t want to trouble you, and I didn’t use Sanford’s lawyer either. I found one myself. This is my mom’s issue, and I don’t want my ex-husband involved.”

“I also just didn’t want people talking about you. Charlie’s hit-and-run case made the news, and I’m guessing the trial will be public. If the media stirs things up, and you, as my ex-husband, help me find a lawyer, people will definitely gossip. And honestly, I don’t have the time or energy to just go out for dinner with Sanford.”

“The only reason I did was because the victim’s family blamed me for the accident. When I went to the hospital to visit, they wouldn’t let it go. Sanford stepped in to protect me and got a little hurt. I felt bad, so I treated him to dinner.”

“He came back from Shaville for my sister’s wedding. He doesn’t have a place in Nareigh, so he’s staying at a hotel. I just gave him a ride. That’s it.” After she finished, Teresa took another sip of her juice.

“Are you hurt?” Jonathan asked. Teresa shook her head.

Jonathan frowned. “It was Charlie who hit someone and ran. Why won’t the victim’s family let you off the hook?”

Teresa gave a wry smile. “They think if I hadn’t chased after Charlie, he wouldn’t have hit the old woman. So, in their eyes, it’s all my fault.”

Jonathan fixed his gaze on Teresa. “Let me take care of this for you.”

“No need,” Teresa replied. “I’ll just stop visiting the hospital. As for the rest, let’s wait for Charlie’s trial and see how many years he gets, how much he has to pay.”

Jonathan made a soft sound, his eyes growing gentler. “After everything you just said, am I right to think you actually care about my reputation? That you’re worried I’ll get dragged down because of you?”

Teresa shot him a glare. “You’re overthinking it.”

Jonathan just smiled. “Are you still mad at me?”

Teresa huffed. “I’ve forgiven you. But so what? Whether I’m mad or not, nothing’s changed between us, has it?” Jonathan fell silent.

It was getting late, so it was time to head back. Jonathan picked up Michael and asked Teresa, “Are we still dropping him off at Miriam’s place?”

“Miriam went back to her parents’ house. Just leave the kid with me,” Teresa replied.

“If it’s a hassle for you, I can take the little guy with me,” Jonathan offered.

Teresa thought to herself, ‘What could Michael be a hassle for me?’

As they passed a convenience store, Jonathan got out and bought some snacks for Teresa to take home. He parked the car on the curb. It was a summer night, warm and a bit stuffy, so the windows were down. Since Michael was still little, they couldn’t let the AC blow on him directly.

Because the windows were open, Sanford, who was across the street, happened to see them as Jonathan got back in the car. Sanford had sharp eyes. He spotted Teresa and the child she was holding close. From where Sanford stood, he couldn’t make out the kid’s face and just saw a small figure in a T-shirt and shorts.

Sanford frowned. He thought, ‘Is that Isabel? But the figure doesn’t look right. Who is that kid?’

The Maybach had already driven off. Sanford kept his eyes on the departing car, squinting thoughtfully.

When they reached the gates of Rosary Estates, Jonathan carried Michael out of the car. Teresa moved to take the boy from him.

“I’ll carry him to your door, then I’ll head out,” Jonathan offered.

“No need, or else I’ll have to make you coffee,” Teresa replied, still taking Michael from his arms. “It’s late, you should get some rest. I’ll hand Michael over to Miriam tomorrow.”

Jonathan’s mind wasn’t on the child at all. He just stared at Teresa, who barely met his eyes. After a long pause, he finally asked the question that had been weighing on him for so long. “Is there really no way for us to go back?”

Teresa frowned slightly.

“We can’t go back, and we can’t start over,” Jonathan said quietly, his voice low.

“Even if we started over, we’d still end up the same,” Teresa said.

“After Hannah and Donald’s wedding, I don’t think there’s any reason for us to sit down together again. Goodbye.” With that, Teresa turned and walked away.

Jonathan remained silent.

Even though Teresa had paid Jonathan back, he knew that money was actually Evelyn’s—money Charlie had pocketed for himself. After a lifetime of hard work, Evelyn’s fortune shrunk from millions to just 1 million dollars, and ended up with him. Jonathan didn’t need that 1 million dollars. He met Evelyn privately and tried to return the money to her.

But Evelyn refused. “You gave me 2.6 million dollars back then, saying it was for Teresa’s wedding if she ever remarried. I never told her. I just took the money and invested it instead. In the end, I lost it all. I was scammed, but that’s on me, not you. I can’t take this money back.”

Jonathan sighed. “Evelyn, I know this was your savings. Please, take it. You still have Isabel to raise.”

But Evelyn just shook her head. “I really can’t accept it. I want Teresa to be able to hold her head high in front of you. I was too greedy, too desperate to prove myself, to show I could bounce back no matter what.”

“But you can’t fight time. I was too impatient, too reckless. I trusted a man’s words and invested blindly. If I take your money now, my daughters will only be ashamed of me.”

All these years, she hadn’t been a good mother. She’d let down her eldest, Hannah, her second daughter, Teresa, and her youngest, little Isabel, who still needed her so much. It was only now that Evelyn truly realized that earning her daughters’ respect wasn’t about how much money she made, but about loving them with all her heart.

“Jonathan, I know you’ve always been good to Teresa. You still care about her, don’t you? You still love her, right?” asked Evelyn.

Jonathan didn’t try to hide it. He was honest, and he still loved Teresa.

“Thank you for always treating Teresa so well. If I’d met a man like you, maybe my life wouldn’t have been so miserable.”

“Evelyn, please don’t say that,” Jonathan comforted Evelyn. “The man who truly cherishes you might be just around the corner.”

Evelyn shook her head, looking a little afraid. “I’ve stopped hoping to meet a man who really cares about me. I have three daughters now, and Isabel is still so young. All I need to do is raise her well.”

Jonathan didn’t push the topic and turned it back to himself. “I love Teresa, but she doesn’t love me.”

“Jonathan,” Evelyn said slowly, “you know what they say—sometimes the people involved can’t see things clearly, but outsiders can. Teresa, actually…”