Chapter 628

“Just what?” Jonathan asked Gary.

Gary thought for a moment, then shook his head. “You’ll find out soon enough!”

Jonathan frowned. ‘Could it be that Gary has a girlfriend?’ he wondered. “Fine, you can go back to Nareigh. But if you dare bother Teresa again, get ready for the consequences.”

Gary chuckled. “Relax. Even if I had a hundred lives, I wouldn’t dare bother your woman. Besides, Teresa and I? Never in this lifetime. I know my place.”

Jonathan stared at Gary intently.

At Nareigh, Teresa was hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis.

She got food poisoning and was suddenly hit by severe stomach cramps on her way home. She tried to reach Miriam, but Miriam was out of town. Left with no choice, Teresa contacted Jennifer, who worked at a nearby hospital.

When Teresa came to, Jennifer was by her bedside. Jennifer shot Teresa a frustrated look. “As if my life wasn’t messy enough, now you’ve gone and added to it!”

Teresa pulled the blanket tighter. “I didn’t ask you to take care of me. Just go. I don’t want this IV. Take it out now.”

Jennifer reassured her, “This is just a glucose drip. It won’t harm your baby.”

Teresa pursed her lips, genuinely concerned that the medication might harm her baby.

Jennifer gazed at Teresa’s belly and said, “You need to find somewhere proper to rest during your pregnancy now. It’s starting to show.”

Teresa knew the loose, flowy dresses she’d been wearing wouldn't hide her much longer. She had been wanting to tell Jonathan about the baby, but she didn’t know whether Donald’s family had sorted things out.

Teresa was about to speak when Jennifer cut in sharply. “Did you know? Sanford isn’t Jonathan’s brother at all. He’s actually Werner’s son, which means he and Donald are the real half-brothers.”

Teresa nodded, completely unfazed.

Jennifer looked at Teresa, puzzled. “Why aren’t you surprised? Don’t tell me you already knew about this?”

Teresa had known all along because Jonathan had told her. She just hadn’t expected Jennifer to know. She wondered how chaotic things might be at Donald’s place.

Jennifer’s heart sank as she saw Teresa’s expression. “You knew about Sanford’s secret. Why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded. “Do I even matter to you as your sister?”

Teresa didn’t want to waste time arguing about these pointless things with Jennifer. Instead, she changed the subject and asked, “How’s Donald’s family doing now?”

The last time Cheryl came to pick up Serena, she didn’t say a word to Teresa. Teresa noticed that Cheryl looked troubled, but chose not to ask about her family matters.

Jennifer said icily to Teresa, “Cheryl’s parents have filed for divorce. They’re just waiting for the mandatory cooling-off period to end, and then it’ll be official. By now, Cathy had already moved out all her belongings and rented her own place.”

“So that’s how it is,” Teresa said, now understanding why Donald’s parents were divorcing. After all, this was no trivial matter. Everyone had their own non-negotiable boundaries, and Werner had crossed Cathy’s bottom line.

Jennifer snapped, “I’m already up to my neck in trouble, and you’re still making things worse. You’re a grown woman. If I weren’t the head of On Cr covering for your pregnancy, do you honestly think you could still keep it under wraps?”

Teresa snapped, “Did I ever ask you to cover up for me? How much longer do you really think you can keep this up anyway?”

Jennifer urged Teresa, “Just go find somewhere safe to have the baby, and then come back.”

“Why should I leave?” Teresa retorted. “I told you last time that I’m going to tell Jonathan about Mike. I’ve kept quiet these past few days because you asked for time to sort things out with Donald’s family. Well, I’ve given you enough time now.”

Jennifer said bluntly, “Sanford’s mother is dead.”

Teresa froze. She had no idea that Liora had passed away. It just seemed so sudden to her.

“I heard Liora and Irene were archenemies. Now that her rival is gone, Irene has no one left to go after. If you’re so eager to walk right into her trap, go ahead. Why must you insist on throwing yourself into the fire?”

Teresa had been hospitalized for stomach pain, and when she woke up, the discomfort had completely subsided. But now, thanks to Jennifer, her stomach was starting to flare up again. She really didn’t want to argue with Jennifer anymore.

As Jennifer turned to leave, Teresa gently touched her rounded belly.

That afternoon, Miriam came to visit Teresa. Before Teresa could ask, Miriam quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry, Michael doesn’t know about your hospitalization.”

Teresa gave a faint smile. “Mm, don’t tell him. Wouldn’t want that little guy getting teary-eyed again.”

Miriam sat on the edge of the bed, holding Teresa’s hand. “You scared me half to death when you called. I thought you had appendicitis.”

“I thought so too. Luckily, it was just gastroenteritis. I’m fine now.”

Miriam asked with concern, “Did you eat something bad? How come your stomach’s so sensitive these days?”

“Maybe it’s the preg-” Teresa caught herself mid-word and quickly switched, "-probably just some bad nuts I ate without noticing. You’ve got to watch what you eat in this heat.”

Miriam nodded, eyeing Teresa, who was bundled up tightly under the blankets. “Aren’t you boiling under there?” she asked.

Teresa shook her head.

Miriam asked, “Should I call Jonathan?”

Teresa cleared her throat. “Why bother calling him?”

“You should have him check on you, but I’m not sure if he’s in Nareigh. Edward said he went to Shaville. That guy who accused Jonathan just issued a public apology, saying he has nothing to do with the Lynns, and he’s changed his name.”

“Who changed their name? Sanford?” Teresa asked, surprised. She hadn’t checked her phone until now, when she finally saw Sanford’s post on social media.

Teresa noticed that Sanford had gotten a clean-cut buzz cut and even changed his name to Gary. Somehow, she could tell that Sanford had changed.

Teresa noticed that it wasn’t just his appearance that had changed. His whole demeanor was different now, and even his eyes carried a newfound maturity. His bio had also changed. [Free as the wind.]

As soon as Miriam left, Gary called Teresa.

After a few pleasantries, Gary got straight to the point. “So, Teresa, when are you planning to tell Jonathan about Mike? I almost spilled the beans earlier, but managed to hold back. Honestly, I don’t think it’s my place to say anything.”

Chapter 628

Teresa froze in surprise. ‘Since when did Sanford and Jonathan get so close?’ she wondered.

She deftly changed the subject. “By the way, I haven’t congratulated you on your name change yet. It’s not the fanciest, but at least you’ve cleared things up. Congrats!”

Gary smiled and said, “Well, I originally wanted to go by ‘Matt,’ but I was afraid it would sound too similar to my nephew’s name. I know his nickname is Mike.”

Teresa couldn’t help but chuckle. She didn’t expect him to consider so many things.

Gary said, “That’s a great name you picked for him.”