Chapter 693
"She still doesn’t even know who the father is. Could you please look into this? That man should take responsibility, don’t you think?"
In the past, Jonathan would have jumped in to help Cheryl without a second thought – even going so far as to demand justice for her. But now he just said coolly, “She is an adult now. She should face the consequences of her actions.”
Donald let out a sigh. He said, “Come on, Jonathan, Cheryl is our sister.”
“She’s your sister, not mine. I’m just her cousin, and frankly, her affairs are none of my business,” Jonathan said coldly.
Mike’s incident opened Jonathan’s eyes to the truth about many people and things. He thought, "I always treat Cheryl like my own sister and never stint on her allowance."
'But she treats me like a cousin. She is always closer to Donald than to me. If Donald had been the one with a child, I am certain Cheryl wouldn’t have dared to hide the truth from him like this.
'After all, my place in their hearts isn’t as important as I thought. I have always believed that even if we are not blood-related, as long as we all bear the Lynn name, we are still one family. But it’s all in my mind."
Jonathan averted his gaze, his anger now eclipsed by a profound sense of betrayal. He said coldly, “From now on, don’t come to me for help. I can’t and won’t help you anymore.
“I’ve done enough for both of you. Donald, at least, still has a shred of conscience. But as for you, Cheryl, I might as well have thrown all that allowance money to the beggars.”
Donald’s heart gave a jolt. He said, “Jonathan, please don’t say that. Cheryl and I have always considered you part of our family – we remember everything you’ve done for us. Even the house my mom is living in now was funded by you.
“We truly appreciate all the good you’ve done for our family. We’re not ungrateful, and neither is Cheryl. She’s just young and didn’t know better.”
Jonathan snapped, “Enough.” He thought, “Did they think I could be swayed by a few childish excuses like this?”
He said coldly, “Remember what I told you? I’ve said this before: in the business world, I don’t mind if outsiders scheme against me. But if even my own family betrays me, then there’s truly no one left in this world I can trust.”
Donald lowered his head. Of course, he remembered Jonathan’s words.
Jonathan said, “Mike is my son. I only ever had two DNA tests done. Both times, I entrusted them to you two. I never once doubted the results you gave me, nor did I ever question either of you."
“But in the end, you’ve utterly betrayed my trust.”
Cheryl broke down sobbing, her face a mess of tears as she raised a trembling hand. She said, “I swear, I never meant to scheme against you. I just wasn’t thinking straight then.
“I figured you’d find out about Mike sooner or later, and he’s been doing fine with Teresa anyway. I honestly didn’t have any intentions. I know I was wrong. What I did was wrong.
“I was selfish, only thinking about myself. I shouldn’t have helped Teresa instead of you. Please, Jonathan, please don’t stay mad at me.”
Jonathan’s face was ice-cold. He thought, 'Does Cheryl think I am just angry? Can’t she see how heartbroken and sad I am? So few people hold my trust – yet one by one, they betray it.
"And they might even be mocking me behind my back for not even knowing my own son’s existence. This incident has made me see their true colors. From now on, I know who I should be good to."