Chapter 731

“I’ve missed you, too. There’s so much I want to talk to you about. It feels like forever since I last saw you, even though it’s only been a few days,” Teresa said.

Lately, she’d been tormented by everything that had happened–it was just too much for her to handle.

Seeing them so affectionate, Edward cleared his throat and said, “Hug away. I’m not jealous.”

Michael copied Edward and chimed in, “I’m not jealous either, you know.”

Miriam finally turned to Edward and said, “Doesn’t matter if you’re jealous. My bestie will always be more important than my boyfriend.”

Then she ruffled Michael’s hair. “Did you miss me, Mike?”

“Of course I did! But Miriam, you did bring me snacks from Gorthany, right?” Michael said.

“Go ask Edward. He bought a whole bunch,” Miriam replied.

Michael stretched out his little hands, eyes sparkling at Edward. “Edward, wishing you lots of luck. Please give me the snacks.”

Teresa chuckled. “Well now, sweetheart, looks like you’ve got yourself another uncle to spoil you rotten.”

Edward looked confused. “What does that mean, Teresa? Uncle? Me?”

Teresa froze and glanced at Miriam, realizing she hadn’t told Edward yet.

Miriam said, “I haven’t told him yet. Benny told me Jonathan already knew the truth. You should probably be the one to tell Edward.”

Edward looked totally lost, scratching his head. “Tell me what?”

Teresa spoke each word carefully. “Don’t freak out, Edward. Mike is the son of Jonathan and me.”

“Wh–what?” Edward blurted out, his voice cracking like a seagull.

Miriam frowned at Teresa. “What the heck was that? Sounded like a dying seagull. Did you hear that?”

Teresa nodded. “Yeah, and it’s a giant seagull.”

Edward was mortified. “What the hell is going on here, Teresa? Say that again–Mike is really Jonathan‘s... Jonathan I know?”

“Of course,” Teresa replied.

“Is there another Jonathan in Nareigh?” Miriam couldn’t help but tap Edward on the head.

Edward looked even more lost. He lowered his head, staring at Michael in disbelief. “Wait, didn’t Jonathan already do a DNA test? Wasn’t the result negative? And wasn’t Mike your nephew?”

“I’ll explain everything when we get home. I promise I’ll clear it all up,” Miriam said, planting a quick kiss on Edward’s cheek.

Edward whipped his head toward Miriam, eyes wide. “So Mike really is Jonathan’s kid? That makes me his uncle? Miriam, you actually kept this from me? How could you do that?”

He raised a fist, looking like he was about to chase after Miriam. “Get back here!”

Miriam quickly darted behind Teresa for cover.

“Don’t blame Miriam. You should really be thinking about how you’re going to explain this to Jonathan. Otherwise, he might just come after everything you own,” Teresa said, putting on a mock–serious face.

“What?” Edward panicked, licking his lips. “I’m innocent. I had no idea, really!”

“But I’m not innocent,” Miriam teased, blinking at Edward. “You’re my boyfriend, so you’re in this with me.”

Edward immediately turned to Teresa, complaining, “Teresa, look at her.”

Teresa smiled helplessly and finally stopped messing with Edward. “Alright, enough teasing. Let’s go eat. I’ll treat you to dinner to welcome you.”

“Mike, let’s go,” Teresa said, taking Michael’s hand.

“Teresa, let me carry Mike,” Edward said eagerly, scooping up Michael. He quickly added, “Is Jonathan really not going to be mad at me?”

“He won’t. I was just teasing you,” Teresa replied.

And he won’t blame Miriam either, right? I really don’t want anything to happen to her, he asked again.

Miriam’s heart warmed at Edward’s concern. It felt as sweet as honey.

As they walked, Teresa explained, “Jonathan knows you’re innocent, Edward. He understands the situation. Miriam is my best friend, so it’s only natural she’d help me. He can’t really hold it against her.”

“That’s a relief,” Edward said, patting his chest.

“Mommy,” Michael called out, “what are you guys talking about? I don’t get it. Why is Edward scared of Mr. Lime?”

“Aren’t you scared of your dad?” Edward asked Michael.

Michael shook his head. “Mr. Lime is so nice–why would I be scared of him?”

Edward nodded. “You’ve got a point.”

Teresa linked arms with Miriam. “So, what exactly did you and Edward do in Gorthany?”

Seeing how crowded the airport was, Miriam said in a low voice, “I’ll tell you later. It’s a big deal.”

It wasn’t until they stepped outside that Miriam realized Teresa hadn’t brought her car.

Teresa admitted honestly, “My car got totaled, and I haven’t bought a new one yet. Let’s just grab a taxi.”

Edward carried Michael and hurried to the taxi stand.

Miriam and Teresa walked more slowly behind them. Miriam asked, “Wait, how did your car end up totaled?

“Last week, my sister drove my car and had a minor accident. Luckily, no one was hurt,” Teresa said.

“What?” Miriam was shocked. “Teresa, I can’t take it anymore. You know what? She’s not even your real sister–she’s a total troublemaker, always messing up your life.”

“What are you even saying? Are you feeling alright?” Teresa said, putting her hand on Miriam’s forehead.

Miriam walked over to the curb, pulled a DNA test report out of her bag, and handed it to Teresa. The real reason she went to Gorthany was actually to find Teresa’s mom, Evelyn.

“Sorry, Teresa, you might say I’m nosy, but I have to tell you. Before I left for Gorthany, I went to the hospital and got some of your sister’s hair.

“I secretly did a DNA test between you and her. The doctor said you two barely share any matching DNA sequences, so I started to suspect she might not be your real sister.

“That’s why I wanted to do a DNA test between her and your mom, just to see if she’s Evelyn’s daughter. And since Benny was already there, I figured I could turn it into a little trip,” Miriam explained.

She paused for a moment before continuing, “The reason I waited until now to tell you is that I wanted to be sure before saying anything. I didn’t want to worry you for nothing or have you get mad at me.

“Luckily, Benny helped me track down your mom’s shop in Gorthany, but it took a few days. After we did the test, your mom saw the results showing Jennifer isn’t related to her. She just couldn’t believe it, so we did the test again.”

“And then?” Teresa went cold all over, totally in disbelief that something this dramatic could actually be happening to her. ‘How could this be? Jennifer isn’t really my sister? Wasn’t she supposed to be Hannah all along?‘ Teresa thought.

Miriam went on, “This DNA test I gave you is actually the second one we did, and the results matched the first lab’s. Jennifer isn’t your mom’s biological daughter, so she’s not really your sister.”

Teresa still couldn’t believe it. “What about my mom? How did she react?” she asked.

“Edward and I came back first. Benny is planning to come back with your mom. She doesn’t believe it either, just like you. She wants to do another DNA test with Jennifer in person,” Miriam replied.