Teresa couldn't let Jennifer find out what she was about to do.

“Jennifer, I’m heading out. You should get back to the hospital and focus on work,” Teresa said, her voice tight.

Jennifer frowned slightly. “Mike’s with Miriam, right? I’ll go pick him up. You just focus on handling the company stuff.”

“No need for you to pick him up. I’ll go get him myself,” Teresa replied firmly. She hadn’t mentioned that Michael was at Jonathan’s; if Jennifer found out, she would definitely start lecturing her again.

Jennifer nodded. “Alright, but make sure to get some rest. If anything comes up, just let me know.”

Suddenly, a thought struck Teresa. Unsure, she frowned and asked, “Did you send those photos to Evelyn?” Teresa couldn’t think of anyone else who might have sent the photos to Rosary Estates except Jennifer. After all, her sister was the one most eager to see her leave Nareigh. Jennifer had even taken her phone before to reply to Jonathan’s messages on her behalf.

Jennifer looked genuinely confused. “What photos?”

Teresa explained, “I went to Chicoham for a few days, remember? I posted some pictures of the ocean on social media, and you even liked them.”

Jennifer nodded. “Yeah, I remember. You said you were taking Mike out for a break.”

Teresa hesitated. “Actually, I went with Jonathan. He noticed I wasn’t looking well and took me to see a doctor. We stayed there for two days.”

“What?” Jennifer’s face froze, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. “I get it now. No wonder Evelyn ended up in the hospital furious over this. Did she slap you? Is that why your face was red?”

Teresa didn’t deny it. After all, Evelyn had already left the country. “Not many people knew about my trip. But someone was following us the whole time.”

Jennifer clenched her jaw, her frustration barely contained. “I had no idea.”

“Honestly, you deserve it,” Jennifer snapped. “If I’d known, I would’ve knocked some sense into you myself. Going on a trip with your ex-husband? Is there seriously no other man in all of Nareigh? Why are you always so clueless?”

“Think what you want,” Teresa muttered irritably, turning to leave. Her mind was racing, and she thought, If Jennifer hadn’t sent the photos to Evelyn, then who did? The person who sent the photos must have known from the start that she was heading to Chicoham. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have started snapping pictures as early as the highway.

With no progress on the photo issue, Teresa decided to find out if she was pregnant. She needed to confirm it before leaving for good. When Evelyn was hospitalized, Teresa had already bought a pregnancy test from the pharmacy, but she hadn’t used it yet. First, she went to Forlisle Rose Estates to pick up Michael. The nanny asked, “Ms. Johnston, is something wrong? Did we not take good care of him?”

“There’s something I need to handle at home. I have to take him back with me,” Teresa replied.

“Should we call Mr. Lynn?” the nanny asked.

“No need,” Teresa said. “I’ll talk to him myself later.”

With that, Teresa carried Michael out. He was still half-asleep, groggy and unaware of what was happening. She wrapped his small body in her coat and carried him out, careful not to wake him. If he woke up, she was afraid he’d cry and refuse to leave.

Back at Rosary Estates, Teresa settled Michael in and went to the bathroom with the pregnancy test. She had done this before, back when she was pregnant with Michael, so she knew exactly what to do. Her heart raced as she watched the test, her hands trembling slightly. Slowly, two lines appeared—one faint, one bold.

Pregnant. Again. Pregnant with his child.

Successfully unlocked! The doctor had been right—he had detected her pregnancy just from her pulse. Teresa gently placed a hand on her still-flat stomach, her emotions a whirlwind.

The best choice was clear—leave, completely. Only then could she truly be free of worries.

Michael woke up to find himself back at their home in Rosary Estates. Sitting on his small bed, he rubbed his eyes and looked around, his wide, curious gaze making it seem as though he was still dreaming.

Hearing her son call out, Teresa walked out of the bathroom and into his room.

“What’s wrong, honey?” she asked gently.

“Mommy, where are we?” Michael asked, his voice filled with confusion.

“Silly boy, don’t you recognize your own home?” Teresa teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“But that’s not right. I was sleeping at Mr. Lime’s house.” Michael clung to Teresa’s arm, tilting his head up to look at her. “Mommy, why did we leave? Mr. Lime’s house is so much better.”

Teresa felt a sharp pang in her chest, guilt and helplessness swirling inside her. “Sweetheart, that’s not our home. This is where we belong now, just you and me.”

Michael let go of her arm and pouted, throwing a small tantrum. “I don’t want to stay here. I want to live in Mr. Lime’s big house. It’s so much fun there, and the food is so yummy. I like it there.”

Teresa crouched down to his level, brushing a strand of hair from his face. “Honey, a big house isn’t everything, you know.” But deep down, she couldn’t ignore the fact that he was just a child. After getting used to the spacious mansion, it was no wonder Michael felt upset being brought back here so suddenly. Tears welled up in Michael’s eyes. “Mommy, can we go back to Mr. Lime’s house? It’s so big, and he’s all by himself. He must be really lonely.”

“Mike, that’s enough.” Jennifer’s sharp voice cut through the room as she walked in, her tone laced with disapproval.