At Nareigh, long after Benny's departure, Teresa still hadn't appeared. Jennifer stated, "Teresa's phone is unreachable. I'll go look for her."

After Jennifer left, Miriam and Sherry exchanged uneasy glances. Miriam sighed, "I'm terrible at lying. Benny probably didn't believe me. When he left, he clearly thought I was hiding something."

Sherry dismissed her concerns. "He's just a friend. Mike isn't his child anyway. He won't keep chasing after Mike forever. Besides, Mike's leaving Nareigh with Teresa. Benny won't be able to find Mike even if he tries."

Miriam said helplessly, "Jennifer insists this is what Teresa wants. But is it really? I'm starting to doubt it."

Sherry replied, "Teresa said she's leaving, so she probably wants a clean break. Jennifer might seem cold, but she's doing it for Teresa. She genuinely cares about her. She even went out to look for her."

Miriam remained silent, but the worry in her eyes deepened.

The mysterious person who sent Irene a photo contacted Teresa en route to Miriam's house. Teresa immediately turned her car around and headed to meet the person at their prearranged café. Upon arrival, she saw a white Porsche parked at the entrance—the same model as her old car.

Inside, Teresa noticed a woman whose style mirrored her own, even down to the softly curled hairstyle. Teresa frowned slightly and looked at the woman, Simona.

Simona crossed her legs with a smug grin. "Why are you staring at me like that? Jealous of how much better I look now?"

Teresa sat down expressionlessly. Simona adjusted her shawl and sipped her coffee. Then, she said casually, "I've been abroad recently. My dad kicked me out for drugging Jonathan and wanted me to reflect. He finally let me return to Nareigh."

"And then," Teresa countered, "you started stalking me and Jonathan?"

Simona said, "My dad gave me a chance to mess with Jonathan. He's just a divorced bachelor, yet he doesn't even look at me. I didn't want to target him; I wanted to target you. Just seeing you two together makes me sick."

"How did you even know I went to Chicoham?" Teresa asked, genuinely confused.

Simona took a deliberate sip of coffee, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Because of Truman. You went to him for therapy, didn't you?"

Teresa stared fixedly at Simona. Her eyes narrowed as she coldly demanded, "What's your relationship with Truman?"

Teresa had never imagined Truman could be connected to Simona.

Simona answered, "Since we're here, I might as well tell you. Truman is my ex-boyfriend. I saw his Facebook and knew you went to Chicoham. We followed you there and discussed how to deal with you."

Teresa's expression darkened. She had suspected Jennifer, but ultimately, it was Truman who had betrayed her. This time, Teresa conceded defeat. She leaned back and said coldly, "State your terms."

Simona said, "I want you to leave Nareigh for good. Only then will Jonathan give up on you and notice someone like me, who doesn't care about his divorce or status."

Teresa felt a wave of disgust. "You keep bringing up his divorce. Doesn't that prove you care very much?"

Simona's eyes flickered. "No. It's just my parents do. While I was abroad, I met plenty of handsome guys, but none made me feel the way Jonathan does. I can't forget him. The only blemish on him is you."

Irene had said something similar: "You're the worst decision my son ever made." This memory darkened Teresa's expression.

Simona said, "He won't notice other women until you leave. I sent a photo to your mother. They aren't stupid and won't allow you to remarry. Don't cling to him. You're only after his money and power; you don't truly care about him."

Teresa let out a mocking laugh. "Aren't you after his money and power? How genuine are your feelings? Isn't this simply because you can't have him?"

Simona pressed her lips together. "Don't test my patience. Be sensible and don't provoke me."

Teresa wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and stood up. "This time, I failed. I admit it."

Seeing Teresa's resolute demeanor, Simona's frown softened slightly. "How much time do you need? I can't wait too long."

"By the end of the month," Teresa replied, "I'll leave immediately."

Simona said, "Good. I hope you won't go back on your word."

"Don't worry, I'm not like you," Teresa said.

After leaving, Teresa saw Truman rushing over. She deleted his contact right in front of him. The only reason she didn't slap him was that during her darkest days of depression and anxiety, Truman had been a lifeline, guiding her as her therapist.

Truman said, "I'm sorry. She's my ex-girlfriend and had a miscarriage with our baby, so I owe her. I didn't want to drag you into this, but I couldn't find a win-win solution. But I swear, I haven't told anyone about your child."

Teresa sneered, "Am I supposed to thank you for keeping my secret?"