Chapter 385

Cathy looked surprised. “Who told you that?”

Werner chuckled. “Jonathan and Teresa have been married for over two years and still don’t have a child. They say it’s because they don’t get along, but neither of them has found someone new. So, obviously, they divorced because they couldn’t have children.”

Cathy thought about it and nodded. “That’s true. Black, when they were still married, Irene used to complain to me all the time that Teresa just couldn’t get pregnant.”

Werner clapped his hands. “It can’t be Jonathan’s problem, right? If it was, that would mean there’s something wrong with our genes. Then Donald would be affected too.” He paused, a knowing look in his eyes. “Just wait—if Jennifer has a baby, I bet Teresa’s going to be jealous.”

“No way. Teresa’s not like that, and besides, they’re real sisters,” Cathy said.

“But if Teresa can’t have kids and Jennifer does, how could she not feel jealous? Or at least a little envious?” Werner shook his head. “I just worry Jonathan will feel awful. He’s the eldest, but he doesn’t have a child. My poor nephew.”

At Teresouth Group, Teresa was going over the company’s accounts. They were nearly six hundred thousand in the red—a debt that had actually piled up back when she was in Everport, but Miriam had kept it from her. Miriam had even covered part of it out of her own pocket. Teresa only found out now. She couldn’t help but wish she’d just win the lottery and have a windfall drop into her lap. But life was never that easy.

“Ms. Johnston,” her secretary knocked on the office door. “Dr. Nelson is here.” Jennifer had been to the company more than once, so the secretary recognized her.

“Tell her to leave,” Teresa said. As if she wasn’t stressed enough, now Jennifer had to show up and make things worse.

The secretary handed her a bank card. “Dr. Nelson said she knew you wouldn’t see her, so she asked me to give this to you.”

Teresa stared at the card and immediately recognized it. It was the one Evelyn had given Jennifer as her dowry. Teresa let Jennifer in.

Jennifer got straight to the point. “I had dinner at Donald’s place last night. Before, Cathy told me you gave her 193 thousand to pay off my debt.”

“What else was I supposed to do?” Teresa shot back. “I wasn’t about to let the Johnston family get dragged through the mud because of you. You’re marrying into their family. Don’t give people something to gossip about.”

Jennifer said, “I was going to use my house money as a dowry, but they wouldn’t take it.”

Teresa slammed her hand on the table, frustrated. “Seriously? Who gives a dowry like that? How are they supposed to accept it? In Narigh, the dowry always ends up back with the bride anyway. You might as well not give anything at all.”

Jennifer said quietly, “I didn’t know about that.”

“Well, now you do. Get out. I bought you a car, gave you over almost two hundred thousand as a dowry. Haven’t I done enough as your sister? Get out right now, and stop bothering me.”

With that, Teresa tossed the card at Jennifer’s feet. She didn’t want Evelyn’s dowry for Jennifer.

Jennifer bent down, picked up the card, and then set it back on the desk. She pressed her lips together, holding back her emotions, and got ready to leave.

“Take your dowry with you,” Teresa said, clearly annoyed.

Jennifer turned around. “Just keep the money, Tess. You still have Mike to raise, and you’re pregnant. I promised I’d take care of you, but I’ve never really done anything for you. Please, just keep it.” Without another word, she walked out, not looking back.

Teresa stared in silence at the bank card on her desk, her brows furrowed tight.

As Jennifer left the building and headed for her car, a sudden wave of nausea hit her. Her pupils shrank sharply. She thought back to the night of their engagement party. She and Donald had been so happy, sharing red wine in the bridal suite, and afterward, she couldn’t remember if he’d used protection or not.

“Could it be that night… No. That’s impossible!” Jennifer gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Teresa sat in her office, stressing over how to scrape together six hundred thousand. Jennifer had left her the dowry, but that money was off-limits. It was the dowry Evelyn had set aside for Jennifer, and Teresa wouldn’t touch it, no matter what.

She was heading to the bank to take care of some business when she happened to run into someone she really didn’t want to see.

Sanford swaggered over, acting all smug. “Hey, it’s only been a few days, and you’re looking even prettier.”

Teresa instantly got goosebumps. “Mr. Thomas, I thought I made myself clear last time. I don’t like you, and I’m never going to marry you. You only want me because you couldn’t have Jennifer. I’m not some stand-in for her.”

Sanford laughed. “Come on, Jennifer and I are ancient history. As for my feelings… there’s just a tiny bit of leftover sadness.”

“Then why are you still pestering me? And you don’t even care that I have a kid? Sorry, but I don’t buy that any guy is that selfless.”

Sanford shrugged, still grinning. “Can’t I just appreciate you? If I marry you, I’ll have a gorgeous wife and a son. Sounds like a win-win to me.”

“You’re seriously messed up. Figures. Jennifer’s friends are all a little off, just like her.” Teresa walked into the bank, ready to deal with the headache of applying for a loan.

“Are you strapped for cash or something?” Sanford sat down next to Teresa, eyeing the number in her hand. “That doesn’t add up. Weren’t you Jonathan’s ex-wife? He’s loaded, isn’t he? Didn’t you get anything in the divorce?”

Teresa raised her phone, about to call 911. Sanford hurriedly said, “Whoa, whoa, we’re in a bank. Don’t do anything crazy.”

Teresa’s face was blank. “Are you leaving or not?”

“How much do you need? I can lend it to you. We’ll put it in writing, and my interest rate is way lower than the bank’s—just two percent. How about it?” Sanford offered.

Only then did Teresa finally look at him. He added, “I’m the one lending you money. Even if you take off with it, you’re not the one losing out.”

Teresa fell silent. Seeing her waver, Sanford waggled his finger at her, “Two percent interest, remember.”

“I have one condition: don’t tell Jennifer. I’ll pay you back within a year, at the latest. You’ll be my creditor, but I’ll pay on time. Give me your account, and I’ll transfer the money every month.”

“Deal. Works for me,” Sanford’s eyes sparkled. “Alright, let’s sign the contract then.”

“Can I add a little something? Like, if I’m bored, we can grab a meal together. Bring your son; I want to see what he looks like.”

“He looks just like Jonathan. If you want to see him, go look at Jonathan.”

Sanford sighed. “What a shame. Yorick’s great-grandson…”

Teresa didn’t catch that last part. “What did you say?”

Sanford looked up and smirked, “Nothing.”

After signing the contract, Teresa drove off without saying goodbye to Sanford. On the road, she suddenly got a call from Michael. “What’s up, Muffin?”