Chapter 489

Jonathan took the candy from Michael's hand and ruffled his hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the food!" Michael replied, nibbling on his finger, his eyes sparkling as he stared at Jonathan.

Irene couldn't help reaching out to pat Michael's head. "Mike, do you remember me?"

Michael said, "You're Mr. Lime's mom."

Sherry hurried over and scooped Michael up, looking flustered. She'd just gone to the restroom, and when she returned, he was gone.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Lynn," Sherry apologized as she carried Michael away.

Irene watched Michael. Turning to Jonathan, she asked, "Is she Mike's mom?"

"Yeah," Jonathan replied, pulling his gaze back to the stage. Irene sighed. Michael was so lively and adorable, and she wished he could be part of their family.

"Seeing other people with kids makes you jealous, right? You should get married and have one," Irene teased.

Jonathan said, "I'm not jealous."

"Liar," Irene said. "You definitely are."

As she spoke, Irene glanced back. She couldn't spot which table Michael had gone to. He was out of sight.

Sherry carried Michael back to his seat and breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't run off like that, or your mom's going to blame me."

A lazy, teasing voice suddenly chimed in, "Who's his mom?"

Sherry looked over warily and saw Sanford's face. She didn't know him. At that table, it was just Sherry and Michael, with Sanford sitting directly across from them.

"Hey, little guy, what's your name? Tell me, and I'll give you some candy," Sanford said, holding out the sweets.

"No need," Michael said. "Mom says I can't take things from strangers."

Sanford stared at Michael's delicate face and grinned. "Let me guess. Your mom is Teresa, right? And your dad is—"

Before Michael could answer, Sherry cut Sanford off. "Excuse me, sir, this is my son. Is there something you want?"

"Your son?" Sanford shot back. "I just heard what you said. His mom is someone else, right?"

Sherry took a breath, her tone wary. "Who are you, exactly?"

Sanford smiled lightly. "Relax, I'm a friend of the bride. I'm not here to cause any trouble for the newlyweds on such an important day. I just want to know—is his mom Teresa?"

Sanford had arrived a while ago. He had been watching Jonathan and Irene for quite some time, not really noticing Michael at first. It was only when Michael ran over to talk to Jonathan that Sanford's attention landed on him.

Michael looked about three, fashionably dressed, with delicate features. It instantly reminded Sanford of the day he saw Teresa holding a child in the backseat of Jonathan's car.

Sanford had wondered if Michael was Jonathan's son, but Jonathan only exchanged a couple of words with Michael, and Irene didn't react at all. That was why Sanford strolled over to Sherry, wanting to get to the bottom of things.

Sherry stuck to her story. "He's my son. Since you're a friend of the bride, you should probably head back to your table. I have enough challenges to deal with without you making things difficult for me."

Sanford smirked and reached out to tap Michael's chin. "See you, little guy. Next time, I'll bring you a big present." With that, he finally left.

Michael swung his legs under the table. "That guy is so weird."

"Yeah," Sherry muttered, still uneasy. She quickly texted Teresa about what happened. Teresa froze for a second when she saw the message.

Teresa glanced around, spotted where Sanford was sitting, and shot him a wary look. Sanford noticed and gave her a playful smile.

Jonathan followed Teresa's gaze and caught the silent exchange between her and Sanford. His face darkened, and he picked up a glass of wine, downing it in one gulp.

The emcee on stage announced, "Next, we have a blessing from one of the bride's friends. Let's welcome him to the stage!"

Sanford waved as he walked up, took the microphone, and introduced himself. "I'm the bride's college classmate and close friend, a witness to her happiness. As her best friend, I wish the newlyweds a lifetime of love and happiness together."

Jennifer and Donald gave Sanford a gentle smile. Sanford then sang a song. Irene suddenly turned to Jonathan. "I remember you can sing this one too. Honestly, you sing it better than he does."

But Jonathan acted like he didn't hear her, just kept drinking, lost in his own world. Irene nudged him. "Come on, sing one for us."

"No," Jonathan said, downing another glass. "I'm going to the restroom." He stood up and left, ignoring everyone around him.

Teresa watched Jonathan's unsteady figure as he walked away, her brows knitting together.

Just then, Irene's phone rang. She sighed and stood up. "I'm heading out now."

Irene's hurried departure caught Teresa's eye. Teresa forced herself to look away, determined not to get involved in whatever was going on with Jonathan.

While Sanford was still singing on stage, Teresa walked over to Sherry.

Michael hugged Teresa. Seeing that no one was paying attention, Teresa gently stroked his head and asked, "Are you having fun at the party?"

Michael nodded eagerly. "Sherry peeled crab for me."

Sherry said, "I just went to the restroom, and Michael ran off to Jonathan's table. Irene was there too—it really gave me a scare. I hurried back to get him, and then that guy came over asking if Michael's mom was you."

Teresa glanced at Sanford on stage. "He's my sister's friend. I don't think he'll cause any trouble today."

"That's a relief." Sherry patted her chest. "Maybe I should take Michael home first. We've pretty much finished eating anyway."

Teresa was thinking the same thing, but Michael clearly wasn't ready to leave.

Chapter 490