Chapter 581

"Fine, have it your way," Jennifer said with restrained frustration, seeing he was determined. "I’m only thinking of what’s best for you, if you insist on going, then go alone. I’m not going."

"Alright then, I’ll go by myself," Donald said firmly. "I need to check on Mom." He left without breakfast, storming out of the house.

Jennifer was too furious to eat, and Teresa, too, put down her fork. "Every single time," she fumed. "No one I care about ever listens to me. Donald ignores me, and it's supposed to be what's best for them."

The loneliness weighed heavily on her. The bitter taste of being alone was hard to endure. Feeling isolated, Jennifer decided to call Teresa.

"Didn’t you say you had something to tell me? I’m home now. If you’re free, come over."

"Or, how about you come to my office instead?" Teresa suggested.

"Donald’s not home. Just come over. It's only me here," Jennifer said to Teresa before hanging up abruptly.

Teresa went alone to Jennifer’s house. Noticing the troubled look on Jennifer’s face, Teresa was about to ask what was wrong when Jennifer spoke up first to explain, "Werner is cheating."

"What?" Teresa’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had always thought Werner wasn’t that kind of man.

Jennifer sneered, "Technically, he went whoring. Is that really so rare? People can change. Philip’s done far worse. This pales in comparison."

"People aren’t all the same," Teresa said. "Maybe there’s just been a misunderstanding?"

"No misunderstanding," Jennifer said coolly. "Donald’s mom is making a scene, demanding a divorce, and they’re even summoning Cheryl back. Honestly, I think their family is falling apart."

Jennifer said nonchalantly, her expression icy. Teresa asked, "Aren’t you going back to check on them?"

"Why should I?" Jennifer retorted. "They’re not my parents."

"They were good to you when you got married. Cathy wronged you. You should at least go back and show some concern, even if you have to fake it. Why must you be so cold-hearted?" Teresa said.

"I can’t fake it," Jennifer said defensively. "This is just who I am. I don’t have the energy to care about everyone. I know exactly who matters to me. But the people I care about always end up misunderstanding me. Take you, for example. I’d never side with an outsider against you, yet you constantly take someone else’s side over mine."

Teresa knew exactly who Jennifer meant by "someone else." "I know his feelings for me are genuine," Teresa admitted. "And I… I can’t let go of him."

Jennifer sneered, "Just think about that disgusting mother of his. That should help you get over him."

Teresa fell silent for two seconds before saying, "Actually, this is what I wanted to talk to you about. I can’t keep dragging this on. Hiding the truth isn’t going to solve anything. For Mike, and for the baby I’m carrying, I need to tell Jonathan the truth about everything. I’m telling you now because I hope you’ll prepare an exit strategy for yourself. I don’t want you to be caught off guard when everything comes crashing down."

Jennifer stared in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind? Aren’t you afraid Irene will take Mike away? Or Mike will have to grow up with the stigma of being an illegitimate child, just like Sanford did? Does none of that matter to you anymore?"

"Sanford came to see me," Teresa said. "He’s the one who convinced me I should come clean."

"What?" Jennifer was completely caught off guard, and she had no idea Sanford was back in Nareigh.

"I've called Sanford," Teresa said. "He’s on his way."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Sanford was already at the door. Sanford had been waiting for Teresa to make up her mind. Now that she’d finally decided to come clean about Michael, it was exactly what he’d been hoping for.

Jennifer couldn’t believe Sanford was standing against her at that moment. A sharp sense of betrayal hit her.

Jennifer said, "Are you all going to betray me now? Must you really see me lose everything, and watch the two of us become the laughingstock of Nareigh?"

"Jennifer, things may not be as bad as you think," Sanford said gently.

Jennifer couldn’t take it anymore. "I’m up for promotion to department head, Donald’s family is falling apart, and now my own family is crumbling too. He has no one but me left. Are you really determined to see my entire family destroyed?"

Sanford wasn’t entirely clear what Jennifer was getting at. She also told him about the turmoil in Donald’s family.

Sanford had only met Werner a few times, and the man had never really left much of an impression. He never would have guessed Werner was capable of something like this.

Jennifer said, "If you tell the Lynn family now that Mike is Jonathan’s child, Irene, who’s been itching to lash out about this whole illegitimate child mess and couldn’t find an outlet, will finally have her target. Irene will definitely come after all of us, especially Mike. Have any of you ever thought about how Mike would feel?"

Teresa’s face flushed with anger. "I’m Michael’s mom. How could I not consider my child’s feelings? It’s precisely because I must consider his feelings that I don’t want him to grow up not knowing who his father is."

"Alright," Sanford cut in, sensing the rising tension. "Come on, you two, calm down. You’re family. Let’s talk this out properly."

Jennifer glared at Sanford, her voice laced with accusation. "If you still consider me a friend, how could you possibly advise my sister to confess? Isn’t that just betraying me?"

Sanford pursed his lips. "Jennifer, I swear I never meant to hurt either of you. I would never do anything to harm you. But I can’t just stand by and let an innocent child get hurt."

Jennifer argued, "Mike’s life is perfectly peaceful right now. If you tell him the truth, you’ll just turn his world upside down. That’s not helping him, but you’re all just ruining him."

Teresa drew a deep breath and stood up. She couldn’t take it anymore. I know this is how you feel, Jennifer, she thought, but I just can’t wait any longer.

Teresa said, "I’m just here to tell you: I have to come clean about Mike. I want my child to have a normal life, at least here in Nareigh. He deserves to go to kindergarten without fear, to face the world without shame, and to proudly call his father 'Dad' in the open." Without another word, Teresa turned and walked out.

"If you dare tell him, then consider me no longer your sister." Jennifer watched Teresa walking away, her heart sinking. Silence was her only answer. Jennifer was utterly crushed.

Sanford didn’t leave immediately. He said to Jennifer, "Let her say what she wants. She may be your sister, but it’s her life."

"Jonathan’s no fool. He’d never buy that," Jennifer said bitterly. As she spoke, Jennifer let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.

"My job is as good as gone. Now everything I’ve worked for in Nareigh will be completely wasted. Donald will see me as nothing but a total fraud. He’ll be disappointed in me, and he’ll divorce me. His parents are already splitting up, and I can’t lose him either. But you’re all pushing me to the brink.”