Chapter 66

Teresa pulled up to the gates of Rosary Estates, her tears finally dried. “Thanks for everything,” she said to Truman. “What were you doing at that restaurant?”

Truman’s eyes flickered. “I was just passing by. I saw you and your dad, and when you didn’t come out, I got worried.”

Teresa didn’t want to dig deeper. “I can handle it from here. You don’t have to walk me in.”

“Alright, just take care of yourself and don’t overthink things,” Truman replied, watching Teresa walk away before turning back.

After grabbing her car keys at home, Teresa drove to find Miriam. At that moment, Michael was still in his drawing class, so Teresa asked Sherry to pick him up.

Once at Miriam’s place, Teresa sat in silence, sipping her drink alone. It wasn’t until she felt a little tipsy that she finally opened up to Miriam about how Philip had betrayed her for money, showing he didn’t care about anything else.

Miriam was shocked at how low Philip had sunk. Even though he wasn’t a fan of kids, Teresa was still his own flesh and blood.

“You still have me,” Miriam said, pulling Teresa into a comforting hug. “I’ll always be here for you.”

Teresa clung to Miriam, tears streaming down her face silently. “I just don’t get it. Why would he trust some outsider to invest 1.5 million in him but not his own daughter? Does he really think I’m that useless?” Teresa wiped her tears away, frustration creeping into her voice.

“Not everyone deserves to be a father. A man who cheats isn’t exactly a stand-up guy,” Miriam said, shaking her head. ‘How could he care about his own daughter? He just used her to get 1.5 million. What a disgrace! You won’t find a worse dad in all of Narcigh,’ Miriam thought, feeling even more sympathy for Teresa.

That night, Teresa stayed at Miriam’s place, her phone on silent. When she finally turned it on, she saw a bunch of missed calls from Jonathan and a text: “Where are you?” But Teresa wasn’t in the mood to reply.

Just then, Miriam knocked on the guest room door. “Jonathan called me. He’s downstairs and wants to see you.”

Teresa got up and peeked through the curtains on the fifth floor of Miriam’s place. She spotted Jonathan’s car. He was looking up at the windows with his phone in his hand until their eyes met. Quickly, Teresa closed the curtains again. Unsure of why he was there, she decided to go downstairs anyway.

Jonathan, about to make another call, stopped when he saw Teresa. His furrowed brow relaxed. “Why didn’t you wear something warmer?”

“I don’t feel cold. What do you want?” Teresa replied, crossing her arms defensively.

“I’m sorry,” Jonathan said, his voice sincere.

Teresa was confused. “Sorry for what?”

“I didn’t know Philip was such a jerk. I should have been there for you when you were hurting, just like that day,” Jonathan explained.

Tears welled up in Teresa’s eyes again. She turned away to wipe them and said, “Thank you for comforting me.”

Teresa knew Jonathan was talking about their wedding day, the day her grandparents passed away. He had been busy with work, and on that painful day, he hadn’t been by her side.

Jonathan pressed his lips together, not saying anything more. He opened his car door and pulled out a cake, some cherries, and apples he had bought. “Take these up and eat them. I got your favorite strawberry mousse. Don’t dwell on it; it’s not worth it,” Jonathan said, offering her the treats.

Teresa shook her head, and Jonathan added, “I won’t go up to Miriam’s. You two enjoy the food.” Then he got in his car and drove away.

As Teresa watched him leave, she noticed his phone vibrating non-stop in his pocket.