Chapter 748

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t sue Jennifer just because she was your sister. But she’s not anymore. I checked into it–she even covered up the records of you giving birth to Mike at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital.”

“Miriam said Jennifer was scared of losing her career, so she didn’t want Mike and me to reunite. She kicked you out of the car halfway and treated you terribly. Why should I bother about her?"

“Since she’s so afraid of losing her career, I’ll make sure she gets what she fears most.”

Teresa saw the icy determination in Jonathan’s eyes and asked, “What else did you do?”

“I’ve contacted the media–they’re scrambling to expose her for abusing her power and faking reports. Since she refuses to admit her mistakes, I’ll make sure her reputation is destroyed for good,” Jonathan said, looking like he wouldn’t stop until Jennifer had nothing left.

After Jennifer repeatedly threatened and tried to keep Teresa from letting him reunite with Michael, Jonathan had been pushed over the edge. Now, he was hell-bent on making her pay.

‘He’s determined to push Jennifer to the edge.’ Teresa couldn’t bring herself to smile. She slumped onto the couch, feeling completely powerless. There was nothing she could do to stop Jonathan now. After a long pause, she said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

Jonathan asked, “Sorry for what? It was Jennifer who threatened you and wouldn’t let you tell the truth.”

Teresa stayed silent.

Jonathan stared at her, feeling defeated. “Just give me a straight answer. Did she threaten you? Did she stop you from telling me the truth about Mike? Did you keep quiet because you were afraid it would ruin her career?”

“I…” Teresa faltered.

“Just say it–yes or no,” Jonathan pressed.

Teresa was silent for a long time before finally nodding. She buried her face in her hands, at a complete loss for words.

Jonathan sat across from her, leaning back in his chair. “So you kept quiet about our son just for someone like her? Unbelievable.”

Teresa remained silent. She covered her face with her hands, her eyes red.

Jonathan took a deep breath. “Put your hands down and look at me. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Teresa finally looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. “What do you want me to say? If I tell the truth, I’ll be the one to blame. It will affect both Jennifer and Sherry, especially Jennifer.

“I always thought she was my sister. She had such a hard childhood, and after we reconnected, she would always remind me that I was her only family left. How could I just turn a blind eye to that?”

Jonathan tapped his fingers on the table. “So you’re always worried about their feelings, but you never once think about mine?”

Teresa went quiet again, fighting back her emotions as she pressed her lips together.

“You don’t care about me at all,” Jonathan said, and at that moment, he accepted it. Teresa didn’t love him, didn't even care about how much it hurt him to be kept from his child.

“And you don’t care about Mike’s feelings either. You don’t care if he grows up without a father, or if he’ll end up feeling insecure because of it. Am I right?” Jonathan pressed.

Teresa frowned. “How could I not think about it? Do you even realize–” Her voice broke as she choked up.

Since she didn’t elaborate, Jonathan pressed, “Realize what?”

Teresa took a deep breath, at a loss for words. She didn’t know how to tell him about her fear of Irene, or about all the slander and threats Irene had thrown at her.

She didn’t want Jonathan to end up fighting with the woman who’d raised him. Even less did she want him caught in the middle. After all, that was his mom.

Jonathan spoke slowly, “You’re just a fool. You can’t even figure things out, letting some outsider who isn’t even your sister control you. You’re always worrying about things that don’t even matter and running yourself ragged.”

“Get out!” Teresa snapped, pointing toward the door. She didn’t want to argue with him. But this time, he started it.

“Fine, just drive me crazy if you want,” Jonathan said, grabbing the lawsuit papers from the table.

“Stop right there,” Teresa called out.

Jonathan turned around slowly. “What is it?”

“Put those lawsuit papers down. Are you really going to sue her?”

“Even if I don’t sue her, it’s too late.”

Teresa froze. “What do you mean?”

Jonathan said, “I bet the media has exposed Jennifer’s scandal now. Her reputation is destroyed, and she’ll never work as a doctor again.”

“Look, she can’t be a doctor anymore. That’s punishment enough,” Teresa said softly. “Let’s just drop it. Suing her won’t solve anything, especially since we’re still family.”

“What?” Jonathan raised an eyebrow, taking a moment to steady himself. “The test results said she’s not your sister, so how are you two still family?”

“The day my mom gave birth, her cousin was also in labor at the same hospital. It’s possible the babies got switched. If that’s the case, then Jennifer isn’t my sister–she’s my cousin,” Teresa explained.

Jonathan rubbed his forehead, looking exasperated. “So where’s your sister?”

“I have no idea. Maybe it’s not even a sister–maybe it’s a brother,” Teresa said.

Jonathan was speechless. The look on his face practically screamed, “How is your family tree such a mess?”

Teresa stayed silent. ‘It’s not like I want my family to be this complicated, but this is the mess I’m stuck with. What else could I do except deal with it?’

Jonathan got back to the point. “Then where’s your brother?”

Teresa shook her head. “I have no idea. My mom can’t get in touch with her cousin. She used to have an affair with my dad, and my mom caught them in the act. Ever since then, they’ve been enemies.”

Jonathan was speechless again.

Teresa knew Jonathan must think this whole family situation was a total mess—anyone would.

When she married him, she’d been upfront about her parents‘ divorce and that she was raised by her grandparents. Later, she found she had a sister, but it turned out not to be real, and now there might even be a brother out there.

“I know my family’s a mess. But it’s not something I could ever control or choose.” Teresa looked up at Jonathan, her eyes pleading. “Can you help me?”

Jonathan looked a little surprised, almost flattered. “What do you want me to do?”

Teresa hesitated. “Please help me figure all this out. I want to find out who Jennifer’s mother is, and whether I have a brother out there.”

“Not helping,” Jonathan said, turning away. But out of the corner of his eye, he was still watching her.

When he saw her stand up and sway a bit, he rushed over and steadied her by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”

Teresa shook her head. “It’s nothing. I probably just got up too fast and felt a little dizzy.”

“You’re doing this on purpose,” Jonathan muttered, helping her sit back down and pouring her a glass of warm water. He sounded exasperated as he added, “You know I can’t win with you, especially when you’re carrying my daughter.”