Chapter 842

Jonathan had sworn to Teresa that whatever was happening at her company had nothing to do with his family. Even though it was Irene who did it, she still knew about the trouble at Teresa’s company.

That made Jonathan feel like he’d just slapped himself in the face. And to make matters worse, Irene was crying and wiping her tears, acting like he was the one who’d wronged her.

“I care about you, Jonathan. It hurts to see you pushing your child away and obsessing over Teresa again and again. Have you lost your mind?” Irene cried.

“I think you’re the one who’s lost it. You trust a scammer over your son and even handed over a pile of money,” Jonathan shot back.

Hearing this, Irene started sobbing even harder, almost pounding her chest in utter grief. She was so heartbroken, it looked like she was about to break down.

“I raised you alone. Do you know how hard that was? Now you treat me like a criminal. Fine, blame me if it helps. Just eat, okay? I can’t stand seeing you starve,” Irene choked out.

After saying that, Irene carefully handed Jonathan a fork. “Come on, eat something. It’s all my fault, alright? Just eat, please.”

Jonathan let out a helpless sigh. He couldn’t deal with this anymore.

“I’m not eating. I’ve lost my appetite. You go ahead,” he said.

“How can you skip a meal? Don’t you remember back in middle school, when you lived on campus? Every Friday when you came home, the thing you missed most was the ravioli I made for you.”

Jonathan fell silent, brows furrowed. Torn between the mother who raised him and the woman he loved most, he didn’t know what to say.

Seeing that Jonathan was still unmoved, Irene gently coaxed him, “It’s your favorite, beef and cabbage dumplings. Please don’t stay mad at me, okay?”

Jonathan looked at Irene, and when he brought up what happened with Teresa again, he tried to keep his tone calm and objective.

“Teresa’s worked so hard to run that company alone. Why keep making it harder for her? Keep this up, and both your grandson and I will end up resenting you.”

Irene clenched her teeth, thinking of Michael, the grandson she still couldn’t win over. He might be Jonathan’s only blood relative.

She quickly changed her story and said, “I never meant to go after her. Yalena misunderstood, that’s all. Honestly, I don’t know the first thing about business.”

Tears streamed down Irene’s face. What she cared about most was how Jonathan and Michael saw her. Their hatred would cut deeper than anything else.

“Jonathan, I was wrong. I won’t make excuses anymore. Please don’t tell Mike, okay? I don’t want him to think less of me,” Irene pleaded.

Jonathan said with a sigh, “This is the first time, and it better be the last. If you have something to say, say it to my face. Don’t go scheming behind my back. It’s just shameful.”

Irene replied with a nod, “I understand. Come on, eat your ravioli before they get cold.”

“I already ate at the office. And from now on, stop seeing Yalena. I’ll talk to the Kelly family myself,” Jonathan said.

And with that, Jonathan left. As soon as Jonathan left, Irene collapsed into a chair and broke down in tears again.

All alone in that huge mansion, she felt so down she could barely take it. The older she got, the more terrified she was of being alone.

She picked up her phone and called her sister Heidi, desperate to vent her misery.

Heidi said, “How could Jonathan do that? Giving you a hard time over his ex-wife?”

Irene snapped, “Of course she’s behind this. That woman’s always badmouthed me to Jonathan. She’s still doing it now, trying to turn him against me on purpose.”

Heidi said with a sigh, “Come on, Irene, don’t let it get to you. It’s not worth getting this upset over an ex-daughter-in-law.”

“How can I not be upset?” Irene snapped.

With cold resolve, Irene said, “I’m going to take Mike away from her. He’ll live with me, and I’ll raise him myself.”

Irene couldn’t let Michael be raised by Teresa. She was convinced Teresa would only lead him astray.

As long as there was breath in her body, she was determined to make Michael be recognized as Jonathan’s son. She would never let it go otherwise.

‘Just you wait, Teresa,’ Irene swore to herself.

Meanwhile, at Rosary Estates, Teresa saw the news where Jonathan stated he wasn’t marrying anyone from the Kelly family, calling the whole story a ridiculous rumor.

When a reporter pressed him on why he wouldn’t marry into the Kelly family, he just replied: [I already have someone in my heart.]

When Teresa read that, it was like she’d been lost in the fog for ages and saw a ray of hope.

Since Jonathan smashed that bracelet, she believed his feelings were gone. She thought he only cared because she had Michael and was pregnant again.

Teresa recalled Jonathan’s words in her heart, ‘I already have someone in my heart. Why do you always have to break my heart? Why are your words so cruel while I’m the one left hurting?’

‘I told you I wouldn’t marry any other woman. Don’t you know who I want to marry, who I want to spend my life with?’

Those words he’d said when he was drunk echoed in her mind, and tears blurred Teresa’s eyes. She also remembered that when Jennifer tried to end her life, the only one who stayed by her side the whole time was Jonathan.

‘I wish you wouldn’t be so impulsive. Can’t you think about yourself first before you do anything? Don’t get hurt, and don’t make the people who love you worry about you.’

Moments from the past flashed through Teresa’s mind. Now calm, she began to notice all the little details she had previously overlooked.

Since Jonathan learned she was pregnant again, their relationship began to thaw. She believed he was only being kind because of her health and the baby, hiding his true feelings and forcing himself to act.

But in reality, just like her, he still loved her.

There was a knock at the door, pulling Teresa out of her thoughts.

She snapped back to reality and went to open the door.

Standing outside was Lucas. “Teresa, can we talk for a minute?”

Teresa nodded and let Lucas in.

Lucas sat down in the chair and continued, “I saw Jonathan’s public announcement clearing things up. Did you see it?”

Teresa nodded silently.

Lucas frowned in confusion. “You two are still in love, so why not just get remarried?”

Teresa suddenly looked up and asked, “Lucas, do you think he loves me?”

Lucas nodded. “I’ve never dated, but love makes you lose your cool. I see the passion between you and Jonathan. His heart belongs to you. He loves you, just like he said.”

Teresa buried her face in her knees and said, “Lucas, I’m too scared to love again.”

Lucas gently stroked her hair and asked, “Teresa, is there something on your mind? You can tell me if you want."