Chapter 868
“Alright, let’s go to the ward,” Jonathan said, grabbing the documents and turning away without hesitation. This was the first great step to take for Teresa, so she could stop living in fear.
Trene followed silently behind him, not saying a word. Teresa was in the room, leaning against the headboard, lost in thought.
She had dreamed of her wedding day. Bradley and Natalie called her their precious girl, destined for happiness. But they vanished, and wherever she was hurt, there was no home to return to, only silent tears in a house that no longer felt like hers.
Footsteps drew closer, and the door swung open. She didn’t even have time to wipe away her tears before she looked up. Her gaze landed on Jonathan, then shifted to Irene standing just behind him.
Benny said hello to Teresa, then handed over the statements that Irene and Jonathan had each signed.
“Jonathan asked me to draft these. There are two copies, one for each of you. The agreement takes effect starting today,” Benny said.
Teresa looked over Irene’s guarantee letter and Jonathan’s custody waiver. When she saw both their signatures, her head snapped up to look at Jonathan.
Jonathan said, “I know words aren’t enough to ease your mind, but you can rest easy now. If anyone gives you trouble again, stand up for yourself. Even if it’s my family, they have no right to treat you that way.”
Teresa suddenly went quiet. There wasn’t a hint of joy on her face. Without a word, she signed her name in silence. And just like that, the two agreements took effect from this moment on.
Jonathan glanced back at Irene, who was standing behind him. “Don’t you have something you want to say to Teresa?” he demanded.
Irene clamped her lips shut, her whole face screaming reluctance.
“You still don’t want to say that?” Jonathan pushed.
“Alright, I’ll say it, okay?” Irene grumbled, going through the motions.
“It’s all my fault, I’m the villain here, happy now?” she snapped, then stormed out of the room in a huff.
Benny looked a little uneasy, glancing at Jonathan. “Your mom’s not going to do anything crazy, is she?” Benny said.
“She won’t. She ran off because she felt humiliated,” Jonathan replied, already calling the driver to take Irene back to the Lynn residence. He knew his mother too well. She was stingy with money and scared to death of dying.
“Alright then, Teresa, get some rest. I’ve got things to take care of at the law firm, so I’ll head back now,” Benny said as he got ready to leave.
Jonathan walked him to the door. As a friend, Benny had always had his back.
As Benny walked down the steps, he turned back. “Aren’t you being too harsh on your mom?” Benny said.
Jonathan let out a breath, his eyes steady and resolute. “I can’t be blindly filial. I’ve always treated her well, but if I don’t stand my ground this time, she’ll never realize she’s wrong,” Jonathan added.
Benny replied with a nod, “That’s true. Mother–in–law drama is such a pain. Honestly, staying single is the way to go.”
Jonathan smirked, “If you’ve got the guts, try staying single for life.”
In the ward, Teresa was still gazing at those two statements, lost in thought. She never thought Jonathan would do something like this.
He’d even made his mom sign her name. She always figured he’d pretend nothing happened, like he always did.
When Jonathan came back into the room, Teresa looked up at him as he walked over to her.
“Keep the agreement safe, alright? Don’t lose it. And from now on, you don’t have to be afraid. No one will ever try to take your child away from you again,” Jonathan said.
Tears started to roll down Teresa’s cheeks. At last, she looked at the man in front of her and softly said, “Thank you.”
Seeing her willing to cry in front of him put Jonathan’s mind at ease. It was so much better than her quietly crying alone behind his back.