Chapter 869

Teresa now had two guarantees: Irene’s written promise and, more importantly, Jonathan’s voluntary waiver of child custody. Since Jonathan himself had given up custody, that meant Irene had even less right to go after it.

Teresa said, “These two documents are enough. You don’t need to make things difficult for you.”

Jonathan stared at Teresa in silence. His eyes were filled with both pain and anger.

“You don’t want to make things hard for me, so you keep it all to yourself? Do you think that makes you a good person?”

Teresa was taken aback. She shot back, “She’s your mom. If I complained to you about what she did to me, wouldn’t that make me the kind of woman your mom always accuses me of being? I don’t want that.”

“But I don’t want to see you get hurt, you know? I wish you’d just tell me whenever you feel wronged.”

“How am I supposed to even bring it up?” At that moment, Teresa finally spoke the words she’d kept buried in her heart. “She’s been your mother for years. How could I even bring it up? No matter what I say, I’d be seen as trying to come between you. As long as she respects my boundaries and doesn’t fight for custody, I can endure everything else.”

Her tear-filled eyes met his, piercing straight into his heart and leaving it aching and scorched.

Jonathan couldn’t hold back anymore and pulled her into his embrace. His broad hand cupped the back of her head, gently pressing her face against his chest.

“Do you know how angry I am now after hearing you say all this?” Jonathan said, his voice tight.

He brushed his jaw against her hair. “I’m angry, Teresa. You took all the pressure from my family alone and never told me. You never saw me as your partner. Even now, I feel I failed you, but you’re still carrying that weight.”

Teresa was stunned. Something deep inside her was deeply shaken.

From marriage to divorce, they never truly opened up. Jonathan was always busy, and even at home, their connection rarely went beyond pillow talk. After the divorce, silence settled in, and they each walked away without ever looking back.

Teresa hadn’t told Jonathan about what Irene did, partly because she didn’t want to put him in a tough spot.

But on the other hand, it was also because she didn’t trust him.

He kept turning a blind eye, again and again. She never believed he had the courage to stand up for her or the strength to handle being caught in the middle.

Even now, with everything blowing up, she thought he’d say a few words and move on, like always. She didn’t trust him. But right now, Jonathan’s dark eyes held a flush of red, showing just how much he felt.

Jonathan slowly let Teresa go and said with guilt, “You were right to divorce me. I thought I could make you happy, but I brought you pain. I overlooked too much. Now, I have no right to ask for your love or speak of mine.”

Just thinking about all the pain Teresa had endured, pain caused in some way by him, made Jonathan blame himself even more.

“From now on, I hope you’ll put your own feelings first. Don’t let yourself get hurt or get so down,” Jonathan said softly.

Teresa was taken aback again. ‘He knows?’ That thought flashed through Teresa’s mind. Jonathan didn’t want to keep anything from her.

“I wanted to know if you suffered because of my mom during our marriage. I saw your depression file, the big check mark next to ‘mother-in-law issues’ and even the forms you filled out,” he said.

He knew Teresa’s moods constantly shifted during their marriage. She often doubted him, suspected something between him and Yvonne, and faced endless misunderstandings.

No matter how many times he tried to explain himself, she couldn’t bring herself to trust him.

He never realized that the root of it all was actually his mother. He never imagined that all the pain and depression Teresa suffered after marrying him were caused by him and his family.

How Jonathan wished he could have cherished her, loved her, protected her, and made her a happy woman after marrying him. But in the end, all he brought her was pain.

That’s why he didn’t feel he even had the right to say the word “love.” He’d reflected on it over and over, wondering if his so-called love had always been selfish.

Tears streamed down Teresa’s face. She rarely cried, only when it was about her child, when Jennifer nearly took her life, or when Lucas overdosed on pills, or when Evelyn fainted.

But this time, right in front of him, she was crying for herself.

Jonathan pulled her into his arms again, his broad, solid chest a ready source of comfort and warmth that seemed to melt away all her defenses.

He said softly, “Even if you never want to remarry me, it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re safe, healthy, and happy, that’s all I care about.”

Teresa’s tears soaked Jonathan’s shoulder. It had been ages since they’d opened up. Crying eased the knot in her chest, releasing everything she’d kept inside. Once the tears stopped, she could let her guard down and eat.

Jonathan watched Teresa eat, no longer sick or struggling to keep food down. He finally exhaled in relief, seeing her healthy and eating well was the greatest peace he could ask for.

Jonathan’s phone kept ringing nonstop, so he stepped outside to answer it. Lucas had been calling him a lot these past few days.

Lucas had no idea about what Teresa had suffered. All he knew were the things Teresa had told him.

“Jonathan, have you talked to your mom about what happened? I appreciate you saving me, but if my sister’s been wronged, I’m not going to sit back and watch,” Lucas said.

“Yeah, I know,” Jonathan said. “Things got hectic and I forgot to call. I’m sorry. I talked to my mom. It was her fault. Teresa got hurt, but I’ve handled it. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Lucas paused for a few seconds before replying, “Alright, that’s good. I trust you’ll take care of it. Teresa’s still pregnant with your baby, so I know you’ll do what’s right.”

Lucas was a gentle guy, but every soft word he spoke to Jonathan carried weight. There was a warning in his smile.

“I know, and I won’t let it happen again,” Jonathan said. He had no choice but to explain himself. Lucas was Teresa’s brother, after all.