“Appeal? What’s the point? Six months or nine months, does it even matter? That old witch Irene, I swear I won’t let her get away with this. We’ll never have anything to do with them, not in this lifetime. And you don’t ever see Jonathan again.”

Teresa felt utterly helpless. She dropped her hand and said, “We have two kids together. He’s their father. How can I just stop seeing Jonathan?”

Evelyn had a quick solution. “Simple. Make him pay all the child support up front until the kids turn eighteen, and then you never have to see him again.”

Teresa’s gaze was heavy with pain and turmoil. Just as Evelyn finished speaking, the doorbell rang.

Teresa pushed down her feelings and went to open the door. Standing outside was Benny.

Benny was there to see Teresa. “If you want to appeal your sister’s case, I can ask around for you.”

Evelyn walked over and asked Benny, “Even if we appeal, the sentence probably won’t be much different, right? Hannah will still have to serve time, won’t she?”

Benny nodded. “Yeah, appealing is risky. Sometimes people end up with even longer sentences, though most of the time, the original verdict stays the same.”

Evelyn was heartbroken. “Then let’s not bother with an appeal. What if something goes wrong? The Lynn family is just bullying us. Teresa’s two sons are Jonathan’s own flesh and blood, and yet they’re kicking us when we’re down.”

Benny quickly said, “Evelyn, this isn’t Jonathan’s fault. It was Irene who filed the charges. He actually spoke up for Hannah in court. If you don’t believe me, ask Teresa. If Jonathan hadn’t pleaded for leniency, Hannah could’ve gotten even longer.”

Evelyn didn’t want to hear it. “Doesn’t matter how long the sentence is. Hannah’s still going to jail. His mom was the one who started all this, and we’re not pushovers either. From now on, we’re done with them.”

Teresa had seen this coming. She nudged Benny toward the door, telling him he should probably go.

She practically pushed Benny all the way to the elevator. Honestly, with everything out in the open, it was hard to blame anyone for how things turned out.

After all, the cat was out of the bag. Teresa had tried to keep it from Evelyn, but she found it anyway. Now Evelyn was staring at Benny, her eyes full of confusion and suspicion.

Benny raised both hands in surrender. “It wasn’t me who told your mom. I don’t even have her number.”

Teresa nodded, but deep down, she still wondered, ‘If it wasn’t Benny, then who else could it be?’

After seeing Benny off, Teresa turned to go back inside, only to be startled by the sight of Jonathan standing at the door.

Jonathan looked at Teresa, then turned to Evelyn and kept apologizing.

Evelyn said, “And what good is an apology now? Jonathan, I used to think you were a good man. I even supported Teresa getting back together with you.

“But look at things now. Is that what you and your mom think of us now, that we’re just pushovers? When you had nothing, Teresa still married you. Back then, where was your mom?

“But now you’re rolling in money, and suddenly we’re not good enough for you, right? So why did you let my daughter get pregnant? Was she just a joke to you?”

Jonathan tried to explain, “Evelyn, I swear, I never thought that way. When it comes to Teresa, I…”

“Don’t bother!” Evelyn snapped, cutting Jonathan off, her patience completely gone.

Evelyn said, “Your mom already got Hannah thrown in jail. What else is there to talk about? From now on, you and Teresa should never see each other again. Just pay all the child support for both kids in one lump sum. That’s all.”