Chapter 999

“What mother could just watch her own child get bullied by her in-laws and say nothing? Teresa’s the quiet type, never one to argue or make a fuss. She just bottles everything up and ends up suffering in silence.”

Guilt lacing her voice, Fiona said, “I didn’t know any of this. Do you think maybe there’s just been some kind of misunderstanding?”

Evelyn said, “Misunderstanding? Not a chance. You’re Irene’s mom—don’t tell me you don’t know what she’s like. At first, I thought, ‘Fine, the kids are divorced, let them live their own lives.’ I didn’t want to dig up the past.

“But look at things now—whether they get back together or not, Teresa’s already had two kids with Jonathan, and Irene got Jennifer thrown in jail.

“Fiona, try seeing this from my perspective. Both my daughters have been bullied by Irene, bullied incessantly—how am I supposed to just swallow this? I’ve never had to put up with this kind of crap in my whole life!”

Fiona didn’t know what to say; she could tell that Evelyn had a deep-seated grudge against Irene.

Just then, Jonathan returned. He told the waiter to start serving all the signature dishes. Noticing Teresa’s absence, he turned to Evelyn and said, “Try the potato soup, it’s excellent. By the way, where’s Teresa? I need her here.”

Evelyn didn’t even look up. She retorted, “She’s not coming. She’s at home with the kids. She told me to speak for her—said there’s nothing left for you two to talk about.”

Jonathan’s expression darkened.

Fiona patted Jonathan on the shoulder, signaling him to sit down. She said, “Take your time, things…”

Then she turned to Evelyn and said, “It’s been ages since I last saw Teresa, and I haven’t had a proper talk with her. Maybe I should head over later and see how she’s doing?”

Evelyn interjected, “That’s not necessary. Teresa’s been exhausted these past couple of days and just wants to rest. If you want to see her, maybe do it another time.”

Evelyn sipped her drink, her gaze toward Jonathan still frosty. It was obvious she had no intention of letting Fiona see Teresa.

Fiona sighed and whispered, “Mike is such a bad kid, and Yelse too. Those poor kids are having a tough time lately, getting caught up in all this.”

Chapter 900

Evelyn replied, “I’ve been raising my kids on my own for years. No father in the picture? Doesn’t matter—I can handle it just fine.”

Seeing that Evelyn had misunderstood, Fiona quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant, honestly. I’m not that close with Irene.

“When I was younger, I thought both my daughters had died during childbirth, so I went off to volunteer as a teacher in the remote areas. It wasn’t until last year that I found out they were actually still alive.

“Irene is my eldest, but she was raised by her father and another woman, not me. I don’t know what kind of person she is, but she’s still my flesh and blood. For all the trouble she’s brought to your family, I’ll make sure to set her straight.”

Evelyn let out a sigh, thinking, So that’s how it is. Every family has its problems. Fiona is already getting on in years—life hasn’t been easy for her either.

Fiona is Jennifer’s adoptive mom, but she remains Irene’s biological mother. Blood is thicker than water—her bond with Irene has always been there.

She sighed and said, “Fiona, if you want to talk to her, go ahead. That’s your family business—I can’t step in.”

Fiona replied, “I’ll make sure to set Irene straight, you have my word. Or how about I have her come back and apologize to Teresa herself, and then maybe let Teresa and Jonathan get back together and finally live a good life?”