Chapter 698

Divorce 696
697
Jonathan fell silent for two seconds , a complicated expression crossing his face . He held Michael’s little hand , first wiping away his tears , and then gently said , “ Are you missing Mommy , Mike ? Daddy will take you back tomorrow , alright ? ”
Michael sniffled and looked up at Mr. Lime . “ Can I call Mommy ? I wanna ask if she still wants me , Michael said .
Jonathan frowned and asked Michael , “ Did your Mommy ever say she didn’t want you , or anything like that ? ”
Michael shook his head and answered , “ Mommy said wherever she goes , she’ll take me with her . She said she’d never leave me behind , but she hasn’t even called me . ”
Jonathan gently patted Michael’s head and said , “ Good boy , you have both Mommy and Daddy now . Daddy will never leave you . I’l always be here for you ”
“ Let’s have a nice dinner first . After you’re full and take a bath , you can use my phone to call Mommy , okay ? ”
Michael finally nodded , then playfully said , “ Thank you , Mr. Lime . ”
Jonathan heard Michael’s endearingly sweet “ Mr. Lime ” and wanted to say something , but swallowed the words back .
After dinner , Michael returned to his room . A moment later , there was a knock at the door .
“ Wow ! ” Michael cried out , quickly covering his eyes with his tiny hands , though he peeked through his fingers at Jonathan standing shirtless , showing off well – defined muscles and wearing only a pair of pants .
“ Mr. Lime , you’re so embarrassing . ”
Seeing Michael blush again , Jonathan couldn’t help but let out a helpless chuckle . “ I’m your dad , son , ” he said . “ What’s there to be shy about between us ? ”
Jonathan walked over to help Michael get ready for a bath and spend time together . From his angle , Michael saw Jonathan’s bare chest , blushed , clutched his collar , and shook his head shyly like a bobblehead .
“ No , I’m not ready to take a bath with you yet , ” Michael protested .
Jonathan couldn’t help but chuckle , even more helplessly . He raised his hands in surrender . “ Alright , I won’t touch you . So are you going to undress yourself then ? “ ”
Michael nodded earnestly . “ Mr. Lime , hurry up and put some clothes on . You’ll catch a cold . Mommy said boys need to protect their privacy , too . ”
Jonathan raised an eyebrow , a faint smile playing at his lips . “ Does she usually say stuff like that to you ? ”
Michael said , “ Yeah , Mommy says privacy is super important . She never touches my special collections without asking . ”
Jonathan’s lips quirked slightly with a faint smile .
Jonathan had always assumed Michael was just three , too young to understand anything , but now , he realized he was wrong .
Jonathan said gently , “ I’m sorry , Mike I was pushing too hard . We’ll take a bath together when you’re ready . I respect your okay ? ”
After getting Michael’s consent , Jonathan gently ruffled his hair before leaving the room .
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Still worried about letting him bathe alone , Jonathan asked Michael if he could close his eyes and help scrub his back , her com coaxing , Michael agreed . Jonathan tested the water and asked if it was too hot for him .
Michael kept insisting it was not too hot , but his little face turned red at he covered it with his hands and stumped in the tab . “ I’m so embarrassed . Mr. Lime is scrubbing my back , ” he whispered shyly .
Jonathan held Michael’s soft arm , his heart aching at how thin the boy was .
Jonathan looked at Mike and said softly . “ Mike , I’m your Daddy . Could you call me Mr. Daddy Lime again ? ”
Michael had called him Daddy before , but back then , Jonathan had foolishly believed the boy wasn’t his son . Ever since that day , Michael had never called him Daddy again .
Michael asked in a soft voice , “ Mr. Lime , are you my real Daddy ? I wanna ask Mommy first . If she says it’s okay , then I’ll call you Mr. Daddy Lime , okay ? ”
Michael whispered , a little afraid that Jonathan might be upset . But Jonathan wasn’t upset at all . Instead , he gently tweaked Michael’s little nose .
“ Do you love your mom that much , huh ? ”
“ Of course , Mommy and I only have each other . She loves me more than anything , and I love her just as much . ”
Jonathan suddenly felt a sharp pang in his heart . He didn’t say another word .
Michael wanted to call Teresa , so Jonathan gave him his phone . But as Jonathan gently dried Michael’s hair , the boy dozed off , curled up on his lap . Seeing this , Jonathan didn’t have the heart to wake him .
Jonathan gazed at Michael’s peaceful sleeping face , reminded of the boy’s words and the deep love and trust he had for Teresa
He had missed three whole years , every little moment and every tender detail , and wondered how he could ever make up for lost time .
Only alcohol could numb his senses . After a sleepless night and drinking , he felt drawn to her . By morning , he found Teresa deep in thought , staring at the bracelet he had given her through her slightly ajar door .
He gave her two choices : co – parenting or remarriage , but she chose co – parenting without hesitation . How deeply must she loathe him to be so heartless , even after he had already stepped back .
Jonathan downed another glass of liquor in one gulp . The bar’s vibrant energy meant nothing to him . He drank alone because without alcohol , the suffocating emptiness would be too much to bear .
Alone , Jonathan gripped his glass as heartache and resentment rose . He called the manager , who brought a group of party girls . Bitterly , he realized he was the only one still waiting for her . If she wasn’t coming back , there was nothing left to wait for .
But when those girls flanked him , the cloying , unfamiliar scent of their perfume made Jonathan wrinkle his nose in distaste .
“ Get out , ” Jonathan recoiled as one of the girls reached for his shoulder , shoving her hand away in disgust .
In the end , he just couldn’t go against his true feelings . Besides , he refused to degrade himself like that .
The manager stood there , looking perplexed . “ Mr. Lynn , aren’t these girls to your liking ? Should I arrange for a different
“ No need . Just snap some random shots and send them over . ”
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any ? ”
20:41 Thu , 27 Juli
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He took the photos on a whim to show the Kelly family that Jonathan wasn’t a saint privately Now , with Michael in the picture , he had even less patience for those unwanted suitors and their marriage schemes .
“ All done , Mr. Lynn .” the manager said after taking the photos . Then he cautiously asked , “ And these girls … ”
Without looking up , Jonathan said coldly , “ Leave . ” He just wanted to be alone .
“ Yes , Mr. Lynn . ”
Jonathan thought of Benny , one of his regular drinking buddies , and dialed his number .
“ Where are you at ? ”
“ Gorthany . What’s up calling me this late at night ?
Jonathan stared down at his glass , gripping it tightly . “ Wanted to grab a drink with you . Forget it if you’re not back . ”
Benny chuckled on the other end of the line . “ What’s eating you this time that you’re calling me for drinks ? Jonathan fell silent for two seconds , then gave a wry smile . “ When you’re back , I’ll give you the 300 thousand I owe you . ”
“ What ? ” Benny retorted , “ Are you drunk or what ? ”
I
Benny thought , “ Why the hell would he give Benny 300 thousand out of nowhere ? ”
Jonathan said , word by word , “ I lost the bet . A bet’s a bet . I’ll pay up .”
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