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Teresa fell silent . She thought , ‘ So his first choice is for us to remarry , and the second is to go to court and fight for Mike’s custody Is that all he’s offering ? ”
Early in the morning , Teresa’s eyes were bloodshot , and Jonathan’s were equally crimson , both exhausted and on adga
“ We … ” Teresa said at last , her voice tired and subdued , worn down by the drawn – out standoff .
Jonathan arched an eyebrow and asked , “ We what ? ”
“ We can co – parent Mike , Taking this to court is a lose – lose situation . Seeing us fight over him would only hurt him . It’s the last thing he needs . ”
She pleaded , “ For Mike’s sake , can’t we just meet halfway ? ”
Jonathan fell silent , his fists clenched tightly .
“ I’m taking Mike with me for the next few days . I’ll bring him back next week , ” he stated firmly .
The door slammed shut behind him . This time , he left without so much as a backward glance .
Once again , Teresa was left alone in the room . She slumped onto the bed , utterly defeated .
Bending down , her hands trembling , she picked up the two shattered pieces of the bracelet from the floor .
Jonathan had once told her that the bracelet was glass – grade jadeite with excellent clarity , and that the variety was rare .
Jonathan had insisted she try it on , saying it might be a little loose but would look beautiful on her wrist .
Teresa had refused flatly, pushing it back toward him without hesitation .
But Jonathan had only smiled and insisted she have it .
Teresa snapped back to reality .
She stared at the shattered bracelet in her hand , now nothing more than a worthless piece of trash . And yet , something in her still refused to let it go .
Teresa thought , ‘ I don’t blame anyone . If Jonathan needed to hate me to feel better , so be it . At least he’ll find some relief . Maybe then
my heart won’t hurt so much . ‘
Teresa’s phone suddenly buzzed . She frowned and picked it up .
In the hospital , Jennifer opened her eyes to sterile white walls and the sharp scent of disinfectant .
“ You’re awake , ” the nurse said as she entered , checking the EKG monitor . “ You were in a car accident . Two kind passersby brought you in . Since your phone isn’t here , you’ll need to contact your family yourself .”
Jennifer looked dazed .
The nurse said with a sigh , “ What I mean is , you were brought in just in time . Physically , you’re fine and can be discharged today .
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But the baby can’t be saved . You’re still young . You can try again in the future ,”
For the first time , a wave of emotion flickered in Jennifer’s eyes . Her hand moved to her stomach , where she felt a hollow emptiness , as if something had been carved out of her .
“ My baby is gone ? ” Jennifer choked out , her voice trembling ,
“ Yes , you miscarried before you arrived . But you’re still young . Have your partner come pick you up when you’re ready ,” the nurse added .
With that , the nurse hurried off to attend to her other duties
Jennifer felt cold all over . Every detail from before the accident replayed vividly in her mind . She could feel the blood draining from her body .
Her baby was gone . She had lost her child . Now she had nothing left , absolutely nothing .
Donald would leave her , too . Everyone around her would eventually walk away .
Heart – wrenching agony swept over Jennifer once more . She sobbed until her chest ached .
She had lost her baby , and soon she would lose her love and her marriage . She had already lost so many important people . Now , sitting here in this hospital room , she felt utterly alone .
Time slipped by unnoticed . Hearing footsteps , Jennifer slowly looked up .
Teresa took in the sight of Jennifer , who was tear – streaked , exhausted , and completely falling apart .
It was the first time Teresa had ever seen Jennifer break down like this .
Seeing Teresa , Jennifer hurriedly wiped her tears . “ What are you doing here ? ” Jennifer asked .
Teresa said , “ The traffic police called me about my car’s accident , so I found out you crashed . I called 911 and only then learned you had been in the hospital for a whole day .”
Teresa had thought Jennifer had gone to find Donald and gone home with him .
Teresa never expected to find her like this .
Jennifer forced a bitter smile and said , “ My baby is gone . It’s gone . ”
Teresa pressed , “ Where’s the driver who hit you ? The police said only my car was wrecked at the scene . What happened to the other car ? ”
Jennifer shook her head weakly and continued , “ I don’t know , but it doesn’t matter now . Even without the accident , I couldn’t keep the baby . The doctor said the heartbeat was irregular and the miscarriage risk was high . ”
Teresa fell silent for a few seconds . Then she asked , “ But didn’t you always say you couldn’t keep the baby ? So why are you so devastated now ? ”
Jennifer sniffled and said , “ You can go / I’m fine now . I just need some time alone . ”
“ Should I tell Donald ? ” Teresa asked .
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“ Don’t tell him , ” Jennifer cut in in gently .
Jennifer’s sudden , anxious reaction caught Teresa off guard .
Teresa had expected Jennifer to use this as a chance to play the victim and seek sympathy from Donald , but instead , she refused .
“I don’t want Donald to see me like this , ” Jennifer said quietly . “ I’ll tell him about the baby myself . You don’t need to get involved. ”
Teresa nodded . Since Jennifer had decided to tell Donald herself , she wouldn’t interfere . Teresa was never the domineering or
meddlesome type ..
“ I’ve arranged a caretaker for you . Just rest another day before you leave . I’ve already paid your hospital bills , ” Teresa added .
“ Thank you . I’ll pay you back after I’m discharged . ”
“ Suit yourself , ” Teresa replied and turned to leave .
“ Wait ,” Jennifer called out to Teresa again .
“ Weren’t you planning to take Mike abroad ? Why aren’t you leaving now ? ”
“ Jonathan knows about Mike . I can’t leave anymore . ”
Jennifer froze as a sudden realization hit her . “ Did Donald tell him ? ” she asked .
“ I don’t know . It doesn’t matter . He knows now , ” Teresa answered calmly .
Still , Jennifer noticed how pale and haggard Teresa looked , her face utterly frail .
“ Why do you look so awful ? ”
“ I’m just tired . I’m fine ,” Teresa replied calmly , her tone steady throughout .
“ Take care of yourself . I’m barely holding myself together right now . We … ” Jennifer began , then stopped , choking back the words . “ we sisters ” she had almost said .
Somehow , she just couldn’t bring herself to say it .
“ Let’s both take care of ourselves . You too . Take care , Teresa said quietly , then turned and walked away without another word .
Jennifer sat at the edge of the bed , silent tears streaming down her face once more , but she wasn’t the only one whose tears fell
that night .
Inside the villa , by the time Michael returned from the hospital , Jonathan had already prepared his room . It was much larger than his old one , and he had even hired two top hannies to care for Michael when he was away .
“ Mike , dinner’s ready , ” Jonathan called gently .
Seeing Mike put down his fork , Jonathan asked , “ What’s wrong ? Is the food not to your taste ? ”
He had personally cooked today , making eight full dishes . When alone , he never cooked , but knowing how much Mike loved his food , he spent three hours in the kitchen perfecting the meal .
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Michael shook his head , rubbing his eyes with his small hands , and said , “ Mr. Lime , where’s Mommy ? I miss her ”