Chapter 7
The words fell like a pebble into still waters, rippling with quiet impact and a sense of astonishment that spread across the room.
Her eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly composed herself, a smile playing on her lips. “That’s huge. Congratulations, Mr. Lynn. I wish you and your fiancée all the best.”
Jonathan stayed quiet, his mouth set in a thin line.
With the interview over, Teresa stood and offered her hand. Thanks for coming in today. Mr. Lynn”
He shook her hand, his gaze averted, and then he was gone.
Back in her office, Teresa couldn’t help but dwell on the fact that he was engaged.
Wayne was visibly frustrated. “Come on. Teresa! You should have kept at it and found out who his fiancée is. That’s the kind of scoop we’re after.”
Teresa was somewhere else, her mind racing with the revelation. She scoffed to herself. Bet his fiancee is his ex, the girl of his dreams‘
“Did you see? The CEO of Horizonlead Group is totally hot and tall, like six–three for sure; a coworker exclaimed.
“He’s the kind of guy w
guy who could make any girl feel protected, one of the coworkers gushed.
“Totally” another chimed in. “But let’s not get too carried away. He’s already off the market, engaged to a beauty queen. It’s like something out of a fairy tale
The buzz around the office was all about the Horizonlead Group CEO. Teresa usually would have been all over this conversation, but today she was Jost in her own world.
Her coworker had to call her name twice to get her attention. “Teresa, time to head out,” she said, and Teresa binally surfaced from her thoughts. nodding and slowly gathering her belongings.
She had to face the reality that her chances with Jonathan were e gone, and she couldn’t even bring up her son’s issues with him.
Michael was still grappling with a lingering cold, and Teresa was busy at the hospital, picking up medicine for her son.
The cashier rang up the total. “That’ll be $130
ויוי.
Teresa, already reaching for her phone, replied, “I’ll take care of it with Pa
PayPal.”
Teresa’s phone buzzed with a payment notification, and she checked her bank balance, which almost hit zero. She sighed, the reality of parenting hitting her hard–how money just seemed to slip away. And now, her car was on fumes.
At the gas station, she faced a tough choice. Her car needed the higher–grade 94 octane, but with her budget stretched thin, she went for the cheaper 92 instead.
“Ma’am, you sure! Your car really requires 95 the attendant warned her.
Teresa, feeling a bit embarrassed, replied, “Yeah, 92 is fine. I’ll be okay.”
“Alright,” the attendant said, giving a nonchalant nod
Once the refueling was complete, Teresa fired up the engine, ready to brave the rush–hour traffic.
As she drove, the car began to grumble, a low, ominous sound. Sensing something was off, Teresa pulled over and tried restarting the car. The rumble persisted, and a strong, aily odor filled the car’s interior.
Her heart sank. She quickly got out of the car, her day going from bad to worse. The car was definitely broken down. She couldn’t help but think, ‘Is there any more bad luck in store for me today?
Teresa was engaged in a one–sided chat with her car, coaxing it gently. “Easy, buddy. Economy mode today, on a budget,” she whispered, patting the dashboard reassuringly. “No worries about the 92 octane, okay?
Scanning the street for a potential ride, she spotted a pair of headlights that seemed like a lifeline. Her face lit up with hope as she squinted against the glare and waved her arms, signaling for help
But her hope was short–lived. As the driver emerged, his sharp suit and confident walk were all too familiar. Her smile faded the moment she
realized who it was
Chapter 7
Jonathan, with a casual swagger, approached with his hands tucked into his pockets. “Looks like you need some help,” he said, his tone light but his gaze serious.
Teresa’s lips tightened. Tve got it under control,” she insisted, trying to sound more confident than she felt
Jonathan’s eyes swept over her car, and he raised an eyebrow. “Car giving you trouble?”
Playing it off with a nonchalant shrug, Teresa insisted she was just here grabbing some fresh air.
But her white Porsche had other ideas, its engine growling ominously the moment she spoke
Jonathan’s laughter was cold and devoid of humor as he motioned for her to step back. “Move over, he instructed.
Teresa could only watch as
as Jonathan’s usually clean hand plunged into the e
engine, quickly turning into a mess of dirty oil.
With a resounding slam, he shut the hood, his expression now grave. “Teresa,” he called out, his voice sharp, drawing her gaze.
She raised an eyebrow at him, curiosity in her eyes. “Yeah?”
“How’d you let this happen? Your car’s engine is a wreck. Do you even bother to maintain in?) His words were laced with skepticism and a hint of scolding.
Guilt tugged at Teresa, but she wasn’t about to admit to cutting corners on gas. Instead, she offered a partial truth, her voice barely audible. “Tve been putting off the service for over two years now.”
Jonathan’s brow furrowed with a blend of worry and disapproval. Teresa, you’ve let this car slide since we split. I used to handle the upkeep, but now it’s all on you,” he remarked, a subtle note of chiding in his ton
Teresa’s fingers twitched, a sign of her irritation, as she retorted. “Im well aware, Jonathan.” It wasn’t that she was neglecting the car, it was the constant battle between work and motherhood that left her barely breathing.
As soon as the child showed signs of a cold, she’d abandon all other tasks and hurry to his side. Motherhood had truly taught her the exhausting reality of raising a child.
She had already sold off two cars, and now she was down to her last one–which unfortunately just broke down.
Jonathan didn’t miss the dejection etched on Teresa’s face. With a furrowed brow, he spoke with a tone that brooked no argument. “Looks like you’re in my car for the time being. Yours is out of commission. I’ll get a row truck on the way.”
Teresa sighed, a sound of surrender, and slid into Jonathan’s car without a word
As they pulled away. Teresa leaned her forehead against her wrist, a forlorn gaze fixed on her faithful white car, now abandoned by the roadside with its hazard lights flickering. Her companion for over five years was left behind.
With a curious sidelong look at her, Jonathan asked, “Rosary Estates is quite a diversion from Riverbuss Road, What took you out there?”
Evading his eyes, Teresa spoke softly, “I caught a cold and needed to stop by the hospital”
Jonathan’s concern was evident as he studied her closely, “A cold?” he echoed, his voice filled with worry
Teresa tried to play it cool. “Drop me off anywhere close. I’ll manage the rest on foot,” she told Jonathan, her voice betraying a hint of the awkwardness she felt about the ride.
The intermittent streetlight bathed Jonathan’s face in a flickering yellow light. He caught Teresa off guard when he reached over and gently wiped ber check, causing her to flinch
“No need to be so jumpy,” Jonathan said with a teasing grin. “You had a smudge.
Teresa straightened up, a note of caution in her voice. “Just thinking about your fiancée. Wouldn’t want her to get the wrong idea seeing us together?
Jonathan’s silence was heavy, his face a mystery. When they passed a pharmacy, he had the driver stop. He quickly went in and came back with a hag for Teresa. “It’s getting cold. Stay warm. You’re always catching colds.”
The bag contained the familiar medicines Jonathan had always picked up for her, along with a heating pad and a thermometer–reminders of a shared past.
Teresa’s words to Jonathan were laced with a hint of resentment. “You’re still playing the field, even though Yvonne’s in the picture now!”
Jonathan’s surprise was evident as he raised an eyebrow. “Yvonne!”
2.02
Chapter 7
With a determined set to her jaw, Teresa continued, “That’s her name, isn’t it? She was your ex, now she’s set to be your wife. That’s the plan, isn’t it?”
Speaking Yvonne’s name stirred up a whirlwind of emotions for Teresa, as the woman had been central to the downfall of her own marriage to Jonathan.
Yvonne’s frequent depressive episodes had been a tool she used to justify her behavior, often stepping over the line of what was morally acceptable
Jonathan avoided addressing Teresa’s points directly. Instead, he fixed his gaze on her, his eyes searching. “Aren’t you even slightly jealous, Teresa!”
Teresa’s lips quirked in a mix of a smirk and a frown. “Jealous? Why would I have any reason to be?”
Jonathan’s hand clenched into a fist at his side, his voice stramed as he spoke “Right. You don’t love me, not anymore”
Teresa was quiet, a profound understanding enveloping their interaction. They both harbored the heaviness of bygone days. Love had become insignificant amidst their current reality. Reconciliation was no longer a viable option for them.
Pulling up to Rosary Estates, Jonathan’s car came to a halt, and Teresa was quick to reach for the door handle, her eagerness to escape the awkwardness palpable.
Jonathan noticed her urgency to leave with a mix of old memories and a curious gaze, as if she had somewhere important to be. He let out a deep breath. “Take care of yourself. We’re through here, I won’t be around to look out for you anymore.
with your fiancee. With that,
Teresa offered a solemn nod, her tone a blend of resignation and affection. “You too, Jonathan. I hope things work out with your she stepped out of the car, her eyes straight ahead.
The scene was a stark reminder of their past, a mirror image of the day they’d walked away from the courthouse, each moving forward without a glance back.
Teresa tiptoed into her home, the quiet only broken by her son Michael’s gentle snores
she felt
a pang of guilt for leaving him alone, but with finances stretched thin, hiring a babysitter wasn’t an option. She shook her head, wondering how things had gotten so tough:
Bending over Michael’s bed, she smoothed back his hair and whispered. Tm sorry I don’t make much money, buddy,” her voice thick with
emotion.
Michael’s features mirrored his father’s, a man Teresa was determined to keep out of their lives.
He was moving on, starting a new family, and she was set on making sure Michael wouldn’t be caught in the middle. She’d be his rock
“Sweet dreams, my angel, she murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead
Her ear, now a goner, had been towed to the junkyard, leaving her without her usual mode of transportation. So, with a sense of unfamiliarity, Teresa headed to the subway for her first–ever commute to the office.
The journey to her office was a quiet one, filled with memories of a life that had once been filled with luxury but now seemed a distant dream.
She used to zip around in a top–of–the–line car, enjoying the good life. But reality had set in hard, she’d always known she’d be on her own, especially with her parents moving on to new families
Following her parents‘ remarriage, she sensed herself as the unwanted outsider, the excess baggage. As an adult, she resolved to forge her own way and launch her own venture.
Arriving at work, she was greeted by a notification on her phone about an upcoming property fee. The looming heating bill in a couple of months added to her financial worries, making it seem like her money was just slipping away.
When she checked her phone for her account balance, she found it had dwindled to a scant thousand dollars, deepening her concern about how to manage her finances.
The office hummed with the news, “Teresa, payday’s here!”
But instead of joy, Teresa felt a sinking feeling as she stared at her slimmed–down paycheck–only $2,500 this time, down from $2,800 the month
before.
Sherry, the pragmatic one among them, gave Teresa a comforting pat. “You’ve been missing a bunch of days and showing up late. That’s hit your attendance bonus,” she explained.
Teresa blushed, thinking of her little Michael, who was too young for daycare and too much for a nanny. She couldn’t keep leaning on her friend for childcare
2:02 PM ch
Chapter 7
Her new
normal had become working just three days and taking four off, a pattern that was wearing thin.
She’d reached a breaking point. Her paycheck barely covered her own needs, let alone Michaels. It was time for a change. The thought of starting her own business started to sprout in her mind, a determined seed taking rool
a number she hadn’t used in what felt like
As the workday wrapped up, Teresa paused, her fingers hovering over her phone before she dialed an forever. Hey. Mommy” she said, her voice cracking slightly.
“Teresa?” her mom, Evelyn, answered, the surprise in her tone unmistakable.
Teresa’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as she tried to speak. “Mommy, I’m wondering child in the background.
But her words were cut short by the piercing wail of a
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