Matthew moved his face closer to Dolores’. “If you dare disrespect me like that in the future, I…” He glanced at her lips, leaned down, and bit them.
She felt a sudden pain. The taste of blood spread in her mouth. She grimaced. It hurt, it burned. Matthew really bit her.
“In the future, every time you wrong me, I’ll do this as my way of punishing you. Does that sound fair?”
Dolores felt disoriented as she gazed at the man in front of her. She couldn’t understand the reasoning for behaviors.
“Do you understand what you’re doing right now?”
Speechless, Matthew didn’t know how to answer her question. Every moment that happened after he met Dolores was so unexpected that he lost control of himself and became a different man from who he was in the past.
He realized Dolores wasn’t virtuous, as she was impure, and didn’t respect herself.
However, the fact that he was interested in such an immoral woman, and felt like a real man—a man who had the normal, physical reaction a man should have when facing a woman—was confusing. He hid his emotions well as he stared down at Dolores.
He smiled faintly and asked, “What about you? You rushed forward to protect me from the sword without worrying about your own life. Does that mean…”
As Matthew spoke, his face moved even closer to hers. When Dolores took a step back, he would take a step himself and follow her. They were very close to each other. The smile on his face was slight, soft, gentle, and could hardly be ignored.
“Have you fallen in love with me?”
Was that why she rushed forward without concern for her and her child’s safety when Matthew was in danger?
Matthew remembered how shocked he was when he turned around and saw her rushing over.
Dolores turned away and refused to look at him. “Mr. Nelson, you have quite the sense of humor. I’ve only known you for a few days. How could I fall in love with you so quickly?”
If she didn’t suspect he was the father of her child, she certainly wouldn’t have put herself in such a dangerous situation. She cherished her own life as she had to survive for the sake of her mother and her child.
Matthew didn’t anger. Instead, turning away and leaning back on the sofa, smiling. “Perhaps, you fell in love with me when we first met? Love at first sight. That happens, right?”
He was apparently speaking to Dolores, but it sounded like he was asking a rhetorical question.
Dolores’ hand that had been resting on her leg squeezed tightly, but she responded with a calm demeanor. “I don’t believe in love at the first sight.”
Not wanting to continue the conversation, she stood up to get some water for herself, deliberately ignoring the topic. They were strangers, but they lived under the same roof due to fate. Now they were talking about the most indescribable word in the world, ‘love.’ She couldn’t help but laugh quietly to herself.
While drinking her water, Dolores looked through the glass and gazed at the piano placed in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Depression clouded any happiness she had been feeling.
*****
The next day, Dolores went to the hospital to see Jessica. This time, Jessica was sober and recognized Dolores at first glance. She grabbed Dolores’ hands, not letting them go.
“Lola, I’m so happy you’ve come to see me. I’ve missed you a lot during my stay here.” Jessica held Dolores’s hands tightly, as if she was afraid Dolores would disappear as soon as she was no longer in her grasp.
Seeing Jessica more alert, Dolores was ecstatic. “I won’t leave. When you’re strong enough, we’ll leave this place together.”
After the agreement with Matthew ended, Dolores would buy a small house to live in with her mom and her child.
“How come Dr. Herbert hasn’t visited me for the past few days, Are you angry with him?” Jessica asked, more or less knowing Sampson’s thoughts.
Jessica liked Sampson very much and was very pleased with his personality. Besides, he was also a doctor. If Dolores could leave Matthew and marry Sampson, a majority of their problems would be solved. The problem was Dolores being pregnant with a child whose father was unknown. Whenever Jessica thought of the child, she would fall into a deep depression.
“He has been called away on business and won’t be back for a while,” Dolores said looking down sadly.
Sampson promised he would help her to find out what happened that faithful night. So, he should be in A Country now.
“If you weren’t pregnant, wouldn’t it be wonderful to be with him? He’s a doctor so you know he’s kind—”
“Mom,” Dolores hurriedly interrupted Jessica and helped her clasp a bracelet around her wrist, “Mom, do you recognize this?”
Jessica looked down and gasped. “Of course! It’s been years though…” Jessica looked up at Dolores in shock, believing she’d never see the bracelet again after Randolph sent them away. “How did you get this?”
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