Chapter 8: How Do You Want Me to Respond?
Dolores slowly lifted her head. When she saw the man's face, she gasped in surprise.
"Dr. Herbert?" There was a group of people with Sampson, and they made Dolores even more surprised. "Why, why are you here?"
Sampson was the one that had helped treat Dolores' brother's autism. During his treatment, Dolores and Sampson got to know each other.
Sampson smiled gently.
Before he could speak, the director of the hospital spoke, "Dr. Herbert's here to carry out a forum in the hospital."
Sampson was a famous psychiatrist. He was especially an autism expert.
"What about you? Why are you here? Are you sick?" Sampson asked.
Dolores trembled when she thought of her mom's resolute attitude.
"Lola!"
Jessica rushed over from the other side of the corridor with the checklist in her hand. When she came back and the nurse explained that Dolores had run away, she was very shocked. Jessica couldn't help but shout agitatedly when she saw Dolores.
Dolores pursed her lips and was on the verge of tears. "Mom…"
Sampson turned to the director of the hospital standing beside him. "Please, go on ahead of me. I'll be there shortly. I have something to do."
"Ah, of course." The director smiled at Sampson. "We won't bother you then. I'm formally inviting you to work in my hospital, Dr. Herbert. Just no matter what you need, please let me know and I'll do my best."
Sampson smiled back and nodded. "I'll consider it."
Once the director and the others left, Sampson turned back to Dolores and Jessica. "Let's head outside to talk. This isn't the right place," Sampson said to Jessica.
The hospital was full of people who had little to do other than listen to the conversations of strangers.
Jessica also knew Sampson. When her son received treatments, she couldn't scrounge together the funds all the time and this Dr. Herbert was the one who helped pay for it. Therefore, Jessica had a lot of respect for him.
Jessica held Dolores's wrist tightly, fearing she would run away again.
As soon as they were out of the hospital, Dolores kneeled in front of Jessica. "Mom, I beg you. We already lost Jeremy. Please, let me give birth to this child."
Sampson frowned. 'What did she mean?' He glanced down and saw Dolores' hand protectively covering her abdomen. When he saw the reports in Jessica's hand, it confirmed his suspicions that Dolores was pregnant.
He was shocked and didn't know how to respond. He wanted to know how it had happened, but knew it wasn't the right time to ask. Dolores seldom cried in front of Jessica. Even when her brother died, she cried secretly, never shedding a tear in front of Jessica.
Not that Jessica wanted to force her to have the abortion. Instead, she worried about what would happen if Dolores gave birth to the child. Would she still have a future?
However, becoming a mother alone was enough to make a vulnerable woman stronger than before. Jessica knew how stubborn Dolores could be and that this was something she'd never give up.
With a long sigh, Jessica said, "Suit yourself."
Jessica turned and left as soon as she finished speaking. Her heart overflowed with sadness, and she didn't know how to face her daughter.
Dolores slowly sat on the ground. She forced herself to be strong, but her tears of bottled-up sorrow rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't control herself either. After holding everything in her heart for so long, it shattered her.
Before Sampson returned from overseas, he discovered that Dolores and Jessica had returned to their home country and the Jeremy had died from his injuries from a car accident. He didn't know what happened between then, just running into them in the hospital.
Sampson squatted down and comforted her. When he first met her, she was just a teenager. Even back then, she was extremely sensible while she took care of her brother and mother.
He'd seen how she was even unable to afford a proper meal. Instead of letting her mother worry, Dolores gave the food she bought to her mother and brother, telling Jessica she had already eaten. She was a thoughtful and mature girl who would make his heart ache with pity for her.
Sampson wanted to reach out to touch her head and comfort her, but before he could, Dolores raised her head and looked at him.
"Thank you for your help in the past. I'll pay you back in the future when I have money."
Sampson's hand paused above her hair. He slowly clenched his fist, let it fall to his side, and said with a smile, "Silly girl, I volunteered to help you, so you don't need to return the money."
Dolores shook her head. "I know you're a kind person, I'll always remember it."
If she had the ability in the future, she was determined to return the money.
Sampson helped her up. "Where do you live? I'll drive you home."
By this time, Dolores worried about Jessica. So, she nodded and told him the address.
When they reached their destination, Dolores opened the car door and got out.
Sampson called out to her. "Will you go back to the hospital to do an abortion again?"
Dolores turned to look at him and shook her head. "I won't."
It wasn't easy for her to escape the abortion and go back home.
Once she arrived, Dolores saw Jessica sitting on a chair and wiping her tears. Dolores's emotions hit her like a bullet through her chest.
Jessica wiped away her tears, not looking at Dolores. "I'm fine. You should go back."
"Mom…"
"It's all Mom's fault for not taking good care of you." Jessica wiped fervently at her tears, but she couldn't stop crying no matter what she did.
Dolores rushed over and hugged Jessica. The two hugged each other while sobbing their hearts out to vent their sorrows.
It took a long time for them to calm down. Dolores told Jessica about the deal with Matthew and asked Jessica not to worry about her.
Jessica was astonished. How could the marriage be treated so irresponsibly, like it was nothing more than an agreement to go out for drinks?
Although Jessica was not in favor of the marriage with a deal, Dolores already lost her virginity pregnant and was pregnant as a result. Matthew or the rest of the Nelson family wouldn't accept it. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad deal.
Jessica swore she would take care of her daughter in the future.
*****
That evening, when Dolores returned to the villa, she discovered Matthew wasn't around. After dinner, Dolores walked around the villa courtyard to digest her food and to have a good look at the gardens and surroundings.
Once it got too dark, she went back to her room. However, she found herself too thirsty to sleep, so she went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water.
She drank half the glass of water and when she was about to go back to her room and try to sleep, she heard the front door being unlocked and then swing open. A tall figure walked in, followed by a beautiful silhouette. Dolores stood there in shock.
She never expected Matthew would bring back the woman he liked so late at night.
Helen was also startled when she saw Dolores. 'Isn't this the woman we saw in the hospital earlier?'
Helen looked up at Mathew. His face was taught and cold. What was he so angry about in the hospital? Was it because of this woman?
A woman could always tell when something wasn't right, and Matthew's unnatural behavior made Helen wary of Dolores.
"Well, I'm going back to my room," Dolores said, not wanting to be the third wheel and make them annoyed.
"Wait." Matthew gazed at Dolores. She was wearing a very conservative nightgown that ended her ankles, showing only her fair and thin arms. She looked somewhat innocent.
However, thinking about what she did, Matthew felt a little disgusted. "Helen is the lady of this house. do you understand what I mean?"
Dolores felt Matthew was beating a dead horse. She'd never thought of herself as the lady of the house. Why did he feel the need to emphasize it?
"I know. I'm going to bed then." Dolores turned around and headed to the room.
"Ms. Flores." Helen looked at her. "I'm sorry."
Helen's words bewildered Dolores and she stared at Helen in surprise.
Helen's face was full of apologies. "Even though you're engaged to Matthew, I've known Matthew long before you did. If it wasn't for you, I would be the one who married him. We love each other very much, so-"
"What do you to say exactly?" Dolores found the woman extremely strange.
She was very clear about her identity and had no intention to disturb them. Why was that woman explaining all that?
"You already married Matthew, but he doesn't like you because of me, so I feel guilty about it."
"Don't worry about it."
Just as anyone could possibly imagine, they were in such an awkward relationship, and probably they should just avoid interacting with each other, she thought. Was the woman acting in such a way because she wanted to show her kindness in front of Matthew? Without knowing why, Dolores had a bad feeling about the woman in front of her.
Matthew narrowed his eyes and stared at Dolores. "How can you speak to her like that?"
Dolores pursed her lips. She only wanted to live peacefully in the house for a month. After she got what belonged to her and Jessica, she would leave.
It was the strange woman who uttered all the weird words. How else should she reply?
"How do you want me to respond?" Dolores really didn't know how she should reply to Helen.