Chapter 2: She Was Pregnant

"Lola, marriage is a serious matter. I forbid you from marrying him," Jessica said, well aware of the reason behind Dolores' agreement to marry Matthew.

Dolores placed the bag of food on the table beside the bed and took out some to offer to her mom.

"At least I'm not marrying a stranger. It's your friend's son," Dolores replied.

"She passed away a long time ago. I know nothing about her son. Even if it means breaking my promise, I would rather you marry someone you truly love. Please don't use this marriage as a bargaining chip. I'd rather stay here for the rest of my life."

Someone she truly loved? Even if she met someone like that in the future, she no longer had the freedom to do so. She bowed her head. It didn't matter who she married. What mattered was reclaiming everything her father had taken from them.

Despite Jessica's efforts to convince Dolores otherwise, they both returned to their home country the following day. Randolph, disgusted with both of them, refused to let them set foot in the Flores' house. Instead, he brought them to a nearby rented house, and Dolores only needed to return to the house on her wedding day. However, Dolores had no desire to return home, as she didn't want her mother to face the woman who had ruined her marriage and her life. For the sake of their mental and emotional well-being, it was better to keep their distance from the house.

However, Jessica still worried. "Lola, if this was a good marriage, they wouldn't have given you this opportunity, even though Mrs. Nelson and I were friends—"

Dolores didn't want to discuss it any further and interrupted her mother. "Mom, come and have something to eat."

Jessica sighed. It was evident that Dolores refused to talk about it. She had already lived a difficult life with Jessica, and now she had to sacrifice her own marriage for the sake of the family.

Dolores held the fork in her hand but only moved her food around on the plate, her contempt for her father ruining her appetite.

"Are you alright?" Jessica asked, concerned for her daughter's well-being.

Not wanting to worry her mother, Dolores lied and said that she had lost her appetite due to the long flight. She then put down her fork and headed to her room.

Closing the door, Dolores leaned her head against it and placed her hand on her stomach. Although she had never been pregnant, she had witnessed how Jessica suffered during her own pregnancies. Jessica was always disgusted and had no appetite to eat. That was exactly how Dolores felt at the moment.

It had been a month since that night, and her period hadn't come for over ten days. She didn't dare to think about it further. That night had already been humiliating enough. If it wasn't for her mother and her brother, she would never have done it. She trembled all over...

"You're pregnant. About six weeks along." The doctor's words lingered in Dolores' mind after she had visited the hospital for a checkup without informing Jessica. She felt a mix of emotions and frustration. She didn't know what to do. Should she give birth to the child? Should she have an abortion? Her hand instinctively rubbed her belly. Despite the surprise and humiliation, she was unwilling to give the child away. There was too much joy and hope associated with becoming a first-time mother. She was lost in her thoughts.

After returning to the house where she and her mother were staying, Dolores hid the ultrasound image of the baby before entering. However, as soon as she noticed Randolph's presence, her mood instantly soured. What was he doing there? Randolph didn't seem to be in a good mood, and it appeared that she had made him wait for a long time.

He turned to face her and spoke coldly. "Go change your clothes."

Dolores frowned. "Why?"

"Since you're going to marry the eldest son of the Nelson family, you'll have to meet him sooner or later." He scrutinized her from head to toe and continued, "Are you planning to wear that hideous outfit to meet him? Are you trying to embarrass me?"

Why did the pain have to feel like this? Dolores wondered. Selling herself and losing her brother had hurt her so much that she had become numb. Yet, upon hearing Randolph's cruel words, she realized her heart still hurt, and the pain came rushing back.

He had sent her and her mother to a poverty-stricken country in the first place and hadn't cared for her since. Where else could she have gotten the money? If she had the money, her brother wouldn't have died due to delayed treatment. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into fists. As if realizing what he had said, Randolph's expression changed, and he turned his face away.

"Let's go. The Nelson family should have arrived by now. We can't keep them waiting."

"Lola..." Jessica was worried and still wanted to persuade Dolores to call off the wedding. She had just lost her son, and she wanted to take care of her daughter now. Money didn't matter anymore. She didn't want her daughter to be a part of the Flores family or the Nelson family. The world of the wealthy was complicated, and she still didn't know what kind of man the eldest son of the Nelson family was. She was genuinely concerned.

"Mom," Dolores reassured her with a look.

"We need to go," Randolph urged her impatiently.

Concerned that Dolores might change her mind, he gently nudged her forward, aware that neither of them had any affection for each other. The eight years they had spent apart had erased any remnants of their relationship.

Dolores wore tattered clothes, and since she was about to meet the Nelson family, Randolph took her to an upscale boutique to find a suitable dress. As they entered the boutique, a salesperson greeted them.

Randolph pushed Dolores forward and instructed, "Find her something appropriate to wear."

The salesperson examined Dolores from head to toe, gauging her size, and then suggested, "Follow me." She picked out a long, light blue dress from a rack and handed it to Dolores. "Try this on in the changing room."

Reluctantly, Dolores took the dress and made her way to the changing room.

"Matthew, do you really have to marry someone from the Flores family?" a woman's voice, filled with muffled anger, questioned.

Upon hearing her father's name, Dolores turned her gaze towards the adjacent room. Through the gap in the door, she could see a woman embracing a man's neck, her tone now changing to a playful voice.

"Can't you marry someone else?"

Matthew Nelson stared at the woman, helplessness evident in his eyes. The marriage had been arranged by his late mother, and he couldn't defy her wishes. However, recalling what had happened that night, he couldn't bear to disappoint Helen either.

"Did it hurt that night?" he asked.

A month ago, while investigating a case in a less affluent country, he had been bitten by a snake whose venom acted as a powerful aphrodisiac. The particular venom had a condition attached: if he didn't satisfy his primal needs with a woman, he would die. Helen White became his antidote.

He knew how difficult it had been to control himself during that time. Everyone he had spoken to mentioned the pain women experienced during their first time. Due to his intense desire, he hadn't cherished the moment. As a result, he had no idea how painful the experience had been for her. Yet, she hadn't cried out during their encounter; the only sign of her pain was the trembling in her arms afterward.

Helen had always harbored feelings for Matthew, and he was aware of that. However, he had never given her a chance, primarily because he didn't love her. Moreover, his mother had already arranged his marriage. Regardless, Helen had faithfully stayed by his side. Yet, since that night, he felt a need to acknowledge her. The memory of the large pool of blood remained vivid in his mind.

Helen leaned against his chest, her eyes lowered, and let out a shy moan. She had liked Matthew for a long time and had served as his secretary. Though she had lost her virginity years ago, she couldn't let Matthew know. She understood how important it was for a man to take a woman's virginity. That's why she had paid a considerable sum to convince a local virgin girl to offer herself to Matthew instead. After the girl left, Helen took her place to pretend it had been her that night.

"If you like the clothes here, you can buy more," Matthew said affectionately, running his fingers through her hair.

"That's for VIPs. You can't go in. Please use the one on the right," the salesperson reprimanded Dolores.

The upscale boutique had designated separate changing rooms for privacy, with a separate area for VIPs. Dolores grumbled softly and headed towards the room on the right. As she changed, her mind kept going back to the man and woman's conversation, particularly their mention of the Flores family.

Could it be that the man was...