Chapter 8: How Do You Want Me to Respond?

Dolores lifted her head slowly, and when she caught sight of the man's face, she gasped in surprise.

"Dr. Herbert?" A group of people stood alongside Sampson, which only heightened Dolores's astonishment. "Why... why are you here?"

Sampson had been the one who helped treat Dolores's brother's autism, and during the course of treatment, they had gotten to know each other.

Sampson smiled gently.

Before he could say anything, the hospital director interjected, "Dr. Herbert is here to conduct a seminar at the hospital."

Sampson was a renowned psychiatrist and an expert in autism.

"And what brings you here? Are you unwell?" Sampson asked Dolores.

Dolores trembled at the thought of her mother's unwavering stance.

"Lola!"

Jessica hurried over from the other end of the corridor, clutching a checklist in her hand. She had been shocked when she returned and learned that Dolores had run away, and now she couldn't help but exclaim when she saw her.

Dolores pursed her lips, on the verge of tears. "Mom..."

Sampson turned to the hospital director standing beside him. "Please go ahead without me. I'll join you shortly. There's something I need to take care of."

"Of course," the director replied with a smile. "We won't keep you. Dr. Herbert, I formally invite you to work at our hospital. Whatever you need, just let me know, and I'll do my best to assist."

Sampson smiled back and nodded. "I'll consider it."

Once the director and others departed, Sampson turned his attention back to Dolores and Jessica. "Let's go outside to talk. This isn't the right place," he said to Jessica.

The hospital was filled with people who had nothing better to do than eavesdrop on strangers' conversations.

Jessica was familiar with Sampson as well. When her son had received treatment, she had struggled to gather funds, and Dr. Herbert had been the one who provided assistance. Jessica held Dolores's wrist tightly, afraid she might run away again.

Once they were outside the hospital, Dolores knelt in front of Jessica. "Mom, I beg you. We've already lost Jeremy. Please, let me give birth to this child."

Sampson furrowed his brow. What did she mean? He glanced down and noticed Dolores's hand protectively covering her abdomen. Seeing the reports in Jessica's hand only confirmed his suspicion that Dolores was pregnant.

He was taken aback and didn't know how to respond. He wanted to know how it had happened, but he knew it wasn't the right time to ask. Dolores rarely cried in front of Jessica. Even when her brother had passed away, she had shed her tears in secret, never revealing her grief to Jessica.

It wasn't that Jessica wanted to force her into having an abortion. Instead, she worried about what would happen if Dolores went ahead with the pregnancy. Would she still have a future?

But being a mother alone had the power to make a vulnerable woman stronger than ever. Jessica knew how determined Dolores could be and that she wouldn't give up on this.

With a long sigh, Jessica said, "Do as you wish."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jessica turned and left. Her heart overflowed with sorrow, and she didn't know how to face her daughter.

Dolores slowly sat on the ground, forcing herself to remain strong. But tears of pent-up sorrow streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't hold it back any longer. After carrying so much pain within her for so long, it all shattered.

Before Sampson had returned from overseas, he had learned that Dolores and Jessica had returned to their home country and that Jeremy had died in a car accident. He didn't know what had transpired between then and now; he had merely run into them at the hospital.

Sampson squatted down and comforted her. When he first met her, she had been just a teenager. Even then, she had been remarkably responsible while caring for her brother and mother.

He had seen how she struggled to afford a decent meal. Instead of worrying her mother, Dolores would give the food she bought to her mother and brother, claiming she had already eaten. She was a thoughtful and mature girl who tugged at his heart with her plight.

Sampson wanted to reach out and pat her head, offering solace, but before he could, Dolores raised her head and looked at him.

"Thank you for your help in the past. I'll repay you in the future when I have the means."

Sampson's hand froze above her head. Slowly, he clenched his fist, letting it fall to his side, and with a smile, he said, "Silly girl, I helped you willingly. There's no need for you to repay me."

Dolores shook her head. "I know you're a kind person, and I'll always remember it."

If she ever had the opportunity, she was determined to repay him.

Sampson helped her up. "Where do you live? I'll drive you home."

Concerned about Jessica, Dolores nodded and provided him with the address.

When they arrived at their destination, Dolores opened the car door and stepped out.

Sampson called out to her. "Will you go back to the hospital for the abortion?"

Dolores turned to look at him and shook her head. "I won't."

It hadn't been easy for her to escape the abortion and return home.

As soon as she arrived, Dolores spotted Jessica sitting on a chair, wiping away tears. Emotions surged through Dolores like a bullet piercing her chest.

Jessica wiped her tears, avoiding eye contact. "I'm fine. You should go inside."

"Mom..."

"It's all Mom's fault for not taking good care of you," Jessica exclaimed, her tears flowing uncontrollably despite her fervent attempts to wipe them away.

Dolores hurried over and embraced her mother tightly. The two of them clung to each other, sobbing and releasing their pent-up sorrows.

It took a while for their emotions to calm down. Dolores shared the details of her arrangement with Matthew and assured Jessica that she shouldn't worry about her.

Jessica was taken aback. How could a marriage be treated so casually, as if it were merely an agreement to go out for drinks?

Although Jessica didn't approve of the marriage based on a deal, Dolores had already lost her virginity and was now pregnant as a result. Matthew and the rest of the Nelson family wouldn't accept it. Perhaps this deal wasn't such a terrible option after all.

Jessica swore to take care of her daughter in the future.

That evening, upon Dolores's return to the villa, she discovered that Matthew was absent. After dinner, she strolled through the villa's courtyard, taking in the gardens and surroundings.

As darkness fell, she made her way back to her room. However, a sudden thirst prevented her from sleeping, so she headed to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.

As she drank half the glass, preparing to return to her room, she heard the front door being unlocked and swinging open. A tall figure entered, accompanied by a beautiful silhouette. Dolores stood there in shock.

She never expected Matthew to bring the woman he liked back so late at night.

Helen was also taken aback upon seeing Dolores. "Isn't this the woman we saw at the hospital earlier?"

Helen glanced up at Matthew, whose face was taut and cold. What had angered him so much at the hospital? Could it be because of this woman?

A woman's intuition often detected trouble, and Matthew's unnatural behavior made Helen wary of Dolores.

"Well, I'll go back to my room," Dolores said, not wanting to intrude and make them uncomfortable.

"Wait," Matthew commanded, his gaze fixed on Dolores. She was dressed in a conservative nightgown that reached her ankles, with only her fair and slender arms visible. She appeared somewhat innocent.

However, the thought of what she had done disgusted Matthew slightly. "Helen is the lady of this house. Do you understand what I mean?"

Matthew's words perplexed Dolores. She had never considered herself the lady of the house. Why did he feel the need to emphasize it?

"I understand. I'll go to bed then," Dolores replied, turning around and heading towards her room.

"Ms. Flores," Helen addressed her. Dolores turned to look at her, surprised by Helen's apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry," Helen said, her face filled with regret. "Even though you are engaged to Matthew, I've known him long before you did. If it weren't for you, I would have been the one marrying him. We truly love each other, so—"

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Dolores found the woman's behavior extremely peculiar.

She was well aware of her identity and had no intention of causing any disruption. Why was this woman explaining all of this?

"Don't worry about it."

Dolores thought they should simply avoid any unnecessary interaction, given the awkward circumstances they found themselves in. Was this woman trying to display her kindness in front of Matthew? Without understanding the reason, Dolores had an unsettling feeling about the woman before her.

Matthew narrowed his eyes and stared at Dolores. "How dare you speak to her like that?"

Dolores pursed her lips. All she wanted was to live peacefully in the house for a month. Once she obtained what rightfully belonged to her and Jessica, she would leave.

It was the strange woman who had uttered all those odd remarks. How else was Dolores supposed to respond?

"How would you like me to respond?" Dolores genuinely didn't know how she should reply to Helen.