Matthew silently nodded to himself, feeling an unexplained tension that tightened his jaw, revealing his nervousness.
In a hushed voice, he urged, “Well, tell me everything.”
“Eight years ago, Randolph Flores divorced his wife, Jessica, and immediately sent her and their daughter, Dolores, to A Country. They haven’t returned until recently when Randolph brought them back,” Abbott disclosed.
Matthew furrowed his brow. He wondered if Dolores could speak the language of A Country because she had lived there for eight years.
“Is that all?” Matthew wanted more details.
Abbott paused briefly before continuing, “After Jessica arrived in A Country, she gave birth to a son with autism. Sadly, the boy had a difficult life and passed away in a car accident before Jessica and Dolores returned.”
Matthew’s frown deepened, his expression turning more serious. He couldn’t help but assume that Dolores’ sadness was connected to her brother. But what about the child in her womb?
“And that’s it? Has no man ever been close to her?” Matthew inquired.
“No… The only person who was close to her was a psychologist,” Abbott replied, carefully reviewing the information provided by the investigator from A Country.
Abbott added, “That’s all we have. She didn’t date anyone in school, and no other men were close to her.”
Matthew stood in silence, deep in thought. In other words, the psychologist could potentially be the father of her child. And Randolph bringing her back was merely due to their marriage? Dolores’ obsession with money might stem from her difficult life in A Country, which could explain why she charged for translations.
Viewing Dolores from this perspective, Matthew felt that he finally understood her. He also comprehended what Sampson meant. Matthew’s emotions were tangled, and after a moment of contemplation, he turned back, got into his car, and left the hospital.
Meanwhile, Dolores, still in the hospital, felt a pang of hunger as she had skipped lunch.
“Mom, I want some cookies,” Dolores suddenly craved sweets.
Jessica, having experienced similar cravings during her own pregnancies, understood that pregnant women often desired the most peculiar things.
“I’ll go home and make some for you,” she assured Dolores.
However, Jessica paused, realizing that no one would be there to care for Dolores in her absence.
Dolores understood her mother’s concerns and lovingly smiled. “I’m fine, don’t worry. The doctor said I just need to rest.”
If it weren’t for her worries about the baby in her womb, she wouldn’t even need to be hospitalized. Jessica nodded, instructing her to rest before leaving the ward.
As Jessica stepped out of her car and walked into her community, a group of women halted her progress. They were all residents of the community, and since Jessica had recently moved in, there had never been any issues between her and the others.
Confused, Jessica grew concerned that something had happened. She furrowed her brow and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Is it true that your daughter got pregnant before marriage? Isn’t she carrying an illegitimate child?” questioned the woman standing in front of her, the plump middle-aged neighbor who lived next door.
“Your daughter seemed like a good girl. And now we find out she’s a promiscuous woman. You told me the last time we spoke that your daughter is only eighteen, right?” the plump woman continued, placing her hands on her hips and shouting.
Jessica’s anger and annoyance surged, causing her voice to tremble. “You… You’re talking nonsense. Who told you that?”
“Do you dare deny that your daughter isn’t pregnant at all?”
Jessica’s hands trembled, and she dared not utter a word because her daughter was indeed pregnant.
“Shameless woman!”
“Yes, your daughter engaged in a young affair. She may have seemed innocent, but she’s nothing more than a loose woman!”
“Yes, she pretends to be innocent, but secretly she’s a slut-”
“Shut up! Who gave you the right to say such things?” Jessica seethed with anger; her face contorted in rage.
“Don’t blame those who talk about your promiscuous daughter as if she didn’t bring it upon herself!”
Jessica’s heart raced with anger, pounding so intensely that she had to place her hand over her chest to calm herself. Standing tall, she staunchly defended her daughter. “My daughter isn’t the person you believe her to be!”
Listening to the women disparage her daughter tore at Jessica’s heart. Why were they slandering her daughter so mercilessly?
“No? Then how did she end up pregnant at eighteen?”
Jessica found herself speechless. After all, it was true that Dolores was pregnant. Jessica had anticipated judgment upon discovering her daughter’s pregnancy at such a young age, but she hadn’t expected such unrestrained gossip.
“Get out of my way!” Jessica pushed past them and hurried into the building.
Although deeply bothered by their words, Jessica reminded herself that her daughter was still in the hospital. She managed to regain her composure and began preparing a meal.
*****
Jessica had thought she concealed her emotions well, but Dolores, ever perceptive, sensed something was off as Jessica handed her the food.
“Mom, you look…” Dolores began, her voice trailing off.
“I’m fine,” Jessica lied, not wanting to burden Dolores with what she had overheard earlier.
Dolores stared intently at Jessica, recognizing her mother’s avoidance of eye contact-a telltale sign of deception. Dolores knew her mother was hiding something, but she chose not to confront her. Instead, she took the cookies from Jessica.
Although the cookies were meant to be sweet, Dolores couldn’t help but taste bitterness as she ate them. She cast her gaze downward and said softly, “Mom, I’ll be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, and I want to come home and stay with you for a few days.”
Dolores assumed Jessica’s distress stemmed from missing her younger brother, whose death had left an everlasting ache in Jessica’s heart.
Startled, Jessica responded firmly, “No.”
Jessica knew that hearing the hurtful comments people made earlier would devastate Dolores.
Frowning, Dolores persisted, “Mom-”
“Listen to me,” Jessica interjected, her voice tinged with seriousness. “Regardless of the circumstances of your marriage, you are now a part of the Nelson family, and you should live with your husband.”
Jessica’s abnormal reaction couldn’t escape Dolores’ notice.
Silenced, Dolores continued eating, stuffing the food into her mouth for the sake of her baby. But the enjoyment was absent, and soon after, Jessica left for the waiting room, urging Dolores to rest.
Desiring the best for her baby, Dolores tried to fall asleep but found herself tossing and turning. Eventually, she succumbed to a restless slumber just before dawn, only to wake up shortly after.
Upon Sampson’s arrival, Jessica took the opportunity to return home and prepare more food for Dolores.
As Jessica walked out of the ward, Dolores climbed out of bed. Sampson rushed over to assist her.
Looking up at Sampson, Dolores confessed, “I think my mother is keeping something from me.”
“What do you think it is?” Sampson inquired.
“I don’t know, but I want to find out,” Dolores hesitated. “Could you do me a favor?”
“Of course,” Sampson replied.
“I want to follow my mom home.”
Dolores yearned to uncover the reason behind Jessica’s reluctance to let her stay at home. Previously,
Jessica had eagerly wanted Dolores to return and stay with her, but when Dolores had mentioned it the
day before, Jessica’s reaction had been strange. Jessica was Dolores’ only family now, and Dolores didn’t want her to suffer in silence.
After confirming with the doctor that everything was fine, Sampson allowed Dolores to leave. Jessica went back home as usual, unaware of Dolores’ presence, as Dolores discreetly followed her.
When Dolores stepped out of the elevator at their apartment, her eyes were immediately drawn to the hateful words scrawled on the wall next to their door. Insults like “shameless bitch” and “unmarried pregnancy” were painted in bold letters. Jessica stood in the hallway, trembling with anger, her gaze fixed on the defaced entrance. After a few seconds, she collapsed before Dolores.
“Mom!”
Sampson rushed forward, catching Jessica just before she hit the floor.
“We need to get her to the hospital,” Sampson urgently declared.
It was evident that Jessica had fainted due to the hurtful words on the wall. Dolores choked back tears, her head nodding in agreement.
Since Jeremy’s passing and Jessica’s injuries from the car accident, her health hadn’t been the best. Naturally, the sight of those hateful words had triggered an outburst from her. Dolores felt an overwhelming concern for her mother’s well-being.
As Jessica was rushed into the emergency room, Dolores stood at the doorway, consumed by panic. The thought of something terrible happening to Jessica felt unbearable.
Sampson approached Dolores and embraced her shoulders, offering comfort. “Don’t worry too much.”
Meanwhile, Matthew returned home to find Dolores absent, realizing she must be at the hospital. He immediately drove there. Perhaps it was due to his understanding of Dolores’ unfortunate past or simply because she was his wife, but Matthew felt a flicker of compassion toward her.
In the ward, Matthew couldn’t locate Dolores, but as he prepared to leave, he caught sight of her and Sampson embracing in the hallway. Rage felt raged.