The doctor’s words from that day continued to reverberate in her mind. All she could recall was the doctor’s callous voice saying, “Your brother is beyond hope…”
Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
She embraced Jessica tightly. “Jeremy is at school. I’ll bring him to see you next time.”
Jessica’s mind seemed muddled, and she nodded in confusion, ceasing to speak.
Dolores wiped her tears and forced a smile. “Mom, what would you like to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”
Jessica remained silent, her hands circling her knees-a sign of insecurity.
When Dolores spoke to her, she simply stared blankly into space. Her gaze lacked focus, and her eyes appeared empty.
“Mom…” Dolores gripped her shoulder and shook her gently. “Talk to me, look at me. I’m Lola, your daughter.”
A moment ago, Jessica had recognized her and even called her by name.
Dolores couldn’t bear witnessing Jessica’s confusion, knowing that her memories would fade shortly after emerging.
“Please don’t do this.” The nurse on patrol observed Dolores’ agitation and intervened.
Dolores turned to the nurse. “Is my mother’s condition deteriorating?”
“This is common among psychiatric patients,” the nurse replied, glancing at the clock. “Visiting hours are almost over. It’s best not to get too emotional in front of the patient, as it can affect them.”
Dolores nodded. “I understand.”
She shared memories from the past with Jessica, getting lost in the recollections.
Only when visiting hours ended and the nurse called out to her did Dolores regain her composure. She gazed at Jessica, reluctant to leave. “Mom, I’ll come to see you again in a few days.”
“Lola.” As Dolores walked toward the door, Jessica suddenly spoke. Dolores turned, but Jessica wasn’t looking at her.
Jessica froze, her gaze fixated elsewhere as she mumbled, “My daughter, Lola, is pregnant. The child doesn’t have a father. What will she do in the future?”
Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.
Dolores felt her heart searing with pain, an intense agony.
Afraid of losing control of her emotions, she turned and exited the room.
She sat alone on a bench in the corridor.
“Lola.” Sampson approached, wearing his white coat.
Dolores stood up.
Sampson walked over and patted her shoulder, gesturing for her to sit down. “I need to tell you something.”
Dolores sat back on the bench as Sampson took a seat beside her. “You saw it, didn’t you?”
“Um.” Her hands clasped together, feeling cold and clammy.
“You need to be mentally prepared. It’s difficult to fully recover from a situation like this.” Sampson sighed. “The blow she received was immense, and if her condition worsens, it could be severe. She will selectively forget certain memories, especially those that cause her agony. That’s why she experiences memory confusion.”
Dolores bit her lip. “She forgot that Jeremy had passed away and asked why I didn’t bring him to visit her.”
Sampson reached out, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and rubbing her arm. “Don’t cry. I’m here. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your mother.”
Dolores lowered her head and whispered, “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Sampson’s gaze softened. After contemplating for a while, he finally expressed his thoughts. “Lola, when your agreement with Matthew comes to an end, let me take care of you, okay?”
Dolores looked at Sampson, taken aback. “Sampson…”
“I understand that it might be sudden for you to accept this. We’ve known each other for a long time, and I’m not a bad person. I just want to take care of you. Consider it for the sake of the child growing inside you, if not for yourself. The child deserves a complete family to grow up in, and I can provide that.”
Sampson’s words had reached a critical point. If she failed to grasp it now, she would be oblivious.
However, Dolores had only ever regarded Sampson as a family member.
“Don’t worry, I’ll treat him as if he were my own child.” Sampson’s expression turned particularly earnest.
Dolores didn’t know how to respond, and after a long pause, she finally replied, “Sampson, I… I never thought…”
“Don’t rush to refuse me,” Sampson interrupted, looking directly at her. “Have you considered how you’ll answer when your child asks about their father in the future? I’m a psychologist, and I know that a child growing up in a single-parent family can develop certain deficiencies. So, think carefully for the sake of your child.”
Sampson’s sincerity was evident, as he had transformed his carefree lifestyle. Jessica’s illness appeared challenging to overcome. Moreover, Dolores had no financial means, and he could only imagine the hardships she would face in raising the child.
He had a genuine desire to take care of her from the depths of his heart.
Dolores lowered her head, acknowledging that Sampson’s words held truth. The child needed a complete family for a proper upbringing.
But…
Accepting it wouldn’t be easy for her.
This child wasn’t his.
And he didn’t come from an ordinary family.
“Lola…”
“Sampson,” Dolores swiftly interrupted him, pulling out a stack of money from her bag and handing it to him. “The medical bill you helped me pay last time; I want to repay you now.”
Sampson glanced at the stack of money, his expression gradually darkening. “Did he give you this money?”
Dolores shook her head. “No, it’s from Randolph.”
She chose not to reveal the details to him.
Sampson found it hard to believe. Randolph was a heartless man, so why would he suddenly give her money?
“Lola…”
“Sampson, I have to get to work,” Dolores stood up and placed the money in Sampson’s arms. “This is what I owe you, so I should pay it back.”
After saying that, she hurriedly left.
Sampson didn’t follow her. Perhaps it was too sudden for her to accept this. He needed to give her some time to process it.
It was almost noon when Dolores arrived at the company.
As she walked toward her workstation, someone blocked her path. It was Carole Minogue, Sheryl’s best friend. Sheryl had been fired because of Dolores, and there must have been a reason why Sheryl targeted her.
Dolores must have made some mistake before.
“You’re late, aren’t you?” Carole stared at her.
“I took a leave of absence,” Dolores replied in a calm tone.
As a newcomer, she wasn’t bothered by the unfriendly attitudes in the office. She tried to walk past Carole and leave. However, Carole grabbed her arm. “You’re lying!”
Carole had already checked with Helen. Dolores hadn’t taken any leave of absence according to Helen’s knowledge.
“I genuinely requested leave. Can you please move out of my way?”
“No! You’re lying! Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because Mr. Nelson supported you last time!” They didn’t consider the incident from that day in depth. They simply believed it was Matthew’s whim.
Dolores’s tone turned cold. “Please step aside now. If you don’t believe me, go and ask Mr. Nelson.”
She didn’t want to make enemies with anyone. She simply wanted to quietly do her job. But why did everyone come looking for trouble?
“At 2:30 pm, there’s a meeting with the president of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and there’s a banquet at 8:00 pm…”
With one hand in his pocket, Matthew walked steadily while Helen briefed him on his schedule for the day.
“Ask Abbott to attend the banquet on my behalf,” he stated calmly.
“This banquet is being held by DF Corporation for their centennial celebration. It might be inappropriate if you don’t attend,” Helen informed him. DF Corporation had been established in the last century, starting in the jewelry industry.
It had now reached a hundred years in operation.
“Mr. Nelson, Ms. White.” As if she had found a witness, Carole dragged Dolores over. “Ms. White, did she take a leave of absence from you?”
Helen glanced up at Matthew and shook her head. “No, she didn’t. Is there a problem?”
“She was late and claimed to have taken a leave,” Carole’s voice grew slightly louder. “Shouldn’t the new employee abide by the company rules?”