Huh?
Dolores turned around, perplexed by Matthew’s cryptic statement. He didn’t provide any further explanation but instead rubbed his hands slowly, placing the napkin on the table. Rising from his seat, he approached Dolores and said, “Let’s go to the company together.”
Dolores’s mouth fell open in surprise. Together? Did she hear correctly?
“Is that appropriate…?” She hesitated. After all, their relationship was a secret, and being seen together could lead to rumors.
“What do you mean by ‘appropriate’?” Coral chimed in. She thought it was a good thing for Matthew and Dolores to go to the company together. Had he finally accepted Dolores?
“You’re married now; who would dare to say anything?” Coral continued. She believed that their relationship should be closer since they were husband and wife.
Dolores had something to say, but Coral urged her, “Go change your shoes now.”
Reluctantly, Dolores found herself accompanying Matthew.
Coral acted as a lookout, only entering the house after seeing Dolores getting into Matthew’s car.
Dolores forced out a hollow laugh. “Coral is quite enthusiastic, huh?”
Instead of responding, Matthew asked, “How concerned are you about others finding out about our relationship?”
Dolores felt a sense of unease. What was there to be afraid of?
There were only advantages to making their relationship public; no drawbacks for her.
“Our short marriage was just a transaction. If your colleagues find out, it will only bring complications for you,” she murmured, averting her gaze.
Anxiety filled her heart, clouding her thoughts. She wasn’t sure how much truth there was in her assumptions.
If their marriage was a sham, she could brush it off as an accident.
But if it was real…
What about this man?
Would he accept the child?
“Are you looking out for me?” she asked tentatively, her hands tightly clenched.
His lips curved slightly, as if her question satisfied him.
Dolores had many thoughts racing through her mind as she maintained her composure. “I suppose you’ll marry Ms. White immediately after our divorce, won’t you?”
Upon mentioning Helen, Matthew’s face darkened. He turned his head, his gaze piercing as he stared at her. “Are you testing me?”
Indeed, Dolores wanted to test whether he would marry Helen White. She wanted to gauge the depth of Matthew’s feelings for her.
Dolores maintained her composed demeanor. “I’m merely curious about your love story with Ms. White. Testing you? Is that necessary? It wouldn’t benefit me in any way.”
Despite Dolores’s seemingly valid explanation, Matthew remained unconvinced.
He sensed there was a hidden meaning in her words.
Whatever it was, he couldn’t decipher it.
They arrived at the company. Normally, Matthew parked his car in the underground lot, but this time he stopped on the top floor.
Dolores stepped out of the car and stood aside, waiting for Matthew to go first.
Matthew glanced at her, and Dolores mustered a forced smile. “I won’t be a bother to you.”
“How can you be so sure I perceive it as a bother?” he asked calmly, averting his gaze. “Unless you can read my mind?”
Dolores… didn’t have a response to that.
When she saw a car approaching, she took a step back, deliberately creating distance between them.
Matthew glanced at her briefly before entering the building.
The quietness of the morning washed away the tense working atmosphere. The entire building seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
The person in the car earlier was also a colleague from WY Group, working in the IT department. He approached Dolores and said, “You work at WY Group too?”
Dolores nodded politely. “Yes, I do.”
“Come,” the man gestured. He wore glasses, had a slight build, and fair skin. He exuded an air of gentility.
Dolores followed him.
“Which department are you from?” asked the man.
“The translating department,” Dolores replied softly.
The man paused for a moment. “Oh, I see. You must be new here. I haven’t seen you before.”
“Yes, I just started a few days ago,” Dolores said, glancing up and catching sight of Matthew ahead. He had already entered the building’s reception hall.
Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from the shadows, heading straight for Matthew.
“DIE!” It was a woman, brandishing a sharp knife with a determined look on her face.
The glinting blade cut through the air, poised to strike Matthew from behind.
“Watch out!”
In the nick of time, Dolores rushed forward.
She wasn’t thinking clearly; it wasn’t about bravery or fearlessness. She simply believed that Matthew could be the father of her unborn child, and her instincts took control.
Perhaps it was the special bond she felt for the first man in her life.
In short, she lost all reason, determined to shield Matthew from harm.
Hearing the commotion, Matthew turned around and saw Dolores running toward him, with Beulah Shawn, the knife-wielding woman, in pursuit.
Bang!
Dolores collided with Matthew, knocking Beulah’s knife from her grasp…
Dolores regained her senses. Was this how she would meet her end?
She hadn’t even had a chance to confirm if he was the man from that night, if he was the father of her unborn child.
Thoughts raced through her mind-memories of the past, her mother, brother, moments of joy and sorrow-and now, the life growing inside her.
She didn’t want to die. She resisted, unwilling to accept her fate.
Her mind sparked an idea, and her body responded. With all her strength, she tried to push Beulah away.
But something held her waist firmly, preventing her from moving. Her body collided with a strong, solid chest, rendering her immobile.
Regret washed over her.
But there was no time for regret.
She braced herself for what was to come and closed her eyes, hoping the pain would be brief, knowing that each additional second of life mattered.
Screeching sounds echoed in her ears.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
The pain never came.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Matthew looking at her. She couldn’t discern the exact emotions on his face; they seemed to shift like clouds, from shock and surprise to fear and relief.
He hadn’t expected her to step in and shield him when danger arose. His eyes appeared as if they could smile. “Do you realize what you just did?”
In that moment, all Dolores could think about was why she couldn’t feel any pain in her body.
She turned her head and saw Matthew clutching the knife that had come dangerously close to her. Blood dripped from his hand.
Beulah glanced at Matthew with bloodshot eyes, furious that she hadn’t succeeded in stabbing him to death.
“I’ll kill all of you!” Beulah screamed in a rage, driven beyond sanity, preparing to strike again.
It was as if she wouldn’t stop until they were all dead.
Matthew furrowed his brow.
“You’ve taken everything from me. I’m going to make you pay!” Beulah’s voice was filled with madness as she lunged recklessly towards him.
Matthew grabbed Dolores by the waist, swiftly turned around, and deflected Beulah’s knife. With a swift kick, he sent her sprawling to the ground.
The building’s security guards, alerted by the commotion, rushed in to subdue Beulah. She struggled, her noble facade shattered, screaming, “Let go of me, or I’ll sue you all for sexual harassment!”
At this hour, employees were arriving for work one after another. It didn’t take long for a crowd to gather around the entrance area.
Everyone was abuzz with conversation, surprised by the sudden disturbance.
All ears perked up, eager to understand what had just transpired…