Matthew adjusted his expression and said, “If you’re not excited, then just go back now.”
Dolores tightly clasped her hands together by her side. With a whirlwind of thoughts in her heart, she asked, “Can you tell me why you’re doing this?”
Did he realize that his actions were equivalent to saying, “I love you”?
She knew that Matthew would never be interested in someone like her, but she couldn’t comprehend his motives.
She couldn’t find a single explanation.
Matthew stood up.
Why?
Even Matthew didn’t know why; he just knew that he wanted her to return to where she came from. “You were the one chosen by my mother. I have to live up to the expectations of the deceased.”
Dolores wanted to laugh, but the laughter wouldn’t come.
She had no idea what expression she should be wearing at this moment, whether it should be happiness or disappointment.
“So, just because I was the one your mother chose, you want me to go back?” Dolores was at a loss for words, not understanding why she expected him to deny it.
Matthew turned around, facing away from her, his face obscured by the light streaming through the windows. He faintly agreed.
That was the answer she had anticipated the most.
But she was still disappointed.
She forced a bitter smile. “Do you think I’m suitable for this position? And aren’t you engaged to Maria Herbert? Are you teasing or playing with me now? Is that amusing to you?”
Matthew’s face suddenly tensed, like a taut bowstring.
He had been purposely ignoring one thing: Dolores had been married before and had given birth.
He didn’t want to mention it or even think about it. But now that she had brought it up, he had to confront it.
“I’m not going to marry Maria. And as for your position, nothing is inappropriate,” he said.
Dolores managed to summon a smile. “Nothing is inappropriate? Are you serious?”
Matthew turned to face her. “You’re not an innocent woman, and I’m no saint. We’re both flawed; we shouldn’t dislike each other.”
She already knew that. She didn’t understand why it hurt more hearing it from Matthew’s own words.
After all, he was just a normal man. Maria had been with him for so long; it would have been strange if nothing had happened.
She knew this.
She understood.
She just didn’t understand why she felt so disheartened knowing that he had been intimate with another woman.
“I’m leaving today.” He had come here today to inform her of this.
“Oh.” Dolores averted her gaze, pretending to be calm.
Buzz, buzz…
Dolores’ phone on the table suddenly buzzed. It displayed her son’s name, and she picked it up.
“Samuel.”
“Mommy, can you pick me up from school today?” Samuel Flores asked.
“Of course.” There was nothing more important than her son. She glanced at the clock on the table. “When do you want me to come?”
“Can you come now?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Okay.”
She waited for him to hang up before ending the call. She gathered her files and drawing paper, preparing to leave. Then she realized that Matthew, who had been standing behind her, hadn’t left.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yeah.”
Dolores pressed her lips together. “My son wants me to go pick him up.”
Matthew suddenly recalled his confrontational encounter with the boy and asked, “Did you badmouth me to him?”
Dolores was confused. “Badmouth? What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t tell me why the kid is so hostile towards me.”
Dolores understood now.
But she refused to answer, deliberately changing the subject. “Don’t you have a flight to catch? I’m leaving too.”
She couldn’t possibly say that Samuel saw Matthew forcibly kissing her, which was why he held a grudge against him.
She walked toward the door, glancing back at him. “Aren’t you leaving?”
It was evident that she was intentionally changing the topic, but Matthew didn’t expose her. He walked alongside her and casually asked, “Which school does your son attend?”
“AC University.”
AC University?
His eyes twitched. He knew that the kid was intelligent. Ever since their last encounter when he had set himself up to kidnap him, it was clear that he was very astute and action-oriented, using his youth to gain sympathy and manipulate others to achieve his goals.
Not many five-year-olds possessed such remarkable cleverness.
Although he acknowledged his intelligence, he never anticipated enrolling at AC University at such a young age.
Dolores beamed with pride as she spoke about her son, “He’s incredibly bright. He often speaks like an adult and takes care of his sister.”
Whenever she talked about her son, her face lit up.
She was immensely proud of him.
Matthew sneered as he made his way towards his car.
To claim that he felt nothing would be a lie.
At the age of thirty, most people already had children of their own.
Now he had to listen to his wife describing the intelligence and knowledge of the child she had with another man. It was difficult to find joy in that.
Dolores found him to be very peculiar.
Just like most things he did, no one ever understood the purpose behind them.
Dolores didn’t dwell on it too much and simply walked towards her car.
It didn’t take long for her to arrive at her son’s school. Samuel was already outside the classroom, waiting near the school entrance.
Dolores parked her car, got out, and approached him.
“Mommy!”
Samuel exclaimed happily upon seeing Dolores.
The guard opened the gate to let Samuel out when he saw Dolores approaching.
Dolores reached out her hand. “Why are you still at school?”
Even though Samuel had been accepted into AC University, due to his young age, he only had classes three days a week-Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Today was Tuesday.
“I came to seek advice from my teacher,” Samuel replied earnestly.
“I should definitely treat your teacher to a meal when we have the chance. They treat you so well,” Dolores thought to herself. Maybe she should call and see if the teacher was available for dinner today?
“Is your teacher still here?” Dolores inquired.
“Nope,” he left. He said he had something to do.”
Dolores dismissed the idea, hugged her son, and helped him buckle up his seatbelt.
Dolores drove home and coincidentally encountered Simona Flores and Jessica Lennon returning from the shopping mall.
Dolores hurriedly got out of her car to assist Jessica with her bags.
“Mommy, mommy!” Simona was thrilled to see her mother and reached out with her tiny arms, longing for Dolores’s embrace.
“I’ll hug you once we’re inside the house.”
“No!” Simona clung to Dolores’s leg, refusing to let go. She desperately wanted that hug.
Jessica shook her head and said, “You should hug her.”
Jessica took the bags from Dolores.
“Simona can be ungrateful sometimes. Her eyes only see her mother, not her grandmother.”
“Grandmother, you have me.” Samuel held out his hand to hold Jessica’s.
“Samuel knows best.” Jessica chuckled.
Simona paid no attention and nestled her head on Dolores’s shoulder, relishing in her mother’s embrace.
It was inevitable to encounter germs when going outside.
“Mommy, I want to eat pudding.” Simona tilted her head up, her big, bright eyes widening, hoping for Dolores’s indulgence.
“Okay.” Dolores replied with a laugh.
After washing her daughter’s hands, she took her to the living room and retrieved some pudding from the freezer.
Simona was quite a little foodie. If she had something to eat, she would be content.
Dolores entrusted Samuel with taking care of his sister and entered the kitchen to prepare dinner with Jessica.
“Mom, why did you agree to an arranged marriage with Mrs. Nelson back then?”
This had always been a burning question; one she had never had the chance to ask.
Since Matthew had brought it up again, Dolores was eager to know.