“So what’s your point?” Matthew’s pupils, as dark as ink, suddenly contracted, a barely noticeable change. His eyes grew darker.
Unconsciously, Coral clutched the picture tighter in her hands.
“Did you… did you… is it possible that they are your illegitimate children?” Coral’s voice faltered as she tried to complete her sentence.
“No.” Matthew interrupted Coral before she could finish her question.
He had only been intimate with one woman.
It was impossible for anyone else to bear his children.
Illegitimate children? How could that be possible?
“Coral, aren’t we having dinner tonight?” Matthew glanced around the empty kitchen, finding nothing. The table had been meticulously cleaned, shining like a mirror, reflecting the absence of a person.
Normally, Coral would be in the kitchen preparing dinner by this time. Or perhaps dinner would already be ready for him. But today felt different.
Dinner?
Coral’s lips twitched. “You’re still in the mood for dinner?”
…
“You lost everything. Are you happy now?” As she spoke, Coral returned the picture to the drawer. She wasn’t planning to let it go. She had decided to dig deeper into this matter.
Matthew furrowed his brow. What had gotten into her today?
“Look at this house. Does it feel like a home to you? It’s grand, but does it have any life? There’s only an old woman doing chores and a bachelor in his thirties living in this house. What’s the point of having money?” Coral slammed shut the drawer, her anger preventing her from preparing dinner for him.
But she couldn’t resist. So she went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Matthew watched Coral’s retreating figure, sensing that she wasn’t about to let it go. He then opened the drawer to retrieve the picture. Since he never liked taking pictures, he had completely forgotten about this one. If Coral hadn’t taken it out today, he would have forgotten about it entirely.
Matthew held the picture and studied it closely. The eyes and the face…
Hmm…
His phone buzzed in his pocket. For a moment, a face from his memories flashed before his eyes, resembling the face in the picture. But the ringing interrupted his thoughts.
Setting the picture aside, Matthew closed the drawer and took out his phone to answer the call. It was Abbott, calling about work.
As Matthew conversed with Abbott, he unbuttoned his shirt and made his way to his bedroom.
In Golden Bay,
Jessica prepared dinner and was about to call Samuel to come and eat. However, Dolores stopped her. “Let him reflect on his mistakes in seclusion. If he doesn’t admit his faults, he won’t have dinner.”
“He’s just a child. You’ve frightened him enough. Are you really going to deny him dinner?” Jessica disagreed with Dolores. Samuel was growing up, and skipping meals wouldn’t teach him anything.
“If he doesn’t admit his faults, he won’t have dinner,” Dolores asserted, resolute in her decision.
There were other things she could let go, but not this. Samuel was still a child, yet he was exposed to such vile content. What would become of him when he grew up?
“Dolores…” Jessica attempted to persuade her.
Dolores had made up her mind and remained impervious to persuasion. If she didn’t establish rules now, it would be even harder to discipline him in the future.
Dolores carried Simona and said, “Let’s go have dinner.”
Jessica stood still, contemplating Dolores’ words. She still wanted to resolve this matter.
Dolores turned around and looked at Jessica, providing an answer. “I’m serious this time. Don’t try to plead for him.”
Jessica walked over to Dolores and whispered, “Dolores, what did Samuel do to make you so angry?”
In Jessica’s mind, Samuel wouldn’t commit any grave mistakes. He was smart and considerate.
So she was taken aback by Dolores’ intense anger this time.
Unable to speak of what Samuel had seen and done, Dolores simply replied, “Mum, stop asking. Let’s have dinner.”
Dolores sat on a stool, cradling Simona in her arms and feeding her rice.
Clearly, Dolores had no intention of explaining further, so Jessica ceased her inquiries.
After dinner, Jessica cleared the table, and Dolores took Simona out to explore the neighborhood. Since they had just moved in, they needed to familiarize themselves with the surroundings.
Observing her daughter leaving, Jessica filled a bowl with rice and peeled some shrimp. She then entered Samuel’s bedroom, carrying the bowl and placing it on his desk.
Samuel’s iPad had been confiscated by Dolores, leaving him with nothing to play with. His phone had been taken away as well, depriving him of the opportunity to chat with his teacher. He was feeling bored and had curled up at the head of the bed, appearing pitiful.
Jessica placed the bowl on the table. “Come down and eat. Your mother went out just now.”
Samuel didn’t move.
Jessica gently pulled him down. “Aren’t you going to eat? You’ll be hungry at night. As long as I don’t tell your mother, she won’t know you had dinner.”
Samuel stood in front of the table, staring at the rice. He swallowed.
He was truly hungry.
“These are your favorite shrimp. I’ve peeled them for you. Come on and eat. I’ll pour you a glass of water.” Jessica was afraid Samuel felt too embarrassed to eat, so she found an excuse and left the room.
Samuel licked his lips. How could he exact revenge on that hypocrite if he starved to death?
He had to eat.
Samuel sat on his chair, gripping the bowl tightly as he began devouring his food. The fear of Dolores discovering his secret pushed him to eat at an alarming pace. He couldn’t help himself, as if he had been famished for ages.
Jessica entered the room, holding a glass of water. Observing Samuel’s ravenous appetite, Jessica couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and concern. To an outsider, it would appear as though Samuel had endured prolonged hunger.
“Take it easy. Don’t choke,” Jessica cautioned, handing him the glass of water so he could wash down the food.
Samuel chuckled, his mouth full of rice, and mumbled, “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Slow down. Your mother won’t be back so soon,” Jessica reassured him, standing by the door. “I’ll keep watch.”
Samuel ate his dinner like a stealthy thief, aware that time was of the essence.
The neighborhood was a delightful place. Despite being downtown, it boasted vast green spaces with trees and grass, a rarity in such a bustling area. Finding a neighborhood as pleasant as this one was a challenge. The amenities in the vicinity were also satisfactory, including a kindergarten, primary school, supermarket, and subway station.
While Dolores wandered around the neighborhood, Simona drifted off to sleep in her mother’s arms. Dolores cradled her daughter and headed back home. Jessica had finished cleaning the kitchen and was now filling the bathtub with warm water.
Dolores walked up to Samuel’s room and opened the door. Samuel sat at the head of his bed, huddled up like a forsaken orphan. He looked so forlorn, like a poor little soul abandoned by his parents.
He appeared as a pitiful little thing.
“Do you understand your mistake now?” Dolores asked, her gaze fixed on him.
Samuel clutched his legs, head hung low, and replied, “I was right.”
“Fine, if that’s what you believe. Let’s see just how stubborn you can be,” Dolores snapped, closing the door in anger. She then carried Simona to another room to lay her down.
Simona had a habit. When she slept, she needed to touch Dolores’ breast; otherwise, she couldn’t sleep soundly.
It was simply her daughter’s habit, one that Dolores had grown accustomed to. Being twins, Dolores couldn’t produce enough breast milk to feed both of them. She could only breastfeed one child. Since Simona was smaller and arrived later, Dolores had nourished her with breast milk. When Simona was a baby, she developed the habit of touching Dolores’ breast.
Over time, it became ingrained in her routine.
Dolores patted her daughter, but Simona couldn’t sleep. Normally, Samuel would sleep beside them as well. But this little boy was too stubborn to admit his mistakes. Dolores couldn’t fathom where he acquired such obstinacy.
The following day, Dolores didn’t leave home early. The shop’s decorations were incomplete, leaving her with little to do there. She had planned to spend the day at home, keeping the company of her two children. However, Theresa called and informed her that someone had come looking for her, so Dolores went out.
Having grown familiar with the surroundings, Dolores knew she could take the subway to reach the shop. She made her way to the ticket office to purchase a ticket.
“Miss Flores!” Terry’s voice reached her ears, and he hurriedly navigated through the crowd toward her.
Since he had heard Abbott address her as “Miss Flores” before, he followed suit.
Terry had left home early that day, hoping to catch up with her. He wanted to talk to her, but little did he know it would take him so long to find her. To his relief, Dolores hadn’t hailed a taxi but had opted for the subway instead.
Fortunately, Terry was swift, or he would have missed her altogether.
Dolores turned around upon hearing his voice, her face wrinkling with a frown as she recognized him. She couldn’t comprehend why he was persistently following her.
As Terry rushed through the crowd and stood beside Dolores, panting like a dog, he bent over, placing his hands on his knees. “Can I talk to you?”
“No,” Dolores refused, not wanting to dwell on the past any longer.
But Terry remained resolute. “After you see this, you’ll surely want to talk to me.”
With those words, he reached into his pocket and handed something to Dolores.