“Something held me up,” Dolores explained.
“Contact me by phone,” Terry gestured towards Dolores, mimicking a phone call. “If you need a car, you can call me too.”
Perhaps because they now had a common enemy, they grew closer.
Dolores nodded.
“Okay. Go ahead and take care of your business. I need to work as well,” Terry waved his hand and drove away.
If he didn’t work, he couldn’t make ends meet.
“Lola, who was that?” Theresa asked curiously.
She was curious about how Lola could make a friend while taking a taxi.
Dolores didn’t want to explain further, so she smiled lightly. “You’re in such a hurry. Who came looking for me?”
Theresa patted her head. “I almost forgot.” She pulled Dolores along. “She’s waiting in your office. It’s a mess here. Only your office is in better shape.”
Otherwise, there would be no place in this chaotic environment to accommodate a guest.
Dolores was curious about who had come looking for her.
“Who is it? A man or a woman?” Besides Sampson, she didn’t have any friends in this country.
“A lady. She claimed to be Mrs. Nelson. She looked beautiful and elegant,” Theresa peeked at Dolores’ face discreetly.
Her ex-husband was Matthew Nelson.
Could this Mrs. Nelson be her ex-mother-in-law?
Dolores furrowed her brow. Mrs. Nelson?
When she married Matthew, there was neither a wedding nor a ceremony. She hadn’t even met Matthew’s family.
Mrs. Nelson?
But as far as she knew, Mrs. Nelson had passed away a long time ago. Could it be… Dolores seemed to have figured it out.
Coral had mentioned before that Matthew’s father remarried shortly after his mother’s death.
Only that woman could claim to be Mrs. Nelson.
But what did she want from Dolores?
Dolores was filled with confusion.
“She’s inside. Call me if you need me,” Theresa escorted Dolores to the door of her office without intending to go in.
Dolores nodded. After Theresa left, she opened the door.
Although the office had been cleaned and rearranged, there was only a desk, a sofa, and a coffee table. The floor had been swept clean. The whole office appeared empty, with no tea or water available.
A woman in an elegant outfit stood in front of the French window. Dolores couldn’t see her face, but she noticed that the woman had a well-maintained figure. Her long hair was neatly pinned up.
The woman heard something and turned around to see Dolores standing at the door. She asked tentatively, “Are you Dolores?”
When the woman turned around, Dolores caught a glimpse of her face. Despite the passage of time, Dolores could still see the woman’s enduring beauty and grace.
The woman crossed her hands over her abdomen. She wore an Omega wristwatch and had a black shoulder bag hanging from her arm. Her plaid dress and black high-heeled shoes were simple yet elegant, exuding a sense of beauty and wisdom.
There were no extravagant jewelry or accessories. Her attire was understated, yet she radiated an air of elegance and refinement.
“Yes, I am,” Dolores walked in. “What do you want from me? We’re not close.”
Victoria smiled lightly. “When you married Matthew, we were supposed to meet, but…” Due to Matthew’s reluctance and their strained relationship, he never introduced Dolores to his family.
After they obtained the marriage certificate, Jayden called Matthew and asked him to bring Dolores home. But the request was rejected.
Even when they divorced, it was Matthew’s decision, and they found out about it after the fact.
Dolores understood and smiled. “I know.”
After all, their marriage was a business arrangement. It was normal for Matthew not to introduce her to his family.
“Please have a seat,” Dolores gestured towards the sofa.
Victoria nodded and took a seat.
Dolores sat across from Victoria, waiting for her to speak.
Victoria had sought her out, so she must need something.
Victoria observed Dolores, who appeared young and beautiful, and asked, “I heard that you were only 18 when you married Matthew?”
Dolores nodded. “Yes.”
There was a brief silence that lasted a couple of seconds.
“Do you know that Matthew was going to get engaged?” Victoria asked.
As they spoke, Victoria focused her gaze on Dolores’ face, observing any changes in her expression.
Dolores answered honestly, “Yes.”
“But he later called off the engagement. Did you know about that too?”
“Yes.” Dolores looked down slightly, pondering why Victoria had come looking for her.
Based on her tone, Dolores knew it must have something to do with Matthew.
“Do you know why he called off the engagement?”
Dolores was unaware of this.
She raised her head and looked at Victoria. “I don’t know.”
Dolores gestured towards her office. “You’ve seen it. I just returned from abroad. I’m not well-informed about what has happened in this country. We’ve been divorced, so I can’t know much more.”
Even though they hadn’t obtained the divorce certificate, Dolores believed in her heart that their marriage had ended.
She remembered when Matthew said, “Let’s get a divorce.”
After those words, their marriage came to an end.
Victoria was surprised. “You don’t know about that?” She clearly didn’t believe that Dolores was unaware. “He called off the engagement for you. Don’t you know that?”
This time, Dolores was the one taken aback.
For her?
Wasn’t that absurd?
“I think there must be some misunderstanding. You know, we’ve been divorced for many years. How could he do that for me?”
Victoria shook her head. There was no misunderstanding. Thomas conducted a survey and found that Matthew canceled the engagement with Maria after seeing Dolores in Country A.
This could be the case. They had been married and had formed attachments to each other. When Matthew met her again, he realized he still loved her. The old feelings were rekindled, prompting him to call off the engagement with Maria.
“You must have heard about the Nelson family and the Herbert family. They are both prestigious families in B City. If they joined through marriage, it would be a beneficial alliance for both the Herberts and the Nelsons.” Victoria’s voice was gentle and soft as she looked at Dolores. “Before he went abroad and met you, he was willing to marry Miss Herbert. They had a long history together, and both families placed great importance on this marriage.”
“So you came here to ask me to leave Matthew?” Dolores couldn’t help but feel a mix of laughter and tears. “I think you must have misunderstood. We’re not together at all.”
They were never lovers to begin with.
Victoria truly made a mistake by coming to her.
Victoria frowned slightly. “You’re not together?”
Dolores nodded and stated firmly, “No.”
“He stabbed himself… to call off the engagement. I didn’t witness it, but I heard it from Jayden. Matthew stabbed a fruit knife into his own chest… to call off the engagement.”
“What?” Dolores stood up immediately.
So he obtained that chest wound in that way?
He stabbed himself. Was he out of his mind?
Victoria silently observed Dolores’ reaction. Dolores seemed unaware of this incident.
“Why did he do that?” Dolores was perplexed.
“The news about the engagement between him and Miss Herbert was publicized, which meant the two families would have future business interactions. Since he was the one who called it off, he had to bear some responsibility. Additionally, Miss Herbert saved him by accident when they were children and had been by his side for a long time. The cancellation would reflect poorly on Miss Herbert. Matthew must have felt guilty towards her.” Hence, when Maria threatened to take his life, he literally stabbed himself.
He wanted to repay his debts to her.
While speaking, Victoria sighed. “It seemed like Maria loved Matthew deeply. I heard she collapsed after the cancellation.”