Continent Marriage

To save her mother, she married a disabled man. However, he stood up on the wedding night and made her pregnant. Her night was long and excruciating. After he was done, the man got up and entered the bathroom. Dolores left the room. In the hotel lobby, stood the middle-aged women who sealed the deal for her. When she saw Dolores coming out, she passed her a black plastic bag and whispered, “This is your reward.” Dolores took the bag without hesitation and hurried out of the hotel with the money. She rushed to the hospital in the shortest possible time and paid no attention to the pain in her abdomen. The corridor was quiet before daybreak. Two stretchers laid waiting before the operation theatre. They were blocked for they hadn’t make the payment yet. When Dolores saw that, she was devastated and started sobbing, “I have money, I have the money! Please save my mother and brother......” While sobbing, she quickly handed the money to the doctor. Then the doctor had the nurse counted the money and ordered the staff to push her mother into the operating to prepare for surgery. Seeing that her brother was not being pushed into the operating theater, Dolores begged the doctor, “Please save my brother as well.” “I'm sorry. It is too late. There is nothing we can do now.” The doctor answered with a heavy heart. Too late? The truth hit Dolores like a heavy club shattering all of her hopes brutally. The pain was so unbearable that it felt like she was stabbed on the chest with a knife while the cramps and spasms made her weak and she was unable to stand on her feet. Eight years ago, when she was ten, her father had an affair and left her and her pregnant mother. He had them sent overseas to a place that was completely strange to them. After that, her brother was born. He was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. This brought more hardships to their already tight financial situation. She and her mother worked many part-time jobs to get by. When the accident struck suddenly, she felt complete hopelessness as she had no relatives, no money nor the support of this cold and ruthless society. As the last resort, she sold herself. Yet, she was not able to bring her brother back to life. She felt miserable but she had not lost herself just yet. Life was very cruel but she had to take it with a smile for she had her mother to take care of. Her mother needed her. After the treatment, her mother was slowly recovering. But, she was completely heartbroken after knowing that her son had passed away. Dolores cried as she hugged her and said, “Mom, I'm right here. Please be tough and continue to live on.” For one month in the hospital, Jessica Lennon always sat by the bed and was in a daze all day. Dolores knew that she was missing her brother. If it was not for her, her mother would have died along with her brother. She was expelled from school as for her long absence as she had to take care of her mother. Luckily, her mother was getting better by the day. The woman brought some food to the hospital. Just when she was about to open the door into the ward, she heard some voice from inside. It sounded familiar to her. Even though it had been eight years, she could still remember the look on his father's face when he forced her mother into a divorce. He never came to see them even once after bringing them here; his sudden appearance today baffled them. “Jessica, you were once very close to the madam from the Nelson family and you agreed to an arranged marriage. According to the promise, your daughter should marry a member of the Nelson family.” “What do you mean, Randolph Flores?!” Jessica wanted to beat him up so badly with her weak body that was yet to fully recover from the injuries. How inhumane he was to do this to her! He never cared about them after moving them to this god forsaken place. And now he was here to take her daughter back to have her marry the Madam's son. “Young Master Matthew is your best friend's son. He is good-looking and his family is very well off. If she marries into the family, she would surely be having a much easier life there”. He softened his voice as he spoke. Young Master Matthew was virtuous and good-looking. But one month ago, he was bitten by a poisonous snake when he was on a business trip overseas. That accident paralyzed his nervous system, leaving him disabled and impotent. Once married, she would not be happy there. “I will marry him.” Dolores opened the door and said, “I will marry him but on one condition.” Randolph was stunned when he saw Dolores. She was only ten when he last saw her. Now she had grown up with a fair and beautiful skin, yet she looked seriously skinny and physically underdeveloped. He had another adorable daughter in the family. She wasn't beautiful though. With that look, it would still be reasonable for her to marry an impotent person. That made Randolph feel better. He then asked, “What are your terms?” “I want to go home with my mother and you need return everything that is rightfully hers. Only then will I marry him.” Said Dolores slowly as she calmed down. Although she was not in her home country, she had heard so much about the Nelson family's great successes and remarkable wealth when she was little. Dolores thought that the offer was too good to be true because Young Master Matthew could be a man who was very ugly with birth defects. Even so, this was a good opportunity for her to go home. With that, she could claim her mother’s dowry she brought with her when she married her father. “Lola...” Jessica tried to advise her because a marriage was a serious matter. After all the hardships they went through, she did not want her daughter to risk marrying the wrong person. Worried that Dolores could be persuaded by Jessica to turn down the marriage proposal, Randolph quickly said, “Alright, you can go home as long as you promise to marry him.” “What about my mother's dowry?” Dolores asked him with an emotionless tone. When Jessica married Randolph, she brought with her a considerable amount of dowry. It would be very difficult for him to give it back. “Dad, I suppose my younger sister is very pretty. Therefore, she deserves a better life. She would be doomed if she marries an impotent man. Furthermore, you and my mother are divorced. Which means you should return everything she brought into the family.” Randolph looked away from her diffidently. How did she know that Young Master Matthew was impotent when she had been living overseas all these years? Randolph did not know that Dolores was just assuming. The man then reluctantly said, “I'll give it back to you once you marry him.” With her pretty look, why would his younger daughter marry an impotent man? Being impotent was no different from being useless regardless how distinguished the man was. Thinking about that gave Randolph a sense of relief. But now he hated Dolores even more for ripping him off. Randolph smirked at the young woman and barked, “How rude of you! I see your mother has not been educating you properly!” Dolores thought that it should have been his responsibility also. He left her here and had not cared about her since. However she knew she mustn't say that because she had no bargaining chip over him. Annoying Randolph would not be a wise move. “Get ready, we are leaving tomorrow.” Randolph then threw his arms out of his vest and walked out of the ward. “Lola, getting married is a lifetime decision. I will not let you marry him.” Jessica knew why Dolores wanted to do that. Dolores put down the food on the cabinet beside the bed and said, “I'm not marrying an outsider anyway. Isn't he your friend's son?” “She passed away many years ago. I don't know her son at all. You should marry the man you really like, even if it means to break the promise. You should not use as marriage as your bargaining chip. I would rather stay here for the rest of my life.” The one she likes? Even if she meets one, she would not be worthy of that. It wasn’t important to her who she would be marrying. What really mattered was taking back everything they took away from her mother. Jessica didn't manage to convince Dolores to change her mind. They went back to the home country the very next day. Randolph didn't let them in the family home of the Flores family because he disliked them. Instead, he had them lived in a rent house. When the day came, Dolores would have to go to the Flores. Dolores never wanted to go there because her mother would need to face the woman who destroyed her marriage. Therefore, they would rather stay here. It was quiet. Jessica was still worried, and she said, “Lola, the opportunity would not come to you if this is a good marriage arrangement. Not even if Mrs. Nelson and I were close. Dolores didn't really want to talk about it so she tried to change the topic by saying, “Mom, just eat your food.” Jessica sighed; she knew that Dolores didn't want to continue the topic. Dolores had suffered with her all these years and now she even had to sacrifice her marriage. Although Dolores was holding the chopsticks, her appetite was spoiled due to morning sickness. “Are you alright?” Jessica was concerned about her. Dolores didn't want to worry her so she lied saying that it was jetlag. She put down the chopsticks and entered her room. After closing the door, she leaned on it. Although she had never been pregnant before, she had seen the symptoms when Jessica was pregnant. Her mother was sickened with the smell of food and lost all her appetite. And now, she had the same symptom. It had been over one month since that night; her period had been late by more than 10 days. She didn't want to think of the humiliation she endured that night. If it was not for her mother and her brother's sake, she would not have sold herself. She started trembling...... “You are six weeks pregnant.” Even after leaving the hospital, those words from the doctor kept repeating in her mind. That was the result from Dolores checkup at the hospital without Jessica's knowledge. She was worried and did not know whether she should keep the baby or have an abortion. She could not help but caress her tummy. Although it was both an accident and a humiliation, she was somehow unwilling to have her baby removed. It brought her both the joy and the excitement of being a first-time mother. She sat quietly for a long, long while. When she reached home, she hid the ultrasonography report before opening the door. However, Randolph was also there. Her expression turned grim immediately. Why was he here? From the look on Randolph's face, he was not in a good mood because he had been waiting for her for some time. He then said without emotion, “Change your clothes.” Dolores asked “Why?” “Since you are going to marry into the Nelson family, you and the Young Master Matthew are going to meet. Are you going to meet him looking like this? Do you want to embarrass me again?” What was the feeling that came with pain? She thought she would be numb after selling herself and losing her brother. Yet the heartless words from Randolph still caused her pain. He had never cared for her since he sent her and her mother to a poor western country. Where would she get money from? If she had the money, her brother would not need to die because of a delay in treatment. She clenched her fists. Randolph seemed to have noticed that. His looked a little awkward and said, “Let's go, the Nelson family should be there already. Don't make them wait for too long.” “Lola......” Jessica was worried and still tried to convince Dolores. She had lost her son and now she just wanted to take good care of her daughter. Wealth was not important anymore. She would not want her daughter to go near the Flores nor the Nelson family. As everything in rich families could be complicated. What more, they did not know the character of the young master yet. Her mother was worried. “Mom.” Dolores gave her the comforting look to give her a sense of relief. “Hurry up.” The man was afraid that Dolores would change her mind and he urged her hurriedly, grabbing her by the arm. Randolph did not like her and in return Dolores had no affection for her father as well. Their bond as a family had completely vanished in this eight years of separation. Unwilling to bring Dolores to meet the Nelson family with her poor appearance, Randolph brought her to a boutique and bought her some decent clothes. Once they got inside the store, a shop assistant welcomed them. Randolph pushed Dolores forward and said, “Recommend some clothes for her.” The shop assistant glanced at her and estimated her size as she said, “Please come with me.” The shop assistant then brought her a light blue dress and said, “Please try this on in the fitting room.” Dolores took the dress and walked to the direction she pointed. “Matthew, must you marry the Flores family?” The woman's voice was laced with grief. Dolores turned her head towards the room next door when she heard voices coming from it. She peeked through the gap and saw a woman circling her arms around a man's neck, and said shyly, “Don't marry another woman, alright?” Matthew looked at the woman with the slightest interest. He had no control in this matter. This was a marriage arranged by his mother and he could not turn his back on it. And yet when he thought of that very night, he felt that he could not bear to disappoint her. “Was it very painful on that night?” About a month ago, he had gone abroad to a developing country for a project. He was bitten by a poisonous snake and would have died if he did not go to bed with a woman as that was the only way out. It was Helen White who gave herself to him as an antidote. And he knew how out of control he was at that time. It had been said that it could be painful for a woman doing it the first time but he never showed her any mercy. Now that he thought about it, it must have been rather painful for her? Yet she endured the pain quietly. All she did was trembling in his arms. He knew Helen was interested in him from the beginning but he never gave her a chance. One of the reasons was he had no affection for her and there was an arranged marriage made by his mother. Yet she had always stood by him quietly. After that incident, he felt it was only right for him to give her a place she deserved. Even until now, he could remember that striking crimson on the sheet. Lying on his chest, Helen hummed softly. She had always been in love with Matthew. She found a way to stay by his side as his secretary. She could not let him find out that she was no longer a virgin as she knew how seriously a man would take a woman's virginity. And so, she paid a local a handsome amount of money to send a virgin to take her place that night. And when the girl left, she entered the room and made it look like it was her all along. “If you like the clothes from this store, you can buy more.” Matthew said lovingly as he patted the top of her head. “That room is reserved only for VIPs. Turn right for your room.” The shop assistant reminded Dolores. In all luxury boutiques, every fitting room was an individual space. For the VIPs, these fitting rooms were even more extravagant. There was a space inside for fitting and the section outside was a lounge for accompanying guests to rest. “Oh.” Dolores walked towards the room on the right. As she changed in the fitting room, she thought about the couple. If she had not heard wrongly, she had overheard them talking about the Flores family. Perhaps the man was— After putting on her clothes, she took a peek to the left as she walked out of her fitting room. However, the door was now closed. “It fits you perfectly.” The shop assistant had good fashion sense and could dress someone up with almost no effort. Dolores was wearing a long light blue dress which made her skin looked even fairer. The ribbon by her waist insinuated her figure. Although she looked a little skinny, her delicate facial features made up for it. Randolph looked at her for another time and went to the cashier when he was satisfied. It was only then did he realize that the dress was 30,000! However, seeing that this was the dress she would be wearing to meet the members of the Nelson family, he paid somehow. “Let's go.” He said coldly. Dolores was used to this attitude of indifference but the coldness in his tone still gave her a wave of sorrow. She followed him into the car with her head lowered. In a blink of an eye, the car stopped in front of the Flores’ villa. The driver opened the door for Randolph and Dolores walked after him. For a few second, she stood still in front of the villa. Her father and his mistress had been enjoying the time of their life here while she and her mother were living a miserable life taking care of her ill younger brother. She clenched her fists unconsciously. “What are you doing there?” Randolph looked back when he realized that there were no signs of her. He took a quick glance and saw that she was still standing by the entrance. Dolores came out from her thought and caught up with him. When they arrived, the maids told them that the Nelsons had yet to arrive so Randolph told her to wait in the living room. Near the French windows was a Seidl & Sohn piano made in Germany. It was an expensive gift from her mother when she was five. She loved it since young. She had started learning to play the piano since she was four-and-a-half-year-old but stopped when she was sent away. She had not touched the piano since then. Without realizing it, she reached for the piano. It was a familiar presence that excited her. Her thumb gently pressed onto the keyboard. Plink. A clean sound rang in the room. Her fingers were stiff from the lack of practice. “That's mine! Who gave you the permission to touch it?” A clear voice came from behind her and it sounded angry. Her piano? Dolores turned around and saw Annabelle Flores standing behind her. Dolores could almost see the steam coming out from the other girl's ears. Annabelle was now seventeen; she was younger than Dolores by a year. Dolores could see that Annabelle took after Beulah Shawn's genes as she was beautiful. She felt angry that she was gritted her teeth and stared at her. “Yours?” They destroyed her mother's marriage and took the money. And now even her mother's gift to her belonged to Dolores? She clenched her fists and told herself to calm down. She did not have the power to claim the things that belonged to her yet. She could not afford to be act recklessly now! She was no longer the little crybaby who was sent away from her father eight years ago. She had grown up. “You're Dolores!” It was now that Annabelle realized that today was the day the Nelsons were coming and her father had brought the mother and the daughter back from overseas. Annabelle could still remember the pitiful look on Dolores's face on the day when Randolph sent Dolores and her mother out of the country. Dolores knelt down and begged her father not to send her away. “Weren’t you happy that dad went to pick you up?” Annabelle crossed her arms and looked at her in disdain. She said, “Don't be so happy. You're back just to marry into the Nelsons. I heard that man—” Halfway through her sentence, Annabelle started sneering. She couldn't help but felt gleeful when she thought about Dolores marrying an infertile, handicapped man. Marriage was one of the major events in life. It would ruin Dolores's life if she were to marry a man like that. Dolores frowned. And at this moment, the maid came over and told them, “The Nelsons are here.” Randolph went to the door and invited them into the house. The instant that Dolores turned around, she could see the man being wheeled in. He had strong facial features and looked dignified. Despite being in a wheelchair, she doubted that anyone would ever look down on him. His face... wasn't this the man she saw in the fitting room? He is Young Master Matthew? Yet back at the fitting room, she saw clearly that he could stand and hug the woman! She saw nothing wrong with his legs then. What was going on? Before she could find out why the man was pretending to be handicapped, Randolph called her over. “Dolores, come here quickly. This is Young Master Matthew.” Randolph had a look of reverence on his face then he bowed and smile. “Young Master Matthew, this is Dolores.” A wave of sympathy rose in Randolph's heart. He was the young master of the Nelson family but he was now nothing but a handicapped. Matthew's gaze fell onto Dolores. She looked quite young and skinny. He frowned as she was so skinny as if she was malnourished. This was the marriage his mother had arranged for him. As her surviving son, he could not break the promise. That was why when he was bitten by a snake, he made sure the news about him never recovering from the poison spread like wildfire. Now everyone believed that he was handicapped and impotent. That was his plan to make the Flores back out of the engagement instead. However, he had miscalculated. The Flores never did back out of it. Matthew remained silent with a gloomy face and Randolph thought he was not happy with his daughter. He explained quickly, “She's only eighteen and still young. She'll be a beauty when she grows older.” Matthew sneered in his heart. He could not see any beauty. Instead, he saw the abnormality for a father to eagerly marry off his daughter to him, a “handicapped”. He had sharp features but it looked more like a smirk when he smiled. “I had a serious injury when I was abroad so I won't be able to walk nor fulfill the duties of a husband—” “I don't mind.” Dolores responded instantly. Randolph had promised her that as long as she married into the Nelsons, he would return her mother's dowry to her. Even if she were to marry into the family for only one day and was divorced the next day, she would still agree to the marriage. After taking a moment to digest the information, Dolores had finally realized what was going on. He could stand but came here to the Flores in a wheelchair instead. That meant that he was not keen on keeping this engagement because of that woman but he was hoping for the Flores to break the engagement. What he had not considered was that Randolph was willing to sacrifice unworthy daughter to fulfill the promise. Matthew watched her with his eyes half-closed. Dolores felt a shiver running down her spine when she noticed he was watching her. She too was reluctant and did not want to marry into the Nelsons. Yet if she did not, she would not be able to come back here and claim what was rightfully hers? She lifted the corner of her lips and gave a bitter smile, “We were engaged since young. I should still marry you regardless of what you are now.” The look on Matthew's face became even gloomier. This woman was good with her words. On the other hand, Randolph was aloof and didn’t pay much attention. He asked, “The wedding date...” There was an expression of mixed emotions on Matthew's face before he settled into a calm look. “Of course we'll stick to the promise. This is an oath and I wouldn't back out on it.” Dolores looked down and put her emotions aside. She dared not looked at him as he was clearly unhappy about the arrangement. She was merely fulfilling the promise. “That'll be good.” Randolph was joyous. To be able to marry a plain daughter into the Nelsons was something to jump at. Although the Flores were also rich, they were nowhere compared to the Nelsons. If the Nelsons were a shark, the Flores were only shrimps. There was no comparison. Randolph said as he bowed, “I have told the maids to prepare dinner. Please stay and have dinner with us.” Matthew frowned as he was disgusted by Randolph's two-faced attitude. “I don’t think so. I still have some matters to settle.” Matthew rejected. On the way out, he went past Dolores. Matthew raised his hands to signal to Abbott for a pause. He raised his head and asked, “Would Miss Flores be free?” Even though that was a question, there was no space for rejection. Dolores nodded. It seemed like he had something to tell her. It was perfect as she wanted to speak to him too. Randolph eyed Dolores with a warning look and said, “You should know how to read the situation.” If she had offended him even before marrying him... Looking at Matthew's face, it seemed like he was dissatisfied with Dolores. The Flores needed the Nelsons; they would be useful for their business. He would not allow Dolores to mess up this marriage. Dolores pretended that she saw nothing and followed closely behind Abbott Baron. She knew exactly what Randolph was thinking. Why was he thinking? Did he expect her to help him after marrying into the Nelsons? Just because he was her father? Yet he had never treated her like his daughter. Did he even know how she lived through these eight years? Dolores was lost in her thoughts until she bummed into something hard with her head. When she lifted her head, all she saw was that perfect face, watching her from above. As— As expected, he could stand! And it meant that her guess was right. Dolores could feel the hair standing up on her arms. She looked at him pretending to be calm and said, “You were pretending to be handicapped, weren't you?” Matthew narrowed his eyes. It did not feel great to have someone read through his mind. His tone was intimidating as he asked, “Why marry me even if you knew I was handicapped? What did you see in me? Money? Do you wish to become a wealthy mistress?” Under his gaze, she felt a draft seeping through her body. Her heart was gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and she could barely breathe. However, she showed of that none on her face and replied, “I was two when this marriage was arranged. Could I have understood the concept of wealth at that age by begging my mother and yours to engage us?” She paused to catch her breath before continuing, “When I was two, you were already ten. You're older than me by eight years. Have I ever complained that you're old?” Matthew sneered in his heart. Not only was this woman good with her words, she was also quick-witted! Very well! Him? Old? There was a whiff of gunpowder in the air. Two pairs of eyes looked at each other. Sparks flew and no one wanted to back down. Her hands that rested on the sides were clenched into fists. The only reason she had agreed to this marriage was because Randolph promised that he would return her mother's dowry to her. Making him the enemy was not her goal. She softens her tone and said, “Mr. Nelson, I know you don't want to marry me. Actually, it's not that bad—” She paused intentionally to watch Matthew's expressions. He hid them well but she still spotted them. “Mr. Nelson, let's make a deal.” Dolores said. She never really thought about marrying into the Nelsons. She had agreed to the marriage but it was just to return to this country and take back what was hers. “Ha.” Matthew laughed. It sounded like a joke to him. He would never strike a deal with her. Dolores swallowed. Her back was layered with cold sweat from being nervous. Matthew was tall, and she had to look up to talk to him. “I know that you're pretending to be handicapped to make the Flores back out on this marriage. I will agree to keep the promise for I have my reasons.” This caught Matthew's interest. “What do you want?” A deal that came with conditions. “A month. We'll marry for a month, then we'll go for a divorce.” A month was enough. Once she got hold of her mother's dowry, she would go for a divorce. “This is the deal you want to make with me?” Matthew frowned. “Yes, this is a marriage we would have go through. This was the promise made by our mothers, we can't back out of respect for them. After we got married, we could say that we weren't a good match then file for divorce. You could carry on with your life so I don’t see this can be unfavorable to you.” She slowed down. “I believe there is someone else that you like. That's why you've been trying so hard to make the Flores back out from the engagement.” Matthew's face turned gloomy. There was a slow but steady anger in his voice as he said, “Aren't you smart?” Yes, he wanted to give Helen a place she deserved. He was touched by her sacrifice and quiet suffering at that time. Matthew rested his gaze on her pretense. “What about you? What is that you gain for a one-month marriage?” Matthew would never believe that she did just thinking of his interest. Dolores felt a shoot of worry. She couldn’t say that she did it for her mother's dowry, could she? And yet if she does not come up with a reason, he would not believe in her. “My mother was very worried about this marriage. She's not the best in health, so I didn't want to disappoint her.” She glanced elsewhere when she said this. She was lying as her mother never wanted her to marry into the Nelsons. Matthew's tone held a hint of intimidation, as if he knew what she was thinking about. “Is that so?” Dolores felt as if there were thorns pressing onto her back. His gaze was so sharp like he was reading through her mind. When she was thinking hard for the next move, the phone in his pocket rang. Matthew gave her one last glance before taking out his phone. When he saw the name on the screen, his was softened. He turned around to pick up the call but turned back again and said, “If it's just for a month, there will be no need for a wedding.” Dolores had no choice but to say yes. On the twelfth of August, Abbott came for Dolores. There was no ceremony nor a wedding. There was just signing of the marriage certificate. Dolores didn’t fell too upset as she knew that this was just a deal between them. They would never have crossed paths if it was not for the engagement. After some time, the car stopped in front of a villa. Under the bright sunlight, the magnificent stone-built villa seemed impressive. “Do go in.” Abbott signaled her. He showed no passion nor interest in her. He just did his job as usual which meant that he knew that her marriage to Matthew was just to keep the promise. She was not a “real” young mistress in the Nelsons. Although the house was large, there was barely anyone around but only a maid. Abbott barely introduced her around before leaving her in the house. Dolores did not feel very comfortable. “This is Young Master's house. I take care of him. You can call me Coral.” Coral brought her to the room, and told her, “If you need anything please ask for me.” A month was not a long time and Dolores brought her own things. It was unlikely that she would ask for anything from Coral but still she replied, “Alright.” Coral opened the door, turned around and looked at her. She hesitated then sighed and said, “Young Master might not be coming home tonight. It's Miss White's birthday today.” Although they did not have a wedding, she was still his wife in paper. This was the first day of their marriage and yet he had gone out to spend time with another woman. Coral felt pity for Dolores; this was only the first day and she had already been treated poorly by Matthew. What will become of her in the near future? Dolores seemed to have guessed the reason behind Coral’s reaction. She gave no explanation and just smiled. Her relationship with Matthew was strictly business so she had no rights to question his private life. In fact, she felt less restrained when he was not around. Dolores entered the room and looked at the decor. The design was unique for it looked monotonous and minimalistic but yet there was a sense of sophistication and luxury. It was splendid. “This is Young Master's bedroom.” Coral smiled. Now that they were husband and wife, they would be sleeping together naturally. Dolores opened her mouth but realized she shouldn’t say anything so she just nodded. It was a challenge to fall asleep in a new place especially on the first night. She leaned her back on the headboard to rest while she opened a job hunting app on her phone. She could only take care of her mother and the child in her if she has a stable job. Huh? Dolores saw a job posting for translator. A job for translator was quite common but what not the language it required as it was Country A. Country A was the country she was sent to by Randolph. It was a developing country in the tropical region. Not many people would learn the language. Most languages used widely were languages from developed countries. The salary and benefits were not bad. And so she applied for it. Then she put aside her phone and laid down to sleep The moonlight shone through the window like white silk so soft and gentle and the night was silent. Soon, she fell into deep sleep. A beam of headlight shone from the outside into the house. A Maybach drove in and stopped at the porch. The door opened and a tall figure came down from the car. He walked into the house swaying a little unlike his usual steady steps. He pulled his collar. His mouth felt a little dry so he poured a glass of water when he entered the room. His adam's apple moved as he drank where his dark pupils were almost red from intoxication. He finished the glass of water and it soothed the burning sensation in his throat. He drank quite a lot of white wine at the gatherings and then a few more glasses of red wine at Helen's birthday. His alcohol tolerance was good but now he felt a little drunk. He threw his jacket onto the sofa and went straight to his room. The room was dark but he did not turn on any lights as he knew where the bed was. He laid down on it. In her deep sleep, Dolores felt the movement but it stopped quickly. She curled her body and continued sleeping. Morning came. The rays of light brightened up the room like golden strings. On the bed, the woman curled in the arm of the man still fast asleep. They could make a sweet couple. The man's eyelashes moved and he slowly opened his eyes. He had a hangover and wanted to take a shower to clear his heavy head. He moved his arm to sit up and realized that there was something lying on it. He turned his head and saw a woman in his arm. The girl's dark hair was voluminous and splayed over his arm. She had fair complexion and her eyelashes were curled like butterfly wings. Her pink lips were slightly opened and she was breathing softly. His gazed downwards and he saw a slim neck sitting on delicate collarbones and the rising and falling chest in rhythm. She was sleeping on her side. Through the collar of her pajama, he could see the fullness of her bosom. Her breathing made her chest rise and fall and that was seductive. He swallowed his saliva. He had never felt such impulse with Helen but he could feel it with this woman who he had only met twice. He frowned as he irked his manly instinct but yet he could not take his eyes off her. In her dreams, Dolores found herself in the African grasslands. She was being watched by a ferocious lion and it was about to eat her. She woke up in a fright. When she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of dark pupils that was trying to stay calm. Her mind blanked out. She opened her eyes wide and covered her chest then questioned him, “You! What are you doing in my bed?” The man shifted his gaze calmly and pulled the blankets away slowly. “This is my bed.” Dolores opened her mouth and was about to rebut but seeing the circumstances, she just kept quiet. “Hadn't you gone to celebrate your girlfriend's birthday? Why are you back?” Dolores came down from the bed and stood on its side. There was a hint of questioning in her tone. When Coral said he was not coming back last night, she let down her guard and fell into a deep sleep. She didn’t even hear him entering the room. She slept on the same bed with this man the whole night! Her face flushed when she thought of her how she was sleeping in his arms. Her head drooped. Matthew was unbuttoning his shirt as he did not feel comfortable as the creased shirt still had the scent on alcohol lingering on it. He did not take off his shirt last night. He looked at woman standing by the side of the bed and gave her a cheeky smile. “My girlfriend's birthday isn't as important in comparison with the first night of marriage.” Dolores was speechless. This was just a deal and they were not husband and wife. What “first night of marriage” was he babbling about? Matthew took off his shirt. Dolores turned around immediately. This man was taking off his clothes in front of her! After that night, she rejected men. Any form of intimacy with men. She panicked and said, “I— I'll go out.” And ran out of the bedroom instantly. Matthew paid no attention. He took off his belt and went into the bathroom. He needed to take a shower to clear his mind. The gushing sound of the water came from the toilet. An hour later, there was a scent of fragrance that flowed out of the bathroom. His short dark hair was slightly damp and messy. The white shower robe shielded his slim figure with its collar slightly opened showing his firm chest that was honey-colored. It was an enticing sight of masculine charisma. He walked over to the wardrobe and opened it. He saw a sunflower-printed bag in his wardrobe when he was about to take out his clothes. His stopped. Is this the woman's bag? It was flower-printed. How could she be so childish? It seemed like she had made herself at home and placed her things inside his wardrobe. He frowned and took his clothes. However, he accidentally knocked over her bag when he was putting the hanger back. The bag was not zipped so its contents spilled out. They were just simple clothes and daily necessities. He knelt down and was about to pick the things up when he saw an ultrasonography report. Dolores, female, eighteen. Early pregnancy, six weeks. That woman would have a baby? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> book title<Convenient Marriage: Mr. Nelson's Love Trap>