“Lola, marriage shouldn’t be taken lightly. I forbid you from marrying him,” Jessica said, knowing full well the reason Dolores agreed to marry Matthew.

Dolores placed the bag of food on the table beside the bed, pulling some out and handing it to her mom.

“At least I didn’t marry any stranger. It’s your friend’s son.”

“She passed away a long time ago. I know nothing about her son. Even if it means breaking my promise, I’d rather you marry someone you fancy. Please don’t use this marriage as a bargaining chip. I’d rather stay here for the rest of my life.”

Someone she fancied? Even if she met someone in the future, she no longer had the right to do so. She lowered her head. It didn’t matter who she married. What was important was taking back everything her father had stolen from them.

*****

Jessica wasn’t able to convince Dolores to change her mind and both of them returned to their home country the next day. Both of them disgusted Randolph and refused to let them step into the Flores' house. Instead, he took them to a rented house nearby and Dolores needed only to return to the house on the wedding day. Dolores didn’t want to return home anyway, not wanting her mother to have to face the woman that ruined her marriage and her life. It was better to stay away from the house for the sake of mental and emotional well-being.

Jessica still worried, however. “Lola, if this was a good marriage, they wouldn’t have given this chance to you, even though Mrs. Nelson and I were friends—”

Dolores didn’t want to talk about it anymore and cut her mother off. “Mom, come have something to eat.”

Jessica sighed. It was obvious Dolores refused to talk about it. She lived a hard life with Jessica and now she even had to sacrifice her marriage for the family.

Dolores held the fork in her hand but only pushed her food around her plate as her contempt for her father ruined her appetite.

“Are you okay?” Jessica asked, concerned for her daughter’s health.

that she lost appetite from the long

closing the door, Dolores leaned her head against it and placed her hand on her stomach. Although she’d never been pregnant, she’d seen what it was like for

of it further. That night was already humiliating enough. If it wasn’t for her mother and her brother, she would never have

the hospital, the doctor’s words kept on lingering on in her mind. It was the news she’d received when she went for a checkup at the hospital without informing Jessica. She had mixed feelings and was frustrated. She didn’t know what to do. Should she give birth to the child? Abort it? Her hand rubbed her belly instinctively. Although she was surprised, and even humiliated, she was unwilling to give the child away. There was too much joy and hope for being a first-time mother. She

baby before opening the door. However, once she noticed Randolph was there too, her mood

turned as she entered and

Dolores frowned. “Why?”

gonna have to meet him sooner or later.” He looked at her from head to toe and continued. “Are you going

wondered. Selling herself and then losing her brother hurt her so much she had become completely numb. Yet, upon hearing Randolph’s cruel

she had the money, her brother wouldn’t have died from delayed treatment. Her

family should have arrived now, we can’t let

“Lola…”

anymore. She didn’t want her daughter to be

her a comforting

go.”

He couldn’t grow fond of her and Dolores didn’t have any feeling toward him anyway. The relationship between them had vanished in the eight

to meet, Randolph took her to an upscale boutique to buy her a decent dress. Upon entering the boutique, they were

said,

looked at her from head to toes to gauge her size and said, “Follow me.” She then grabbed a long, light blue dress from a rack and

hesitantly grabbed the dress and headed toward the

from the Flores family?” a woman asked in a muffled,

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