Dolores looked serious. She walked in and patted Theresa’s back, “Are you alright?”
Theresa shook her head, “I’m fine. Maybe I was just having diarrhoea. Lately…”
Theresa suddenly paused as if she was reminded of something else.
Dolores went through what Theresa was going through now. She knew it when she saw Theresa
vomiting, “Let’s go to the hospital and get you checked.”
Theresa’s hands trembled. She didn’t know what to say.
Dolores hugged Theresa and stroked her back, then comforted her silently.
“Dolores, can you do me a favour?” Theresa asked in a coarse voice.
Dolores replied, “Sure. What is it?”
“…If, I’m saying if, I’m pregnant. Please don’t tell Armand.”
Theresa didn’t want to get together with someone because of some external factors. She knew what
she wanted exactly.
Dolores understood Theresa. She nodded her head, “I won’t tell him, but if you are… You’ll need to
think more about your future.”
It will need careful considerations of the baby’s growing environment. After all, a functional family was
important for the child, in terms of his growth in every aspect.
Dolores drove Theresa to the hospital.
The check-up was fast because they went at night and they went into the emergency ward. Theresa
did an ultrasound and urinalysis. The ultrasound detected an embryo growing in Theresa’s womb. It
was about seven weeks old. Theresa’s urinalysis result also shown positive. It meant she was pregnant
for sure.
Theresa sat beside the flower bed outside of the hospital. She stared at the lab test report and
remained silent.
Dolores didn’t know what to say to comfort Theresa. If Theresa and Armand were happy together, the
child will be a gift for them.
But now, it was obvious that Theresa and Armand were having problems in their relationship.
“I don’t want the baby,” Theresa has been quiet since she completed the check-ups.
A word out of sudden from Theresa stunned Dolores.
Dolores didn’t try to persuade Theresa either. She knew it was a spur-of-the-moment decision from
Theresa. Dolores knew too much about being a mother.
If Dolores asked Theresa to head to the surgery room right away, Theresa couldn’t do it either.
It wasn’t being impulsive. It was the nature of a mother.
Theresa was surprised that Dolores didn’t try to persuade her to keep the baby. She raised her head
and looked at Dolores, “You think I shouldn’t keep him too?”
Dolores replied sincerely, “I know you would keep him.”
Theresa didn’t know what to say. She felt the heartache when she said he didn’t want the baby. She
struggled and hesitated.
“It’s cold out here. Let me send you home,” Dolores helped Theresa got up from the flower bed.
Theresa hugged Dolores tightly the moment she got up, “It’s so good to have you by my side.”
Dolores always gave apropos advice, and she wouldn’t get involved too much in her business. Dolores
knew her place and people felt comfortable making friends with her.
Dolores sent Theresa back home, “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Armand. You should take a good rest.”
Theresa nodded, “I’ll go inside now then.”
Dolores waved her hand and said, “Get in quick. It’s cold out here.”
Dolores started her car engine after she saw Theresa walked into the lobby of her apartment.
When the car drove into the busy business centre, the passers-by were walking so fast as if they were
rushing for something. It was a norm for them.
Dolores parked her car in the basement of one of the corporate buildings.
Dolores went to work in this building before. She wasn’t exactly familiar with the place, but she was
somewhat familiar with the structure of the building. Dolores hopped into a lift and pressed the button to
the highest floor.
When the lift arrived on the 16th floor, a man got into the lift. The man stood aside after pressing the
button on the floor he wanted to go. He kept flipping on the pages of the document in his hand like he
was making some final confirmation.
The lift opened when it arrived on the highest floor. The man only realized Dolores was stopping on the
same floor as him, “Which department you are from?”
The staff of the company will meet eventually regardless of department. Dolores didn’t look familiar to
the man.
At the same time, Abbott walked in their direction. Dolores replied with a smile, “I’m here to see him.”
The man understood, “I see. You’re here to see Abbott.”
Abbot quickly approached Dolores when he saw her.
Dolores greeted Abbott, “Long time no see.”
Abbott smiled, “You’re not holding grudges against me, are you?”
Abbott was talking about when he went to Country A to investigate Dolores.
Dolores acted like she was considering. It worried Abbott.
“You…you know, it’s not my call. I was TAKING ORDERS.”
Abbott emphasized the word ‘taking orders’ as if he was reminding Dolores not to blame him, but
instead, blame the person giving who gave the order.
The man in the lift was from the higher management, and he came to get Matthew’s signature on a
document. He made a joke when he passed by Abbott, “Your girlfriend?”
Abbott possessed high authority in the company. It was the first time the man saw Abbott looking
fearful to a woman.
Abbott looked wimpy.
Abbott’s expression changed. Stop making these kinds of jokes. He would prefer to stay alive. The man
arrived at Matthew’s office and knocked on his door when Abbott wanted to clarify.
A husky voice replied, “Come in.”
The man walked into the room and handed in the document, “This is the new proposal.”
The company was planning on the acquisition of an electronic company. The electronic company did
great as it exported its products overseas, but the successor of the company failed, and the sales
dropped off every year. Matthew planned to get his foot in the electronics industry, which was why he
had his eyes laid on this company.
The last proposal wasn’t approved, so this is a new one.
The door of the room wasn’t closed tight. The man took a glance outside the room while waiting for
Matthew to read the proposal. He saw Abbott was still talking to the woman in the lift.
Dolores knew Matthew had work to deal with, so she didn’t go into the room.
Matthew approved the content of the new proposal. He closed the file after signing the document.
Then, Matthew raised his head and saw the man was staring at the outside of the door.
Matthew took a glance outside and saw Dolores. He pursed his lips and wondered why didn’t Dolores
come in?
Matthew threw the document file onto the desk. The man quickly took the file and said, “Abbott’s
girlfriend is pretty.”
Matthew squinted his eyes. Abbott’s girlfriend?
The man thought Matthew was interested in what he said. He pointed at Dolores, “That’s her. She
came up with me in the lift, saying that she’s here to see Abbott. Then they kept chatting over there.”
Matthew laid back into his chair and unbuttoned the button of his sleeves. He looked sulky. He said,
“Ask him to come in.”
The man felt the temperature dropped in the room out of a sudden. He walked to the door and called
Abbott, “Mr. Nelson is looking for you.”
Abbott looked at Dolores, “You want to go in with me?”
Dolores saw the man was holding a document file when he came out. She thought, perhaps Matthew
has completed his work. So, Dolores nodded.
Abbott and Dolores walked into the room together. The man didn’t want to gossip much. What he said
just now was impulsive.
“Mr. Nelson, I better get going,” the man said.
“Wait,” Matthew stood up. He was wearing a shirt. Mathew rolled his sleeves and showed his brawny
forearms. He loosened his collar and said, “Tell them what you said just now.”
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