Theresa slightly nodded. Armand got her permission. He held himself up with one hand, reached out
his other hand and caressed her cheek, her eyes, her nose and her lips. He used his fingertips to
imprint how she looked like. He wanted to remember how she looked like and forever keep it in his
memories.
He then inched closer and Theresa closed her eyes.
Armand kissed her slowly without rushing. He knew that Theresa was very vulnerable right now and
needed protection. He whispered in her ears, “Theresa, you can tell me everything in the future, good
and bad things. Don’t keep it to yourself.”
He was always jealous, back then when she was always full of smiles and was always smiling at
others.
Not long after, he realized that she smiled less and less when she was with him. Her smile felt forced,
she was trying to hide her feelings and didn’t want to open up to him.
Theresa opened her eyes widely in bewilderment upon hearing him.
Armand kissed her eyelid, his lips were soft but it was still ticklish. Theresa closed her eyes again.
He kissed her for a very long time. Theresa was now used to his familiar and intimate touches.
Armand unbuttoned her shirt and Theresa didn’t felt as disgusted as she thought she would be. She
welcomed him with open arms.
Soon, clothing fell onto the ground, Theresa’s and Armand’s.
…
When Theresa woke up she was lying on the bed. She remembered vaguely that Armand carried her
to the bedroom. Armand’s shirt was on the end of the bed. She simply grabbed it and put it on her. It
was big on her and looked like a mini dress. It covered her private parts and exposed her long and
slender legs.
She walked out of the room and saw Armand in the kitchen with an apron on. Theresa leaned on the
door and looked at his back. He was in casual wear, his waist looked thin and his legs long. He looked
slender but still powerful. His body looked delicate, just like his looks.
Boyce was hale and hearty, and Armand was pretty and handsome. His skin was fair and his facial
features prominent. When he smiled foolishly he seemed unruly, but when he was serious his eyes
were sparkling.
He looked young. He was in his 30s, but he looked like someone in their 20s. When he was not
wearing his suit and his tie, if he tried to put on a stern face he would look like a puppy.
Theresa felt relaxed these past few days after moving out. She was smiling again. She took a stride
and walked towards Armand, she then hugged his waist from behind. She looked over his shoulders
and stared at the pan, “What are you cooking?”
“Prawns in tomato sauce.” The prawns in the pan were as large as his fingers. They were pink and was
mostly cooked. Theresa could smell the nice fragrance.
Theresa pursed her lips and opened up to Armand, “Just not long ago, I had to live my life every day
cautiously. I was always a nervous wreck and was always scared.”
Armand turned off the stove and turned around. He wanted to touch her cheek, but he kissed her on
the forehead instead after realizing that his hand might not be clean. He said softly, “I know.”
He saw everything.
But he couldn’t help her.
She was scared and anxious because of him.
“Let’s give up on the surrogacy,” said Armand with a serious look on his face.
Theresa grazed the part between his eyebrows, “I like it more when you smile.”
Armand couldn’t smile.
Theresa said after pausing briefly, “Let’s try it one more time. We’ll give up if we fail this time. We have
to finish what we started.”
Armand hugged her and said, “Okay, one last time. It doesn’t matter to me if we fail…” he paused
briefly, “We won’t move back to my place, I’ll talk about it with my grandmother.”
Theresa agreed. She couldn’t handle his grandmother; she liked how relaxing it was to live outside on
their own.
“Then, I’ll be selfish this time around. I’ll hide behind you while you deal with everything,” Theresa
laughed happily.
Armand liked looking at her like this. He liked that she was smiling again, he liked that she was honest
with him.
At the end of the month, Theresa did it the second time. She was anxious the whole time. She was
afraid that the outcome wouldn’t change. If this wasn’t successful, she would have to suffer and take all
the pain. She was afraid that the doctor would say that it failed again.
After her eggs were retrieved, Armand bought her home. The hospital smelled like antiseptic and
Theresa was tired of the smell. Every second passed in the hospital was draining for Theresa, she
couldn’t even breathe well.
It was great that she could go home and rest.
Armand was by her side the whole time.
Elizabeth never asked about Theresa. Armand was dealing with her and Theresa didn’t want to think
about it.
At the end of the month, Boyce came back.
Jasmine said that she didn’t have time to stay here because of her classes and moved to the dorm, but
it was an excuse. Jasmine left the night Boyce came back.
Boyce stupidly believed what she said; he thought that Jasmine was really busy with her studies.
Matthew knew that Boyce was back and invited him over for a meal. Boyce went to his place around
noon.
Dolores noticed that he was alone, she asked, “Why is Jasmine not with you? You can rarely come
back because of your job.”
They were newlywed; they should’ve been stuck like glue. But Boyce was alone.
Dolores went to City C not long ago. She tried to convince Matthew to let her bring their youngest along
with her to City C. She had a business over there. She gave birth and was out of postpartum
confinement. She didn’t want to give up the business she poured her heart into.
Matthew didn’t agree. The money he earned was enough and they had more than enough money. By
going to City C, their family would be living apart.
Dolores understood his concern, which was why she didn’t push it and was waiting for Matthew to have
a change of heart.
She was holding her youngest son. He wasn’t wrinkly like a newborn anymore. He was cute and
pinkish, looking more like Dolores than his father. Andrew looked like his father, but her younger son
looked like her.
Boyce answered, “She’s busy with her studies. She went back to her dorm.”
Dolores felt that something wasn’t right. Jasmine visited a few days ago. She mentioned that she didn’t
have many classes anymore and was looking for an internship.
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