Chapter 49
Chapter 49:.
When the car window slowly rolled down, Dolores gasped at the sight of the mysterious woman. Dolores would never have imagined that she would see the mother of
Sampson’s mother smiling at her. She looked as elegant as ever and gave Dolores a small nod of her head in acknowledgement.
Why did you come looking for me?
Dolores tried to ask the driver for information. “Do you know why you want to talk to me?”
The driver shook his head. “He didn’t say, I’m just the messenger.”
Knowing that Sampson was treating her well and advocating the best care for Jessica, Dolores assumed that her mother would have no malicious intent.
So Dolores turned to the driver. “All right. Let’s go.”
Dolores approached the car and smiled at Camilla with a polite greeting. “Hello, Mrs. Herbert.”
Camilla sat down with proper posture and her smile brightened as Dolores approached. “Miss Flores, are you free at the moment? There’s a cafe not too far away, how about we go there for a drink?”
Dolores pondered for a moment before nodding her head.
“Please hop in and we’ll be on our way.”
The driver walked over and opened the door for Dolores to climb in and sit next to Camilla. The driver climbed in himself and drove off.
It wasn’t long before the car stopped in front of the building and Dolores followed Camilla inside the cafe.
Camilla chose a relatively quiet table in the back corner and motioned for Dolores to sit across from her.
After a few moments, a waiter approached, “Good morning, what can I get you?”
Camilla set her purse down on the bench next to her and looked at Dolores.
“Order whatever you like, my dear, it’s on me.”
“Just a glass of water for now, please,” Dolores replied sweetly.
“I’ll have that too. We’ll call you later if we need you.”
“Okay.” The waiter left, and the noise faded into the background.
Dolores sat in uncomfortable silence in her seat, waiting for Camilla to start a conversation. Camilla was the one to fetch her, and Dolores guessed she wasn’t simply looking for a cup of coffee.
Camilla took a sip of water before speaking. “How did you meet my son, Sampson?”
“He was my younger brother’s doctor several years ago, and we gradually got to know each other over time,” Dolores answered honestly.
“Ah, so, how long have you two been together?” Camilla smiled and looked Dolores up and down before continuing. “You look young, is my son your first lover?”
Camilla’s question caught Dolores off guard and she almost choked on her water. Why did Camilla think Dolores was Sampson’s girlfriend?
Dolores suddenly remembered that when Sampson introduced her to everyone at the banquet, he used the word ‘bride’ in the introduction.
So Camilla must have assumed they were dating.
Just as Dolores was about to explain, Camilla spoke up. “I don’t want them to fall in love,” Camilla said with complete seriousness. “I want your wife to have a similar family background. I’ve heard that a lot of catastrophes have befallen your family lately.”
Dolores’ lips tightened into a straight line as she finally understood why Camilla wanted to talk to her.
“With your family’s current condition, I doubt even more that you are their bride. I’m sure you understand my reasoning, don’t you?” asked Camilla in a soft tone, reaching into her purse, placing a card on the table and pushing it towards Dolores. “There is some money on the card. While it’s not enough to get your family through the crisis completely, it can at least lessen the stress.”
Dolores handed the card back to Camilla and smiled, “Mrs. Herbert, fortunately I am still healthy and quite young. I can still work – how can I accept your money?”
‘Is Camilla trying to use the money to scare me?’ Dolores smiled inwardly. Her father had sent her and her mother away when Dolores was eight years old, and it was only because Matthew was ‘crippled’ that she was given the opportunity to return home.
She had never enjoyed the benefits that the Flores Family reputation offered, but now she had to suffer the impact of the family’s downfall.
“Mrs. Herbert, I understand your wishes and concerns. There is no need to worry about me falling in love with him because I have always considered him my brother. Now, if nothing else, I have to get back to work, as there are some important translations I must finish,” Dolores explained as she stood up to leave.
“Wait a moment,” Camilla shouted, stopping Dolores from leaving.noveldrama
Camilla had prepared hard beforehand for the meeting, but found that her verbal tricks would only work under the assumption that Dolores would refuse the request that she break up with Sampson. However, when Dolores agreed to the request, Camilla seemed to be the insensitive one.
“I don’t know if Sampson told you about the accident his younger sister suffered. That accident was a great shock to him and to me and that’s why he’s been abroad taking care of her. Now, at last, he’s coming back after summoning up the courage to face the past. And, I must say, I am quite relieved to see this. And now he has told me that you think of him as your big brother. I think he may also have similar feelings for you. Maybe it’s because you look so pretty that he thinks of you as Mary.”
Dolores realized the same thing when she learned that Sampson had a younger sister who had gone missing. She assumed that Sampson’s care and concern for her was because she reminded him of his younger sister.
Camilla looked crestfallen and found it hard to talk about her lost daughter.
She had three sons and had lost her only daughter.
However, as mistress of the Herbert Family, Camilla could not dive into the past or feel her grief in front of her husband as she handled family matters, trivial or critical.
As the saying goes, “Uneasy is the head that wears a crown.”
Naturally, Camilla had to exert herself in exchange for enjoying the reputation and status of the Herbert Family.
“I wish that my son would one day be with a woman whom he loves and who will cherish him. However, he was born into the Herbert Family and has enjoyed the honor the family bestows on him without having to wish for anything, so he will most likely have to sacrifice something for the family’s reputation.” Camilla reluctantly put the card away in her purse and handed Dolores a business card instead. “Since you are so kind and I want to help you, if you need any help in the future, don’t hesitate to seek me out.”
Dolores knew it would be rude to keep refusing Camilla’s help, so she gratefully accepted the business card. “Thank you, Mrs. Herbert. I’ll be sure to locate you if the need arises.”
Next, Dolores rose to her feet. “If there’s nothing else, I have to go.”
“Wait…one more thing, please. I hope you won’t tell Sampson about our meeting today. He’s a stubborn person. If he finds out about this, I’m afraid…”
“Mrs. Herbert, you may rest assured that there is no reason to worry. I won’t tell him any of this.”
Dolores originally had no romantic feelings for Sampson anyway. People like her were told she didn’t deserve to be in love. No matter how pure the intentions, Dolores was no longer a virtuous woman and therefore was not allowed to have a romantic relationship.
Dolores politely excused herself and left the café. She subtly rubbed her belly as she walked out. “Don’t worry, Mom won’t feel lonely or helpless with you by my side.”
Her unborn child was her source of courage, as well as her future. So she took a deep breath before leaving.
Dolores walked back to work, watching people along the way, and was surprised to run into Abbott Baron, who had just arrived at the office building.
“Where did you go?” asked Abbott as he closed the car door and approached Dolores. “Didn’t you say you were going to the hospital, why didn’t I meet you there then?”
Dolores had informed Matthew of her planned visit to the hospital because she was working for her company and would not be available during normal business hours that day.
“I came back early but ended up running into an acquaintance and we went to a local coffee shop to chat. What’s wrong?” asked Dolores, annoyed by Abbott’s anxious expression. “Has something happened?”
“Please follow me.” Abbott turned and walked into the building, not waiting to see if she was following him.
Dolores hurried to catch up with him, not knowing how to feel about the situation.
“What happened, is it related to me?”
Abbott paused at the elevator doors and keyed his phone while stealing glances at Dolores from time to time.
“See for yourself.”
Dolores moved her lips, trying to say something. What did he mean by ‘see for yourself’?
Just as she was about to ask what he meant, the elevator dinged softly and the doors opened. Abbott hurried into the elevator, while Dolores, who was getting quite nervous, was slow.
Abbott tapped his foot. “Quickly.”
Dolores hurried into the elevator and looked at Abbott as the doors closed. “Does it have something to do with my father?” Dolores asked again, trying to coax information out of him.
She had just seen her mother at the hospital no more than half an hour ago, so it couldn’t have anything to do with Jessica. So, by default, it had to be something to do with Randolph. After all, Jessica and Randolph were the only two people left in Dolores’s life that she cared about.
Abbott scoffed, and the elevator dinged again as they reached their destination. The doors opened and Abbott stepped out of the elevator into Matthew’s office. Dolores struggled to keep up with him.
When they reached the office, Abbott gave a few quick knocks on the door.
“Come in,” said a deep voice.
Abbott pushed open the door…..
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