Convenient Marriage: Mr. Nelson's Love Trap

“What is that?” Dolores asked, even more confused.

Matthew got up from his chair and strode toward her, the lighting in the room making him nothing more than a silhouette. His footsteps were steady and slow. Within a moment, he loomed over Dolores and spoke to her in a low voice.

“You’re still my wife by law so you should refrain from being intimate with other men.”

He didn’t care what happened to their marriage in less than a month. As long as they were a married couple, he wouldn’t tolerate being cheated on. That was his limit and his dignity as a man was on the line.

Dolores didn’t know how to take his word. When was she being intimate with other men?

She responded immediately. “Haven’t you slept with other women here as well? Should I be demanding the same on you as your wife?”

Matthew’s creases on his forehead deepened. “I didn’t sleep with another woman.”

Dolores was momentarily stunned. She was sure Helen had spent the night the day before. Who would truly believe they didn’t end up sleeping together? However, she suddenly realized that whether he did or didn’t sleep with other women, it had nothing to do with her, anyway.

Matthew’s expression was growing uglier by the minute. What was he thinking?

Dolores didn’t want their relationship to turn sour, so she softened her tone. “I will try to abide by your demands. Shall I…”

She waved the document in her hand to show her intentions, fearing she wasn’t being obvious enough.

Matthew mumbled a response, but he failed to conceal the tinge of anger in his voice. He wasn’t mad at Dolores, but instead, he was mad at himself. Why had he explained himself to her, anyway? Was he crazy? He found himself extremely irked by his response to her lately. The feeling of discomfort almost morphed into one of disgust.

*****

Since Dolores had secured a job working at the restaurant, she had to finish translating the documents as soon as possible.

When the clock struck midnight, she was only halfway done, but she was already struggling to stay awake. She decided to try to stay awake, she’d head down to the living room. At that time of night, the whole villa was shrouded in a deep silence. Matthew and Coral were probably sound asleep and would’ve been awake for a while.

She placed the documents on the table and poured herself a cup of water in the kitchen. She put the cup on the table as well and sat down on the floor while continuing her translation task.

*****

still translating his documents, he couldn’t help but frown. However, he said nothing as he passed by her. Dolores noticed his

he saw a cup of water on the table, he instinctively

“Hey—”

was using that cup, but to her dismay, Matthew was already gulping water from it. She wasn’t able to continue her

staring at him hesitatingly. He continued staring at her face for several seconds before shifting to the cup in his hands. Under the faint glow of the table lamp, he saw a faint smudge of lipstick on the edge of the cup. The edge where he had just been drinking from. He was drinking from a cup that had been used by someone else.

her face growing hot. They were too unfamiliar

on purpose, Dolores still

his lips. He didn’t know what to make of the situation, so he

back on the table and strode toward her. He noticed it was already one

you

willing to

his company for a job interview and failing to be selected. The whole thing felt odd to him. After returning

little annoyed when the ringing of the phone woke him up. He grabbed the phone in annoyance and, with a plethora of curse words swimming in his head. He was ready to lecture whoever dared to call

“Yes, Mr. Nelson.”

why the human resources department has denied the hiring of

what he was being ordered to do, the

Why had the president called him for such

for no reason? However, Abbot could only keep those complaints to himself. He didn’t

*****

on the table and sleeping soundly. There was a huge pile of papers strewn around her and Coral couldn’t understand anything

yourself like this without sleeping in a proper

Coral still fetched a blanket and covered

that moment, Matthew was walking down the stairs. Seeing Coral covering Dolores with a blanket, a quiet emotion sharpened by

up some of the papers. There were twenty-two pages in total, and she had translated every page and

completing the translation. When had she finally fallen asleep? Matthew couldn’t

let out a sigh, not knowing what she could do. So, she turned around and disappeared into the kitchen

*****

woke up, she saw Matthew digging into his breakfast. She rubbed her eyes while trying to stand by bracing herself against the table, but to her dismay, she found her legs were numb. She had to wait for the numbness to dissipate before she could

headed to the bathroom to wash herself up and take a bath, hoping to wake

left her room and handed Matthew the stack