Convenient Marriage: Mr. Nelson's Love Trap

When Dolores arrived at the hospital, Sampson was sitting in the corridor outside the patients’ rooms with his hands on his knees. He leaned forward slightly, deep in his thoughts. He didn’t even notice when Dolores walked up to him.

“What are you thinking about?”

Sampson raised his head and struggled to hold back his concern when he finally noticed Dolores. He looked towards the patients’ rooms. “Your mother is suffering from a severe anxiety attack and is hallucinating.”

Dolores had mentally prepared herself for the worst. “Thank you for taking care of her. Please go get some rest. I’ll look after her.”

Sampson glanced at her abdomen. “You also need to rest.”

“Please don’t worry about me, I’ll take good care of myself.” Dolores smiled calmly at him.

Sampson was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.”

Sampson stood up to leave. Dolores watched as Sampson walked away and chewed her lip. Although she’d known him for a rather long time, she knew little about his family. In that way, she felt like she knew nothing about him at all. He had to be worried about something big to be so deep in his thoughts.

At that moment, Sampson stopped, turned, and looked at Dolores. “I heard something from those women. Someone paid them to say those things and to splash paint on your door.”

Dolores nodded. “Thank you for telling me. And, Sampson, you can always talk to me if something is troubling you.” Dolores looked at him.

Sampson smiled, “I’m fine.”

Dolores didn’t pester him. She knew firsthand that everyone had something they didn’t want to share with others.

She didn’t go into her mother’s room immediately after Sampson left. She wondered who would want to pay the neighbors to do such things? Annabelle? Beulah? They didn’t know she was pregnant. So—

Crash!

ground echoed from Jessica’s room. Dolores jumped and quickly and pushed

shards while speaking to her mom. “Mom, do you want a drink? Go sit down and I’ll pour you some water after

grabbed her wrist and looked like

up at

grabbed Dolores’ wrist with increasing strength.

first of many. What if the baby was born without a father? What would others think of them if the baby just looked different? Dolores knew Jessica was traumatized, but she didn’t expect

“Mom…”

go as if her soul had left her body. “You’re

and leaned back in a daze, “Jeremy is gone, he’s

Dolores called for the doctor but Jessica fought the doctor

suffering from a mental illness,” the doctor explained after checking Jessica’s

swayed and steadied herself on the cupboard behind her. “How did it become

has happened. She must’ve suppressed her

Randolph had sent them away, she never smiled. She was certain Jessica had been suffering from overwhelming stress the whole time. She’d suffered from postpartum depression after her brother was born and the depression worsened after Jeremy’s death. Dolores’ pregnancy was also emotionally stressful

was

mental illness. You know Dr. Herbert, don’t you? He’s a psychiatrist. He

he knew something but didn’t

your mother to

Dolores nodded in agreement.

the self-inflicted scratches on Jessica’s face. Her heart ached so much she couldn’t breathe. The

*****

the potential to cause harm to herself and others, only the next of kin could visit her, and then only during regulated visiting hours. It was as if part of the treatment was to isolate the patient

Jessica’s and her belongings and terminated the lease. Because she had to leave some things in the apartment, the landlord

and Dolores felt that she was increasingly indebted

car stopped at the villa. She paid the driver and got

and she recognized it as

out of the car and saw Dolores standing on