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!

Dolores jumped and

to her mom. “Mom, do you want

could finish, Jessica grabbed her wrist and looked like she was in a

at her mother.

Dolores’ wrist with increasing strength.

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 her

“Mom…”

left her body. “You’re reluctant to. I knew you’d be

leaned back

doctor and threatened to hurt herself. As a result, the doctor

from a mental illness,” the doctor

swayed and steadied herself on the cupboard behind

happened. She must’ve suppressed her stress for too

her brother was born and the depression worsened after Jeremy’s death. Dolores’

was incoherent

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

if he knew something but didn’t want to tell

your mother

Dolores nodded in agreement.

doctor left, Dolores squatted next to her mother and looked at the self-inflicted scratches on Jessica’s face. Her heart ached so much she couldn’t breathe. The image of Jessica losing control and hurting

*****

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 lease. Because she had to leave some things in the

bills and Dolores felt that

and tried to figure out what she could do about the situation. As she was fully lost in her thoughts, the car stopped at the villa. She paid the driver and got out of the car with her bags. She stood for a moment outside the villa and hadn’t expected she would be staying there for the

she reached the door to the villa, a car drove up and she recognized it as Matthew’s. She froze in place, not sure what to

car and saw Dolores standing on