SWNOVELS Chapter 49
As the car window slowly rolled down, Dolores gasped as the mysterious woman was revealed. Dolores would never have
guessed she’d see Sampson’s mother smiling back at her. She looked as graceful as always and gave Dolores a small nod in
acknowledgment.
‘Why did she come looking for me?’
Dolores tried to ask the driver for information. “Do you know why she wants to speak with me?”
The driver shook his head. “She didn’t say, I’m only the messenger.”
Knowing that Sampson treated her well and was advocating for the best care for Jessica, Dolores figured that his mother
wouldn’t have any malicious intentions.
So Dolores turned to the driver. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Dolores walked over to the car and smiled at Camilla with a polite greeting. “Hello, Mrs. Herbert.”
Camilla sat with proper posture and her smile brightened as Dolores approached. “Ms. Flores, are you free at the moment?
There’s a café not far away. How about we head over there for some drinks?”
Dolores pondered it for a moment before nodding in nodded.
“Please, get 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 then climbed in himself
and drove off.
It wasn’t long before the car stopped in front of the building and Dolores followed Camilla into the café.
Camilla chose a relatively quiet table in the back corner and motioned for Dolores to take the seat across from her.
After only a few moments, a server walked over. “Good day. What can I get you?”
Camilla put her handbag onto the bench next to her and looked at Dolores. “Order anything you’d like, dear, it’s on me?”
“Just a cup of water for now, please,” Dolores replied dully.
“I’ll have that as well. We’ll call you later if we need you.”
“All right.” The server left, and the noise faded into the background.
Dolores sat in awkward silence in her seat, waiting for Camilla to start a conversation. Camilla was the one who went looking for
her, and Dolores guessed she wasn’t simply looking for a cup of coffee.
Camilla took a sip of the 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 replied
honestly.
“Oh, then how long have you two been together then?” Camilla smiled and looked Dolores up and down before she continued.
“You look young. Is my son your first lover?”
Camilla’s question caught Dolores off guard and Dolores nearly 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 “girlfriend” in
the introduction. That must be why Camilla assumed they were dating.
Just as Dolores was about to explain, Camilla spoke up. “I don’t want to see you two falling into love,” Camilla said in complete
seriousness. “I want his wife to have a similar family background. I’ve heard so many catastrophes have happened to your family
recently.”
Dolores’ lips pressed into a straight line as she finally understood why Camilla wanted to speak with her.
“With your current family conditions, I’m even more hesitant about you being his girlfriend. I’m sure you understand my
reasoning, right?” Camilla asked in a soft tone, reaching into her handbag, placing a card on the table, and pushing it toward
Dolores. “There’s some money in the card. Although it’s not enough to get your family completely through the crisis, it can at
least lessen the stress.”
Dolores slid the card back to Camilla and smiled. “Mrs. Herbert, I’m thankfully still healthy and quite young. I’m still able to work.
How can I accept your money?”
‘Is Camilla trying to use the money to scare me away?’ Dolores bitterly smiled internally. Her father sent her and her mother
away when Dolores was eight , and it was only because Matthew was ‘paralyzed’ that they gave her the chance to go back
home.
She’d never enjoyed the benefits that the reputation of the Flores family had to offer, but now she had to suffer from the impact of
the downfall of the family.
“Mrs. Herbert, I understand your desires and concerns. There are no worries about me falling in love with him because I’ve
always thought of him as my brother. Now, if there’s nothing else, I have to go back to work, as there are some important
translations I need to finish,” Dolores explained as she stood to leave.
“Wait a minute,” Camilla called out, stopping Dolores from leaving.
Camilla prepared a lot in advance for the meeting, but she found her verbal tricks would only work under the assumption that
Dolores would reject the request that she break up with Sampson. However, when Dolores agreed to the request, Camilla
appeared to be the callous one.
“I don’t know if Sampson told you the accident that his younger sister suffered. That accident was a great shock to him and me
and so he has been abroad taking care of her . Now, he finally returns after gaining the courage to confront the past. And, I must
say, I’m quite relieved to see this. And now you’ve told me you’ve regarded him as your elder brother. I think he may also have
similar feelings for you. Maybe it’s because you look so cute that he thinks of you as Maria.”
Dolores realized the same thing when she learned Sampson had a younger sister who had been lost. She guessed Sampson’s
care and concern for her was because she reminded him of his younger sister.
Camilla looked so crestfallen and had trouble talking about her lost daughter. She had three children, and she’d lost her only
daughter.
Nevertheless, as the lady of the Herbert family, Camilla couldn’t be immersed in the past or feel her sorrow in front of her
husband, as she handled the affairs of the family, trivial or critical.
‘As the saying goes, Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.’
Naturally, Camilla was required to put in efforts in exchange for enjoying the reputation and status of the Herbert family.
“I wish my son will one day be with a woman whom he loves and one that appreciates him. However, he was born in the Herbert
family and has enjoyed the honor given by the family without having to want for anything, so he will most likely have to sacrifice
something for the family’s reputation.” Camilla reluctantly put the card back in her bag and handed Dolores a business card
instead. “Since you’re so kind and I want to help you, so if you need any help in the future, please don’t hesitate to find me.”
Dolores knew it would be impolite to keep refusing Camilla’s help, so she gratefully accepted the business card. “Thank you,
Mrs. Herbert. I will be certain to reach out to you if the need arises.”
Dolores then got to her feet. “If there’s nothing else, I have to leave.”
“Wait... one more thing, please. I hope you won’t tell Sampson about our meeting today. He’s a stubborn person. If he knows
about this, I’m afraid...”
“Mrs. Herbert, rest assured there’s no reason to worry. I won’t tell him about this.”
Dolores originally had no romantic feelings for Sampson anyway. People like her were told they didn’t deserve to be in love. No
matter how pure the intentions were, Dolores was no longer a virtuous woman and therefore wasn’t permissible for her to be in a
romantic relationship.
Dolores politely excused herself and walked out of the café. She subtly rubbed her belly as she walked outside. “Don’t worry,
Mommy 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 departing.
*****
Dolores walked back to work, people watching along the way, and was surprised to run into Abbott Baron who was just pulling up
in front of the office building.
“Where did you go?” Abbott asked as he closed the car door and walked toward. Dolores. “Didn’t you say you were going to the
hospital? Why is it I didn’t find you there then?”
Dolores had informed Matthew of her planned visit to the hospital because she was working for his company and wouldn’t be
available during normal business hours that day.
“I came back early but I ended up bumping into an acquaintance and we went to a local café to chat. What’s wrong?” Dolores
asked, bothered by Abbott’s anxious expression. “Did something happen?”
“Please, follow me.” Abbott turned and strode into the building, not waiting to see if she was following.
Dolores hurried to catch up, uncertain of how to feel about the situation. “What happened? Is it related to me?”
Abbott stopped at the doors of the elevator and clicked 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 hustled into the elevator,
whereas Dolores, who was growing quite anxious herself, was slow.
Abbott tapped his foot. “Quickly.”
Dolores hurried into the elevator and glanced at Abbot as the doors close. “Does it have something to do with my father?”
Dolores asked again, trying to glean information.
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,
then, by default, it had to be something involving Randolph. After all, Jessica and Randolph were the only two people left in
Dolores’ life that mattered to her.
Abbott scoffed, and the elevator dinged again as they reached their destination. The doors rolled open, and Abbot strode out of
the elevator toward Matthew’s office. Dolores struggled to keep up.
When they arrived at the office, Abbot gave a few quick raps on the door.
“Come in,” a low voice called.
Abbott pushed open the door...