SWNOVELS Chapter 23: I Underestimated You
Dolores stood at the doorway and stared at Helen.
Helen, growing uneasy under her glare, looked at Dolores’ cell phone but couldn’t see anything from t distance. She also couldn’t
do anything in front of Matthew.
So, she calmly asked. “Why is Ms. Flores looking at me that way?”
Helen’s words dragged out Dolores’ thoughts, and Dolores struggled with the urge to confront Helen in front of Matthew for
several moments before she calmed down. Helen was the woman who Matthew loved. Even if Dolores did anything, Matthew
wouldn’t punish the woman he loved for a contract wife like her.
Dolores gripped her cell phone tightly and composed herself.
She smiled at Helen. “Ms. White’s beauty stunned me. Please don’t take offense, Ms. White.”
Dolores walked toward them and her gaze shifting to the documents on the coffee table. She picked up the documents and saw
it was the contract for Repulse Bay. She looked up at Matthew in bewilderment.
“Is this for me?”
Matthew, who had maintained his indifference throughout the situation, nodded calmly.
Helen’s eyes glared widely. The land contract, it really was for Dolores? Why? Helen didn’t understand.
Dolores looked toward Helen, suppressed her fury, and laughed coldly. “Ms. White, I’m Mr. Nelson’s wife. Is there an issue with
him giving me something?”
Helen trembled in rage. That damned shameless woman Why was she worthy of being Matthew’s wife? If it wasn’t for Matthew
being in the room, Helen would have slapped Dolores in an instant.
“Of course not.” Helen lowered her head, and her tears flowed, showing her genuine pain. “Ms. Flores is the true Mrs. Nelson.
Who am I to question that?”
“You are the woman Mr. Nelson likes. You’ve been with him for so many years, so why are you lowering yourself?”
Abbott looked at Dolores and didn’t expect that she not only didn’t have a hold on her private life, she was also so shameless. It
was clearly a contract marriage, so why would she act as if she was his legitimate wife? But she indeed was Matthew’s lawful
wife and although he was upset with Dolores, he couldn’t openly disrespect her, side with Helen, and openly offend her.
Dolores continued peacefully, as if she didn’t hear the sarcasm in their words.
She smiled and said, “Ms. White, since you acknowledge my status, can you please move aside?”
The air instantly was thick with anxiety for several seconds. All eyes looked at the silent Matthew. Would he acknowledge her
status? If he did, what would become of Helen?
The fleeting lights and shadows couldn’t conceal the evil lurking in Matthew’s expression when he asked, “What’s your status?”
An ominous feeling overcame Dolores, but she met his gaze anyway. “We’re husband and wife, even if it’s for an hour. Is it
wrong for me to sit beside you?”
Dolores used his words against him. She’d been bullied for a long time and wouldn’t usually say anything if it only improved her
life, but because Helen caused Jessica to suffer from a mental illness just to get at Dolores. That was something that she
couldn’t accept. Since Helen was worried about Dolores getting closer to Matthew, then that was exactly what she wanted to do.
And she wanted to do that in front of her.
Jessica was Dolores’ only relative and the bottom line of her tolerance. “Ms. White, although you have a deep relationship with
my husband, we are not divorced. So, I’d like to ask Ms. White to have some self-respect.”
Helen looked at Matthew and noticed he was actually looking at such a loathsome woman. Dolores’ personality changed rapidly.
In the past, Dolores was meek and submissive but now she was so assertive. What kind of a woman was she?
No one couldn’t tell what Matthew was thinking. Even Abbott, who’d worked with him for so long couldn’t read Matthew.
However, he knew the two women shouldn’t be together at that moment. Although Abbott didn’t completely understand the whole
issue, he was smart enough to read the current situation in the room.
He stood up and placed his hand on Helen’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Helen was unwilling to leave. She wanted to see what her position in Matthew’s heart was. But what if Matthew chose Dolores?
She would be finished then, and all her efforts would have gone to waste. It was very clear that Matthew didn’t love her. Matthew
treated her well all because of a one-night stand and the years of friendship. He didn’t love her or like her that way.
She couldn’t risk the gamble. She couldn’t afford to lose.
“I won’t make things difficult for Matthew. You’ve won.”
Helen tried to say something pleasant before leaving. She didn’t want to admit defeat; she just didn’t want to frustrate Matthew.
She focused on the big picture.
After Abbott and Helen left, the room became silent. It was so quiet that calm breathing can be heard.
The awkwardness lasted for three minutes and Dolores’ back was drenched in a cold sweat before she was able to speak.
“I’ll go back to the room first.”
She’d only behaved that way because of Helen. There was no reason for her to stay now once Helen had left. Before she could
take a step, Matthew grabbed her wrist and, with a tug, spun Dolores around and pulled her into his embrace. Her reflex was to
struggle, but he clasped her in his arms.
“What are you doing?” Dolores asked, becoming scared and flustered.
“Haha. What am I doing? Weren’t you being very assertive a moment ago?” Matthew grabbed her chin. “So I underestimated
you.”
If it wasn’t for Helen, she wouldn’t have dared to agitate him? She’d gone through hardships and in the past ten years, not only
had she’d grown older, she’d grown wiser. If she was soft, others would bully her. She couldn’t continue to appear weak in front
of those who wanted to harm her. She needed to protect her mother and the baby inside her. She had to be strong and brave.
Dolores didn’t move and closed her eyes, refusing to listen to anything.
Matthew had never been treated this way by any woman and the woman in front of him...
“Ms. Flores...”
Dolores was wearing a white, scoop-neck T-shirt and was twisted slightly in his arms. Her chest rose and fell with each breath
seductively. He became inexplicably heated and his blood rushed through him.
When Matthew said nothing, Dolores slowly opened her eyes, her curly eyelashes trembling, and looked at his expression, which
showed that he was holding back with determination.
His look...
Dolores traced his gaze downward... She noticed he was looking at her cleavage and she angrily pushed him away with all her
strength. Matthew was surprised and fell back onto the sofa.
Dolores covered her chest. “Pervert!”
She hurried away from the sofa and wanted to leave the sitting room, but in her haste, she stumbled, tripped over Matthew’s leg,
and fell back into him...
“Ah...”
Matthew couldn’t dodge in time...