Matthew looked up and watched the woman eating at the table. He frowned deeply, not because Randolph had died, but because he believed Jessica was directly related to Randolphâs death.
From the moment she had decided to reestablish her marriage to Randolph, Matthew sensed something was wrong. Just as he had expected, Randolph died before the New Year was over.
He went to the front, to the window. When he was sure Dolores couldnât hear him, he said, âWhere did he die?â
âAt his house. Iâm there at the moment. When I heard the news, I was also shocked. He died for no reason. He had no terminal illness, nor was he affected by any catastrophe. Could it be divine punishment for his crimes?â said Boyce.
Matthew didnât believe in superstition.
This was a materialistic world.
âIâll go there now.â If Dolores was not related to this, he would definitely not interfere in this matter. He would not interfere in this matter even if Randolph was involved.
He feared that Jessica was related to this.
Dolores and Jessica had depended on each other for many years and had a close relationship. Although Jessica had gone against Doloresâ wishes and restored her marriage to Randolph, he could see that Dolores cared deeply for Jessica.
Things would be fine if she were not involved in this affair. But ifâ¦
He ended the call and walked into the restaurant. Dolores was looking down, so she didnât notice his presence.
Your imagination starts at g Ɐ ln Ï Î½ð ðsâ¤conn A lock of Doloresâ hair got in her face. Matthew, who was behind her, tucked her hair behind her ear and said quietly, âIâm going out. I have things to do.â Dolores acknowledged his words.
âThereâs no one in the house today. Go upstairs and take a nap for a while when youâve finished eating,â he told her softly.
Dolores nodded and asked, âAre you going to the company?â
Matthew hesitated for a moment and lied, âArmand and Boyce have set up a meeting and asked me to join them.â
âGood. Donât drink. Alcohol is bad for you,â she said worriedly.
Matthew was taken aback. Immediately, his eyes showed happiness. His heart felt the warmth of her words. He knew he had many habits, but he had never worried about his health. He kissed her forehead, âWait for me obediently.â
Dolores nudged him, âYou should go now. Donât let them wait for you too long.â
Matthew acknowledged her words, grabbed his coat from the coat rack in the entryway and left the house.
Coral entered shortly after Matthew left.
She took off her snow-covered coat in the doorway and went inside. Looking at Dolores who was still at the table, she noticed that Doloresâ sweater was rolled up unbeknownst to Dolores. There was a bruise on Doloresâ waist.
Coral thought she was seeing things. She walked over to Dolores and bent down to look at her waist.
She looked at it more closely. There really was a bruise on Doloresâ waist. He opened his eyes, âHer waistâ¦â
Dolores hastily pulled down her sweater and seemed to panic.
âDoes Young Master have violent tendencies? Did he molest you?â Coralâs eyes widened in surprise. If Matthew wasnât the one who had hit her, where had he gotten the wound from?
âItâs nothing like that. I accidentally hit my waist,â Dolores lied in fright.
Coral was still unconvinced, âHow did you hit your waist?â.
Dolores lowered her head so that her long hair hid her flushed cheeks, âI got that injury when I slipped and fell on the bathroom floor. Now Iâm going upstairs.â
She got up and escaped from the dining room. She was terrified that Coral was getting close to the truth.
Coral noticed that Dolores hadnât finished her soup and yelled, âAre you full? You havenât finished your food.â
âIâm full already.â
Dolores ran to her room and closed the door without turning around. She let out a deep sigh, went into the bathroom and pulled up her sweater. Looking at the back of her waist in the mirror, she clearly saw the bruise on her waist. Matthew had pressed it against the side of the sink. It was no wonder she felt great pain.
She unzipped her skirt and tucked her sweater inside her skirt so it wouldnât accidentally roll back up.
She was tired, but couldnât fall asleep when she lay down on the bed.
When she came downstairs, Coral was clearing the table. Coral didnât have to prepare New Yearâs Eve dinner, as they had decided to order the dishes from a restaurant. Therefore, she had more free time.
âCoral, letâs go shopping.â Since they were going to celebrate the New Year, they should buy new things for the family members and the two children.
Coral nodded and said smiling, âSure. You should bring more layers of clothes. Itâs snowing outside.â
Dolores was grateful for Coralâs words and went upstairs to get her purse and coat.
Then she went outside with Coral. There were no chauffeurs on duty at the house, so Dolores drove her car. She asked Coral, who was sitting in the back seat, to sit in the front passenger seat.
As much as Matthew spoke well of Dolores, it was clear to him that she was just a maid.
Dolores smiled, âWeâre family. Donât mention it.â
Coral sat in the passenger seat and felt warm inside. Despite the snowy weather, her heart was full of warmth.
âYoung Master is fortunate to have been able to marry you.â Coral was not referring to Doloresâ beauty, but to her kindness, sympathy and humility. Dolores had never put on airs about her status as Matthewâs wife in front of her.
In many wealthy families, servants were treated as slaves by their employers. Sometimes they were closely watched and considered potential thieves. If they did not do as they were ordered, they were reprimanded.
Coral thought she was fortunate to serve the Harris Family and the Nelson Family.
Unexpectedly, Dolores was also easy to get along with.
Dolores did not consider herself a very nice person. Coral earned her respect because she took care of Matthew for so long.
Honestly, the time Coral had accompanied and cared for Matthew was longer than the time Victoria and Dolores had spent with Matthew.
Coral was a kind and friendly person.
Before long the car was parked in the mall parking lot.
Dolores and Coral walked into the mall together.
All the walls of the mall were decorated with red paper decorations with a golden mice theme. Since today was the first day of the Year of the Mouse, many people flocked to the mall for festive shopping.
They began their shopping trip on the second floor. The second floor was a childrenâs paradise. A wide variety of things were sold there: food, drinks, toys and clothes. The two children were not at her side, so Dolores wanted to buy them some new things.
She was familiar with their palates.
She soon did a lot of shopping at the food store and the clothing store.
They headed to the second flower and passed a menâs clothing store. Dolores walked in noticing a suit on display that Matthew would look good in.
Coral followed her in and smiled. The present Dolores looked like a dutiful wife shopping for new clothes for her children and husband.
It looked like a touching scene in an ordinary home.
All of Matthewâs suits were dark in color. They had shades of blue, gray and navy blue. The suit that caught his eye was a black suit with a dark plaid pattern; moreover, the suit had a tinge of blue under the light. Matthew had extraordinary body proportions.
She believed Matthew would look good in it.
The staff complimented her taste: âOur store specializes in high-end menswear. This suit is a limited edition and is suitable for all formal occasions. The dark color makes the person wearing it look serious and firm.â
Dolores looked at the price tag and was shocked. The suit cost one hundred and eight thousand.
She had never bought such expensive clothes before.
But the suit had really caught her attention. She asked the staff, âDoes your store have any discounts?â.
The staff shook their heads, âIâm sorry. We donât have any discounts. If you find it too expensive, you can take a look at the suits in this section. They cost from thirty thousand to sixty thousand.â
This store was undoubtedly a high-end menâs clothing store, even the cheapest suit cost around tens of thousands. However, Matthewâs suits were of better quality and more expensive than those in this store.
He had money to afford them, but she was not as rich as he was.
Thinking that Matthew couldnât wear shoddy suits to events, Dolores gritted her teeth and asked the staff to wrap the suit for her.
When the staff swiped her credit card, her heart ached at the thought of spending so much money .
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