Snare of Love

Chapter 4: A Marriage without Wedding Ceremony

Although it was a question, he sounded imperative. Dolores nodded and from his look, he seemed to

have something to talk to her. And coincidentally, she wanted to talk to him too. Randolph shot her a

warning look and said, “Mind your boundaries.” He did not want her to offend him before even marrying

him. Seeing Matthew’s apathetic look, it looked like he was dissatisfied with Dolores. Yet it was still

good towards the Flores family to become relative with the Nelson family, and also helpful towards their

business. He did not want Dolores to mess up the marriage.

Dolores pretended that she did not see that and she followed Abbott to the outside. She knew what

Randolph was planning in his mind too well. Where did he get the confidence that she would definitely

help him after joining the Nelson family? Just because he was her father? Had he treated her as his

daughter? Did he know what kind of life had she lived these eight years?

As she was drifting away with her thought, she bumped into something hard. Her mind was pulled back

to reality and she immediately lifted her head. She then realized that flawless face was right in front of

her just few inches away and was staring at her from above. As expected, he could stand. And that

meant her prediction was correct. Her scalp went numb from his stare and she braced herself to meet

his eyes calmly. “You pretended you’re lame, didn’t you?”

Matthew narrowed his eyes and there was a trace of unhappiness when his mind was read. He spoke

with a moderate but fierce voice. “Why did you insist to marry me although I’m a cripple? What do you

want from me? Money? To become a rich lady?”

Dolores could only feel a continuous rush of chill under her skin when she was stared by him. Her heart

seemed to be grasped by an invisible hand and even breathing was difficult. Yet she still pretended that

she was composed and replied. “The marriage was arranged when I was two. Could I possibly know

anything about money and the benefit of becoming a rich lady, and force my mother to arrange the

marriage when I was two?” She paused as if trying to soften her voice and continued. “When I was two,

Mr. Nelson was ten, and was eight years older than me. But did I ever despise you being old?”

Matthew sneered. This woman was not only good at talking, she had a silver tongue! She was bold

enough to call him old. There was a smell of gunpowder in the air. They looked at each others’ eyes

and none of them was willing to back up. Dolores’s hands which were placed at her sides were

clenched into fists. The purpose of her joining the Nelson family was only to make Randolph returned

her mother’s dowry, not to become enemy with the man before her. She then swallowed her pride and

softened her voice. “Mr. Nelson, I know you don’t want to marry me, and I understand that---”

She deliberately stopped to see Matthew’s expression. Although the fluctuation of his expression was

miniature, she still managed to capture that. “Mr. Nelson, Let’s make a deal.” She spoke. She did not

really want to join the Nelson family, the reason she agreed to that was just to come back from abroad

and took back her and her mother’s things.

Matthew sneered as if feeling amused and ridiculous. She wanted to make a deal with him? Dolores

swallowed and due to nervousness, her back was drenched with sweat. Matthew was tall and she had

to lift her head to look at him. “I know the reason you pretended to be lame is to let the Flores family

cancel the marriage, yet I have my own difficulty regarding the marriage.” That sparked Matthew’s

interest and he asked, “What do you want?” Since it was a deal, there must be conditions.

“One month. After one month of marriage, I’ll divorce you.” One month was enough. After getting back

her mother’s dowry, she would divorce him. Matthew frowned. “That’s the deal you want to make with

me?”

“Yes, we have to marry each other no matter what because it’s a promise between two mothers and we

couldn’t break it. It’s to show respect towards them. But after the marriage, it’s not counted as breaking

the promise when we don’t match in terms of personalities and divorce each other. And you don’t have

to spend a lifetime with someone you don’t like. It won’t do you harm, only good---” Having said that,

Dolores slowed down. “I suppose Mr. Nelson has someone you’re fond of and that’s why you’ve tried

everything to make the Flore family break the promise?”

Matthew pulled down a long face and was slightly raged. “I didn’t expect you to be that smart.” It was

true and he wanted to give Helen recognition. He was moved by her innocence and endurance back

then. He fixed his eyes onto the face which was pretending to be composed and retorted. “Then what

about you? What would benefit you from this one month of marriage?” He did not think she would only

consider for him.

Dolores’s heart plummeted as she could not possibly say she was coming for her mother’s dowry. Yet if

she did not give him a reason, he might not believe her. “My mother cares about the marriage greatly,

and she has a poor health, therefore I don’t want to disappoint her.” Her eyes were evasive when she

spoke because she had told a lie. Her mother did not want her to marry him at all.

Matthew replied with an inexplicably creepy threatening voice, as if he had read her mind. “Oh really?”

Dolores felt uneasy. His eyes seemed to be able to penetrate her mind. When she was panicking and

figuring what to do, the phone in his pocket rang. Matthew glimpsed at her and took out his phone. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Upon seeing the name on the screen, there was a soft light in his eyes. He turned around to pick up the

call, and as if remembering something, he turned back and said, “Since it would only last a month,

there’s no need to organize a wedding ceremony.” Dolores did not have a choice but to agree to that.

“Sure.”

At the twelfth of August, Abbott came to fetch her. There was no ceremony or a wedding banquet but a

marriage certificate. Dolores did not have a great fluctuation in emotion because she was clear that it

was only a deal to accommodate their needs. If the marriage was not settled when they were still

children, it could be they would never cross each other’s life.

The car soon stopped in front of a villa. The stone building that had occupied a large area of the land

looked majestic under the sunlight. “Please go in.” Abbott gestured her to enter before him. He was

neither enthusiastic nor flattering towards her. He was behaving moderately and he must have known

that the marriage between her and Matthew was only to fulfill the promise. She was not the real missus

of the Nelson family.

Although the villa was huge, there were not many people inside and there was only one servant. Abbott

did not give her much introduction and left upon leading her to the inside. Dolores found it a bit hard to

adapt to the surrounding. “This is Mr. Nelson’s residence. I’m the servant that takes care of his daily

life, you can call me Coral.” Coral led her to a room and said, “Do tell me if you have any needs.” One

month was not a long time and Dolores had brought her own daily necessities. Although she might not

bother her, she still replied yes.

Coral opened the room door. She turned around and looked at her as if wanting to say something to

her. She sighed at last. “Mr. Nelson might not come back tonight because it’s Miss White’s birthday

today.” Although they did not organize a wedding, she was still his nominal wife. No matter how, today

was their first day of marriage, yet he was staying with other woman outside. Coral felt sorry for

Dolores as she was given the cold shoulder by Matthew when she had just joined the family. Wouldn’t

her life be worse in the future?