Eulalia stood silently, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. "Why are you treating me like this?""I don't want to, but I have to do this to keep you," he said.Eulalia knew he was determined to terminate the pregnancy. Her emotions fluctuated rapidly, her complexion growing worse."What if I stay by your side obediently?" she asked hoarsely. "Can we keep the baby?"Percival shook his head, silently mouthing "No."This child was hers, a life within her, her solace. Eulalia couldn't understand why Percival would rather adopt from an orphanage than have her bear their child. Did he despise her that much?Eulalia's gaze drifted to the corridor outside and the windows of the hospital room. Percival immediately understood her thoughts from her actions."We're on the twelfth floor; you can't escape. I'll have someone watch you until you go through with the abortion," he declared.Such heartless words from a man who once claimed to love her more than his own life—how ridiculous.The
"Ms. Hayak..." As soon as Eulalia spoke, tears began to roll down her cheeks, her first step in seeking Ms. Hayak's help was to gain her sympathy.Eulalia was beautiful, and her illness made her tears even more pitiable, like raindrops on pear blossoms, eliciting compassion. Ms. Hayak, moved and anxious, quickly fetched some tissues to wipe Eulalia’s tears."Why are you crying?" Ms. Hayak asked, hastily dabbing at her tears, "You should be happy about being pregnant."Eulalia shook her head: "Ms. Hayak, is Percival really going to abort my child?"Ms. Hayak froze, her hand stiffening around the tissue as she struggled to process the news."Why... why would he do that?"Eulalia explained everything to Ms. Hayak, including how the medicine Percival had given her was meant to disrupt her memory, indicating he never wanted her to recover her memories.To ensure she couldn't remember anything, he even planned to reduce her to a simpleton and keep her confined here.Eulalia didn’t understan
Eulalia had disappeared; she had fled.Percival had meticulously pieced together all his thoughts: Eulalia had planned her escape from the very beginning.She first signed the surgery agreement to lower his guard, using his guilt to ensure he kept his distance for the week.Then, she seized the opportunity of his relaxed vigilance to escape.Percival had never imagined Eulalia would leave him in such a manner—amnesiac, mentally unsteady, pregnant, and penniless.Who else did she know besides him?Percival hung up the phone and walked straight out of the meeting room, leaving Oliver in charge.---Grabbing his car keys, Percival rushed to the parking lot. His hands trembled as he opened the door, and once inside the car, he dialed Eulalia's number."Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off..."Hearing this, Percival's breath caught, and a chill spread from his skin to his blood, freezing his heart.He feared Eulalia leaving him, and more so, feared something happening to her.
The bus was crowded and chaotic. Worried about pickpockets, Eulalia dared not close her eyes to rest. After a jarring 24-hour ride, she arrived in a small town. After briefly resting for a day, she continued her journey, hopping from place to place like a rabbit from one burrow to another. Two weeks later, she reached a village that was barely discernible on the map and rented an apartment near a school.The place had its pros and cons. The downside was the inconvenient transportation and the local dialect, which made communication difficult. However, Eulalia was adaptable and soon got used to these issues.The advantages were more significant: low cost of living, a mix of people that made it difficult to be found, and the fact that no identification was required to get things done. After paying her rent, Eulalia returned to her modest bedroom, which had only a wooden plank for a bed; she needed to buy a mattress and bedding.The house was not luxurious, but it was clean and not damp.
Eulalia went shopping again during the day, stocked up on some everyday stuff, and threw some fresh meat in the fridge to chill.The lady renting out the place to her is about thirty, with two kids. Eulalia hasn't talked to her much, but she seemed nice and friendly when they signed the contract.The landlady lives in the same building, which has five floors. Eulalia's on the third floor, and the landlady's up top.One day, she stopped by Eulalia's place, knocked on the door, and brought over some veggies from her garden.Eulalia accepted them and quickly checked her fridge to see if she had anything to give back.The landlady laughed and said, "Don't worry about it. It's just some veggies from my garden, not worth much. By the way, are you living alone?"She looked around the neat and tidy room that felt a bit too quiet."Yeah, just me."The landlady was curious but didn't pry since it's personal stuff. Still, she thought she should keep an eye on her from now on since living alone i
The landlady invited Eulalia in to sit on the sofa and poured her a glass of lemon water, which she placed on the coffee table."How have you been feeling these last few days? Are you uncomfortable?""Just a lack of appetite and a bit nauseous, other than that, I'm okay.""That's a normal reaction, but if you feel really bad, you should go see a doctor. When I was pregnant with my son, I also had no appetite for anything. My husband spent his days figuring out what to eat and took me out to distract me; it made me feel better. Oh, when I didn't feel like eating, I liked sour things, like lemon slices. Try this and see," she suggested, handing over the drink.Eulalia, touched and envious of the proprietor's words, admired the care she received from her husband and his consideration for her and their child. She tasted the lemon water, finding it pleasantly sweet and sour, and nodded, "It's delicious.""That's good, I enjoyed drinking it when I was pregnant too, but you can't drink too m
Early the next morning, Eulalia boarded the bus to the county town. Upon arriving, she took a taxi to the largest shopping mall in the area. This was her first visit to a mall since she had arrived in town, and she concealed the excitement trembling in her heart.Eulalia surveyed her surroundings while memorizing the route, searching for a jewelry store. After asking around, she finally found a shop where she could pawn jewelry. She glanced at the décor and then her eyes settled on the jewelry displayed behind the glass—too ordinary. She was unsure how to price them.It was only when a sales clerk saw her wandering around that he approached her and asked, “What kind of jewelry are you looking to pick out, miss?”Eulalia responded directly, “Is your boss here?”The clerk’s smile faltered slightly, subtly masking his concern—perhaps fearing she was there to return an item or cause trouble.“Our boss isn’t here, but the manager is.”“Could you please call the manager over? Thank you.”Th
“If youcan’t afford it, then I’ll have to look elsewhere,” Eulalia said as she had meticulously observed the jewelry store’s decor upon entering. It was unlikely they couldn’t come up with a million.“This necklace, nearly worth amillion, I’m sure there are other stores that can pay for it, like the jewelry just around the corner.”What Eulalia was sayingwas Mr. Louis’s competitor. Hearing this, hewas about to say something when Eulalia suddenly stood up.“Not to mention, using this necklace as a centerpiece could attract many customers, or even selling it in the city for millionswould net you a huge profit.As Eulalia spoke, she casually walked towards the exit, her nonchalant demeanor making Mr. Louiseven more anxious, sweat beading on his forehead.“Ms. Clearwater, pleas