A young woman was bound to an operating table, her hands and legs spread wide. The blue gown she had put on was folded up to her waist, exposing her lower body. Her face was pale in fear. Her body was trembling non-stop. It was difficult to tell whether she was shaking from the cold or fear.
Natasha Wynn looked at the various instruments displayed on her right, including scalpels, forceps, scissors, clamps, and many others whose names she didn't know. Then she moved her gaze to the nurse with a mask on her face, standing next to the operation table. Her heart twisted when she saw her preparing an injection.
She was always afraid of the injections. She wriggled but couldn't get her hands and legs free from the clamps that held them to the operating table.
"Let me go, please," she pleaded. She began to regret agreeing to this arrangement. "I don’t want to do it. Let go of me." The more she spoke, the louder she sounded.
"Shh…" The nurse pressed her index finger against her lips. "Maintain the silence."
Natasha shook her head frantically. "I don’t want to do it. I want to go home. Please…"
"You have already signed the agreement," the nurse reminded her. "There is no retreat." She grabbed her arm to inject the drug into her veins.
"No…" Natasha screamed, wriggling harder. Even the operation table shook.
"Help…" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
The nurse stepped back, scowling. "Relax. It won’t hurt."
Her words were not enough to calm Natasha. The sight of the sharp, pointed needle made her blood run cold. Her pupils dilated as the nurse approached her.
"No, no, no…" She shouted, shaking her head.
"Why is she shouting?" A deep voice rang out inside the room, drawing her attention.
She shifted her gaze to the entrance and noticed a man in a white apron with a mask on his face approaching. She figured it was the doctor. His presence terrified her even more.
"Doctor, I don’t want to do it."
The doctor frowned and looked at the nurse. "Isn’t she ready for the process?" he asked as he put on the gloves.
"She is," the nurse replied promptly.
"Why is she now saying no?"
"No idea."
"Let me go."
"She has signed the agreement," the nurse continued without bothering her cry.
The doctor glanced at Natasha dejectedly. "I won’t be able to perform the procedure on her if she keeps moving. Sedate her."
"No, no, no… please."
The nurse prepared another injection. She grabbed her arm and injected the sedative into her veins.
"Ah…" Natasha screamed when the needle pierced her flesh. The pricking pain lasted only a fraction of a second. To Natasha, it was the most painful thing she had ever experienced. However, she didn’t get time to recover from the shock as she quickly lost consciousness.
The doctor came out of the operation room several minutes later, with the nurse following closely behind him. "Make a quick report saying she is perfectly fine for the process," he said. "Mr. Watson doesn’t like waiting a long time."
"Sure, doctor."
As they walked away, a ward boy pushed the unconscious Natasha out of the room on a stretcher and into the ward.
Two hours later…
Natasha gradually regained consciousness. She opened her eyes with a squint. Her head felt heavy, and her body felt a little numb.
"Mm…" She sat up slowly, pressing her hand against her brow.
"You are awake." A nurse came up to her with a smile.
She felt a chill run down her spine as she recalled the incident in the operating room. She was afraid the nurse would prick her again with an injection. Her hair sprang on her back. All she wanted to do was jump out of bed and run. But her legs were numb.
She clutched the bedspread tight as she watched the nurse get in closer. "Can I go now?" she asked, her voice faltering.
"It is not done yet."
"What? But…"
The nurse blindfolded her before she could say anything else.
"Wait…" she yelled. "Why are you blindfolding me?" She tried to remove the patch that covered her eyes.
"Don’t move. Or else, I will give you an injection."
The word injection was sufficient for Natasha to stop defying. She remained speechless, not even daring to breathe.
The nurse held her arm and said, "You have to get out of bed."
Natasha docilely clambered down from the bed.
"Stand still." Another instruction came from the nurse.
Natasha remained rooted to the ground. She felt the gown slip away from her body. Then she felt a soft fabric drape over her head, cascading down to her thighs. She slipped her hands through the sleeves and instinctively touched the dress.
The fabric was soft and silky to the touch. It was light. It didn’t feel like she was wearing anything. It made her wonder what type of fabric it was.
She had never worn something so soft.
"Why are you dressing me up?" She asked.
"Do you want to go there in a hospital gown?" The nurse asked back a question without answering her.
"Where are you taking me?" Natasha became restless. Wrinkles appeared on her brow.
"You will find out soon."
Clomp-Clomp-Clomp…
Natasha jerked back as she heard footsteps approaching. Someone else entered the ward. Before she could figure out what was going on, a big hand grabbed her arm and led her out.
Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. "Who are you? Where are you taking me?"
"…"
"I want to talk to my aunt. Please…"
"…"
All she could hear were footsteps.
Judging by the sound of the heavy footfalls and the tight grip on her arm, she figured that the person was a man. Natasha wished she could break free from his grasp and run away. But all she did was go with him without question.
Tweet-Tweet…
The sound of the car door unlocking startled her.
She turned her head aside. She was inside the car before she knew it.
Thump…
She moved away at the sound of the door closing. She reached out to take the blindfold off.
"Don’t dare to open it," a deep voice boomed inside the car, causing her to flinch. "Otherwise, I have to tie you up. And believe me, you won’t like it."
Natasha drew her hand down. She pulled her legs up and hugged her knees to stop herself from shaking. She hunched on her knees as the car began to move, her mind racing back to a conversation she had with her aunt a few days ago.
Her uncle raised her after her parents died. He was kind and sympathetic to her. However, her aunt didn't like her. She had always treated her badly as if she were a burden to the family.
When her uncle's company was about to go bankrupt, her aunt begged her to save the business and the family. She pleaded with her to repay their upbringing.
Natasha, who couldn’t see her uncle in distress, promised her to do whatever she could to save the company. But she did not expect her aunt to ask her for surrogacy. She initially refused, but after seeing her painful expression, she agreed.
It was the day of the procedure. Her aunt accompanied her to the hospital.
Natasha expected the doctor to perform IVF. But she wasn't sure anymore. She had no idea where this man was taking her.
Screech…
The sudden stop of the car jolted her out of her trance. She sat upright, hanging her legs down from the seat.
The door clicked open, and the man grabbed her arm. He dragged her out of the car.
Natasha winced as soon as her bare feet touched the cold and gritty ground. She turned her head left and right as if she was trying to look at the surroundings. The cold breeze on her face made her shiver.
"Where are you taking me?"
"…"
She groaned inwardly. This man acted as if he was mute.
‘Why am I expecting an answer from him?’
The warmth of the surroundings made her realize they had entered a house. As they moved forward, his boot made a stomping sound.
Click…
She heard the sound of the door opening. She felt chilled the moment she entered the room. The mild, flowery fragrance of the room freshener hit her nostrils.
"Ah…" Before she could figure out anything, the man shoved her down. She fell on something soft and fluffy. Her body bounced up and down gently.
Bang…
The door slammed shut. Natasha removed the patch from her eyes and looked around, only to find herself in a dimly lit room on a round bed with a white bedspread.
The room was twice as big as hers. The furnishings lavishly placed throughout looked expensive. Everything was elegant, whether it was the bed, the side tables, or the chest of drawers. The gold leaf that adorned the furniture made them distinct and showed that it was not an ordinary bedroom. The heavy brown curtains kept the outside light from entering the room.
Natasha looked around in awe, wondering how wealthy the person was. Her wandering gaze rested on an enormous round mirror mounted on the ceiling. Her reflection appeared so frail. What caught her attention was the sheer dress she had put on that could barely cover her body.
She cringed and covered her exposed cleavage with her hands.
Click…
The squeaking of the door made her jump. When she turned to the door, she saw a man with a black mask enter.
Natasha scooted to the far end of the bed and cringed, hugging her knees. She kept her eye on the guy in the black shirt and the black pants. His towering stature was daunting. She shuddered even harder with each step he took toward her.Even though she was terrified, she couldn't take her eyes off him. Because of the black mask, she was unable to see his face other than his eyes, which were cold and intimidating.She gradually realized that she had to sleep with this man. She felt cheated.What a fool she was to put her trust in her aunt.She wanted to flee right away. But she remained speechless, glued to the spot.The man halted his steps, shoving his hands inside his pockets. His mouth twisted in annoyance as he watched her tremble."Tsk…" He clicked his tongue. "You are making me bored. Don’t make me lose interest. Or else, I will send you away."His deep voice vibrated inside her stomach. It was deeper than the man's voice who had brought her here.Natasha felt nothing but chill
The next morning…Natasha woke up with a sore on her lower back. She felt like each muscle in her body was spent. It was as if a road roller had run over her."Mm…" she groaned and sat up, her lower back hurting.She recalled the erotic night she had had with that man. She had been keeping her virginity for her future husband for the past twenty years. But she had lost it last night to a stranger.That man seemed to have lost control. He had tormented her the whole night.When she looked around the room, she didn’t find a trace of him. She dragged herself out of bed, a grimace appearing on her face. Her legs wobbled from the pain down there, yet she maintained her balance.She found her dress lying on the floor. It was not in the state to wear. She remembered how ruthlessly he had ripped the dress."What should I do?" She murmured, looking around. "I can’t stay here any longer. I have to find something to wear."Her wandering gaze landed on the walk-in closet. She limped into it.The
Six years later…In a hospital…Natasha waited in the queue in front of a billing counter for her turn to pay. She was dazedly staring at the invoice in her hand. The bill was more than half her monthly salary.Her son had a congenital heart problem and had to rush to the hospital once again. It was his second hospitalization this month. It took him a week to recover this time.The doctor suggested surgery as soon as possible. If not, his condition would worsen. But Natasha could hardly manage his medications. She had no idea how she would arrange the money for the surgery.Because of surrogacy, she couldn’t complete her drama major. Her dream of becoming an actress never came true. She wouldn’t have faced this money problem if she had fulfilled her dream. Now she was working as a typist in a small company to feed herself and her son.She never complained about her misfortune as she thought she would have a happy life with her son. But her cruel destiny didn’t show her mercy. It had s
The Rolls Royce pulled over in front of a luxurious villa several minutes later. The boy jumped out of the car before the driver could get out and open the door for him. He stomped into the house, his face glum."Master Johnson, watch your steps," the driver cautioned as he pulled out the school bag and the cake box. "You may fall."Johnson hurried in without bothering about his words. He saw his father’s fiancée, Amber, in the hall. His face turned even darker as he muttered in his mind, ‘Bad witch.’"Hey, little wonder." Amber approached him, donning a sweet smile on her face. "You are back from school. Come and sit with me for a while." She stretched her arms wide.Johnson gave her a sidelong gaze and walked up to his room."Oh…" Amber turned around and stared at his back, mouth agape. "What is the matter with him?"She saw the driver coming in. "Why is he so upset?" she asked. "Does anything happen in the school? Do I need to contact his teacher?""I have no idea why his mood has
"When I was young like you, mamma and papa used to take me to Shihai," Natasha said as she walked to the bus stop, holding Jack’s hand. "It is a lovely town in a valley, surrounded by pine trees and away from the city's pollution. I enjoyed visiting there. Uhh…" She sighed deeply. "I haven't been there in years. I am thinking of…"She stopped talking abruptly when she saw Jack staring at something. She followed his gaze and saw nothing but running cars."Are you okay?" she asked, a frown on her face.Jack shifted his attention to her frantically as if he had just come out of his trance. It made Natasha frown even harder."What are you looking at?" she asked.Jack blinked as if puzzled. He then smiled and asked back a question, "Do you like to ride in a car? A luxurious car?"Natasha couldn’t help but laugh. She put her hand under his chin and said, "Of course, I’d like to ride in a car. We will get a car when you grow up and get a good job.""Hmm…" Jack nodded and turned aside.Natash
Jack had been in a sour mood since they returned home. He had not been talking much. He kept himself locked in his room.Natasha wanted to make him happy. She prepared Jack’s favorite chicken noodle soup with a lot of scallions for supper."Yummy soup is ready," she said as she put the bowl of soup on the table. "Come and have it before it gets cold.""…"She cast a sidelong glance at his room and called him, "Jack… I am waiting.""…""Jack…" She turned to his room. "Are you coming?"She walked over there and raised her hand to knock on the door. Her hand froze in the air as she heard him talking. It sounded like he was conversing with someone else. Her eyebrows knitted as she leaned forward and put her ear to the door."Yes… I want specifically that one," she heard him say."Jack…" She knocked on the door."…""What are you doing? Open the door." Natasha pounded on the door harder this time."Coming, mommy."Creak…Jack opened the door after some time. "Yes, mommy." He smiled at her.
When Natasha looked down at herself, she found her black skirt was soiled. There was dirt on her knees as well. Her elbows hurt.She checked her elbows, only to see several scratches. The skin turned red.‘Jack will worry if he sees these.’She brushed the dirt off her skirt and slowly walked ahead to find a public toilet. After looking for a while, she finally found a lavatory and went in.She opened the faucet of the sink and cleaned her elbows first."Hiss…" She winced when the cold water touched her sore skin. After cleaning, she dried her hands with her handkerchief. Then she took two waterproof bandages from her bag and placed one on each of her injured elbows.Bang…She flinched at the loud noise of the door opening and closing. She turned to the entrance frantically and saw a man rushing in. Before she could figure out anything, the man dragged her into a cubicle and closed the door."Shh…" He sealed her mouth with his large palm.Natasha remained affixed to the wall as if she
Daisy came almost an hour later and handed Jack a remote-control monster truck.Jack’s eyes were shining bright as he checked the car. "Thank you, Daisy.""Give me a kiss." Daisy squatted in front of him and pointed at her right cheek.Jack placed a wet kiss on her cheek and hurried to his room.Daisy laughed as she stood up."You always bring such an expensive toy for him every time you come," Natasha grumbled as she came out of the kitchen with a bowl of noodles. "Don’t do it.""I am his mother, too. I have every right to spoil my son." She walked up to the dining table and took her seat on a chair. She sniffed the soup, a smile slipping across her lips. "Mm, smells good." She stuffed some noodles into her mouth with chopsticks. "Hmm… It’s delicious.""Glad to know that you like it." Natasha sat down across from her."I always like whatever you cook."Daisy finished the noodles quickly and burped loudly."Picmotion Production House is looking for a fresh face for their upcoming dram