I could still remember that right the next day, Robbie asked me out.
That was the first time that I had even seen him clearly. He looked tall and muscular with the suit that
he was wearing. His face was chiseled and his lips were thin. I felt a sudden breeze of wind as I looked
into his cold eyes.
His complexion was not fair, but somewhat similar to wheat. It looked good on him for it emphasized his
masculine charm.
He seemed to give this kind of coldness that drove people away. And that made me feel suffocated
with his overwhelming presence.
We sat down in a cafe. I ordered a cup of coffee, but Robbie didn't order anything. Without warning, he
went straight to the point and said, "The person you need to marry is my brother, Rogelio. But as of
now, he can't accompany you to get the marriage certificate, because he is a vegetable. He has been
sleeping for almost a year now."
Upon hearing his words, I was stunned to my core.
However, Robbie continued with an understatement, "But then again, it's up to you. You can choose
not to agree."
I didn't forget why I nodded my head and agreed to last night's deal! Because, I couldn't afford the price
if I refused.
I thought for a while about what he said. With hesitation, I nodded in the end.
But I neglected one factor at that time. I had slept with Robbie. Why did he still want to marry me to his
brother?
At that time, I just thought that since this marriage was not about love, then it was better to stay with a
vegetable than to live with a stranger. Which was like what was happening between me and Robbie
right now. In addition to the embarrassment, I could still vividly recall the scandalous pictures that were
taken just last night.
Afterwards, Robbie accompanied me to get the marriage certificate—Rogelio Luo's and mine.
Right in my wedding day, there were no blessings from my family and friends, nor a simple meal which
could have symbolized our wedding.
A marriage certificate, for other women, was the evidence to prove what their lifetime of happiness
was. But for me, it was just like a leaflet from someone else when I went shopping.
After getting the marriage certificate, I was taken into the Luo family on that same day.
To be honest, that was the most beautiful house I had ever been in.
It was a luxurious villa, just like the ones described in many novels.
Then, I took a deep breath and finally understood why my mother sent me to the bed of a man in the
Luo family. And I also understood what my mother had kept saying before I came here. "It is your
fortune to be married into the Luo family with this kind and background. And how lucky you are to have
a mother like me. I expect that you would repay me thousand fold in the future!"
As I looked at everything around me, I felt that I was in a strange place, not knowing where I truly was.
At that moment, I could only stand at the center of the hall, uneasy and lonely
until Robbie walked out of a room on the second floor with a middle-aged woman, who actually looked
like a rich lady. Little did I know that this woman was no other than my mother-in-law, my husband's
mother—Nancy Qi.
When I saw Nancy Qi, she wore a dark red dress with some cheongsam elements, along with a white
scarf. She looked down at me all the way along the fence on the second floor.
I would never forget the way she looked at me.
Being looked like that hurt my self-esteem. I had already felt so inferior my whole life and I wouldn't
want to be looked at that way.
Then, Nancy Qi went downstairs as Robbie accompanied her.
During that time, she seemed like a picky customer who was so meticulous about the product that she
bought that she would take her sweet time just to see if it was perfect.
Nancy Qi walked around me for three times before she stopped and said to Robbie, "It's okay to take
her out if she has dressed up. But she's from an ordinary family. Even if your brother is asleep as of the
moment, her background clearly doesn't deserve to go out with Rogelio."
"We don't need a woman whose background matches ours, but a woman of humble origin like her.
Only those women can understand the magnificence of staying in this family and are capable of taking
care of my brother," Robbie said in his usual calm voice.
There, I saw them talking to each other as if I wasn't there. They didn't even consider my feelings and
existence. It was as if I was nothing but air. At that moment, I knew that they had labeled me as a lowly
woman—a woman who would do anything for money.
Nancy Qi averted her gaze from Robbie to me. Raising her chin slightly, she then warned me, "Since
you are now in the Luo family, you must obey our rules without hesitation. Now, it's your responsibility
to take care of Rogelio. I don't care what tricks you had before. But in the Luo family, you are expected
to be quieter and keep less contact with other men. If I hear any gossip, there would be consequences.
Don't blame me for not warning you today."
I didn't blame Nancy. If I were her, then I would hold a grudge against a daughter-in-law like me. So
during that time, I had nothing to say but, "I know, aunt."
"You should call her mother from now on." Robbie reminded me.
I tried to change the way I addressed Nancy, but she waved her hand to stop me and said, "Don't call
me like that and I don't want to hear it. You don't have to change it. If you don't have anything to say,
then do not show your face to me."
Afterwards, she turned around and prepared to go upstairs.
But when she turned to look at Robbie, her vicious eyes suddenly became very gentle. Then, she took
his hand and stroked it gently. "Good boy. I'm relieved to see that you are still thinking about your
brother."
And as always, Robbie looked indifferent as she talked to him.
"Come on, Mom. Let me help you upstairs."
Nancy Qi nodded with a big smile and went upstairs with Robbie's assistance.
Just like that, they went on with their lives and just left me where I was.
I was neglected and ignored as if I were transparent and odorless.
I didn't even know how long I had stood there like a log. It was not long after when finally, a maid came
over and said, "Mr. Rogelio's room is on the third floor. Follow me and I'll take you to his room now."
I followed the maid up to the third floor and stood in front of a door.
"It's here. You can go in now."
I was not in a hurry to go in. I just had to take a deep breath so that I could ease my inner anxiety that
had been eating me alive since I got here.
Although the man that I saw was a vegetable lying on the bed, I just could not believe that he was now
my husband—my legal husband.
Then, I pushed the door gently with my hand. I took a peak and there it was—a huge room with very
delicate and spotless furniture.
Even if there was a patient lying in the room, it didn't reek of the smell of medicine. Instead, there was
even a faint smell of lavender in the room.
I scanned the room and there he was. A man was lying on a big wooden bed, and my heart could not
beat any faster at that moment.
Before today, I never thought that I would marry a man whom I didn't even know about at all.
Watching me go inside the room, the maid then gently closed the door and left.
Then, I put down my luggage and walked slowly towards the man in bed.
By how he looked, Rogelio Luo seemed to be as tall as Robbie.
Even more so, I was shocked when I saw Rogelio Luo's face.
Being his brother, he looked just like Robbie.
The only difference was that Rogelio Luo looked thinner than Robbie. His skin was as pale as paper,
unlike the healthy wheat color like Robbie's.
At that time, I sat on Rogelio Luo's bedside and looked at him quietly.
Then, I thought. This man, who was just a stranger to me a second ago, would be all I could depend on
in the future.
Bitterly, I smiled as I looked at the eyes that would never open.
"Hello there, Rogelio. It's nice to meet you. My name is Jasmine. It spells J-A-S-M-I-N-E. I guess that
you're stuck with me from now on for I am your wife. And with that, II will take care of you forever."
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