Chapter 2

　　I nodded, grabbed the edge of the bed tightly with both hands and closed my damp eyes. 　　Once again, he slid the equipment inside me. The searing pain made me almost faint. I screamed out in pain. 　　I tried my best not to move my lower abdomen. Beads of sweat trickled down my face as I clenched my teeth so that I wouldn't faint from it. 　　Marcus Mo would rather that my first time would be with a cold metal tool than with him. He would never ever want to touch me. I thought that the penetration was the worst of it, I had no idea that the actual egg retrieval was even more painful. 　　A total of ten eggs were taken. When I got off the operating table, I didn't even have the strength to stand up straight. I was hoping someone would push me out in a wheelchair but apparently, nobody thought such a simple procedure would be painful enough to incapacitate the patient. It was should normally be a pain-free procedure. 　　As I limped out, Marcus’s face showed that he knew I was in pain but he didn’t care. 　　"Let's go." he said and walked past me with his long legs. 　　I felt too tired to walk and just stood on the spot. My lips seems dry as I tried to speak. And in the end, I finally moved on and struggled to walk, following behind Marcus as we walked out of the hospital. 　　I imagined myself saying to him, “Marcus, can you please help me? I feel so down and weak.” Of course, I didn’t say that. I knew exactly how that would end up. 　　We got into the car. I curled up in the backseat. Even my breathing felt painful. 　　In the driver's seat, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, slowly lit one and glanced at me from the rear-view mirror with his cold eyes. 　　With a quick look, I can see and feel his deep disgust and hatred for me through them. 　　"Sarah, you understand that I was forced to marry you, right? The old man wanted me to, so I had to. Do you regret it?" 　　I looked down, avoiding his gaze. “I’m fine,” I said. 　　“I wasn’t asking if you’re okay. I’m asking you if you regret this. Don’t you regret marrying me?” 　　“No.” I replied simply. 　　He started the car and drove. We rode back home in complete silence. 　　His grandfather and mine were great friends. This marriage was decided even before I was in my mother’s womb. As a kid, I have been to their family’s house more times than I can remember. Although Marcus Mo has always been quiet, he didn't dislike me then as much as he did now. Once, I sprained my foot and he was the one who carried me to the car so I could be taken to the hospital. I have no idea why everything changed just a month before the wedding. 　　We finally got home. Marcus escorted me to the door then spoke without even looking at me. 　　"I'm going abroad for a month. I’d appreciate it if you can have the baby implanted during this period," he said in a businesslike manner. 　　Before I could answer, he had already walked back to his car. 　　Now, I’m left to fend for myself. 　　Other than myself, Marcus’s younger sister, Maureen, was the only other family member occupying the Mo Family’s ancestral house. It was a huge, old mansion constructed before the war. It was a pretty imposing structure, and though it had been repaired many times before, they were careful to keep its original appearance. 　　I didn't know why, but Maureen didn't like me. From the first time she ever laid eyes on me, she instantly hated me. 　　One day, I went out for some fresh air. As I walked into the living room, Maureen sat on the sofa. She was painting her nails. Seeing me coming back, she suddenly said to no one in particular, “You know what they say, the cat is away…” 　　When I didn’t respond to her and tried to walk past her, she stood up and blocked my way. “So how’s your old lover? Did you meet up somewhere?” In a hostile tone. 　　Maureen is Marcus Mo's younger sister but she calls him “Marcus,” which goes against our custom. I knew she did that out of affection and not disrespect but there was something about it that didn’t sit right with me. 　　Even if I didn't like her calling him this way, I never said anything. Marcus just let her call him that. 　　Even if I wanted to have an affair or have sexual relations with another man, I doubt that I could, after having gone through what I did. The truth was, right now, I felt like I’d never be able to lie with a man after all that pain. It was a very traumatic experience for me. 　　At that moment, I was slightly feverish. Though I had gone out for fresh air, I couldn’t even stay outside for long. I had to go back to my stuffy room. It was better to lie down there than expose myself outside.