Does It Hurt?

"Mr. Carroll?" My eyes were red. I saw Carroll and wanted to cry in his arms. "I was scared to death. So horrible. "Your brother and grandma are more horrible than ghosts. Look! How hard he slapped me!" I raised my red cheek to let Carroll check it. Carroll put some of my loose hair behind my ear and then saw on my fair face a clear palmprint. "Does it hurt?" His eyebrows were knitted into a frown. "Yes, yes, yes." I nodded and cried louder. "Of course, it hurts. His hand is bigger than my head." My face was smaller than my head.  This slap from Nathan was as hard as a strike caused by a rod. I should feel lucky that I didn't black out.  I didn't dare to imagine the consequence if Nathan hit my temple.  An icebag appeared out of the blue, and Carroll pressed on my red cheek. "Do you feel regretful?" "About what?" I stopped crying and asked. "Marrying me?" Carroll took the ice bag away from my cheek, adjusted it, and then placed it back on my face. I tilted my head and leaned on Carroll's leg to cooperate with Carroll in the treatment. "No!" I didn't lie. There was trouble, but Carroll was good to me. I had a good husband, so what I regretted? "Have a harsh retaliation next time." Carroll laughed. "Yes." I nodded obediently. No, there was something wrong.  I burst out crying. "Mr. Carroll, why will there be a next time? No next time, okay? If I became deaf, you would feel like raising a cat or a dog." "Alas!" Carroll sighed and then said, "Children love to cry." Hearing this, I cried louder. "Do you want cakes?" Carroll asked casually as he removed the ice bag from my face. "Cakes? Whose birthday?" I swallowed my saliva. In the past, cakes would be reserved for my cousin and his birthday only. I didn't have the chance to taste them.  My birthday was considered a shame of the whole family. Therefore, I wasn't qualified to have a cake. "It is a daily dessert here." Carroll waved his hand. Then, Rose appeared with a small cake with cherries on it.  "Open your mouth." Carroll took the cake, scooped it with the exquisite spoon, and handed the spoon to me. "Oh, it's so sweet!" The thick cream melted in my mouth, and there was the mellow taste of chocolate. Instantly, I stopped crying. I took the cake from Carroll and enjoyed myself. Yummy! After a while, a satisfied smile appeared on my face. "Mr. Carroll, this cake is delicious. Do you like some?" "I don't like sweet food." Carroll pushed away the spoon that I handed over and let out a long sigh. "Only a childish way can pacify the children." I didn't talk back. I focused on my cake.  A phone rang, so Jason left with the phone. After a while, Jason came back with a stern look. "Mr. Carroll, Joey called and said there would be a wedding for you and Madam tomorrow." "What?" I blinked my eyes with confusion. "A wedding?" Didn't Old Madame Brown and Nathan want a death certificate of Carroll, so why would there be a wedding? "Yes. There will be a paper doll." Jason said after one cautious glance at the gloomy Carroll. "Oh." After a short response, I continued to eat. "Oh..." Carroll poked my forehead. "Do you agree?" "Why not? It's my wedding with you anyway. It doesn't matter that my groom was a paper doll." With a smile, I said, "It seems that Nathan loves paper dolls." Carroll was speechless. Jason shook his head and said with surprise, "Madam, you have a strong heart." "In the countryside, Grandma beat me up whenever I displeased her." Therefore, I became tough.  The doorbell rang. Carroll tapped my head. "Go to the Smith family. Remember what I said." "Don't worry. I'll fight back if someone tries to hurt me..." I thought for a moment and added, "A harsh retaliation." "Good girl." Then, Carroll strode back to his secret room. Jason went to open the door. It was Opal. It seemed I was in a terrible state whenever Opal came. For example, I now sat on the ground with my legs crossed and enjoyed my time with a cake.  Opal gave his gold-rimmed glasses a push. "What are you doing?" "Eating a cake?" I raised the cake in my hand. Couldn't he see my cake? My brother did have very bad sight, so he wore glasses.  "Get ready and go home with me." Opal shook his head with a hint of disdain in his eyes. Alas, what would come came at last.  I quickly ate up the cake on the tray. Then I took out a tissue and wiped my greasy mouth. After that, I stood up and patted my ass. "Let's go." "In this way?" "Yes!" Did Opal want me to dress up? I was in the mourning for my husband.  "Okay." Opal led the way with his car key. Jason and I followed behind. Jason had prepared a lot of gifts for my visit to the Smith family. According to the size, Jason placed the gifts in the trunk of Opal in order. Then, he went to the passenger seat next to Opal. Opal said, "Jason, Kelly is going home with me. There will be no danger, so she doesn't need bodyguards." "Madam..." Jason was in a dilemna. Carroll had told Jason to follow me to the Smith family. However, what Opal said made sense. It would be a disgrace to the Smith family if I went there with some bodyguards.  "Everything will be fine. Don't worry. I can go by myself." I shook the phone in hand, indicating that I would text him if anything bad happened.  "Okay." Jason got out of the car and watched us leave. Opal drove, and I was on the back seat. "You're aloof." Opal started the conversation.  "What do you mean?" I looked at Opal in the rearview mirror and found that we shared similar eyes and eyebrows.  He was my real brother. His dimples and eyeballs were the same as mine.  "Do you play dump with me? You have been in the Brown family for only a few days but begin to parade your wealth. We underestimated you." Opal seemed to have some problems with me. He didn't like me from our first meeting.  I curled my lips. "Why don't you like me?"