Come With Me

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."