My Child and I Married a Billionaire

But his observations over the past two days revealed the girl was utterly destitute.

She seemed to work in the back of a restaurant kitchen. Although her fingernails were cut short, they were caked with grease underneath.

Her hands weren’t exactly greasy, but they always had an oily sheen whenever she held them out, as if they had never been truly clean.

Her face was young and smooth, but it was also smudged with grime, as if she never washed it thoroughly.

Her hair was even worse. It was always tied back in the same ponytail, so greasy it shone.

But what was most noticeable were her shoes.

He didn’t know if someone had given them to her or if she’d found them, but they didn’t fit.

They were large and loose, threatening to slip off with every step.

The shoes were supposed to be white, but their edges were caked in dust and grease. He couldn’t tell if she simply had no time to scrub them or if the stains were permanent. They also gave off a faint, foul odor.

But even so, she was his entire world, his sole provider.

Damien Vaughn was in no position to be picky. Suppressing his nausea, he took a sip.

It was plain water mixed with breadcrumbs, a taste that defied description.

But Sherry was right. At least it wouldn’t kill him.

He blinked at Sherry. Getting the signal, she bent over and ordered, "Open your mouth."

Damien Vaughn obediently opened his mouth, and she placed a few pills inside.

Damien Vaughn tilted his head, took a sip of water, and swallowed the pills.

Sherry then lifted his blanket and began arranging things beneath him.

She bunched up the bedding beneath him to form a hollow, nestled the bowl inside to keep it steady, then took hold of him and aimed him into it.

"Drink if you’re thirsty. If you need to go, go in here. I’ll empty it when I get back. I’ll bring back something good to eat tonight. I’m off."

Once Sherry left, another whole day passed.

Damien Vaughn drifted in and out of consciousness. It felt like he’d waited an entire century before that familiar sliver of light finally appeared again.

He realized that in the short span of three days, he had somehow come to recognize Sherry’s footsteps and grown accustomed to her frail form.

He felt a surge of joy the moment she appeared, bringing the smell of grease with her.

Today, Sherry had swiped a piece of steak, two slices of smoked salmon, and a carton of milk for him.

The moment he saw her take out the food, Damien Vaughn’s eyes lit up uncontrollably.

But he could sense that Sherry was hungry, too.

’She’s so thin she could be described as malnourished. She probably hasn’t had a proper meal in a very long time.’

’Perhaps this was her own dinner, and she was sharing it with me.’

Sherry held the steak to his lips, but he stopped after a single bite.

"Why aren’t you eating? Is it bad?"

Sherry took a bite of the steak herself.

It was tender, juicy, and unbelievably delicious.

"You won’t even eat this? Then what do you want?"

Damien Vaughn looked at her with a complicated expression, and Sherry quickly understood.

A flash of her usual impatience returned.

"You don’t need to worry about me. Just eat up, get better, and get out of here. Stop making trouble for me. It’s so annoying!"

Damien Vaughn noted that the young woman really did have a bad temper.

’But she was right,’ he thought. ’The only way I can truly help her is to recover as quickly as possible.’

After that, he drank every drop of water Sherry brought him and ate every last bite of the food she gave him.

On the fourth day, Damien Vaughn saw a sliver of sunlight stream in through the small window. He longed to touch it, to bask in its warmth. As he raised an arm, he realized he could move it.

For the past few days, the pain in his left shoulder blade and ribs had been so intense that even breathing hurt. He hadn’t dared to move an inch.

But today, when he lifted his right arm, his left side barely ached.

Although he still couldn’t move his left arm or leg, he was so delighted that he nearly cried out in excitement.

His throat was still very hoarse, but he could now make some sounds.

’Sunlight, sunlight,’ he repeated silently in his mind.

’Maybe getting more sun will help me recover faster. If only I could get into the sunlight.’

’When Sherry gets back tonight, I’ll ask her to find me a piece of glass to reflect the sunlight. I need to get better as quickly as possible.’

But that night, Sherry didn’t return.

Damien Vaughn drifted in and out of a stupor. In his daze, he heard crashing and banging from upstairs, punctuated by a woman’s intermittent screams.

He remembered his first sight of Sherry, her eyelids swollen like walnuts. A chill went through him. He strained his ears, trying to hear more, but everything went silent.

Damien Vaughn lay with his eyes wide open, waiting for what felt like an eternity. He waited so long that he was tempted to ignore the pain and crawl upstairs to check, so long he felt he was on the verge of going mad with worry. Then, finally, he heard Sherry’s footsteps.

He stared intently at the doorway. After a long moment, Sherry appeared, dragging one leg as she limped. A large lump protruded from her forehead as she slowly made her way toward him.

She was holding half a bottle of milk and a large piece of bread. Her face was ashen and lifeless.

"Eat. This is our last meal. When you’re done, we’ll go on our way together. I don’t want to live anymore."

Damien Vaughn’s eyes stung, and he nearly burst into tears.

It wasn’t that he was afraid or reluctant to die. It was that this girl was just too heartbreaking. Her life was filled with so much suffering.

"Who hit you? Your father? Your mother? How old are you? What kind of work do you do? Why do they beat you so often?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Sherry’s otherwise lifeless face. "You can talk?"

His voice was pleasant, and he spoke with a smooth, clear accent.

It was only after the words left his mouth that Damien Vaughn realized he could speak again, but he was in no mood to celebrate.

Like an older brother wanting to stand up for his bullied younger sister, he spoke with authority.

"Answer my questions."

Sherry sat down on the edge of the bed, her face blank. In a flat voice, she said,

"My father. He lost all his money gambling again last night. He came back and demanded more from me. When I told him I didn’t have any, he started hitting us. My mother and I were unconscious on the floor all night..."

"I’m so tired. I started working at the restaurant when I was sixteen, washing dishes all day long. I get bullied by everyone, I can’t afford proper food or clothes, and I make minimum wage, only for my dad to despise me and beat me for it. I can’t go on anymore."

"I always used to think that sooner or later, an angel would appear and save me from my suffering. But after last night... I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have run into me. I’m too useless, I can’t help you. If you want to live, you can try to get out and find help after I’m dead... It has to be after I’m dead. This room was built illegally. It’ll cause a lot of trouble otherwise..."

Suddenly, Damien Vaughn took her hand.

Other than holding her father’s hand as a child, Sherry had never held hands with another man.

Damien Vaughn’s hand was large and slender.

Though he was covered in wounds, sick enough to be an invalid, and living in a damp, sunless basement, his hand was warm, dry, and smooth.

Sherry could instantly sense the life of pampered luxury he must have lived before.

Damien Vaughn interrupted her despairing murmurs.

"We’re not going to die. Not you, and not me."

"This hardship is only temporary. As long as we don’t give up, there’s always hope."

"You were right. Sooner or later, an angel would come to save you. I’m that angel."

Sherry’s eyes welled with tears as she stared at him in a daze. "Really?"

Damien Vaughn looked at her pitiful state, worn down by life, and raised his hand to wipe away her tears.

"Of course."

"My wings were broken when I came looking for you, but they’re healing now. Once I’ve recovered, I’ll take you away from this place, and you can go wherever you want."