Noreen's POV

Handsome. Extremely handsome.

That's what I was thinking as he approached and sat down in the chair next to me, then, in his deep, husky  voice, ordered a drink from the bartender.

I think he sensed my gaze on him, because he turned his head, raising the glass of blue liquid in front of him. His eyebrows raised charmingly, and I think my heart skipped a beat.

"So beautiful."

I leaned closer to him, seeing his lips move, but the noise around me prevented me from hearing his voice.

"I can read your lip," I said.

I saw his brow furrow as I almost touched his high nose.

"Oh, you're even more handsome up close," I said honestly. "And you smell good."

He chuckled. "You're so beautiful. And sexy. And you smell... I've never smelled anything so good."

"It must be my new perfume," I said with a smile. I pulled my bottle out of my bag and handed it to him. "Here. Don't waste it. I've been saving up for this for a long time."

He took the bottle of perfume, unscrewed the cap, and sniffed it. His nose wrinkled, and he shook his head as he handed it back to me.

"What? Why? You said it smelled good," I said, confused. Damn, why did I feel so hot standing so close to this guy?

"It's not your perfume," he said. "It's your body odor."

Oh come on, I was already feeling uneasy after the third glass and Lisbeth was nowhere to be seen among the crowd swaying on the dance floor, but this guy was saying things that weren't clear.

I grabbed my bag and walked past him, stumbling and almost bumping into a chair when a strong hand grabbed my waist.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked. "You can't be alone like this."

"Oh, then you'll have to come with me," I said, putting on my best smile. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"I'll walk you," he said.

He led me into a room that looked like an office and directed me to a door.

"This is the bathroom," the man said. "Take your time. I'll wait here."

I emptied my bladder and felt a little relieved afterward. Then I washed my face and looked at myself in the mirror, chuckled self-deprecatingly, then exited the nice bathroom.

The handsome man sat on the couch and smiled as he watched me walk toward him. I plopped down next to him and exhaled sharply. The skin on my arm brushed against his, sending shivers down my spine.

"Life sucks," I muttered.

I turned my head and met his silver-blue eyes in the dim light of the room. Unconsciously, I reached out and stroked the thick eyebrows that framed those beautiful eyes.

"Your eyes are beautiful," I murmured. "Just like my Husky's."

The man took my hand and kissed it down my palm to the inside of my wrist. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and damn! My core was wet.  Why did he look so delicious?

I guess the alcohol had washed away my shyness, because the next second I was straddling his lap, moaning into his hot mouth as his tongue tugged at mine in a wild dance.

His chest was so strong, and I could feel something large and hard pressing against my bottom. I squeezed his muscular chest through his shirt and shifted my bottom, feeling satisfied when I heard him growl into my mouth.

He unbuttoned my blouse, trailing kisses down my neck, and I guess he liked my neck because he seemed even more aroused when he nuzzled behind my ear.

"Ugh, how can you smell so good?" he murmured, kneading my breasts through my satin bra.

I moaned in pleasure as his fingers slipped under my bra and expertly played with my nipples.

I thought I knew what I had to do to repay him for the pleasure he was giving me. So I quickly unzipped his belt and zipper and grabbed his massive member beneath his underwear.

"Oh my God, you're so big," I murmured in amazement, kissing his broad shoulders as he continued to play with my neck. "I don't think he'll fit inside me."

He laughed and kissed my lips again. His hands moved from my breasts, lifting my skirt, and touching my panties.

"Want to prove it?" he whispered hoarsely. "You are so hot and wet. Maybe it will fit."

Uh, sexy, I thought, and without waiting, I stood up,  so he could remove my underwear, then he pulled down his trousers and underwear.  I was already throbbing intensely when I sat back down on his lap and he grabbed my nipple with his mouth.

"Aahhhn..." I moaned in my throat. "Hurry up, big man, you're making me thirsty!"

He laughed and his fingers rubbed me down there, making me gasp. "You're so impatient, baby."

I kissed his neck and as he entered me, I unconsciously bit his neck. He let out a long moan and, with my teeth still buried in his neck, he moved.

God, this must be heaven. I felt myself bobbing on a soft, fluffy cloud, scented like sweet caramel candy. I gripped his shoulders and moved with him, meeting each jolt that shattered my consciousness.

"Oh, baby, you're squeezing me so hard," he murmured, kissing my breast. "Very tight!"

"Aahhnnn... Harder, honey, ooh, I want you faster and deeper," I mumbled incoherently, struggling to handle the waves of pleasure that came with each thrust.

"Oh my god, baby, you're driving me crazy."

The more I moved, the harder he slammed into me, and I bounced higher and higher, until I felt like my stomach was going to split open. For a moment, in my ecstasy, I wondered if he was getting bigger inside me.

Then, a colorful firework exploded, sending me into a wave of pleasure unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It was so powerful and it wouldn't stop crashing into me.

He kissed my lips softly, stroking my hair, as I leaned against him, panting. I couldn't move, too weak from the overwhelming sensation.

This was the best sex I'd ever had in my life. Well, Thomas and I had slept together, but that was on one hand, less than ten times in our four years together, and he couldn't wait for me.

Thomas just kissed me, touched me carelessly, and entered me quickly, in and out even faster, and then it was over, before I even started to get aroused.

But I loved him enough to accept that kind of sex. I guess, at the time, I was just lying to myself, believing that sex wasn't everything in a relationship.

This man, who was now carefully laying me down on the sofa, straightened my dress, even put my underwear back on, and wiped the sweat from my forehead with a tissue,

made me realize that Thomas just gave me a completely uninteresting sexual experience.

He hugged me and kissed the tip of my nose, giving me a look that made me blush.

"I've never met a woman like you," he said, half-muttering, as his index finger traced my face from my forehead to behind my ear. "You... are amazing."

I smiled and smacked my lips, feeling thirsty. "I need a drink."

He nodded and kissed my lips, then got up and straightened his clothes. "I'll get you a drink. Take a nap while I wait. I won't be long."

Wow, he even took care of me after sex, which was another thing Thomas never did for me.

The bastard would just roll over and snore, leaving me to hug myself.

My phone rang just as I was about to close my eyes. I got up and grabbed my bag from the table. Lisbeth's name flashed on the screen.

"Hello," I said lazily.

"Noreen! Where are you? Come here, to the parking lot, if you want to go home with me, or you'll walk all the way to my house!" Lisbeth barked fiercely.

"Shit! I'm on my way! Wait for me!"

Wasting no time, I grabbed my shoes and ran out of the room. As I ran, I remembered that I didn't even know the name of that amazing man.

Damn!

Never mind.

I was more worried about Lisbeth's threat to leave me home with my legs feeling like they'd turned to jelly.

"It must have been the best sex ever, even if you forgot to use protection?" Lisbeth's eyebrows rose as high as her parents had hoped, but Noreen saw the smirk at the corners of her lips.

Noreen curled her lip. She had already berated herself all day yesterday for realizing her stupidity the night before, and now Lisbeth was going to tease her to death.

"Oh, come on, Lis, don't make me dig up your yard to bury myself. Now you better go to the pharmacy and buy me some morning-after pills," Noreen said weakly.

"Okay," Lisbeth said. "But I don't think you need to worry. It's not your fertile period, and you've also had sex with Thomas, sometimes without protection, but you've never gotten pregnant."

"Hmm, yeah," Noreen murmured. Somehow, she felt a little reassured. "You're right."

Noreen spent three days at Lisbeth's house, not taking a single call or returning any of her parents' messages.

They called Lisbeth and asked about Noreen's whereabouts, but Lisbeth casually said she was calming down, feeling depressed due to the lack of moral support from those closest to her. This answer managed to silence Noreen's parents.

After returning home on the fourth day, having to work and all her clothes and work files at home, Noreen's relationship with her parents became cold and distant.

Noreen couldn't shake the hurt feelings from what had happened earlier, while her parents also felt regretful afterward.

Furthermore, not long after their marriage, Victoria and Thomas bought a house just two blocks from the family home, so they inevitably crossed paths frequently. It seemed deliberate, and Noreen's parents began to realize the gravity of the situation.

Not only that, like good neighbors, even though their homes weren't that close, Veronica and Thomas always found an excuse to come over to Noreen's house, visiting and showing off their affection.

"My mom made an apple pie. She told us to share it here," Veronika once said.  She held out her jam-stained index finger to Thomas, who affectionately licked it.

Noreen made a gag gesture at the sight. "I don't think I'm going to eat this apple pie. I'm afraid my stomach will rebel from the bacteria you put in the dough."

"Noreen," Maria reprimanded gently.

"What? It's true, just look at the way they act so disgustingly in front of other people," Noreen said defiantly.

"You're still mad at me," Veronica said, her eyes welling up. Thomas hugged her shoulders with fake sweetness.

Noreen grinned. "I can only be mad at humans, not at wild skunks who spread their stench everywhere. Ugh!"

Theodore and Maria could no longer stop Noreen from being mean to the couple and even to Merly, Veronica's mother, who, like her daughter, often tried to provoke them with her sarcastic words and behavior.

Instead of catering to their insanity, Noreen is now more focused on her work and isolating herself from her extended family, especially her mother's side, which is filled with toxic individuals who claim to be relatives and emphasize the importance of maintaining good family relationships despite problems.

"Well, Noreen, you did a great job again," said Daniel Wettish, Noreen's boss, after reviewing the dining room and kitchen set and furniture designs she submitted this morning. "These will definitely be approved by the client. After three projects that have achieved their targets, I'm sure your annual bonus will be the biggest this year."

Noreen was proud of herself.

After graduating from college with a degree in interior design, Noreen applied for a job at the largest real estate firm in the country, The Golden Moonlight Real Estate. It was every engineering graduate's dream company, and she was accepted because her test scores were excellent.

The company not only develops all things about real estate, such as houses, apartments, hotels, villas, and resorts, but also manages all design matters, from home furniture to electronic devices.

It's a full-stack business, and the company has grown significantly year after year. Now, as Noreen sits on the staff as a junior interior designer, the company has over 200 branches, including new ones in Ontario, London, and Melbourne.

"Daniel, if the client approves this, can I have your permission to supervise the work on-site?" Noreen asked sweetly, knowing how difficult it is to get Daniel to send his staff out into the field.

"Tsk, you're just looking for an excuse to get out of the office and play outside," Daniel chuckled. "Just for the finishing touches, okay?"

"Yes!" Noreen said cheerfully.

***

Noreen was supposed to be at the furniture factory this morning to supervise the finishing touches on the kitchen set she designed and the client approved two weeks ago.

But when she woke up this morning, her whole body ached as if someone had been beating her all night, her stomach cramping and her head aching.

Noreen went to the bathroom. She wanted to vomit, but her stomach was empty and there was nothing to vomit except saliva.

"Honey, your face is so pale," Maria said, surprised, as Noreen came into the kitchen and sat at the counter, massaging her head. "Are you sick?"

"I don't know," Noreen said quietly. "I think I'm just tired."

Maria's face showed concern. "You've been driving three hours to and from the factory all week, and of course you're exhausted."

Noreen sighed and took an apple from the fruit tray on the counter.

"You need to go to the hospital," Maria said, when there was no response from her daughter. "I'll take you."

"No need," Noreen replied quietly. "I'll call Lisbeth and have her take me to Dr. Mitha, her aunt who practices at St. Vincent Hospital."

Maria stared at Noreen's back as she exited the kitchen with an apple in her hand. Maria feeling distraught.

She shouldn't have listened to Merly's prodding that, as her only female cousin, Noreen should have been willing to be a bridesmaid at Veronica's wedding.

Even though Veronica had been having an affair with Thomas, Noreen's boyfriend, she hadn't done it on purpose, Merly had said. And as a family, they should have forgiven each other.

Now, because she was giving in to her sister's wishes instead of protecting her own daughter's feelings, Maria felt jealous of Lisbeth. She feels like lost her daughter.

"That's why Daniel doesn't like you going to the factory," Lisbeth said firmly, as they drove to St. Vincent's Hospital. "You're used to sitting in an air-conditioned room, with coffee and snacks readily available, thinking quietly and working with your hands on a computer, rather than being in a noisy, hot, and dusty factory area."

Noreen leaned limply against the car door, turning a deaf ear to Lisbeth's nagging.  She had heard the same grumbling from Daniel when she stopped by the office briefly earlier, before calling Lisbeth, asking to take her to the hospital.

Doctor Mitha is married to Lisbeth's mother's cousin. She is a beautiful, soft-spoken middle-aged woman of Indian descent. She welcomed Noreen and Lisbeth into her comfortable office and, after chatting briefly with Lisbeth, asked Noreen to climb into the bed behind the curtain.

After almost 15 minutes, Noreen returned to the chair in front of Doctor Mitha's desk.

"Noreen, dear, you're fine," Doctor Mitha said. "All your vital signs are good. But from now on, you need to take better care of your condition and health. No alcohol. No vaping or smoking. Eat well and get enough rest, and most importantly, no stress."

"Ugh, if I'm fine, why has my body been feeling so strange all day, Doctor?" Noreen complained. "It's like someone is trying to rewire me."

Doctor Mitha smiled gently and wrote something on a piece of paper with hospital letterhead.

"Those are just normal symptoms, dear. Therefore, I will refer you for further treatment to my colleague, Doctor Lucia Vermint, an obstetrician and gynecologist. She will be practicing this afternoon, and I will make an appointment with her for you."

Lisbeth grabbed Noreen's arm, who was now as pale as a ghost.

"Auntie," Lisbeth said hoarsely. "You mean, Noreen...?"

Doctor Mitha nodded and smiled. "Congratulations, Noreen, you're two weeks pregnant and the fetus grows very healthy."

Noreen's PoV

After the period of confusion and confession passed, I calmed down.

My parents were very supportive and showed their concern without hesitation.

"Why does Noreen look so fat now?" Aunt Merly asked when she came to my house to show off the new bag her beloved son-in-law, Thomas, had bought her. "Are you stressed, dear Noreen?"

I glanced at my mother, unsure of how to respond. I wanted to rebuke my nosy aunt, but I knew she probably wasn't happy because she loved her little sister.

"Of course she's fat; it's a sign she's taking good care of herself, for the baby's health," my mother said calmly.

Aunt Merly's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. "W-what? A  baby, you say? Is Noreen pregnant?"

"Yes. It's sixteen weeks now, and the baby is growing very fast," my mother replied proudly, patting my belly. "I'm going to be a grandmother soon."

I think Aunt Merly needed some time to process all of that, but a few minutes later she grinned.

"Did you get married secretly, Noreen? Who's your husband? Or... could it be that the baby doesn't even have a father?"

"Well, whatever you think will help you sleep soundly tonight, Aunt Merly," I replied calmly. "This has nothing to do with you at all."

Aunt Merly smiled slyly. "Of course it's my business too, honey. We're one family, so there's bound to be questions. So, what am I supposed to answer?"

"I haven't felt like a family to you since your daughter slept with my boyfriend, in broad daylight in public. I'm too embarrassed to acknowledge you as family," I said calmly. "So you don't have to worry about other people asking questions. Just tell them to ask me directly."

Aunt Merly's face flushed red. "At least Veronica and Thomas are finally married," Aunt Merly snapped. "You? Did you just have a one-night stand with a stranger and get pregnant?"

I smiled. "If so, does it harm you?"

Aunt Merly snorted. She gave my mother a sharp look. "Noreen has embarrassed you, Maria, why are you still defending her?"

"Didn't you defend Veronica when she was doing something indecent with her own cousin's boyfriend?" my mother snapped with a smirk. "That's a stupid question, Merly!"

"Huh," Aunt Merly snorted in annoyance. "You're both embarrassing."

"Come on, Merly, if you feel that way, I'd gladly ask you not to come here every time your son-in-law buys you something, because it's annoying. You don't have to show off, because if I wanted to, I could show off too. Noreen buys me nice things, too. She's my own daughter, not someone else's child who became part of your family through indecent means!"

I stared at my mother, dumbfounded. Wow! I didn't know she could say such cool things. I thought my mother would side with her sister, or at least keep quiet.

Aunt Merly looked as shocked as I was. My mother had always been the one to give in, and everyone knew how much she loved her sister, as they had been living alone since childhood, after their parents, or grandparents I never knew, died in an accident.

"You!" Aunt Merly snapped, glaring.

My mother put down the spatula in her hand and then placed both hands on her hips.

"Don't yell at me!" my mother hissed dangerously. "I could make Veronica and Thomas the butt of gossip, even more so than Noreen, if I wanted to."

She approached Merly, then whispered something in her ear, and Aunt Merly's face instantly turned pale. She then snorted, walked quickly to the door, exited, and slammed it so hard that the glass rattled.

"If any of my windows break, I'll break yours too!" my mother shouted at Aunt Merly, who immediately quickened her pace.

I burst out laughing at my mother's words. This was completely unexpected.

After that, of course, news of my pregnancy spread quickly. Neighbors gave me strange looks every time I passed, some even looking away or whispering while glancing at me.

My parents were unwavering. They would say things that would make anyone who asked questions feel uncomfortable, and if someone acted annoyingly like Aunt Merly, they would respond calmly until they finally fell silent in embarrassment.

Lisbeth was my biggest supporter. She had already declared herself godmother to my child even before the baby was born. Both of her parents were the same, showing great attention and enthusiasm.

The three of them, Lisbeth, her mother, and my mother, shopped for baby supplies, even starting to think about the name and design of her bedroom.

Daniel and my friends at work were also very helpful. They insisted that I stop going out into the field and only leave the office under their supervision.

In the first week of my seventh month, my stomach cramped so badly that I couldn't move from bed. I screamed loudly when I felt something stabbing me in the lower abdomen.

"Oh my God, your water has broken," said my mother, rushing into my room, still wearing an apron and smelling of vanilla.

My father frowned. "But, it's only the seventh month?"

"Quick, honey, get the car ready," my mother said calmly.  She grabbed the suitcase containing the birthing supplies she'd prepared earlier. "And call Lisbeth and Sandra."

I gripped my mother's hand tightly on the way to the hospital. My stomach was churning violently, as if the baby inside was struggling frantically, trying to get out. I felt aches and pains all over me, as if someone were beating me with a piece of wood.

I was already half-unconscious by the time I arrived at the hospital. Dr. Lucia and two other doctors were already waiting in the hospital yard when my father's car arrived.

I screamed loudly as I felt a sharp tear through my insides. My father held my hand tightly the entire ride on the gurney. I can still see his tears welling up before darkness finally overtook me, followed by the immense pain that devastated me.

I was in a large field in the middle of the night, where a large, round moon shone brightly, its light a golden hue.

I looked down at my body, amazed at my clothes.  A beautiful white dress with delicate gold threads, complemented by luxurious gold accessories.

Where am I? Who am I?

My surroundings were illuminated by moonlight, and as I looked down at my bare feet, I realized that the thick grass I was treading on wasn't green, but red.

Goosebumps rose up my spine. The wind that brushed against my skin was cool and carried the sweet scent of vanilla, mingled with the fresh scent of bergamot, the mysterious scent of pine forests, and the dominant scent of luxurious amber.

As far as the eye could see, the field was completely empty. I felt nervous. Where should I go?

I took a step forward, but before I could take three steps, I gasped as flashing red lights appeared all around me.

At first, just a few pairs, but then more and more, until I realized that the red lights weren't lights at all, but pairs of eyes.

My knees gave out, and I knelt in the grass, feeling fear paralyzing me.

Then, from a distance, I heard a long, drawn-out wolf howl, as if on cue, and hundreds of pairs of red eyes around me moved closer to me.

I screamed at the top of my lungs.