Chapter 2

Victoria stood there stunned, her mind going blank. "That's impossible! This is my card, how could it be frozen? Please try again, please try one more time!"

"The system does show it's frozen. It shows the main card applied for a freeze." The staff member returned the card, with a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

Main card.

This card was a supplementary card under Aiden's name. He had said back then it was for household expenses.

Victoria suddenly laughed, but tears poured out uncontrollably.

'Aiden, you're really cruel.'

Less than half an hour after they signed the divorce papers, he couldn't wait to freeze her card!

He wasn't just trying to drive her away—he was trying to kill both mother and daughter!

People behind her in line started getting impatient. Victoria's nails dug deep into her flesh, but she felt no pain.

When your heart is dead, how can your body feel pain?

Victoria walked to a corner and pulled out her phone to find Aiden's number.

Though she hated him, though she wanted to kill him, Yara was still in the emergency room waiting to be saved! For her daughter's sake, she had to beg Aiden.

The phone rang for a long time with no answer.

Victoria refused to give up and called again.

This time, the call was hung up directly.

She called again—it was turned off.

Victoria's lips curved into a self-mocking smile.

Despair.

Overwhelming despair completely drowned her.

Aiden was probably holding Bianca right now, celebrating finally getting rid of her, this useless burden, wasn't he?

How could he care that his own daughter was lying in a hospital bed, her life hanging in the balance!

"Aiden, you're so cruel. How can you be so cruel?"

Victoria buried her face in her knees, her shoulders shaking violently.

These four years, she had suffered with him, helped him start his business, sacrificed her own hands and career, and this was what she got in the end?

Her mother, Cleo Brown, used to say not to trust men too much, or you'd end up covered in wounds.

She didn't understand then, but now the man she loved most had taught her a lesson.

This was the price of not listening to advice.

On the other side, a group of bodyguards surrounded a man striding forward.

The man was tall, wearing an impeccably tailored custom-made black suit, with deep, chiseled features, his whole body radiating a cold aura that kept people at a distance.

Edward Windsor.

He was the head of the Windsor family, known throughout Novaria, a true top-tier tycoon in this city.

Edward had just visited his father, Owen Windsor, and was in a rather irritable mood, a trace of gloom between his brows.

Passing by the pediatric ward area, a heart-wrenching cry made him stop.

He saw a woman huddled in a corner, a small trembling figure, her crying filled with pain.

Just then, several nurses hurried past, pushing a hospital bed.

"Quick! Take her to hematology!"

Edward instinctively glanced at the bed.

A little girl lay on it, her face pale as paper, an oxygen tube in her nose.

Just one glance.

Edward's usually calm eyes suddenly contracted.

Then, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and his steps stopped completely.

Those eyes and features...

Why did this child look so familiar?

The assistant behind him saw him stop and carefully spoke up. "Mr. Windsor, what's wrong?"

After a moment, Edward finally spoke. "Let's go."

Victoria didn't notice Edward and naturally didn't know what had happened there.

She sniffed and forced herself to pull it together.

With the card frozen, where could she get the money?

Could she only sell that thing Cleo left behind?

In the evening, she rushed to the department store before closing time and found the second-hand luxury consignment shop on the first floor.

The wedding gift Cleo had given her years ago was a ten-carat sapphire ring custom-designed by Cartier's chief designer, named "Heart of the Ocean."

When Aiden started his business, he wanted her to sell it to raise startup capital, but she couldn't bear to part with it.

Looking back now, thank goodness she didn't agree.

Victoria sat at the counter, watching the appraiser examine the sapphire carefully with a magnifying glass, her heart pounding.

This was the only thing Cleo had left her.

But now, for Yara's sake, forget a gemstone - she'd sell her own life if she could!

"This sapphire is of excellent quality..." The appraiser had just started speaking when a sweet, chirpy female voice cut in.

"Wow, what a beautiful sapphire!"

The voice was sickeningly familiar.

She'd heard it not long ago.

Victoria's spine stiffened. She turned to see Bianca walking in, carrying a Hermès bag and wearing high heels. She was dressed in the latest haute couture suit of the season, making Victoria in her white t-shirt look like a clown by comparison.

What terrible luck.

Bianca acted as if she'd just noticed Victoria, dramatically covering her mouth, "Victoria? What are you doing here?"

Victoria ignored her, turning back to the appraiser, "Please hurry, I'm in a rush."

"What's the hurry?" Bianca stepped forward and grabbed the sapphire ring, holding it up to the light. "What's going on, Victoria, suddenly selling off her assets? Are you broke?"

Victoria didn't argue, reaching to snatch it back, "Give it back!"

Because her left hand wasn't working well, she missed and nearly fell.

Bianca dodged easily, "Victoria, look at yourself now. You can't even stand steady. How can you compete with me?"

The double meaning in those words was clear to Victoria. Bianca was reminding her that whether it was this gemstone, the design drafts, or men - she couldn't compete.

She clenched her teeth, "Bianca, this is a public place. Watch what you say!"

"Watch it?" Bianca laughed as if she'd heard the funniest joke, her whole body shaking with laughter. "A woman kicked out by her own husband thinks she can tell me to be polite? Victoria, get it straight - you're the one desperate to sell things for cash!"

She toyed with the Heart of the Ocean, "This ring - boss, whatever she's asking, I'll pay double."

The appraiser spoke up directly, "This lady's asking price is one million dollars..."

"I'll pay two million dollars."

Bianca casually threw out the number, then looked at Victoria challengingly, "But I have a condition."

Victoria felt cold all over, instinctively knowing nothing good was coming.

Sure enough, the next second, Bianca pulled out her phone, turned on video mode, and pointed the camera right at Victoria's face. "Just kneel down right now and say three times to the camera 'I'm a plagiarist, I'm sorry to Bianca,' and these two million dollars are yours."

Two million dollars.

That money would be enough to find a matching kidney for Yara, complete the surgery, and even get through the rejection period!

But plagiarism?

Years ago, it was clearly Bianca who stole her design sketches for the competition!

And now she wanted her to admit she was the plagiarist?

Victoria closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Kneel? Or not kneel?

If she knelt, her career would be completely over. Her name would be forever tied to the word plagiarism.

But if she didn't kneel, what about Yara?

"Not kneeling?" Seeing her motionless, Bianca's smile faded a bit. "Victoria, do I need to remind you? I heard kidney transplants cost a lot of money. If you don't have money, what are you going to do?"

Kidney transplant? She knew about Yara's congenital kidney development disorder?!

Victoria's head snapped up, her eyes bloodshot, "You've been having me followed?"

"Very smart." Bianca sneered, "So, are you kneeling or not? I'll count to three."

"One."

Victoria's knees were shaking.

"Two."

Bianca held up her phone, her face full of anticipation, waiting to see her humiliation.

Victoria closed her eyes, tears sliding down.

Yara... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry...