Chapter 6

With the icy rain pouring down, the phone was hung up on her again.

The line went dead, leaving only the hollow drone of the dial tone to mingle with the echo of that chilling threat in her ears.

Hannah again! Why should she have to apologize! It was Hannah who caused Bianca to remain unconscious to this day!

Victoria raised her phone in fury, wanting to smash it to pieces!

The next moment, what little rationality remained stopped her.

Victoria took a deep breath, rubbing her freezing hands together and breathing warm air on them, then turned to take shelter under an eave.

She forced a strained smile onto her face and began scrolling through her contacts, dialing every number she knew, one after another.

"Hello, it's me, Victoria. I'm a bit tight on cash right now. Could you lend me some—"

Before she could finish, the call was disconnected.

The light died in Victoria’s eyes, her expression turning to stone as hot tears blurred her vision. Still, she refused to let them fall, her fingers trembling but stubborn as she dialed the next number in the list.

An hour passed.

Victoria stared blankly at the curtain of rain before her.

The last familiar person on her phone was still trying to persuade her.

"Mrs. Smith, what problem between husband and wife can't be solved? Stop being stubborn and just listen. I'm telling you, it's not that we don't want to help—it's that Mr. Smith gave orders. If we dare to help you, our company will be bankrupt by tomorrow. Mrs. Smith, are you still listening?"

The call suddenly disconnected, leaving a hollow silence in the air. Victoria's expression went vacant, her fingers losing their grip as the phone slipped and smashed against the ground. The screen shattered into a web of jagged cracks—a mirror of her ridiculous marriage, now broken into irreparable pieces.

Aiden, you're ruthless enough.

For Hannah's sake, you'd push me this far.

Fine. An apology? You wanted an apology?

I would go!

Rain lashed against her, the cold droplets mingling with the hot tears that tracked down her cheeks.

She wiped frantically, but the tears kept falling.

Another half hour passed before Victoria shakily stood up, her soaked hair clinging messily to her face. Like a puppet, she stiffly steadied herself against the wall and walked toward Hannah's house.

Two hours later, she stood before Hannah's door and pressed the doorbell.

The doorbell rang, and an elderly woman's delighted voice came from inside.

"Is that Hannah and her fiancé? Come in! Come in quickly!"

The instant the door swung open, the deathly stillness in Victoria’s eyes ignited with a sudden, desperate flicker of hope.

She stared wide-eyed at a face she would never forget, even in death, her breathing suddenly becoming rapid.

"It's you! Vivian! You fraud!"

Vivian Bell was the very woman who, years ago, had spun a web of tragedy to manipulate her parents' sympathy and worm her way into a position at their company.

Vivian had exploited their trust, conspired with others to sell company secrets, and swindled all their money, leaving their family buried in massive debt!

Her father, to avoid dragging Victoria and Bianca down with him, had jumped from a twenty-story building right in front of them!

Vivian’s smile vanished in an instant, but fear didn't take its place. Instead, she raked her eyes over Victoria, her expression twisting into one of pure, unadulterated disgust.

She spat on the ground, puffed out her chest, and her smile filled with malice.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Spencer. I heard your dad jumped off a building? Such weak mental fortitude. And that mother of yours—even more disgusting. If you ask me, you're the only one in your family with any looks. Why not find work at a club and make some quick cash?"

Victoria felt rage surge straight to her head. She bit down hard on the inside of her lip until the metallic taste of blood brought back a sliver of rationality.

'Why don't good people get good endings!'

'Why does this evil woman get to walk free?'

Her eyes reddened, her voice trembling with fury. "Vivian, you should burn in hell!"

Victoria lunged forward, grabbed Vivian's hair, and slammed a fist into her face!

Vivian screamed, her heavy body crashing to the ground. She spat out a broken front tooth, mixed with saliva and blood.

Only then did Vivian feel afraid.

She screamed for help, trying to crawl back inside, but Victoria dragged her back out, leaving her shrieking in terror.

"Help! Murder!"

Victoria had snapped. She lunged forward, pinning Vivian to the floor and raining down a relentless blur of blows, her palm striking Vivian's face back and forth.

Vivian was barely conscious, her face swollen, still cursing incoherently through her mouth. "Bitch, when my son-in-law gets back, you're dead."

Victoria laughed maniacally. She grabbed Vivian by the collar and hauled her upright.

"Whether I die doesn't matter, Vivian, but I'm dragging you to hell with me!"

Her vicious gaze made Vivian shudder violently, her body shaking like a leaf as she shrieked in terror. "Someone help! This woman's insane!"

Victoria had completely lost all reason.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the metallic glint of a fire extinguisher mounted nearby. She wrenched it from the wall, hoisting the heavy canister high above her head.

Vivian's eyes rolled back, and she fainted from fright.

"Stop!"

"Mom!"

Two voices came from behind her.

The next moment, an iron grip clamped around her wrist, stalling the heavy canister mid-air and freezing her entire body in place.

Victoria slowly turned her head and saw shock and disbelief mingling in Aiden's eyes.

He snatched the fire extinguisher from Victoria's hands and threw it aside, roughly yanking her up from the ground and twisting her arms behind her back, his voice filled with fury.

"Victoria! What the hell are you doing now! Haven't you learned your lesson yet!"

Hannah threw herself over Vivian's body, sobbing hysterically. When she turned her head, her tear-filled eyes brimmed with hatred.

She charged at Victoria, raining countless punches down on her.

"Victoria, why would you do this to my mom! Come at me if you have a problem!"

"You almost killed my mom! I hate you! You should die!!!"

Victoria grunted in pain, biting her lip and roaring, "Let go! Aiden! You bastard! Let me go!"

She tried to fight back, but with her hands and body pinned down by Aiden, she could only endure Hannah's fury one-sidedly.

The physical pain, combined with the discomfort from her cancer, made Victoria's body tremble uncontrollably.

Her pale frame seemed like it would shatter at a touch.

A flicker of reluctance softened Aiden's gaze for a heartbeat, but it vanished instantly, replaced by a cold mask of disgust as he warned her.

"Once Hannah's finished venting, I'll let you go. Victoria, this is your punishment for laying hands on her mother."

A flash of viciousness crossed Hannah's eyes before she assumed the role of a dutiful daughter avenging her mother in righteous anger.

Hannah’s fist drove into Victoria’s unprotected stomach with a sickening thud.

A sharp pain tore through Victoria's stomach, a metallic taste surging up her throat. Unable to hold it back any longer, she spat a mouthful of blood all over Hannah's face.

Aiden froze for a moment, then panic flooded his features.

His grip finally failed, and Victoria slumped heavily against the iron railing. A searing heat flared across her spine, the impact sending a jolt of white-hot pain through her bruised back.

Ignoring her body's agony, she staggered step by step toward Vivian.

Aiden looked at her suspiciously and blocked her path. "Victoria, what are you trying to do now?"

"Move!" The hatred blazing in Victoria's eyes scorched Aiden, making him pause.

"Aiden, she's going to hurt my mom—help me!" Hannah tugged at Aiden's hand urgently. "Aiden, please! That's the mother who raised me!"

"Victoria! Enough! Stop this nonsense!"

Aiden snapped back to attention, suppressing the unease rising in his chest. His brow furrowed as he reached to pull Victoria back, forgetting to control his strength.

Victoria stumbled from his pull, her foot slipping into empty air. Her body lost balance completely and toppled toward the stairwell.

Victoria tumbled headlong down the stairs, her body a helpless weight against the wood. With each sickening thud, her arms and head collided with the sharp corners of the landing.

With a loud crash, she landed at the bottom in a twisted, unnatural position.

Time ground to a sudden, ringing halt. Within the confines of the stairwell, the only sound was Victoria's labored, struggling breaths.

And the blood slowly spreading beneath her, staining the floor crimson.