Chapter 182
Martin saw Victoria sitting dumbly in the chair, taking forever to react. His mood grew increasingly irritable. Just because he said he'd go with her to the prenatal checkup, she was this nervous and scared?
Didn't she feel even a bit of surprise or happiness?
"I told you to go change your clothes and come with me to the prenatal checkup in a bit. Didn't you hear me? Or are you saying now that your father's treatment has been restored, you're being disobedient again?"
His tone was full of displeasure.
Victoria's scattered thoughts were slowly pulled back. She lied guiltily, "Your work is important. I can go by myself."
"I'm not going anywhere today. I'm specifically going with you to the prenatal checkup," Martin was determined to stick to this.
Victoria felt enormous pressure and started speaking without thinking, "I told you, you don't need to come with me. I'm not a child anymore. I can go by myself."
"Why are you so afraid of me going to the hospital with you? What trick are you trying to pull now?"
She looked up to see Martin's suspicious gaze circling around her.
Finally, his eyes fixed firmly on her belly, "Are you hiding something from me?"
Of course she was hiding something, but the baby was lost because he couldn't wait to harm her. After Aaron rescued her from the icy lake water, she was taken to the hospital.
When she woke up, Aaron told her the baby was gone.
Before being sent to the hospital, she had already started having a threatened miscarriage!
How could this be her fault?
It wasn't her fault at all.
But Victoria knew better than anyone that based on her understanding of Martin, he would definitely make a big deal out of this. He wouldn't miss any opportunity to torture her.
She was hiding it from him not because she was afraid, but because she didn't want to drag Hayden into this.
Thinking of this, Victoria's heart pounded wildly, and her palms began to sweat coldly. But she still pretended to be calm, "I'm not hiding anything from you."
"Then why aren't you going to change?"
"Martin, you really don't need to come with me," Victoria insisted again.
He couldn't take it anymore, his brows furrowed tightly, "If you want me to personally help you change, you can just say so. I don't mind."
Victoria understood Martin. Once he made up his mind to go with her, he definitely wouldn't change it.
The more she struggled, the more suspicious he would become.
Standing up, Victoria walked at an unhurried pace to the walk-in closet.
She closed the door and leaned her body against it.
Victoria swallowed nervously.
What should she do, what should she do!
What could she do?
She absolutely couldn't go to the hospital.
If she went, everything would be exposed.
She couldn't take that risk!
Her head hurt from thinking so hard, but Victoria still couldn't think of a way to get rid of Martin.
The closet door was suddenly knocked on.
"How long are you going to take to change? Half an hour has already passed," Martin's low, husky voice came through the door crack.
Victoria's body trembled. Had half an hour really passed already?
But she still hadn't thought of a solution!
"Almost done! If you're busy, you don't need to worry about me," Victoria kept her voice at a normal volume, afraid he'd notice something wrong.
But Martin was determined to see this through, "I'm giving you five more minutes, Victoria. If you don't come out in five minutes, I'll open the door myself and bring you out."
Another warning!
Victoria said she understood.
Then she randomly grabbed a tight green sweater from the closet, skinny jeans, and a gray down jacket.
She had no mood to pick out clothes or dress herself up.
At this moment, she was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Victoria dawdled as she put on her clothes.
She had already imagined the consequences. When Martin learned the truth, he would definitely cut off Hayden's medication again.
Aria would be implicated too.
The Gonzalez family would be completely finished!
She remembered she had once asked him this question—what would he do if the baby was gone.
He said he would make the Gonzalez family pay with their lives.
Making the Gonzalez family pay with their lives—this consequence was something Victoria couldn't bear no matter what, and she didn't dare risk it.
"Are you done changing or not?"
From Martin's impatient tone, she could tell he had run out of patience and had no time to let her keep stalling.
Victoria didn't want him to open the door and argue with her.
So she opened the closet door.
Martin's hair was very short, styled in the most common slicked-back look, combed smoothly without a single flaw.
His black suit was simple yet sophisticated.
This outfit was also made by her own hands.
Looking at it, Victoria found it exceptionally ironic and painful to see.
She didn't even know what to say about him. If she called him a jerk, he still kept all the clothes, shoes, socks, pants and other items she had bought for him, and wore them regularly.
If she said he was devoted, he was still entangled with Mia—taking wedding photos, having an affair—just short of bringing Mia back and making her position official.
Victoria thought that his repeated eagerness to harm her was probably because Mia couldn't wait to become legitimate.
He couldn't bear to let Mia continue living in the dark corners where she couldn't be seen. He was busy giving his mistress a proper status.
Without comparison, there's no harm.
It was obvious at a glance who Martin liked and cared for.
Even with a magnifying glass, Victoria couldn't find any details showing he cared about her or loved her.
So she didn't want to keep deceiving herself. When he took her on that trip, she had mistakenly thought he had feelings for her.
Until she saw Martin and Mia enter the same suite, and he thoughtfully carried her luggage for her.
When Mia pushed her head into the icy lake water, viciously kicked her belly with high heels, and hit her head with a brick.
Victoria completely and thoroughly accepted the reality, accepted the cruel fact that Martin really hated her, really wished she would die!
Her heart bitter and numb, Victoria blinked her dry eyes, went to the bathroom, then came out.
"Go change your shoes. We're leaving now," Martin walked toward the door on his own.
He was very concerned about the health of the baby in her belly.
Victoria's throat tightened, and she blurted out instinctively, "Martin!"
"What now?" Martin turned his head, his voice cold.
Victoria clutched her stomach and pretended to be sick, "I'm not feeling well today. Can we go another day?"
Martin's brows furrowed even deeper.
"Martin, didn't you just say I'm your wife? Can't you show some concern for your wife? What difference does it make whether we go today or tomorrow? I don't want to go today," Victoria said anxiously, even with a hint of pleading in her voice.
A flash of surprise crossed Martin's eyes. This was the first time in a year she had acted coquettishly with him, softened toward him.
It was as if they had returned to the past.
He walked to her side and glanced at her pale cheeks. Her whole person had a sickly beauty. Was she really ill?
"Martin, is that okay? I really don't feel well today," Victoria was so anxious that tears were welling up in her eyes.
Martin was moved. He helped her sit on the sofa, then got a thin blanket to cover her, and filled a hot water bottle to place on her stomach.
Victoria was afraid of being exposed, so she urged him to go to the Gonzalez Group to work.
But he took out his phone and made a call, "Come to the apartment."
"Mr. Collins, do you mean the prenatal checkup should be moved to your apartment?"
Hearing the question from Martin's phone, Victoria's heart, which had just settled down, instantly jumped to her throat!