Chapter 110
While talking on the phone, Brian held his mobile and turned to leave.
Victoria still wasn't satisfied. She went to the bathroom, filled another bucket with water, and dumped it all over Tatum.
Then she threw the bucket down hard.
"You stepped on my foot and splashed water on me, so I dumped two buckets on you. Now we're even. Let me tell you, Martin is Martin, and you are you. You have no right to act all high and mighty in front of me just because you know him. Go ahead and complain if you want. I don't care."
Victoria picked up the bucket and mop from the floor and got into the elevator to clean another floor.
Tatum was furious. She had thought Victoria was weak—after all, when she stepped on Victoria earlier, Victoria didn't even make a sound.
Just then, Tatum's phone buzzed.
It was a message from Brian: [Tatum, please come to the CEO's office. Mr. Collins wants to see you.]
In the CEO's office.
Martin had just paused his meeting to make time to deal with this matter.
In front of Martin, Tatum tearfully complained about how wronged and helpless she felt, pushing all the blame onto Victoria.
Martin listened quietly, picked up the cigarette box on his desk, pulled one out, put it between his lips, lit it, and started smoking with no expression on his face.
He wore an expensive watch on his wrist and sat lazily in his leather chair. His business suit made Martin look even more cold and gloomy.
His presence felt increasingly dignified.
Tatum cried for a long time, but Martin in his executive chair showed no anger—he just smoked.
Through the swirling smoke, she looked at Martin's stern face, feeling fear, respect, and admiration all at once.
"Are you done?"
Martin exhaled smoke and finally spoke.
Tatum was tired of crying and had finished complaining. She nodded.
Martin gave Brian a look. Brian walked over to Tatum with a document and handed it to her. "Tatum, this is your pay slip. Please check if there are any problems."
Tatum took it in confusion, glanced at it—they had even given her two extra months' salary.
"Tatum, if there's no problem, please pack your things and leave the Gonzalez Group within half an hour."
Brian said matter-of-factly.
Tatum's mind went blank. She stared at Martin in his executive chair. "Mr. Collins, you're firing me?"
"Tatum, you think way too highly of yourself." Martin stubbed out his unfinished cigarette in the ashtray with a cold smile.
Tatum collapsed to the floor.
Martin glanced at Brian. "Deal with this quickly."
"Yes, Mr. Collins." Brian nodded.
Martin stood up, adjusted his glasses, and strode out of the CEO's office to continue his meeting in the conference room.
Brian looked at Tatum crying on the floor with no sympathy. "Will you pack your things yourself, or should I help you? Mr. Collins has been kind to you. He won't let it be known you were fired—it'll be recorded as you leaving on your own. At least he's saving you some face."
"Doesn't Mr. Collins hate Mrs. Collins? What's really going on?" Tatum asked bitterly, unwilling to accept this.
Brian laughed mockingly, "Tatum, Mrs. Collins is the person Mr. Collins cares about most!"
Soon it was time to get off work.
Victoria had only cleaned half the building.
She hadn't eaten anything all day and was both hungry and exhausted.
She had cleaned quickly at first, but as her strength gave out, she slowed down considerably.
Her phone suddenly rang.
Victoria quickly pulled out her phone and sat down in the hallway to answer it.
The doctor told her the ultrasound results were in.
She was pregnant!
The baby was only half a week old.
The doctor was very serious, telling her to come to the hospital as soon as possible for an abortion.
Her body was extremely weak right now. Her condition had only just been brought under control, and her body could no longer handle having a child. Forcing herself to give birth would only speed up her death—both she and the baby would die.
Victoria quietly hung up the phone. She felt really sad. The child was so unlucky—reborn into her belly, it couldn't escape being aborted before even being born.
Tears fell as Martin's call came through.
She didn't want to answer. She felt too miserable. She hung up and turned off her phone.
Martin had just finished his meeting, and Tatum had already left the Gonzalez Group.
He didn't know if Victoria had gotten off work yet. He hadn't heard from her all day, so he called her.
But she actually hung up on him.
Martin was stubborn too. Since Victoria wouldn't answer, he didn't call a second time.
He drove back to the apartment, thinking she would be there packing her suitcase.
According to their contract, she was supposed to move in today to take care of him.
But when Martin turned on the lights, there were no new items in the living room.
No one in the guest bedroom.
He went to the walk-in closet and opened a row of cabinet doors. There were only his watches, ties, and other belongings. Nothing of Victoria's—not a single piece of clothing.
Martin laughed coldly and called her again.
The phone was off.
Martin sent Brian a message: [Check if Victoria is still at the company.]
Soon, Brian found Victoria's location through the company's security cameras and told Martin.
Martin drove back to the Gonzalez Group.
He found her on the 74th floor of Building A.
The 74th floor was a level the Gonzalez Group hadn't put into use yet. It had office desks and chairs, but no one worked there.
Victoria was wearing a dirty cleaning uniform, her back to him, bent over mopping the floor.
Martin walked toward her step by step, making no sound.
He glanced at the floor.
Every tile was spotlessly clean, without a speck of dust.
The cleaning staff the Gonzalez Group had hired before would just go through the motions, never mopping the floors this clean.
Martin had thought Victoria wouldn't last an hour before running to complain and wanting to quit.
But she had cleaned the entire 74th floor by herself—this was three days' worth of work for five people!
Martin looked at her figure with mixed feelings. She seemed to have changed, becoming tougher and more resilient.
Victoria sensed someone watching her. She turned around and saw Martin standing behind her, tall and lean in his dark suit.
He wore glasses, with an expensive watch on his wrist.
The fluorescent lights in the office area fell on him, making his features look even more striking.
Martin looked at Victoria, and she looked at him.
Neither spoke.
Victoria looked away first and continued mopping. "What brings Mr. Collins here?"
"Why are you so slow at your work? Cleaning and you're still at it now? Should I hire you an assistant to help you clean?" Martin had meant to show concern, but somehow it came out as mockery.
Victoria had been holding in her frustration all day. Hearing this made her heart feel even more desolate.
Martin wouldn't help, and now he was mocking her too.
"Just go back. I'll come home when I'm done." Victoria held back her sadness, tears dripping onto the mop. Fortunately, her back was to him—she didn't want him to see her crying in such a miserable state.
Victoria didn't know what she'd said wrong. Her slim waist was suddenly lifted as Martin picked her up, his face cold. "Come home with me!"