Chapter 118
"Victoria, stop talking to me about money."
Victoria had no idea how she'd managed to piss Martin off.
His grip on her chin grew tighter and tighter as he ground out a warning through clenched teeth.
Victoria thought about how twisted he was, how impossible to please. She'd bought him breakfast, and he'd thrown it away. The contract they'd signed. He kept dragging his feet on keeping his promises.
Victoria let out a cold laugh and shot back. "Mr. Collins, it seems all we have left between us is a contractual relationship. It's written down in black and white, clear as day. If I don't talk about money, what should I talk about? Mr. Collins should really honor his commitments."
Honor his commitments?
So in Victoria's eyes, all they had left was a business arrangement!
Martin suddenly forced a rough kiss on her lips, biting and gnawing.
She kept saying she loved him more than anything, but now all she cared about was money, money, money!
Martin wasn't satisfied. Martin refused to accept it. Where had the Victoria who used to be crazy about him gone?
Victoria pushed and shoved at him with all her limbs.
He only held her tighter. In the past, whenever he wanted sex, when had she ever refused? Didn't she always happily, eagerly wash up and wait for him in bed?
Always afraid he wouldn't be satisfied.
Now Victoria had changed so much. All she did was make him angry!
Victoria's chin hurt terribly from his grip.
But she was too weak to break free no matter how hard she tried.
Victoria felt more and more useless. She had absolutely no way to deal with Martin!
Tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks.
Her tears landed on his face. He released her with disgust and stood up straight.
Martin stared at her with contempt for a long moment, then pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped his lips over and over again, hard.
Only after wiping them completely clean did he toss the handkerchief in the trash.
Martin turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
Victoria hugged her knees and sobbed into her hands.
Was she really that dirty? Martin, you kiss me and then have to wipe your mouth so many times.
If you think I'm so disgusting, why kiss me at all?
This was torture, torture in every possible way.
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
Victoria picked it up and saw a friend request from Aaron.
So he'd changed his WhatsApp number.
Victoria wiped her tears and accepted the request.
Aaron sent a message. "Ms. Gonzalez, your husband didn't give you a hard time, did he?"
Of course he had.
It would be weird if he hadn't.
"We're fine, thank you for your concern." Victoria's feelings grew more complicated. Even a stranger cared about her more than Martin, who only knew how to torture her in different ways.
On the asphalt road.
Martin drove like a maniac, flooring the gas pedal until the speedometer maxed out.
His facial features were tightly drawn, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so hard the veins bulged.
"Martin, all we have left is a contractual relationship! If I don't talk about money, what should I talk about?"
"Martin, shouldn't you keep your promise and give my dad the money?"
"Mute boy, I miss you so much. Can we meet again?"
"Ms. Gonzalez, cleaning work doesn't suit you. Would you like to be my secretary?"
Victoria's voice and Aaron's voice played over and over in Martin's ears, driving him crazy.
Just as the Bentley was about to crash into a tree by the roadside, he slammed on the brakes.
The tires screeched harshly as the car came to an abrupt stop by the curb.
At three or four in the morning, there wasn't a single person on the street.
Martin rolled down the window and smoked an entire box of cigars in the driver's seat before finally calming his rage.
When he first got together with Victoria, he'd been repulsed by her, wanted to strangle her with his own hands.
But she was too good at acting, too good at seduction. Her body was soft and fragrant.
No matter how Martin lost his temper or ignored her, Victoria would cling to him.
She'd burrow into his arms with her soft body like a little wildcat.
She'd nibble his nose with her teeth, acting cute, whispering over and over after sex. "Martin, I love you."
He'd asked Victoria with a smile. "What if after marriage, he treats you badly? Would you still like him?"
She'd smiled confidently and patted her chest, saying she didn't believe Martin would treat her badly. Even if he really did, she could warm up his cold heart.
At first, he didn't believe it.
But the more she said it, the more Martin took it to heart.
She'd promised that no matter how he treated her, she'd love him devotedly for the rest of her life.
Now look what had happened. She'd gotten mixed up with Aaron.
Back at the apartment, Martin took a cold shower.
Only then did his anger finally subside.
Martin picked up his phone and called Brian. "Tomorrow, get a caregiver to look after Victoria at the hospital."
"Yes, Mr. Collins." Brian replied. "By the way, Mr. Collins, we found out about Aaron's background. He's the illegitimate son of the Hill family. The Hill family heir died of a serious illness three months ago. Officer Hill was still a police officer then. It seems after the Hill family heir died and the family head had no children left, they brought him back to acknowledge his roots."
So he was a bastard child. No wonder he liked to steal other people's things.
Martin smiled with contempt and hung up. After drying his hair, he noticed Victoria's belongings in the living room.
He went to the walk-in closet and opened it to see her clothes hanging right next to his.
As if they'd gone back to a year ago, before their cold war.
Martin was satisfied. He removed the watch from his wrist and placed it in the row of watch boxes, took off his expensive suit, and changed into a black velvet loungewear.
Looking even more refined.
Back in the master bedroom, Martin was about to pull back the covers and get into bed.
The back of a photo on the floor caught his attention.
Martin bent down expressionlessly and picked it up.
Holding it in his hand.
The back of the photo was white, covered in the words "mute boy."
Written densely all over.
The handwriting belonged to none other than Victoria.
Martin was familiar with everything about her, including her handwriting.
The writing looked fresh, probably written recently.
He turned the photo over.
It was an old photo showing the back of a boy in denim.
Running urgently, the denim washed pale.
If Martin wasn't mistaken, this was an old photo from over ten years ago.
How ridiculous. His wife had been hiding a boy in her heart for ten years, and a mute one at that?
He couldn't even compete with a mute.
Martin tore the photo in half and threw it in the trash.
Victoria, you dare play me like this. You've got some nerve.
"No need for a caregiver." Martin called Brian again, gave the order, and hung up, leaving Brian to wonder what was going on.
At the same time, Victoria sat in the dark hospital room, listening to Aria urge her. "Victoria, tomorrow is the last day to pay for your dad's treatment! If you don't pay, they're going to stop his medication! Did you have another fight with Martin?"