Chapter 137
When Victoria saw the caller ID on her phone screen clearly, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
It wasn't Martin.
But she still answered the call, putting the phone to her ear and speaking softly, "Doctor."
"Ms. Gonzalez, don't think I'm being annoying or talking too much! I told you yesterday, you need to come to the hospital right away for the abortion."
The doctor's words were filled with concern, which made Victoria feel suddenly warm inside. A stranger cared so much about her health and safety.
"Doctor, I'm not having the abortion."
"Ms. Gonzalez, are you joking with me?" The doctor's tone was full of shock and disbelief.
Victoria pressed her lips together. "I'm not joking. I've really decided to have this baby. Thank you, doctor, thank you for caring about me so much."
"But—"
"There's no 'but.' This is my fate. Doctor, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up." Victoria hung up before he could respond.
In the past, Victoria always tried to fight against fate. Like when Aria didn't want her to marry Martin, she insisted on proving to her that her choice of man wasn't wrong.
Like how she thought marrying someone she loved would mean a happy, blissful life together.
But the person she loved most wished she would just die already.
Now she was tired. She didn't want to resist anymore.
Since death was coming sooner or later anyway, since she didn't have the ability to get rid of this child, she might as well use Martin's attachment to the child to help the Gonzalez family, to help Hayden get more benefits!
Maximizing benefits was now her only best option.
Victoria's heart felt like it had been ruthlessly hollowed out. It hurt terribly, but her tears had dried up—she couldn't cry anymore.
Waiting for Martin, every minute, every second was unbearably difficult.
She sat blankly on the sofa. Apart from eating her meals obediently, she just waited for Martin to show up.
She didn't sleep at all that night, constantly praying in her heart, hoping Hayden wouldn't get into trouble, hoping Hayden could get through this crisis.
Fortunately, she didn't receive a call from Aria.
Victoria watched helplessly as the sky turned dark, then watched helplessly as heavy snow began falling outside the window.
Flake after flake, falling in the cold wind, falling on the bare tree branches.
Victoria witnessed the sky change from dark to light, witnessed the wet ground transform overnight into a silver landscape.
She spent the night using her laptop to draft a new contract, adding the benefit clauses she wanted, then printed it out in the study.
The next day, at four in the afternoon.
Martin finally showed up, late.
Wearing a black coat, black leather gloves on his hands, carrying the cold from outside, with a few snowflakes on his shoulders.
They quickly merged with the black coat and disappeared.
Martin glanced at her, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Kaida brought over a cup of hot milk and handed it to Victoria.
Victoria didn't want to drink it, but thinking about the upcoming discussion, knowing she couldn't anger Martin, she took it and drank it all.
Then she returned the glass to Kaida.
"How has Victoria been eating these past few days?" Martin looked expressionlessly at Kaida, who was wearing an apron and standing not far away.
Kaida was startled by his cold gaze and trembled, but still answered honestly, "Mrs. Collins has finished all her meals these past few days. She's getting proper nutrition."
Martin seemed satisfied with this answer.
He waved his hand, and Kaida tactfully left to go shopping for ingredients for the next meal.
Martin narrowed his eyes, looking at Victoria sitting in the rocking chair. "I heard you wanted to see me?"
"Martin, I'm asking you one last time. If one day I'm gone, disappeared from your world forever—" Victoria wouldn't give up. She still wanted to ask one more time.
Before she could finish, Martin interrupted impatiently, "Victoria, I'm very busy. I don't have time to listen to this nonsense."
So her life and death, her condition, had become nonsense in his mouth.
Martin's coldness and indifference were like a cold knife, stabbing hard into Victoria's heart.
Her heart was split open, bloody, but Martin couldn't see it!
She thought, even if he could see it, he probably wouldn't feel sorry.
Before Victoria could speak, she saw him stand up impatiently to leave. "When you've completely thought it through, then talk to me."
Clearly, he came today to make her submit.
Martin thought she was ready to have this child, but she was still talking nonsense!
"I can have this child! But I have conditions!"
Victoria looked at his back and blurted out.
His steps stopped abruptly. He turned to look at her. "What conditions?"
Victoria stood up from the rocking chair, picked up the two contracts she had prepared on the table, and handed them to him. "Look at the terms. If there's no problem, sign it. As long as you sign, I'll have this child!"
Martin took them with a complicated look in his eyes, opened them, scanned through briefly, then with a thud, threw the contracts on the table. "You're really calculating! Deposit 100 million dollars into your dad's medical account, transfer fifty percent of the Gonzalez Group shares to your name, and you also want twenty villas and three billion dollars in cash."
"Victoria, you're so greedy. What are you doing? Selling the child?" Martin's eyes flashed with mockery. "Before, you only asked me to help the Gonzalez family. Now you're making specific demands?"
Victoria laughed softly. "Mainly because your character is really not that good. You've tricked me too many times. Selling the child is unavoidable. I'm just trying to ensure my family has better living conditions in the future."
Martin, do you know? I'm not selling the child. I love this child more than anyone, I feel sorry for my own child. But I have no choice. I'm selling my own life cheap, in exchange for my family's financial security!
"Victoria, this is your child too. You insist on making these demands?" Martin angrily grabbed her throat. "You're not in a position to negotiate. Hayden's life is in my hands. Get that straight!"
Victoria knew that, of course, but she had no choice. She could only take this risky move!
She was panicking inside, scared, but she still pretended not to care, laughing indifferently. "If Mr. Collins doesn't want to make this deal, then go ahead and kill my dad!"
"What did you say?" He looked at Victoria in surprise.
Victoria sneered. "Didn't expect that at your young age, your hearing would be so bad. You don't really think that by threatening me with my dad, you can do whatever you want, do you? I've thought it through now. My dad is just a burden, a money pit! I've wanted him dead for a long time. It's even better if you kill him for me. Saves me from being called unfilial! I should thank you! You kill him, I abort your child—perfect, the whole world becomes peaceful!"
Before Martin could react, Victoria grabbed the scissors nearby and aimed them at her belly. "Martin, are you signing or not? If you don't sign, I'll get rid of this problem right now!"