Chapter 157
She didn't want to die, she didn't want to die!
She couldn't die!
Hayden was still in the hospital, his life hanging by a thread, still unconscious!
Aria had said that if anything happened to her, the Gonzalez family would be completely finished!
Victoria regretted it so much, so much. She was so stupid. Why hadn't she listened to the taxi driver's warning? Why did she come to this place alone?
She shouldn't have hung up on Martin's call!
The lake water reeked of dead fish, forcing its way into her nose, her eyes, her mouth.
Victoria's stomach and body were being forcibly filled with water.
Victoria used every ounce of strength she had, struggling desperately!
Mia's venomous words drilled into her ears relentlessly, "Victoria, stop struggling! You already have terminal liver cancer, don't you? You're going to die sooner or later anyway! What difference does it make if you live a few more days or a few less? No one's coming to save you today!"
"You're nothing but trouble in this world!"
"Even if I don't kill you today, your husband will torture you to death! Who do you think arranged to lure you here?"
"It was Martin! Your husband!"
"He told me that as soon as you're dead, he'll marry me right away! We've already taken our wedding photos!"
"Victoria, this is your fate! You were destined to lose to me. Stop this pointless struggle! Maybe if you accept your death obediently, I'll be kind enough to convince Martin to treat your parents and the Gonzalez family better."
Tears poured from Victoria's eyes. So this was Martin's doing!
No wonder he'd been acting so out of character, taking her on this trip—he wanted to kill his wife!
But Martin, I only have a few days left anyway! There's a baby in my belly, the baby is a ticking time bomb—couldn't you wait?
Are you really that impatient?
God, what did I do wrong!
Why would the person I kindly supported turn out to be such a bastard!
Victoria was furious, desperate, and helpless!
Mia pushed her head down even deeper, "Martin said that even though you have a terminal illness, your body is just too healthy! You just won't die! He can't wait anymore! Victoria, look how much people hate you—do you even have the nerve to keep living in this world?"
Victoria couldn't swim, so naturally she couldn't hold her breath properly.
Her breathing became more and more labored, and her hands no longer had the strength to struggle.
Victoria hazily saw visions flashing before her eyes.
Images of taking Mia shopping for clothes.
Images of Mia introducing Martin to her.
Images of their wedding.
He embraced her, kissed her, whispered softly, "Victoria, I'll be good to you, for the rest of my life."
Images of their first time making love—she was so scared, her body trembling. He gently tucked her hair behind her ear, "Don't be afraid, Victoria. I'll be very gentle, very gentle. I won't hurt you."
And then her father Hayden's car accident, desperately needing money, Aria slapped her across the face.
Martin was gripping her throat.
Her kneeling before Martin.
On the broken bridge, a scrapped car rushing toward her, she called Martin for help, but Mia answered, "He's busy taking a shower, no time to take your call."
Martin's cold voice echoed in her ears, over and over, "Take the medicine!"
"Victoria, if you want me to spare the Gonzalez family, if you want me to save your father, then go die!"
She had asked him, "Martin, if one day you realize you've completely and utterly lost me, will you be sad? Will you cry?"
"I'll set off fireworks at your funeral for days and nights, to wish you well on your way to heaven!"
"I'll use pink flowers at your funeral—you like pink, don't you? Your portrait, your coffin, everything will be in your favorite color! I'll make your funeral grand and glorious! One of a kind! I'll give you all the dignity you deserve!"
"Victoria, go die!"
"Victoria, just die!"
"Victoria, you deserve to die!"
"Go confess to my parents! Go kowtow and beg for forgiveness!"
Victoria felt her head getting heavier and heavier.
Her whole body was so tired.
All she could see was Martin's contemptuous smile—was she hallucinating?
Suddenly, she saw Martin as he was when they first met.
He wore a faded denim jacket and a black backpack slung over his shoulder. Though his clothes were quite ordinary.
Victoria, as the student council president in charge of welcoming new students, still noticed him immediately in the sea of people.
Everyone who looked at her did so with respect, flattery, and attempts to curry favor.
Only Martin was neither humble nor arrogant, not caring about her beauty or her noble background.
His back was perfectly straight!
In that instant, Victoria felt the desire to conquer.
She wanted to make Martin fall in love with her!
Victoria's consciousness grew hazier and hazier. She ran toward him.
Wanting to hug Martin one last time.
She was about to die—there would be no more chances after this.
How ironic—he hated her so much, he'd arranged all of this, yet she still wanted to hold him one last time.
But when Victoria reached out to embrace Martin.
His body instantly turned to nothing, vanishing into thin air.
Then she saw Martin standing in the distance, wearing a neat suit without a single wrinkle.
Sitting on a sofa, a cigarette between his fingers.
His pant legs were perfectly pressed, cold.
Victoria begged him, "Martin, save me!"
She was being held down in the water by Mia, unable to breathe, unable to save herself.
But Martin stood up from the sofa.
She thought he was going to save her, but instead, he stabbed her.
That stab went straight to her heart.
Victoria's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Martin.
He stood up, curled his lips disdainfully, and walked away, "You're finally dead. I've been waiting so long!"
The visions before Victoria's eyes grew fewer and fewer.
The images grew dimmer and dimmer.
Victoria felt her soul leaving her body.
She saw Mia throw her into the lake.
Her whole body was floating on the surface.
Crows circled frantically overhead, screaming desperately.
Then a cold wind scattered even her wisp of soul.
After doing all this, Mia collapsed on the grass, murmuring, "Good, it's done. She's dead! Victoria is dead; no one can threaten me anymore! No one can stop me from marrying you, Martin!"
Actually, no one knew that the boy Victoria had sponsored back then was Martin!
But Mia had lied, saying that the boy was mute and had died from a serious illness.
The one who had helped Martin was clearly Victoria.
She'd kept this secret for over ten years! Now it was good—she'd eliminated the problem at its root. No one would ever dig up this secret again.
Martin could only be hers. She'd invested so much time—she couldn't lose, and she wouldn't lose! Whenever Martin liked a woman, she destroyed her. What she couldn't have, no other woman could dream of having either.
The hotel.
Martin looked at the number he'd blacklisted, pinched the bridge of his nose, and knocked on the master bedroom door again.