Chapter 173
Victoria's mind went blank.
How could Mia's depression possibly be her fault?
Seeing the shock in her eyes, Martin tightened his grip on her chin and mocked, "Why are you pretending to be innocent? Just because she took a photo, you lured her to the lakeside where there were no cameras and slashed her face with a knife? Victoria, you're truly vicious."
"She told you I did this?" Victoria let out a bitter laugh.
Now she understood. This was just like Mia, always playing the victim.
They were husband and wife, yet he believed an outsider so completely.
Did he even try to find out what had really happened before condemning her?
Did Martin know that day Mia had tricked her to the lakeside, kicked her stomach with sharp stiletto heels, and shoved her head underwater?
He knew nothing.
No, he did not know. Mia had made that clear. He could not wait; he wanted her dead.
When he learned she had survived, had he been disappointed? Then her father’s fake death had drawn her out again, only for her to be tortured once more?
Victoria blinked back her dry tears.
There was no point in asking any more questions.
"Martin, if I'm so evil in your eyes, just send me to prison." She smiled bleakly.
Her words infuriated him. His grip on her chin tightened as if he wanted to crush it. "If you weren't carrying my child, do you think I'd let you off so easily?"
The child.
It was always about the child.
So all his so-called tolerance toward her was because of the child.
If he valued the child so much, why had he allowed Mia to hurt her?
Victoria let out a cold laugh. At this moment, Martin seemed so hypocritical that she felt sick.
Suppressing his anger, Martin demanded, "These past few days you disappeared—you were with Aaron, weren't you?"
Victoria remained silent. Her chest felt heavy, as though something were blocking her breath.
"There’s need to deny it. I already checked. You ate and lived with him. Your landlord told me everything." Martin said mockingly.
His words cut like a dull knife, slicing her apart.
But she refused to let Aaron be slandered. He had not lived with her.
He was just worried about her, bringing her food every day, watched her finish eating, and left quietly.
Aaron had never done anything inappropriate, never even touched her hand.
Yet Martin looked at her as though she were already tainted.
"It's not like that. He—" she began instinctively.
“I don’t want to hear about the two of you,” Martin interrupted coldly.
He would not even allow her to explain.
To him, her relationship with Aaron was already disgraceful.
If it hadn’t been for Aaron, I would be dead. Mia would have silenced me forever.
You see your wife standing here alive, yet all you care about is suspicion and anger. You never even bothered to investigate the truth?
Victoria's heart ached so fiercely she could barely breathe. The air felt thin.
She stared hard at his handsome yet icy face. "Martin, are you disappointed that I didn't die?"
"What do you think?" he replied without hesitation, still angry that she had stayed with Aaron.
He did not realize how his words sounded to her like confirmation of her worst fear.
What could she possibly think?
His actions had already made it clear.
"Remember what I told you? Victoria, don't provoke her."
"I didn't provoke her!" Vshe shouted, losing control.
Martin released her chin abruptly, his lips curling into a cold smile. "You ruined her face and drove her into depression, and you call that not provoking her? Because of you, she tried to end her life several times and barely survived."
"She’s pretending, Martin! Where is your judgment? Are you blind?” Victoria cried.
He frowned and delivered his cruelest words. "Do you think she's as vicious as you? That she enjoys hurting people?"
Victoria was speechless. Anger burned through her like wildfire.
Vicious? Enjoys hurting people?
If she were truly vicious, would she have fallen in love with him and married him against her family's wishes?
She had given her youth, her love, everything from the Gonzalez family. Hayden's health had declined. Aria’s once peaceful life had been disrupted.
And what had she received in return?
Only the label of being vicious.
"Yes, I'm vicious,” Victoria said with a broken laugh, tears streaming down her face. “My eyes must have been blind to marry you.”
She wiped at her tears, her eyes red.
Only then did Martin realize he had spoken too harshly.
He pressed his lips together before saying stiffly, "She said that as long as you apologize, she'll let it go. This was your fault to begin with. I'm a fair and just person. I can't protect you just because you're my wife."
"Have you ever protected me?” Victoria shot back. when I gave you the recording of Mia forcing Tamsin to hurt me, you wouldn't even listen. You crushed the recorder under your foot. When we married, you promised to treat me well forever. Then my father fell down the stairs and developed dementia. The Gonzalez Group fell into your hands. You came back asking for a divorce. When I refused, you moved out of the villa and ignored me for a whole year!"
“Is that fair? Do you know what I went through this year? Of course you don’t. You were busy taking wedding photos with Mia, acting affectionate with her. When have you ever stood by my side? I’ve seen hypocrites before, Martin, but never one who preaches righteousness while practicing double standards like you."
"Do you want me dead that badly? Are you that impatient? I told you I would honor the contract. As long as you keep your promise, I will fulfill mine. But you never trusted me. Whatever I say is false. Whatever Mia says is the truth."
Through tears, Victoria repeated stubbornly, "I'll say it again that Mia’s injuries have nothing to do with me. On the contrary, she tried to harm me. Now she’s twisting everything."
"Believe it or not, I have to say it. I did nothing wrong to her. I will not apologize.”
Martin’s expression remained cold. “There’s no surveillance footage. Do you expect me to believe you?”
Those words ignited something inside her completely.
Victoria lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes bloodshot, and through clenched teeth, she spoke.