Chapter 200
Victoria used to think Aria cared more about Hayden. Every time Aria called her, she would just ask about her well-being as a formality, then quickly move on to pressuring her and Martin to make peace.
She never expected that Aria actually felt sorry for her and cared about her.
Then all her sacrifices were worth it.
She was someone with a terminal illness who had accepted so many favors from Martin—how could divorce be easy?
He wouldn't let her go.
If they completely broke ties, it would be a disaster for the Gonzalez family.
"Victoria, don't worry about it, don't think so much. The future is uncertain—don't torture yourself over things that haven't happened yet, don't scare yourself, don't make things hard on yourself."
Aria said through tears, "Mom still has some jewelry that your father bought me. I can sell it to pay for your father's medical bills temporarily. Terry says your father will wake up soon, so it probably won't cost that much more."
"Victoria, I can't imagine it, I'm scared—when your father wakes up and asks me where you are, but you're gone, how would I explain it to him? We can always make more money. Even if we live poorly from now on, as long as the three of us are together and safe, we can get through anything. I'm scared of losing you. You almost died this time, do you know that?"
"If you're gone, your father and I will be devastated! We'll fall apart! We didn't raise our child just to watch her die."
Hearing these words from Aria, Victoria cried so hard she could barely breathe, her eyes blurred with tears.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
But nothing came out.
Her throat felt sore and tight, so uncomfortable, so painful.
She wanted to promise Aria that she'd leave this mess behind, that the three of them would be together, even if they lived in poverty.
But fate's hand had already pushed her into a dead end.
Victoria felt she had no choice. Even if she managed to leave Martin, then what?
Then let Aria bear a heavy financial burden while watching her die?
She couldn't do it.
That would be too selfish.
Besides, knowing Martin as she did, he hadn't finished tormenting her yet. He wouldn't let her go so easily, and he definitely wouldn't let the Gonzalez family off either.
Her death didn't matter, but what about the Gonzalez family? What about her parents?
Victoria carried too many responsibilities, too many burden. It seemed like besides dying, besides quietly waiting for her fate, there was nothing she could do.
Even if she tried, it would be pointless.
"Victoria, say something. Victoria." Aria thought she was unwilling and got a bit angry, "Martin treated you horribly, and you still can't let him go? Do you still like him? Victoria, you've already hit the wall. The facts prove he's a snake. Leave him. Victoria. Leave him."
Victoria felt torn and desperate inside.
How could she not want to leave?
She dreamed of that day.
But she couldn't be so selfish.
Her eyes were blurred with tears, her eye sockets swollen and aching from being soaked in tears.
Aria kept telling her to divorce, kept asking her to speak up.
Suddenly the hospital room door was pushed open without warning.
Aria's crying stopped abruptly. Victoria and Aria looked up to see Martin in a dark suit, his long legs striding toward the room with an expressionless face.
One hand in his pocket, the other carrying a bag of oranges he'd bought.
Victoria felt a bit guilty. She wasn't sure how much of their conversation Martin had heard.
She gave Aria a look, telling her not to say more. Aria wisely kept quiet.
After all, Aria was still afraid of Martin.
He had an intimidating presence that couldn't be ignored, especially when his face was expressionless—it was truly intimidating.
Martin put the bag of oranges on the table.
It made a heavy sound.
Then he took out an orange and started peeling it.
From what Victoria knew of him, he was angry again.
And he was controlling his temper.
"Mom, I'm fine. You should go. Go check on Dad." Victoria wanted to get Aria away. If Martin had just heard what Aria said, he would definitely take his anger out on her.
So Aria leaving was the right thing to do.
Aria wiped her tears, didn't even glance at Martin, then took Victoria's hand, "Victoria, think carefully about what I just said. Think it through."
"Okay. I'll think about it." Victoria smiled, worried about her.
Aria pulled her hand back. As she passed Martin, she snorted coldly, "Martin, if you're still human, treat Victoria better. You've tormented her into this state—don't you feel ashamed? An animal like you will go to hell sooner or later."
Martin's face already looked terrible. He threw the orange peel forcefully into the trash can.
Victoria was afraid Martin would explode, so she gave Aria a look, "Mom, you should go."
"Think carefully about what I just said. Mom wouldn't harm you. I don't believe that without Martin, we'll all starve to death." Aria kept going on, glanced at Martin, then turned and walked out of the hospital room indignantly.
Martin suppressed the anger in his heart.
Victoria loved eating oranges the most.
He'd always remembered what she liked.
He split it in half, offering one half to Victoria and keeping the other in his palm.
They used to do this—one orange, half for each of them.
How could Victoria not remember their old habit? But she didn't want to take it.
Because when she saw Martin, her heart turned cold. She would remember kneeling in the snow for hours, calling him, and he wouldn't answer.
Kneeling and begging him, he said she deserved to die.
Her cancer cells spreading, in so much pain she was vomiting blood, ringing the doorbell until it nearly broke, and he still wouldn't show his face.
Victoria didn't believe he hadn't heard her ringing. He must have been at the apartment's floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying the sight of her curled up in pain.
He did show up later, but only to coldly threaten her not to die, saying if she died he'd make Hayden and the Gonzalez family pay with their lives.
He'd hold two funerals for the Gonzalez family at once.
Before she was even dead, he wanted to send her to the funeral home.
She wasn't that generous. She had feelings too—she could hurt, she could feel pain.
She needed her husband's love and care too.
Why was there nothing? Only Martin's vicious curses?
Thinking of this, tears flooded Victoria's eyes again.
She blinked hard, forcing the tears back, and didn't take the orange he offered.
But he forcibly put the orange in her hand. That's how domineering he was—never asking how she felt, just forcing her to accept whatever he wanted her to endure.
"Your favorite oranges. Eat." Martin commanded coldly again.