Chapter 212
Their eyes met, locked together.
Martin's gaze was sharp and cold.
Like the freezing rain outside the window, like the heavy snowflakes of deep winter, like thick ice that would never melt even in a thousand years.
Perhaps it was because Victoria had learned that her cancer cells had spread throughout her body and she didn't have long to live—she had no energy to meet his gaze.
She felt completely drained, as if all her spirit had been sucked out, like a deflated balloon.
After just one second of eye contact, Victoria looked away.
She brushed past him.
As if Martin had become invisible to her, as if he were a stranger.
The aroma of food drifted from the kitchen.
And the smell of meat.
Just then, Kaida, wearing an apron and carrying dishes, emerged from the kitchen. Seeing Victoria, she was overjoyed, "Ms. Gonzalez, you're finally back. You have no idea how worried we were about you. It's so good that you're back. As long as you're safe."
Kaida was just a housekeeper.
No blood relation, not even a friend.
Yet she cared about her like this.
These words—her husband Martin had never said them.
Victoria's heart was a mess of emotions, growing more complicated.
She felt touched, sad, and completely at a loss.
To put Kaida's mind at ease, Victoria forced a smile. "Thank you for caring about me so much."
"Actually, Mr. Collins even more..." Kaida glanced at Martin, who had his back to them, and couldn't help but tell Victoria. She wanted to let Victoria know that during those days she was missing, Martin had been frantic, and it was Martin who had been taking care of her plants and her Gracula religiosa.
She was only halfway through her sentence.
Martin turned his tall figure around, looking at Kaida expressionlessly. "You can go home now. Come back tomorrow to cook for her."
"Yes, Mr. Collins." Kaida had to swallow the rest of her words.
After placing all the dishes on the dining table, Kaida untied her apron, said goodbye to Victoria and Martin, then turned and went downstairs, leaving the apartment.
Now it was just the two of them, and the air instantly became quiet and suffocating.
Martin told her to sit down and eat.
She was too tired today, too exhausted. Her stomach already felt full, she couldn't eat.
But to avoid starting a fight, she still sat down and ate the white rice in her bowl.
Seeing that she wasn't picking up any dishes, Martin took the initiative to serve her a little from each plate, putting them in her bowl.
Victoria sighed. She really didn't want to eat.
But she still finished all the food he had served her.
Martin's gaze stayed on her, noticing something unusual. The old Victoria would always argue with him, but today she seemed completely spiritless.
"What's wrong with you?" Martin's cold voice came.
Victoria kept her eyes down. "Can we have some quiet while eating?"
"I'm concerned about you." Martin's tone showed some emotion.
Victoria didn't look up, but she knew that right now, Martin must be frowning hard.
Whenever he got angry, he would frown.
Victoria sneered, "I don't need your concern. I don’t need anything from you"
What use was fake concern anyway.
Absolutely no use at all.
"Is it that you don't need my concern, or is there another man out there caring for you? You know the truth. You think just because you and Aaron separated at the bus stop, I wouldn't know?" Martin mocked.
Victoria finally looked up, "You followed me?"
If he hadn't been following her, how could it be such a coincidence that he saw them?
Martin pressed his lips together. Actually, he hadn't followed her at all.
He wasn't that bored, and certainly not that twisted.
After finishing work, he had wanted to come home early, and just happened to run into them on the road.
Martin didn't feel like explaining. He was too angry, "Feeling guilty?"
Guilty?
Victoria's heart was pierced full of holes by his words. What terrible thing had she done? Why should she feel guilty?
If he had been following her, how could he not know about her medical condition?
And how could he not know what Mia had done to her?
The only explanation was the brutal truth—Martin and Mia were in this together!
Victoria blinked her sore, swollen eyes. Her stomach felt overly full, uncomfortably full, so full it made her want to cry.
But she didn't want to cry in front of Martin. Too pathetic.
Wasn't all of this just so he could enjoy watching her suffer and be in pain?
She definitely wouldn't give him that satisfaction.
Victoria put down the utensils in her hand onto the table.
The movement was rough, making a harsh sound.
But her tone was very calm, "I'm full."
No one knew that her current calmness was a facade she was maintaining with all her strength.
Victoria was afraid that if she stayed one more second, she would smash the bowl in Martin's face.
She didn't want to fight anymore, didn't want to argue anymore, didn't want to debate anymore.
Because it was pointless.
Except for making her see clearly that he truly wished for her death.
There was no benefit at all.
And this reality—she already knew it, already accepted it.
No need to test it anymore.
Victoria returned to the master bedroom, grabbed her bathrobe, and went into the bathroom.
She closed the frosted bathroom door.
Turned on the shower.
A powerful stream of water poured wildly onto her head, onto her clothes.
She didn't change her clothes.
Just stood there stupidly, blankly.
Water vapor rose continuously with the heat.
The water was clearly warm, but Victoria felt so cold, so cold. She didn't know if it was from lack of care or because she could collapse at any moment.
Her limbs were so cold.
"Ms. Gonzalez, your current physical condition can't withstand any surgical risks."
"Eat whatever you want, drink whatever you want, do whatever unfinished wishes you have."
"Ms. Gonzalez, do you have any unfinished wishes?"
"You're being ridiculous. Cancer cells have spread throughout your entire body, your organs are all failing, you could go at any time. You won't make it to the New Year."
The attending doctor's words echoed in Victoria's ears like a curse.
Victoria loved New Year's the most as a child. During New Year's, the family of three would gather together, enjoying their time together.
Hayden would give her gifts.
Aria would give her beautiful clothes.
She couldn't go back to the past anymore.
Her and Martin.
Her beautiful life with Hayden and Aria—none of it could come back!
Her heart beat with difficulty under the pressure.
In the steam-filled bathroom, she turned the water flow to maximum.
Victoria's face and skin showed red marks from the scalding.
Victoria sobbed in pain, but afraid that Martin outside the door would hear and mock her, ridicule her, she pressed her palm tightly over her mouth. Her tears were quickly washed away by the water.
An adult's breakdown often happens in an instant—any small thing can become the trigger that completely crushes the soul.
Like Victoria at this moment, except her breakdown was on mute.