Chapter 181
Chapter 181
The wind blew like a hurricane as the rain became heavier and heavier.
The raindrops fell into her eyes and blurred her sight.
Victoria widened her eyes as she stared at the tall figure coming closer and closer to her.
Ten meters left. Five meters. Three.
Only one man was reflected in her eyes that was blurred by tears and rain.
“G-Gez—”
All her words were trapped in her throat as she watched the man walk past her with no trace of hesitation at all.
He had ambled past her as if she was the most unfamiliar stranger in his life—he never even spared her a glance.
At that moment, she even wondered if she had gotten the wrong person.
However, that man was the love of her life whom she had carved into her soul. As long as she was close to him, the blood in her veins would begin to sing.
Moreover, she would never mistake that familiar scent of his that seeped into every one of her pores even if he was in a crowd. NôvelDrama.Org owns this text.
Lionel, do you really hate me that much? Do you despise me to the point you think of me as just a passerby in your journey of life? Do you abhor me so much you won't even spare me one glance? There are millions of ways to torment a soul in this world, but only your disregard and indifference are able to teach me what it is to feel a pain bone-deep. I thought that you would be angry and in pain; I thought you would resort to violence and slap me continuously to unleash the bitterness you felt onto me. And I was prepared to take on your emotions. Yet the cruel reality has told me that I'm but a speck of dust in this world—so small I can't even make a ripple in your life. Do you know that your disregard is what hurts me the most? Have I left no mark in your life at all? Must you treat me like air when we see each other again? Must you treat me like a stranger that you know so well?
When the footsteps behind her faded away, Victoria snapped back to her senses.
She slowly turned around to watch the familiar figure climb up the stairs with an umbrella in his hands through the veil of rain.
He never once turned, and he never once paused in his tracks.
It was as though they were only two strangers crossing paths in life.
A smile crept upon Victoria's lips as tears rolled down her cheeks.
The umbrella fell out of her hand, and the wind whisked it away into the woods.
Victoria tilted her head back a little and let the tears of the sky pour on her face. They did not hurt, but their coldness seeped into her bones like a dagger formed by ice that left marks that could never be erased.
It was a mistake. I've made a mistake. Bay was right. My stubbornness will only bring trouble to his current life; my existence will only ruin his relationship with his wife.
Seven years ago, Victoria indirectly caused the downfall of the Gezmond family and forced the man to flee.
Now that he's finally out of that period of betrayal and desolation, what right do I have to disrupt his peaceful life again? None.
At Shelbert Condominium, Bailey was greeted by a sight that made her leap in shock. Victoria was standing by the door, completely still as if her soul had been taken out of her and with her face as pale as death.
“Vicky, what happened to you?”
Victoria forced her stiff lips to part as she hoarsely muttered, “Bay, I want to die.”
With that, her knees buckled, and she fell into Bailey's arms.
“Holy sh*t!” Bailey cursed before hurriedly catching her friend.
It was then she found out that Victoria was drenched from head to toe and burning up.
“Zayron, fill up the bathtub and prep the IV liquid for fever.”
Zayron sped out of the study. Once he had a clear look at the situation in the living room, he, too,
jumped in shock before darting into the bathroom.
After Bailey helped Victoria take a bath, she set up an IV therapy for the latter.
Not long after, Victoria regained consciousness.
Bailey was sitting on the bed and staring at her coldly. After chuckling, she asked, “Spill it. What kind of challenges did you encounter that made you tell me you want to die?”
Victoria pursed her lips and turned her head away to avert Bailey's frigid gaze. In a barely audible voice, she said, “My fever took over my mind, so you can't take what I said to heart. Sorry to make you mad.”
Bailey's expression relaxed a little, and she sighed. “Vicky, you've gotten over the tough situation back then, so I thought nothing in this world could devastate you anymore—whether it be love or hate. Everything's in the past now. Is there a point for you to wallow in your misery and torture yourself still?”
Victoria sniffled and struggled to hold back the tears that were welling in her eyes. In a calm tone, she said, “I went to Mount Willow Cemetery today to visit Lionel's father, and when I left, I bumped into Lionel at the entrance.”
Bailey froze.
No wonder she looks as if she has lost her soul. So it's because she met Lionel. What was I expecting? Only Lionel would make her lose control like that.
“What happened, then? He told you that he hated you, and you apologized to him?”
Victoria shook her head before smiling bitterly.
“We never said anything to each other. Nothing. He walked over from afar and past me without saying a word. It's as if... to him, I'm just a stranger with a familiar face.”
Bailey's heart lurched, and she instinctively grabbed Victoria's hand, which had been resting by the edge of the bed.
Victoria turned to meet Bailey's eyes before shaking her head. With a forced smile, she said, “Bay, I know what you're trying to tell me. Don't worry, I can take it. Pain is better endured swift than dragged out. Now that he is treating me like a complete stranger... Frankly, I'm relieved. Even if I am destined to stay in a world without hope for the rest of my life, I still wish for him to find his bliss. I don't have many things I wish for in life, but the one thing I do wish for is for him to lead a quiet, peaceful life.”
Bailey tightened her grip on Victoria's hand. Then, raising her brow, she changed the topic and teased, “Why don't you come and develop a career with me? There's no point wasting time on those useless men. We'll still have to work hard ourselves to get the best kind of life. What a man can give you are just some materialistic satisfaction. Why must you bind yourself to a stove when you know the fire will never start again?”
Victoria chuckled. “That sounds good; it's what I was thinking about too. Why don't I—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the bedroom door was opened, and Susan poked her head through the gap. With a grin, she uttered, “Ladies, excuse me. There's an old man outside looking for Bay.”
Old man?
Bailey arched a brow.
She could guess who it was.
Victoria narrowed her eyes at Bailey. Then, she frowned and said, “Your useless father? What's he doing here?”
Bailey smiled and shook her head. “It shouldn't be Clarence. If my guess is right, it should be a shareholder representative sent by the Luther Group's board of directors who wants me to step in to solve Luther Group's troubles.”
Victoria sneered. “How can they be so shameless? Take out the needle for me. I'm going to meet them.”