Chapter 108: Chapter 108

Victoria Sinclair didn’t directly answer his question; instead, she countered, "You knew what happened two years ago. Why pretend not to know? Why did you marry me?"

Blood surged in Eugene Vaughn’s eyes, soaking wet, he stepped back, his fists clenched tightly, trembling slightly, the dead memories awakened like corpses buried in graves, dug up and repeatedly whipped.

Seeing his painful reaction, Victoria Sinclair’s heart twisted with pain, dripping with blood, hurting so much she almost couldn’t breathe. Follow current novᴇls on novel·fire·net

After a few seconds of silence, the air seemed to freeze, solidified with a layer of dead silence and cold pressure.

Eugene Vaughn took a deep breath and exhaled with his eyes closed.

He seemed to suppress the pain within him with all his might, his voice hoarse like rough sandstone, "You’re not even trying to pretend anymore?"

Victoria Sinclair’s vision blurred with tears, her lips curled bitterly as she sarcastically said, "With how outstanding you are, Eugene Vaughn, a handsome and wealthy man, many women line up wanting to marry you. Yet you defy all expectations and marry a woman who put a green hat on you. It’s truly baffling. I can’t help but doubt your motives. You knew Nathan Austin and I went to a hotel together the night before our wedding, yet you still resolutely registered to marry me. Why is that?"

Eugene Vaughn’s body trembled, he slightly opened his mouth to breathe, and even the hot breath seemed trembling. His bloodshot eyes were terrifying, his deep gaze fixed on Victoria Sinclair.

His anger reached its peak, almost collapsing, with only a shred of reason controlling him, trying to maintain calm.

Their eyes met, both with tears in their reddened eyes.

Eugene Vaughn didn’t answer.

Victoria Sinclair pressed further, "Are you retaliating against me?"

"Retaliate?" Eugene Vaughn laughed bitterly in surprise, looking up at the ceiling as if forcing tears back, his voice murmuring with desolate sarcasm, "Retaliate against you? Ha, I retaliate..."

"Are you really sure I cheated? If you had the courage to marry a woman who put a green hat on you, why didn’t you have the courage to barge in and catch us in the act?" Thinking of the grievances she endured these past two years, Victoria felt an overwhelming sadness and wanted to cry her heart out.

She was the biggest victim.

At that time, she might have been raped by Nathan Austin, but now two years later, there’s no chance to send him to prison.

She had been completely in the dark, inexplicably neglected by Eugene Vaughn for two years. This kind of punishment has trapped her in a cycle of sadness and helplessness, consuming herself over the past two years.

The grievances and hurt she suffered now seemed laughable.

If she really had been defiled.

She would hate Nathan Austin to death.

And she absolutely would not forgive Eugene Vaughn’s initial silence and inaction, which caused her to lose the best opportunity to report to the police.

Eugene Vaughn asked back, "Haven’t you already figured out why I’m enduring all this?"

Tears glistened in Eugene Vaughn’s reddened eyes as he coldly mirrored a semblance of a smile, which was more sorrowful than crying. His voice choked, almost inaudible, "You clearly know I liked you for over a decade, yet you say you don’t know?"

Victoria Sinclair couldn’t hear him clearly, she touched her face with her hands, wiping away the tears in her eyes, and said loudly in displeasure, "Can’t you speak a bit clearer?"

Eugene Vaughn closed his eyes, his tear glands unable to control, his heart ached to the deepest point, two clear tears slid down his cheeks, and his soul seemed to plunge into the abyss, feeling helpless to the point of madness.

He said nothing, brushing past Victoria Sinclair’s side.

It was as if he carried a chill, sweeping like a cold wind, leaving a trail of frost.

He directly stormed out.

"Bang!" A loud noise.

The sound of the door closing echoed from outside.

Victoria Sinclair was so frightened her body trembled, her heart felt like a rock smashed a huge hole in it, a dull pain that wouldn’t stop bleeding, cooling her from head to toe.

Victoria Sinclair couldn’t hold back any longer, tears fell like rain, her whole body weak, her heart felt hollowed out.

She had never felt this uncomfortable before.

Her heart felt like it was being sliced by knives, wave after wave of pain making her dizzy and nauseated.

She collapsed to the ground, hugged her knees, and buried her head, biting her lip not to cry out loud.

But the tears soaked her pants, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably.

Why did it have to be ?

She hated Nathan Austin to death.

After crying for who knows how long, Victoria Sinclair finally released all the sadness in her heart, got up to enter the room, and washed away the tear stains on her face, applying eye patches to her swollen eyes.

Feeling somewhat tired from crying, Victoria Sinclair lay on the bed and fell asleep.

When she woke up again, it was already three in the afternoon.

She was in low spirits, got up to leave, turned the door handle, and found that Eugene Vaughn hadn’t locked the door when he left.

Victoria Sinclair took her phone and went out.

She went to the Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, registered at the gynecology department, and explained her concerns to the doctor, asking for an examination.

The gynecologist was very professional.

In the examination room, after two minutes, they told her to put her pants back on.

She asked anxiously, "Doctor, am I..."

The doctor, while removing gloves, said, "It’s fine, very good, the membrane is intact."

Upon hearing this, the large stone in Victoria Sinclair’s heart immediately fell.

But at the same time, she became angrier the more she thought about it.

Nathan Austin may have harmed her marriage and caused discord between her and Eugene Vaughn, but it wasn’t criminal, and she couldn’t send him to prison.

Victoria Sinclair left the Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital with her report.

She took the subway to the oncology hospital.

In the hospital ward.

Her father, who had just had surgery, was still asleep, hooked up to an IV, looking very frail.

Timothy Sinclair was asleep next to his father’s bed.

Victoria Sinclair didn’t have the heart to wake him up.

At this time, the attending physician just came in, "Miss Sinclair..."

Victoria Sinclair quickly turned back, putting her finger to her lips, signaling the doctor not to wake her father and brother.

The doctor nodded and gestured for her to come over.

Victoria Sinclair left the ward and went to the doctor’s office.

Once seated, the attending physician couldn’t wait to say, "Miss Sinclair, the surgery was successful, but the deposit is already used up, and there’s still an outstanding balance for the surgery and medication fees that need to be paid before we can continue supplying medication."

"How much is the outstanding debt now?" Victoria Sinclair asked anxiously.

Because her father had cancer and was using the best imported drugs, the doctor looked at the bill, "There’s still a balance of 80,000 owed."

Victoria Sinclair was puzzled, "80,000? Didn’t you ask us to pay 150,000 last time?"

The doctor said, "Your brother sold the stall at a low price to raise money."

Victoria Sinclair was stunned, her heart felt blocked and uncomfortable.

Doctor: "Even though you still owe 80,000, raising just 80,000 is far from enough. The subsequent treatment, check-ups, chemotherapy, and medication will require at least another several hundred thousand. You should prepare in advance in case of emergency."

"Okay, thank you, doctor."

Victoria Sinclair left the doctor’s office.

In front of the ward, she took a deep breath, adjusted her state of mind, and prepared to push the door open, when she suddenly heard her brother’s voice.

"Yes, I want to sell the house. When would you like to come and view it? Okay..."

Victoria Sinclair was startled, and she quickly pushed open the door, scaring Timothy Sinclair to the point where he stood up, looking uneasily at Victoria.

Timothy Sinclair was shocked, "Sis... Sister."

"Where will you all live if the house is sold?" Victoria angrily rushed over, snatching the phone from Timothy’s hand and hanging up directly. With fierce determination, she said, "You’ve already transferred the shop; you can’t sell the house now. The second-hand housing market is sluggish, and the stairwell apartments are worthless. If you sell the house, where will sister-in-law and Ze live?"

Afraid of waking their father, Timothy pulled Victoria outside the room, his weathered face looking thinner than last time, covered with stubble, eyes bloodshot as he said helplessly, "We can rent a place to live, but we can’t give up on dad’s illness. The doctor said the surgery was very successful, with an 80% five-year survival rate. We can’t give up just like that."

Victoria’s attitude was serious, "I’ve said it before, I’ll cover dad’s medical expenses. You don’t have to worry."

"Your company isn’t doing well. You’re about to divorce Eugene Vaughn. Where will the money come from?"

"I am the legal person of a company. Even if I need a loan, I can raise the funds. You absolutely cannot sell the house."

"Once we have money again and the house is sold, we can always buy it back. But taking out a loan means paying interest and incurring debt, you..." Timothy felt heartbroken.

Victoria helplessly held his hand, speaking earnestly, "Brother, can you consider mom’s and sister-in-law’s perspective? We can’t sell the house..."

Timothy pushed away Victoria’s hand, "I’ve already made up my mind."

Victoria pressed against her forehead, feeling her temples throb with pain.

She knew her sister-in-law’s personality too well.

The consequences of selling the house were severe, and she dared not let her brother take such a risk.

Timothy insisted on his decision, leaving Victoria to care for their father in the hospital, while he returned home.

Paper cannot wrap up fire.

Due to the matter of selling the house, her mother and sister-in-law found out their father had cancer.

Her mother cried, and her sister-in-law made a scene.

The home was filled with unrest, leaving Timothy to bear all the burden, under immense pressure, and he eventually sold the house at the lowest market price of 350,000 yuan.

In the following week, Victoria stayed by her father’s bedside, taking care of him, without leaving his side.

Father was awake and getting better.

Her brother never returned, and she couldn’t reach him by phone.

Her mother would bring Ze to the hospital to visit, but when talking about Timothy, her mother would shake her head, having not seen her son or daughter-in-law for several days.

Victoria borrowed some money from the company’s account and paid off all the hospital debts.

This week, she didn’t turn off her phone.

Eugene Vaughn didn’t call her either.

On the last day of June, Victoria realized that tomorrow was the day for the divorce lawsuit hearing, and she needed time to prepare.

She dialed her brother’s cell phone once more, and this time, it connected.

But the man who answered wasn’t her brother; it was a policeman.

"Timothy Sinclair is now attempting suicide by jumping off a building. You’re his sister, right? Please come to the rooftop of Mooncrest Tower immediately."

Upon hearing these words, Victoria felt ice-cold, her mind went blank, and she trembled all over.

She entrusted her father to the caregiver, hurriedly and desperately rushing to the scene.

Victoria was panting heavily, trembling all over, standing next to the policeman, looking at her brother’s silhouette seated at the edge of the rooftop, her heart felt hollowed out, filled with indescribable panic and fear.

"Brother." Victoria’s eyes were brimming with tears, calling him in the gentlest voice.

Having not seen one another for ten days, he was emaciated to the bone, face haggard and worn-out, eyes vivid red and vacant, filled with tears, his entire being cloaked in a powerful sense of desolation.

Seeing his sister, Timothy’s emotions instantly collapsed.

He looked downwards, ready to leap.

The policemen were scared and wanted to intervene.

"Brother, no..." Victoria stopped him, and the next second, her legs gave way, she fell to her knees crying, her voice choked, "What happened to you? Where have you been these days? Did something happen? Please tell me—we’ll solve it together. You can’t die; what would we do without you? Our parents are old; they won’t bear the blow of losing a child. Ze is still very young; he needs his father. I need my brother too..."

By the end, Victoria was sobbing uncontrollably.

Timothy buried his face in his hands, crying so hard that he was convulsing, overcome with anguish.

The police and firefighters took the opportunity to edge closer.

Timothy cried sorrowfully, shouting, "Sister, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry to you, sorry to mom and dad and to Ze. I owe you all and can never repay in this life. Living in this world, I only add to your burden. If I die, these debts will be cleared. Sister, I’m sorry; mom and dad, Ze, I leave them to you. Brother will repay you in the next life with all I have."

Timothy moved to jump, leaving no chance for the firefighters to get closer.

"Brother." Victoria got up and walked toward a different corner, "If you jump, I’ll go with you; we’ll face death together as siblings."

The police and firefighters were bewildered, hurriedly dispersing to stop Victoria.

Timothy paled and shouted angrily at Victoria, "Sister, don’t be crazy. Come back!"

Victoria’s words were resolute, "If you don’t come back, then let’s jump together. We’ll leave little Ze and our elderly parents to fend for themselves."

Though Victoria appeared fragile, she had a remarkably strong-willed character.

She was absolutely a woman who meant what she said.

Timothy knew her well.

Aside from his son, the person he cared for most was this sister; how could he bear to let her die with him?

Timothy cried like a lost child, tears and snot flowing together, each word piercing him with pain, "The thirty-something thousand from selling the house—it was all taken away by Molly. She and the delivery driver with whom I work conspired to sell off all my warehouse goods and run away with more than 300,000 yuan in payment. That’s not my money; it’s money from hundreds of fruit farmers..."

Timothy cried as if he might suffocate, the debts unsettled, the money meant for dad’s treatment, stolen by Molly, along with the payments for the farmers.

The debts he had accumulated over time could never be repaid, not in this lifetime.

"I have no money left to treat dad. Only by dying can the debts be cleared." Timothy grasped his shirt tightly, pounding on his chest as if the pain there took half his life, crying dejectedly, "How could Molly do this to me? I’ve treated her so well, endured for her, accommodated her... How could she cheat on me with the warehouse driver and leave me with a green hat? If she wanted to go with another man, fine, but why take dad’s medical expenses and the farmers’ payments away too? She’s trying to take my life..."

Timothy raised his head to the sky, yelling and crying, "Why is this happening... Oh heaven, why are you so cruel to me?"

Victoria’s body was stiff, blood boiling inside her, tears like a spring gushing down her pale cheeks, her fists clenched tightly, nails embedded into the flesh of her palm.

It hurts! It hurts so much!

Her heart felt like it was being torn apart, on the verge of going mad.

Taking advantage of Timothy’s moment of inattention, the firefighter risked his life, rushed over, and held him, pulling back.

Everyone swarmed in, holding Timothy down, leading to chaos.

Victoria slowly walked back to the middle.

Seeing her brother being saved, the heavy stone in her heart finally fell to rest.

She loved her brother dearly and respected him greatly.

But how could someone be so foolish?

He wouldn’t divorce, too reluctant.

He wouldn’t guard himself, but trusted Molly.

Years had passed, yet he hadn’t understood Molly’s greedy nature, and how could she manage to swindle so much money out of his hands?

Victoria was so angry that her head buzzed with pain, blood rushing backward through her body, fists clenched, teeth gritty with suppressed anger, feeling icy cold all over.

Besides Nathan Austin, another enemy she needed to deal with—Molly.