Chapter 45

Victoria gave William the cold shoulder, making him frown hard. With a voice dripping with annoyance, he snapped, "Talk to me!"

Victoria glanced up, her eyes welling up with tears. She bit her lip, shaking as she tried to get the words out.

But as soon as she tried to speak, she felt as if she was choking, with her throat burning intensely, and her eyes got even more watery.

William's chest was heaving, his face turning a nasty shade of red.

Trying to keep his anger in check, he softened his tone a bit and said, "Alright, whatever happened is done. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get justice!"

Hearing this, Victoria thought, 'So this is William-so cunning, so heartless! He never saw me as an equal.'

To him, she was just a tool, a pawn he could use, someone he could insult and trample on whenever he wanted.

Yet she still had hopes for this cruel, heartless devil!

How ironic!

Victoria suddenly felt exhausted, a wave of weariness washing over her, and she slowly closed her eyes.

William saw her unresponsive demeanor, and his mood hit rock bottom.

Clearly, Victoria hadn't asked for his help, yet now she looked like she was on the verge of death.

Hadn't he already taught that jerk a lesson for her?

What more did she want?

Did she expect him to apologize?

William felt extreme disgust.

"Since you don't want to talk to me, I won't waste my time. Harry, stop the car!" he barked.

Startled and unsure of what had ticked William off, Harry quickly hit the brakes and pulled over.

William opened the car door, got out, walked to the other side, and yanked Victoria out.

His grip was too strong, causing Victoria to stumble and fall awkwardly onto the road.

William looked down at her, his gaze icy. He said, "Victoria, you better understand your place. You're nothing but a plaything I bought. You have no right to throw a tantrum with me!"

He paused, then added, "If you keep pissing me off, you'll regret it!"

But Victoria gritted her teeth, lifting her defiant eyes to meet his cold, bone-chilling gaze, and finally forced out a single word: "Whatever!"

Even saying just one word made her throat burn painfully.

William's anger flared up when he sensed her stubborn attitude, and he kicked her in the stomach.

Victoria let out a muffled groan, collapsing to the ground.

She propped herself up on her knees, curling her body, her shoulders trembling slightly as if crying, but she tried hard not to make a sound.

Seeing her in such pain, William regretted his impulsiveness.

But apologizing to her? No way.

He thought Victoria needed to suffer to learn her lesson.

So William gave her a cold glance, then turned and got back into the car.

Harry looked at Victoria's miserable state in the rearview mirror, then at William's tense profile, feeling a mix of emotions.

Victoria, such a tough girl, would rather take a beating than beg for mercy.

But William was heartless, completely ignoring her feelings.

Glancing at William in the back seat, Harry couldn't help but say, "Mr. Scott, it's pitch dark. Are we really going to leave Ms. Carter here?"

William waved his hand impatiently and said, "Enough, just drive! Isn't she tough? Why are you worried about her?"

Harry sighed and stepped on the gas.

Victoria lay on the ground, her back aching from the cold, but she stubbornly stayed silent.

The shadows of the trees above fell on her pale cheeks, making her look even more desolate and lonely.

She lay there, staring at the gray, hazy night sky.

She was never one to give up easily, but today, she suddenly felt tired of living.

Nora, always scheming to take from her.

Bobby, backstabbing her for his own gain.

Alvin, the only one who cared for her, suffering in prison, and she could do nothing for him.

And here she was, selling her body, selling her dignity, yet still holding onto a sliver of hope that William, who bought her, would show her some pity.

It turned out to be her Stockholm syndrome manifesting as a masochistic tendency.

She was utterly despicable, both mentally and physically!

She had never hated herself so much for clinging to life.

The sound of a text message suddenly broke the silence of the night.

Victoria was momentarily stunned before reacting.

She struggled to sit up, fumbled for her phone in her bag, and swiped the screen to check.

It was from Samuel: [How's the preparation for the competition going?]

Victoria's fingers trembled slightly as she held the phone, and it took her a while to reply: [I'm preparing.]

[Samuel: Okay! Keep it up! You are the 'Wounded Angel,' and one day you will rise towards the sun!]

Victoria stared at the words on the screen for a long time before slowly locking the screen.

"The Wounded Angel" was a famous painting by the symbolist master Hugo Simberg.

In the painting, two boys carried an injured angel on a stretcher.

The angel's eyes were bandaged, its wings battered, but it held a few snowdrops in its hands.

Despite the image's sense of decay, desolation, and negativity, the snowdrops symbolized healing and rebirth, representing hope for the future even when severely wounded.

It gave people the courage to persevere through hardships.

Victoria understood Samuel's intention.

In this world, besides Alvin, there was Samuel who cared for her.

Victoria felt a warmth in her heart, her nose stinging, and her eyes misting with tears.

She struggled to get up from the ground, her body still swaying slightly.

Leaning against the wall of the alley, she slowly moved forward.

Others might bully her, insult her, or look down on her, but would she just accept it?

No, she wouldn't.

She would live out her abilities and values, making everyone look at her in a new light.

Even if she was humble to the dust, she would never again bow and scrape, allowing others to trample on her.

Victoria wiped the tears from her cheeks and, with heavy steps, took a shortcut to the subway station.

Meanwhile, William sat in the car, his face so cold it seemed to solidify.

The recent scene replayed in his mind, and he felt a twinge of softness.

He rubbed his temples, exhaling irritably.

Victoria was like a poison!

Whenever William encountered her, he lost his rationality.

William sighed deeply and ordered Harry, "Turn back!"