Chapter 2 Disgust
1253 Words
Victoria's POV:
Ryan stood there, completely stunned, his expression frozen. He couldn't even fake a smile.
"You have no idea how much effort and time I've put into this company! What makes you think you have the right to kick me out?" Ryan's brown eyes were filled with rage, his voice like venom.
"Because I'm Victoria Carter. My last name is the company's name!" I stared at Ryan, finally seeing him for the i***t he was.
I wasn't about to stay in this place any longer. The air in this office was suffocating, and the smell was enough to make me gag.
As I turned to leave, Ryan grabbed my arm, his grip tight and frantic. "You can't just walk out like this!"
I tried to shake him off, but he wasn't letting go. My eyes froze over with coldness. "Let go, or I'll call the cops."
Lily, who had been rummaging around on the floor, picked up Ryan's discarded shirt and slipped it on. She sidled up next to him, taking his hand in hers with a smug grin. "Honey, calm down," she cooed.
She shot me a look. One full of challenge, like she knew she was the winner.
"The company may have been your mom's, but she's been in a coma for three years," Lily went on. Ryan's been running things all this time. If you kick him out, who's going to manage the company? You, a housewife?"
She paused, her expression softening like she was doing me a favor. "And don't get me wrong, I'm not here to fight with you. I just love Ryan, you know? I came here to ask you for my college fee, but I didn't expect to run into him..."
Lily looked at Ryan like she was already planning their future. She didn't even try to hide it.
I could hardly believe it. This was the girl I'd once sponsored. She had completely changed, and now she was here, flaunting herself as Ryan's girlfriend.
Six years ago, Lily was just a scrawny, shy girl standing at the back of a crowded orphanage, her eyes full of hope but too scared to even speak.
Now, she was a predator—confident, beautiful, and totally unbothered by the destruction she was causing.
Looking at her now, I felt... nothing. Not a shred of the anger that had been pumping through my veins just minutes ago.
She was right. I couldn't just kick Ryan out of the company. But it wasn't because I couldn't manage it.
Ryan had spent the last three years positioning himself as the perfect husband and son-in-law, showing off for the media. His PR stunt hadn't really boosted the company's profits, but it had firmly tied his name to the brand.
If I divorced him now and exposed his affair, the company's stock price would plummet. The media would eat us alive.
I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. I had to be strategic. I couldn't let my emotions take over.
"Ryan should be the one paying for your tuition," I said, my voice suddenly dripping with sarcasm. "Or should I say... paying you for your services? After all, you are just a w***e, aren't you?"
I turned to Ryan. "But unfortunately, the man you claimed to love has been spending my money. His pitiful wages aren't nearly enough to support the both of you."
Letting my rage all out, I sneered. "Face it. You two are nothing without me."
"You—!" Lily's face turned bright red, her fury obvious.
Ryan seemed to have calmed down a little, though the anger was still bubbling beneath the surface. He forced a tight smile.
"Listen, Victoria, I know you're upset, but think about your mom. Don't make any rash decisions."
"Are you threatening me?" I narrowed my eyes, my voice low and dangerous.
"No, no," Ryan quickly stepped closer, trying to soothe me. "I just want you to calm down. Divorce isn't something you should rush into."
As he reached out for me, I slapped him across the face again.
His hand flew to his cheek, and he stared at me, completely shocked.
"I'm calm. At least a hell of a lot calmer than when I stupidly said 'yes' to your proposal," I shot back coldly, my eyes locked on his. Without another word, I turned and walked out of the office.
As I drove home, I rolled all the windows down. The cold night air blasted through the car, but it didn't help clear my head.
It didn't stop the tears that kept slipping down my face, blurring my vision.
I tried to steady my breathing, but it was like I couldn't catch my breath. I sucked in air desperately, but it didn't seem to help. My hands were numb.
The image of what I had just witnessed kept flashing in my mind. It didn't feel real. It couldn't be real.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I could never believe that the man who had loved me deeply for seven years would betray me.
When I was still in college, I started interning at my mom's company. I was good at it, and within three months, I had led a product development team and launched two brand-new cruise routes.
Those routes became the company's top sellers that year.
When my internship ended and I was heading back to school, I begged my mom to let Ryan manage the team I had been leading.
At first, she disagreed. We had a huge argument, and I even pulled the childish stunt of running away from home. I stayed at Ryan's tiny rented apartment for five days before my mom finally agreed, as long as I returned home safely.
After graduation, Ryan proposed, and I was ready to return to the company. I thought I could be as successful as my mother.
I believed I was the luckiest woman in the world, having both love and career. But Ryan asked me not to work. He said he would handle the money and that I should stay home and relax.
At the time, I thought that was love. Now I realize how naive I was.
I slammed my hand on the steering wheel in frustration, and that was when I noticed a dark shadow in front of my car.
It looked like a person.
Instinctively, I swerved, but it was too late. My car slammed into a streetlight and a garbage can. My forehead hit the steering wheel, and everything went black.
When I lifted my head again, the figure was gone.
I sat there frozen for a few seconds—or maybe it was a few minutes—before unbuckling my seatbelt and rushing out of the car.
I ran to the front of the car and saw the man leaning against the streetlight, his body hunched over, blood dripping from him. The asphalt was too dark, the blood vanishing the moment it hit the ground.
I reached out, my hand trembling, and touched his shoulder. "Are you... okay?"
He didn't respond. When I pulled my hand back, it was covered in blood. My mind went blank.
I was sure I hadn't hit him, but he clearly needed help.
I moved closer, and the sharp, metallic scent of blood filled my nostrils.
I carefully lifted his face, intending to check if he was unconscious. And then, I saw his beautiful face, unexpectedly striking.
Jesus.
My heart skipped a beat.
- Writer
