Chapter 3

But now, I liked the post without a second thought. After that, I put my phone away.

I couldn't care less about Lucas anymore, so why would I bother if he was lowering himself to wash Victoria's feet?

When I woke up in the morning, Victoria stormed into my hospital room.

She slammed a divorce agreement right in my face. Her face was twisted with rage. "How dare you try to take half of Lucas's assets? Lucas promised me that everything he owns belongs to my son.

"Let me make this clear. You're not getting a single cent from my son."

I lifted the agreement slowly and said, making every word count, "I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. The apartment you're staying in? That's under my name, too.

"By the way, I forgot to get back to you last night. You're the one who needs to move out."

Victoria was so furious that her face turned bright red. She jabbed her finger at me and started cursing. "You bitch.

"You're nothing but an infertile woman, a bad omen who lost three babies. What gives you the right to any of the money? With greed like yours, no wonder punishment hit your children."

In that instant, rage surged through me, and I slapped Victoria hard across the face.

Almost at the same time, another slap landed on me, stinging sharply, and I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.

Lucas's eyes burned red with fury as he pulled Victoria protectively into his arms. "Who gave you permission to slap her?"

But when he saw the blood trickling from my lips, he instinctively loosened his grip on Victoria. Lucas's eyes flickered with panic as he said, "Scarlett, are you okay? I didn't mean to."

Lucas was about to step forward, but Victoria suddenly burst into tears. She clung to Lucas's arm, looking utterly aggrieved. "Lucas, I came to thank Scarlett for helping deliver my baby.

"I never expected her to throw your divorce papers at me and call me a shameless mistress trying to steal you away."

Victoria's tears streamed down her face as she covered her cheeks, acting like she was terrified. "I told her that you and I truly love each other, and she slapped me. She even told me to get out of her apartment."

When she saw Lucas's expression grow darker and darker, a flash of triumph appeared in Victoria's eyes.

She lifted her chin a bit, shooting me a defiant look.

Lucas grabbed me and dragged me off the bed without any hesitation, his eyes cold. "Scarlett, apologize to Victoria."

I collapsed onto the floor, looking up at him. Suddenly, I laughed, "Which part of what she said isn't true? Why should I apologize?

"Oh, and there's one thing she got wrong. Victoria isn't even the first one. She's more like the seventh mistress."

Victoria flung herself into Lucas's arms, sobbing her heart out.

I struggled to my feet, shot Lucas a cold glare, and strode out of the room.

Victoria's cries got even louder. "If Scarlett won't apologize, what if everyone starts saying our child is illegitimate? If that happens, I might as well die."

In the next instant, Lucas grabbed my wrist roughly. He looked at me with pure disgust, as if I were nothing but an enemy. He said coldly, "Apologize."

He followed up with a quick, threatening tone. "Scarlett, don't forget your grandmother in the ICU. She's only alive because of my medical resources."

With that, he pulled out his phone and called his assistant. "Suspend production of the miracle drug."

I stared at him in disbelief, my eyes wide.

He knew perfectly well that my grandmother was the only family I had left in this world.

All because of Victoria, Lucas was actually using my grandma as leverage against me.

Lucas glanced at his watch, sounding impatient. "Unless I'm mistaken, without that miracle drug, her condition will deteriorate within three days."

It felt like my feet were weighed down by a thousand pounds as I slowly turned around.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I gritted my teeth and choked out an apology to Victoria. "I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn."

Victoria leaned into Lucas, putting on her best timid act. "Scarlett doesn't look the least bit sorry. Is that even an apology? She hit me and got away with it? My face still hurts."

Without warning, Lucas signaled to a bodyguard, who kicked me hard in the leg.

Pain shot through me as my knee crashed to the floor, cold sweat beading on my forehead.

Lucas towered over me, his voice cold as ice. "Bow and apologize to Victoria. Slap yourself a hundred times. You can only get up when she's satisfied."

I stayed frozen, so he picked up his phone and dialed.

I heard my grandma's voice on the other end. "Is that you, Lucas? Where's Scarlett?"

"No." I rushed over, snatched the phone from his hand, and hung up. "Don't tell my grandma. She won't be able to handle it. I'm sorry. I'll apologize."

So there I was, bowing right outside the hospital room, slapping myself over and over. I kept whispering "I'm sorry," again and again.

People passed by in the hallway, watching the drama unfold with excitement.

I lost track of how many times I'd slapped myself. My face was swollen badly.

Victoria stifled a yawn behind her hand, then snuggled up to Lucas, acting all sweet and needy. "Lucas, I'm tired."

Lucas picked Victoria up in his arms at once.

As he passed me, he gave me a cold, dismissive glance. "Let this be a lesson. Don't ever go after Victoria again."

I crumpled to the floor, completely spent. I had no idea how long I lay there.

Someone dumped urine all over me, yelling, "Look at this shameless doctor. She actually slapped a woman who gave birth three days ago."

"So that's Mrs. Young, the wife of Mr. Young, who fathered seven illegitimate kids."

"I can't believe she's this vicious. She's even on TV now."

Then I heard the TV in the hospital room blasting out the news.

I jumped to my feet and rushed straight to my grandma's room.

The room was a mess with doctors scrambling to save her, while the TV blared footage of me slapping myself over and over.

My grandma spotted me, her eyes flying open in shock.

She clung to my hand, her voice shaky. "Scarlett, get away from him. I can't keep holding you back."

Her eyes stayed wide, locked in that last moment. And like that, she stopped breathing.