Chapter 149

Victoria's heart skipped a beat. Who could it be? She quickly tidied her messy hair before slowly opening the door.

The moment the door opened, she felt like she had fallen into an ice-cold abyss. Standing there were her father, Alvin, and Alice, whose eyes were filled with venom.

Victoria's mind buzzed. How did they find this place?

"Dad!" Victoria called out, and at the same time, William heard her. His movements froze for a second.

Alvin shot Victoria a cold glance and walked straight into the room.

His eyes scanned the room, taking in William's disheveled appearance and Victoria's flushed cheeks. He instantly understood what had happened.

His face darkened with rage, and without a word, he swung his fist at William.

William didn't dodge, taking the punch squarely. Blood immediately trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Dad!" Victoria screamed, rushing to shield William.

Alvin, as if he hadn't heard her, continued his assault, delivering a brutal kick to William's stomach.

William clutched his stomach and fell to his knees.

Victoria burst into tears. "Dad, please stop! Don't hit him anymore. It's my fault. If you want to blame someone, blame me. It has nothing to do with him."

Alice, seeing William being beaten, hurried over to help him.

"William, are you okay?" Alice asked worriedly.

"Get lost," William snapped coldly. "I don't need your fake concern."

"How can you say that? How is my concern fake? I'm your fiancée, and you two cheated on me behind my back. How is that my fault?" Alice's eyes welled up with tears.

William looked at her coldly, seeing through her act.

Alvin had found them because of Alice's scheming.

Alvin's eyes blazed with fury as he pointed at William and shouted, "You bastard! How dare you take advantage of my daughter! I told you, if you have a grudge, take it out on me! Do you think I don't know that you were behind the bridge collapse ten years ago that killed your parents?

"And two years ago, you framed me for the sports arena collapse, sending me to prison. You did all this to bankrupt the Carter family and put me behind bars. Fine, I went to prison as you wished, but why do you still torment my daughter? You're relentless in your revenge!" As Alvin spoke, he threw another punch at William.

William gritted his teeth and took the hit without a sound.

Victoria stood there, stunned by Alvin's words, her body trembling and her eyes filling with tears.

No wonder William had initially paid her to be his mistress, and for the past two years, he had humiliated and abused her, allowing Ella and Alice to torment her, leading to online harassment, imprisonment, and near-death experiences.

The times he had saved her life were only because he hadn't finished his revenge, not out of any genuine care.

And she had foolishly believed he cared for her.

She had even fallen in love with him!

Victoria felt a cold chill wash over her, and tears streamed down her face.

"Victoria, it's not what you think," William tried to explain, his voice hoarse and urgent.

Victoria suddenly pushed him away, shouting angrily, "It's all a lie! William, you're despicable! I was stupid enough to believe you would help me investigate my dad's case, but it was all part of your plan! No wonder you never found the kidnappers when I was abducted. You were in on it with them! William, you're vile!"

Victoria screamed hysterically.

She hated William. She had trusted him, seen him as her support and safe haven, but he had cruelly shattered her dreams.

"Victoria, no, I could never be in league with your kidnappers," William pleaded desperately.

The more urgent his tone, the more guilty he seemed.

"Swear on your parents' names that those kidnappers weren't from the Scott family," Victoria demanded, her eyes filled with hatred.

William fell silent.

Though the kidnappers weren't his people, they could have been Wayne's.

But he couldn't explain that now.

Seeing William's silence, Victoria lost control.

She lunged at him, grabbing his collar and slapping him hard across the face.

A loud smack echoed, and red marks appeared on William's cheek.

"William, you bastard! You've been using and hurting me all along! I was heartbroken over you, and I was so stupid to believe you cared for me!"

"Victoria!" William grabbed her slender shoulders, his voice filled with pain. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Shut up!" Victoria struggled wildly, shoving William away. "I'll never trust you again."

Victoria stumbled out of the room, and Alvin shot William a fierce glare before chasing after her.

Victoria ran, crying uncontrollably. Her mind was blank, as if she were lost in a fog, unable to see the way forward.

She ran aimlessly, tirelessly.

One thought echoed in her mind: "William, I hate you."

Alice hadn't expected things to escalate so dramatically.

She was secretly delighted by the outcome but kept her composure.

Seeing the slap mark on William's face, she put on a worried expression and approached him. "William, does it hurt? Let me..."

Before she could finish, William suddenly raised his hand and slapped her hard.

"Are you happy now?" William's voice was icy, his teeth clenched.

Alice clutched her stinging cheek, tears welling up. "William!"

William sneered, mocking her. "Alice, your acting has always been terrible."

Alice was stunned.

William calmly wiped the blood from his lips, taunting, "You think that with Victoria out of the picture, I'd be with you? You're delusional. Even without Victoria, I'd never be with you."

"William!" Alice dropped her pretense, her voice sharp. "Have you forgotten that I was gang-raped because I saved you? You owe me your life! You have to take responsibility! You can't leave me!"

"I owe you my life?" William repeated softly, a look of sorrow and despair in his eyes. "Fine, I'll pay it back!"

As he spoke, William picked up a nearby fruit knife and plunged it into his own abdomen.