Chapter 5

Twilight was descending by the time Victoria dragged her heavy body back to the Smith family villa.

The dull ache in her abdomen had not subsided; instead, it intensified with each wave of exhaustion, making her long for nothing more than to collapse onto her bed.

But just as she stepped through the door, Lynn's voice cut through the quiet.

"You're back just in time. Take this dress and iron it for me."

Lynn was standing before the full-length mirror, holding up a deep V-neck evening gown studded with countless tiny diamonds. 

Hearing the door open, she turned. "Remember to use the low-heat handheld steamer. If you damage a single diamond, I'll make you pay."

With that, Lynn shoved the heavy gown into Victoria's arms, its weight crashing directly against her swollen belly.

Victoria let out a muffled grunt, stumbling back half a step to regain her balance. Lynn, however, seemed not to notice, crossing her arms as she continued to issue orders.

"And while you're at it, go to my jewelry cabinet and polish the ruby set. Hugh is finally back in the country, and I have to look absolutely perfect for his welcome party tonight."

At the mention of Hugh Howard, a faint blush colored Lynn's cheeks, her eyes sparkling with a crystalline excitement.

"He's the youngest and most exceptional captain in the industry. All the important figures from the business and aviation worlds will be there to welcome him back. Charles is going too."

She paused, then shot a disdainful glance at Victoria.

"Normally, he'd need a date for this kind of event, but taking you out would be a complete embarrassment. So, Michelle will be Charles's companion for the evening. You'll just stay home. You might as well clean my room while you're here."

The words were like a series of sharp pricks against Victoria's heart, and the dragging pain in her stomach grew more pronounced. She had no energy left to entangle herself with Lynn. Shoving the dress back at her, she turned toward her room.

"I'm tired. Do it yourself."

Lynn froze for a second, seemingly stunned that Victoria would dare refuse her. She rushed forward, blocking her path.

"You're tired? You live here for free, eating our food, and your job is just running errands. What right do you have to be tired? Now go and iron my dress. I need to wear it soon, so don't waste my time!"

Seeing Victoria remain motionless, Lynn's patience wore thin, and she gave her a shove. Victoria staggered, her lower back slamming into the handrail of the staircase, the impact forcing a sharp intake of breath. 

She steadied herself against the railing, her gaze turning cold as she looked at Lynn. "Are your hands broken? Can't you iron it yourself? I am not your maid."

Lynn was taken aback. In this house, Victoria had always been submissive, a puppet for her to command. How dare she speak to her like this today?

"Well. Getting a bit of a temper now that you're pregnant, are we?" Lynn sneered, grabbing Victoria's arm. Her long nails dug cruelly into Victoria's flesh. "Who do you think you are to put on airs with me? Charles doesn't love you! If you hadn't schemed to get pregnant with this child, do you think you'd ever have been worthy of stepping through the doors of the Smith family?"

"Take a look at yourself in a mirror. You're as fat as a pig. The sight of you is disgusting."

"Someone like you isn't even fit to carry Charles's shoes, let alone compare yourself to Michelle."

Victoria wrenched her arm free. "Let go!"

The force of the movement made Lynn, teetering in her high heels, stumble and nearly fall. Once she regained her footing, she glared at Victoria, her face contorted with rage.

"You dare push me? You bitch, you actually dared to push me! Let me tell you, you're ironing this dress tonight whether you want to or not! Even if you were about to go into labor, you'd finish your work before you crawl off to the hospital!"

The last shred of Victoria's patience evaporated. A cold laugh escaped her lips.

"Save it, Lynn. It doesn't matter how beautifully you dress or how expensive your jewelry is. Hugh won't give you a second look."

Lynn reacted as if her tail had been stepped on, her entire demeanor bristling with fury. "Shut your mouth!"

Victoria's gaze swept over her coolly as she continued, "If I recall correctly, Hugh once said in a public interview that he has no interest in brainless, spoiled rich girls who do nothing but chase romance and rely on their family's name."

Victoria took a step closer, her voice low but each word a dagger to the heart. "Five years ago, you chased him all over the country for an entire year. You even waited for him at the gates of his flight school, but you never even got to see him before his people had you escorted away."

Lynn's face flushed a deep crimson, the memory a raw, exposed nerve. "You bitch! What nonsense are you spouting!" She shrieked, raising her hand to slap Victoria across the face.

Startled, Victoria scrambled back into her room. "Lynn! Are you insane? I'm pregnant!"

Lynn's slap hit nothing but air. The momentum sent her lurching forward, and her hand slammed into the doorframe. The pain blanched her face, her eyes blazing with even greater fury.

"So what if you're pregnant? It's just an unwanted bastard anyway! If I kill it, it will save Charles the trouble!"

As she saw the hand swing toward her again, Victoria's expression changed. She instinctively slammed the door shut.

"My hand!" Lynn's fingers were crushed by the heavy door, instantly swelling and turning a dark, bruised red. She trembled all over, pain bringing tears and snot streaming down her face.

Moments later, Charles's voice echoed from the doorway.

"What's going on?!" He had just returned to find Lynn cradling her hand, sobbing at the door to Victoria's room.

"Charles! Help me!" Seeing him, Lynn's cries became even more hysterical. She held up her swollen fingers. "Victoria's gone crazy! I just asked her to iron a dress for me, and she started cursing at me, then she slammed the door on my hand!"

Charles's gaze fell on Lynn's injured hand, and his face instantly darkened to a thunderous scowl.

"Victoria, get the hell out of here!"

Victoria slowly opened the door, not having expected things to escalate this far. She looked down at Lynn's reddened hand, her lips pressed together as she prepared to speak, but Charles's hand shot out and clamped around her wrist.

"You target Michelle at the office, and now you come home and hurt Lynn. Have I been too lenient with you? Have you forgotten your place?"

Forced to tilt her head up, Victoria stared at the man she had loved for seven years. "She started it."

Charles's face remained grim. "And that gives you the right to slam a door on her hand? What if you had broken it?"

"And what if she had hit me? What if she had hurt the baby?" Victoria shot back, her eyes red-rimmed. She bit down hard on her lower lip, fighting to hold back the tears.

Charles faltered for a fraction of a second, his eyes drawn to the high curve of her belly. But in the next instant, Lynn's pathetic sobs filled the air again. "Charles, it hurts so much. I didn't even hit her, I was just trying to scare her."

Charles took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation rising within him. He didn't entirely believe Lynn; he knew how spoiled she could be. But regardless, resorting to violence was wrong. And Victoria's recent hostility had indeed grown too sharp.

"Whatever led to this, the fact is you hurt someone," Charles said, his eyes locked on Victoria's, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Apologize to Lynn. If you apologize, I can let this go."

Victoria's eyes welled, but she stubbornly refused to let a single tear fall. "And if I don't?"

Charles looked at her defiant face, his own filled with unconcealed disappointment.

"Then we'll follow the house rules."

Those few words made everyone present pale. The Smith family's form of discipline was a rattan cane soaked in oil, a tool that left bloody welts on the skin. It wouldn't break bones, but the pain was excruciating.

Victoria stood frozen, her face ashen, her body swaying as if it might give out. She looked at him in disbelief. "Charles, I'm still pregnant…"

He avoided her questioning gaze, his jaw tight. "Only on the palms of your hands, to teach you a lesson. Since you don't know how to be a proper sister-in-law, I will teach you."

Soon, the butler arrived, presenting the cane.

Victoria instinctively shielded her stomach and took a step back. Two maids stepped forward, gripping her by the shoulders and forcibly pulling her hands away from her body.

"Let go of me!" Victoria struggled, tears finally breaking free and streaming down her face.

Charles turned his back to her, his voice low and firm. "Ten strikes. Make her remember this lesson."

Lynn stared with venomous satisfaction at the restrained Victoria. As Charles went upstairs to get the first-aid kit, she caught the butler's eye and silently mouthed two words to him.

"Ten more. Hit her hard."

"Add ten more! Hit her hard!"