Chapter 8
"Victoria, it's already ten in the morning. Are you still in bed? Is this how a wife behaves?"
Victoria's eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice. It was Henry's mother, Jennifer Harrison.
Jennifer had always been strict, unrelenting, and a stickler for rules. She'd never approved of Victoria, especially because she'd married her son after a one-night affair.
When she lived in the Harrison Villa, Jennifer was constantly on her case, dictating everything from her wake-up time to what she ate, what she studied, and even when she could rest.
In the past, Victoria had respected Jennifer, thinking that as Henry's mother, she deserved it. But no matter how much she obeyed, it was never enough.
After Jude was born, Jennifer had insisted on taking him to the Harrison Villa, saying he needed proper training as the heir to the Harrison family. She claimed Victoria wasn't fit to raise him.
Despite Victoria's pleas and even begging Henry to let their son stay with her, Henry had coldly responded, "Don't worry. My mother will take good care of him. You don't need to be concerned."
And just like that, she had been separated from her child, only allowed to see him occasionally.
Now, with the phone still pressed against her ear, Victoria groggily covered her eyes with her arm and sighed. "Who is this?"
There was a moment of silence before Jennifer snapped back, her voice harsh. "Victoria, have you lost your mind? I'm Henry's mother!"
"Oh." Victoria's response was casual, almost dismissive. "Didn't you hear? I had a car accident. I've got a concussion and memory loss."
Jennifer was taken aback, but she quickly regained her composure. She didn't care much for Victoria, so she hadn't heard about the accident.
But she was furious at how Victoria was speaking to her, completely disregarding any semblance of respect.
"That's no excuse for slacking off," Jennifer said sternly. "Get over to the Harrison Villa now. I have things to discuss with you."
"No." Victoria was direct, her refusal final. Without waiting for a reply, she hung up the phone.
She no longer cared about Henry, so why would she care about his mother?
Jennifer, still holding the phone, stared at it in disbelief for a moment. Her face reddened with anger.
Without wasting another second, she immediately called Henry. "Henry, what is going on with Victoria? She hung up on me!"
Henry's voice sounded tired, drained. "She lost her memory. She doesn't remember us. Don't take it personally, Mom. Just wait for her to recover her memory."
Jennifer scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "Well, make sure she gets it back soon. What kind of behavior is this? She's completely lost her manners! Bring her to the Harrison Villa tonight. There are things I need to ask her."
Henry agreed wearily, ending the call.
He pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to ease the pounding headache that had been bothering him for days. The stress and exhaustion had built up, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to sleep.
Just then, Grace entered the room, holding a file.
"Mr. Harrison, we've found out where Ms. Aroma is.
She'll be attending Sir Caldwell's birthday banquet in three days.
The invitation has already been sent over.
It would be a perfect opportunity for you to meet with her and discuss buying her incense therapy for your insomnia. "
Victoria woke up, and after breakfast, Diana handed her an invitation.
"What's this?" Victoria asked, puzzled. Upon opening it, she discovered it was an invitation to Edward Caldwell's birthday party, and the invite was addressed to Ms. Aroma.
The title sent Victoria into a momentary daze.
Diana, sitting across from her, explained, "Five years ago, your aromatherapy helped cure Sir Caldwell's insomnia.
He's been trying to reach you ever since, but you were so focused on your family that you turned him down.
Now he wants you to come to his birthday party.
If you truly want to move on from the past, you need to step back into the spotlight. "
Victoria traced the words "Ms. Aroma" with her fingers, a wave of nostalgia washing over her.
Her grandmother was a master perfumer, and Victoria had taken a keen interest in fragrance creation from a young age.
She learned from her grandmother for years, eventually crafting a perfume that proved highly effective for insomnia.
Everyone who tried it reported a complete relief from their sleepless nights.
At a party once, she had overheard Edward discussing his insomnia and headaches. She offered him her fragrances, and to her surprise, they worked wonders for him. From that moment, Victoria's reputation flourished.
But she refused to sell her fragrances to just anyone. Her grandmother would vet potential buyers, only selling to those she deemed trustworthy.
But then, Victoria fell in love with Henry, had a one-night stand with him, and married him, abandoning her passion for aromatherapy.
Initially, her grandmother urged her to reconsider, but Victoria didn't listen.
Eventually, her grandmother left to travel the world, while Victoria poured all her energy into her marriage for five years.
"Diana, do you think my grandmom is disappointed in me?" Victoria murmured.
"Of course she is," Diana replied.
"But if you wake up and reclaim your passion, she'll forgive you. This is a great opportunity to bring Ms. Aroma back into the public eye, and your grandmother will see your decision."
"Okay, I'll go," Victoria agreed.
That evening, Victoria received a call from Henry.
"Are you ready for a divorce?" she asked briskly.
Henry was annoyed at her constant mention of divorce.
"Come with me to the Harrison Villa. Jude has a say in this matter too," he said, his voice low and serious.
Victoria rolled her eyes but didn't refuse. Given how much Jude disliked her, she figured he'd be on her side in this divorce.
"Fine, come pick me up. I have no idea where the Harrison Villa is," she replied before hanging up.
Diana offered, "Do you want me to find you a lawyer?"
"Not yet. If he still refuses to divorce, I'll sue him," Victoria said.
She then wondered, "But why wouldn't he want a divorce? Can he truly stand having Sarah as a mistress? If so, his love must be pretty worthless."
Half an hour later, Henry texted her. Victoria said her goodbyes to Diana and headed downstairs to get into the car.
As they drove in silence, Henry focused on documents, appearing tense and preoccupied.
He looked worn out, with bloodshot eyes that spoke of sleepless nights.
Noticing his exhaustion, Victoria couldn't help but smirk secretly.
For the past five years, she had prepared his meals, lacing them with special ingredients from her fragrances to help ease his insomnia.
Early in their marriage, she had noticed his struggles with sleeplessness, headaches, and irritability, and she devoted herself to improving his health.
During the five years of her dedicated care, his insomnia had not returned.
Now that she had stopped cooking for him, it was no surprise that his insomnia had returned.
Yet she found it puzzling how Edward seemed to maintain his health while Henry suffered without her meals.