Chapter 21
Victoria thought she could face everything with calm, but seeing the reality was something else entirely.
She knew Henry loved Sarah, and though she'd tried her best to accept it, seeing Jude call Sarah Mom broke her.
Her mind raced back over the past five years.
Even though Jude only came home once a week, she always tried to make the most of their time together. She cooked his favorite meals, bought him toys he liked, and worked hard to make her presence felt in his life.
But it had all been for nothing.
Her thoughts became a blur, and before she could make sense of anything, her car crashed into the one ahead. The sudden jolt pushed her forward, only to be yanked back by the seatbelt.
Stunned, she sat there, disoriented.
The headlights of the car ahead flickered, and a knock came on her window. It was then that she snapped back to reality, rolling down the window to meet Barrett's surprised gaze.
"Victoria, you..."
Barrett, one of Henry's close friends, had seen her countless times over the years.
Even in her dazed state, Victoria recalled that she had lost her memory. "You... Who are you?"
Barrett blinked in surprise. "Huh? You don't recognize me? It's me, Barrett."
He had heard about the accident and the memory loss, but seeing the tears and confusion in her eyes made him doubt his earlier disbelief.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked, concerned.
Seeing her tearful face, he assumed she must have been injured.
If Henry found out, he'd make sure Barrett regretted it.
"I'll take you to the hospital," he said, reaching to help her out of the car.
Victoria quickly shook her head. "I'm fine. I didn't get hurt. But I hit your car. You should decide what to do about it."
"It's no big deal. I'll have someone tow it and fix it," Barrett reassured her, waving off any idea of holding her responsible.
Even though he knew Henry was in love with Sarah, Victoria was still his wife, and he wasn't going to let her lose face over something like this.
"No, it's my fault," Victoria insisted, shaking her head. "I'll pay for the repairs. It's the right thing to do."
She needed to remember not to let her emotions get the better of her when driving.
Barrett sighed, clearly resigned. "Alright, alright. Just send me whatever you think is fair."
Victoria, still confused, scrolled through her phone and asked, "What's your name again?"
"Barrett."
She quickly found his contact and transferred five hundred thousand without a second thought.
Whether it would be enough to cover the repairs was another story. The car was a rare limited edition, after all.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she didn't notice that the card she used was Henry's supplementary card. The transaction alert went straight to his phone.
At the hospital, Henry stared at the alert on his phone, his face growing cold with anger.
His son was still burning up with fever, and here she was, spending money like everything was fine.
"Henry, Jude is awake." Sarah's voice called out.
Henry quickly hid his phone and walked into the room.
There, Jude lay in bed, slowly opening his eyes. Instinctively, he reached out for someone's hand, murmuring, "Mom."
But when he looked up, he saw Sarah's face, full of concern. It was her hand that held his.
Jude's eyes clouded with disappointment. Without saying a word, he pulled his hand away from hers.
Sarah lowered her gaze, a flash of coldness in her eyes, but her face remained soft and gentle as she asked, "Jude, how are you feeling?"
Jude's voice was hoarse and thick with congestion. "Ms. Miller, I'm fine now."