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CHAPTER 458 – Cutting Ties
Victoria blinked, her vision refocusing on Gao Yuemi and Zheng Ling, their faces a mixture of concern and shock. She let go of the bedsheet and sighed, her knuckles white from the tight grip.
Heaving out a deep sigh, once more she tried letting the tension ebb from her body. The situation had turned against her. Now, she just needed to figure out how to deal with the aftermath.
Her eyes closed briefly before opening again; they were now filled with determination instead of fear. "I'm sorry but she was thorough," she explained.
"Thorough?!" Zheng Ying lashed out, her nostrils flaring and her chest rising with every breath she took. This was unacceptable.
There was no way an apology could fix things like this.
Zheng Ying moved first, taking a big step forward as her eyes glared at Victoria. "How could you have been so stupid to fall for your own trap?" she thundered.
"And that is enough!" Gao Yuemi interjected. "You may have done the same if you were in her shoes," she voiced again.
Immediately the words left her lips, Zheng Ying tightened her jaw as she tore her gaze awy from Victoria.
'Why is Yuemi supporting her? Because of her Andromeda knows we are connected to this. What of she told Xueyi?'
Even with those thoughts she could not figure out Andromeda's next step considering Liu Xueyi had not made a call to her yet.
"Now we must find the way out of this and attack next," Gao Yuemi stated. Her strong voice brought the other two ladies out of their train of thought but while Zheng Ying was willing to try again, the same could not be said for Victoria.
"I am sorry to say but I won't be joining you."
Zheng Ying was the first to react, coiling her fingers into fists by her side. "What?!"
"You heard me," Victoria voiced calmly, her head still lowered to avoid looking at them.
"How dare you speak to…" Once more she was interrupted by Gao Yuemi's outstretched arm.
Her anger surged inside her. She felt like sending a slap to Victoria's face but Gao Yumei was preventing her.
"Why?" Zheng Ying heard Gao Yuemi ask.
"Thanks for asking but I have dragged my family down already and angered Andromeda. My career is ruined, now my family's business. Neither of you lost anything so you won't know."
"Says who we didn't?" Zheng Ying retorted.
"Says me," Victoria spat out and lifted her head to look at both ladies. Her eyes burned brightly, her rage increasing by the second. "I do not see your names being ruined or a life filled with misery once you fall from the social circle. All my life, I have only known the upper class. Now..."
Her voice broke. The pain became more evident. It was too much. She was okay with her jealousy but when these two scoundrels came into her life, they ruined it all.
"How did I ever get so entangled with the likes of you two?" Victoria muttered. "If you hadn't come then… maybe, just maybe…" she gritted her teeth, her old on her blanket getting tighter as the look in her eyes changed.
"That's why you need us. We can…"
"I want you two ladies out," Victoria voiced in a commanding tone, interjecting Gao Yuemi.
As soon as Zheng Ying heard her, she laced both hands on her waist and leaned her head forward with her face slightly turned to the side. "What?"
"Last I checked you weren't deaf. I want you out of this mansion. Never you set foot here again. I was stupid to have gotten involved with you."
Seeing things get out of hand, Gao Yuemi decided to step in. "Victoria, you are making a huge mistake."
"Then so be it."
"Now we must fight harder against Andromeda and not let her win and ruin us," Gao Yuemi tried to reason.
"Then so be it," she enunciated loudly. "I shall fight my battles myself and if I can't, I will plea her mercy but conspiring with you two… never again."
"Victoria," Gao Yuemi called out, taking a step closer.
"I told you, Yuemi. We should not be lenient. Allow me and I shall forget a slap on her face to remind her of her place where you are."
She pushed from the bed into a kneeling position as she glared at the two ladies. "Dare it and see if I wouldn't help to remind you of the slap," Victoria refuted defiantly.
"Yuemi, can you see that? The pampered rat has learnt how to fight." Zheng Ying wanted more than anything to anger Victoria and pick a fight but Gao Yumei chose to remain level-headed.
"At least this rat had the courage to fight face-to-face with her enemy. And what did you a lowly street rat learn how to do? Cower before others am I right? I won't repeat myself. I want you two out before I call security and the dog to chase you off my family's premises."
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Immediately Gao Yuemi's expression changed. The air around them seemed to grow colder as a dark glint flashed in her eyes.
"Remember this, Victoria. If Andromeda fails to ruin your family, I shall do so myself for this embarrassment."
"Yeah right," Victoria tsked. "I'd love to see you try when you would have your plate full trying to fend off Andromeda. Thanks but no thanks, I think I would focus on the bigger enemy. Now, GET OUT!"
Each word and syllable was laced with her bitter anger as she chased them away.
Once they were out her door, the heavy load on her chest was lifted. She felt her anger rise still. Why? She was sure Andromeda was one cause but what pained her most was the audacity with which they spoke to her as though she was beneath them.
Even if on the social ladder she was less than Gao Yuemi a bit, it was understandable but not when Zheng Ying who was nothing before her decided to speak and berate her.
She figured out why she was mad. It was the fact she apologized to trash like them.
"Good riddance. I have bigger problems to handle."
No sooner had she voiced that than her phone began to ring. Reaching for it, Victoria's eyes widened in shock as the familiar name came up on the screen.
"Dad."
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