Chapter 3

Victoria woke up the next morning to find that the sun was already up.

When she walked out of the bedroom, she saw Sebastian sitting at the dining table. But there was no food on it.

He heard her footsteps and looked at her with a dark expression. "Why haven't you made breakfast?"

Victoria walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She took a sip before answering casually, "I've been too tired lately, so I couldn't get up. You can buy breakfast from a restaurant."

Sebastian was so stunned by her casual response that all he could do was rub his temples in frustration. Then he said impatiently, "You know how picky Ethan and I are. How can we eat food from some random restaurant?"

He paused before continuing, "Forget it. Come to the hospital with me first. Ethan was in a lot of pain when they gave him his shot yesterday. He kept asking for you."

Victoria put down her glass and shook her head. "I have things to take care of, so I'm not going."

Sebastian stared at her in disbelief. "What? Didn't we settle this yesterday? Can't you put off whatever you're doing? Is there really anything more important than visiting your injured son?"

Victoria looked at him calmly. "Yes. What I need to do is more important than that."

Sebastian froze. For a moment, he seemed unable to understand her words. Or perhaps he was simply shocked by how firmly she had rejected him.

Just then, a woman knocked on the front door. "Sebastian? Victoria? Are you home?" she asked in a gentle voice.

It was Caroline.

Sebastian seemed unwilling to lose his temper in front of her. He forced himself to calm down before walking over to open the door.

Caroline stood outside in her military uniform, holding a bag of fruit and a tin of Ovaltine. She looked both worried and gentle. "Sebastian, I heard Ethan was in an accident, so I bought a few things to take to the hospital. I wanted to check on him."

Then she turned to Victoria with a warm smile. "Victoria, please don't misunderstand. Sebastian and I are in the past. You two are married now and have a child together. All I want is for him to be happy and for his son to be safe and healthy."

Victoria simply smiled without saying a word.

They had said the same things in her previous life.

Sebastian had repeatedly promised that he and Caroline were nothing more than old friends. Yet he always kept Caroline's photograph in his pocket. Whenever he got drunk, he would go out onto the balcony, smoke, and stare into the distance toward Caroline's home.

Caroline had also claimed that she only wanted Sebastian and Victoria to be happy. Yet whenever she ran into trouble, she always turned to Sebastian for help. Whether a light bulb burned out, a pipe sprang a leak, or she ran into problems at work, she would call him. Even when she was in a bad mood, she expected him to keep her company.

One played the martyr, and the other pretended to keep his distance. Together, they had made a complete fool of Victoria.

Victoria finally spoke in an indifferent voice, "I don't mind. I happen to be busy, so I can't visit Ethan anyway. You can go in my place. Stay as long as you like and take care of him for as long as you want."

Caroline froze for a moment.

She had come here to provoke Victoria, but she hadn't expected such a generous response. Now she had no chance to say any of the things she'd planned.

Without another glance at Caroline, Victoria picked up her purse and headed for the door.

But Caroline suddenly called after her. "Wait! Victoria, I'd like to talk to you alone for a moment."

Victoria stopped and frowned at her.

As it happened, the neighbors next door were hosting a party that day. Their hired chef was carefully carrying a huge pot of boiling soup past Victoria's house on his way to the backyard next door.

A strange look flashed through Caroline's eyes. She then pretended to accidentally kick a small pebble. It rolled straight under the chef's feet.

Caught off guard, the chef slipped and fell. The huge pot of boiling soup flew out of his hands, splashing toward Victoria and Caroline.

"Watch out!" Sebastian shouted at the same moment the pot crashed to the ground.

Victoria reacted quickly and jumped to the side. Even so, the boiling soup splashed onto her arms and legs, sending waves of unbearable pain through her body. Caroline screamed as the hot soup splashed across her shoulders and back.

Both women cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.

Sebastian rushed toward them, his face twisted with panic.

But at that exact moment, an out-of-control handcart came rolling down the slope at the end of the alley. The cart was piled high with heavy items. It was speeding straight toward Victoria and Caroline, who were lying helplessly on the ground.

Sebastian had only seconds to act, and he could save only one of them.

Without the slightest hesitation, he rushed forward and scooped Caroline into his arms. He quickly rolled with her toward a safe spot.

Victoria could only twist her body to the side. The handcart's wheels then rolled brutally over her entire body.

Crack!

The unbearable pain of her breaking bones overwhelmed her.

She passed out and lost all awareness of what was happening around her.

...

When Victoria slowly regained consciousness, she was already in the hospital.

Every part of her body hurt. Her left leg and the areas burned by the boiling soup were especially painful. Through her fading awareness, she heard voices nearby.

"Colonel Blackwood, both women are seriously injured! The burns cover a large area, so we need to use the special medication right away to control the inflammation and prevent the infections from getting worse!" the doctor said urgently.

"Use it now! I'll submit the request immediately!" Sebastian ordered.

Victoria then heard the sound of papers being shuffled and a pen scratching across a form. Sebastian was also giving quick instructions to the guards.

Time seemed to drag on forever, yet it also felt as if only a moment had passed.

Soon, a guard came running back, gasping for breath. "Colonel Blackwood, we... we got the medication approved! But... the supply office says the special medication is in extremely short supply. There's only one dose left. They're preparing more, but they don't know when the next batch will arrive!"

The doctor grew anxious. "What are we supposed to do? Both women are in critical condition! They need the medication immediately. If the infection spreads, their lives could be in danger!"

Sebastian's voice was low and firm. "We can't wait for the next batch. Use the one dose we have for now, and we'll find another way to get more. Doctor, given their current conditions, who should receive it first?"

The doctor answered without hesitation, "Victoria, of course. She has extensive burns, multiple fractures, and internal injuries. Her risk of infection is much higher, so she needs the medication more urgently!"

"No! You have to give it to Caroline first!" To everyone's shock, Ethan interrupted the doctor.