Chapter 5

Victoria raised her hand and slapped me.

As her palm connected with my face, Victoria seemed to regret it, pulling back some of her force, but her sharp nails still scraped my cheek.

It stung.

My heart skipped a few beats. I looked up, utterly disbelieving.

Victoria frowned. "Leo, he sacrificed so much for you. You shouldn't talk about him like that. You know he comes from a humble background, he's sensitive. You can't call him disgusting."

"Daniel, I never hid my past with him from you. You knew about it. Now I've chosen you, and I'm going to marry you. He's the one who's hurt. You're the one who benefits from this, so you shouldn't treat him this way."

I didn't understand what I had gained.

Victoria’s love?

But what Leo received was always her preferential treatment.

I couldn't even magnanimously give Leo anything, because I had never received as much as he had.

So, I would just erase my presence, and slowly withdraw.

Victoria sighed. "Daniel, I admit I wronged you before, but everything I did was to be responsible for our marriage. I've completely cut ties with him. From now on, my world only has you."

She stepped forward, reaching out to touch the red mark on my face, but I pushed her hand away.

Victoria was about to say more when her phone rang. It was Leo's unique ringtone.

"Victoria, everyone in the town is laughing at me… After something like this, I can't bear to live anymore. Since you've chosen him, I have nothing left to hold onto. Goodbye, Victoria."

Half an hour ago, those nine hundred ninety-nine videos had been uploaded online, going viral across every platform. Leo's name was trending.

The videos had blurred Victoria’s face, but Leo had grown up in a small town with traditional family values. The damage to him was unimaginable.

Victoria almost instantly raised her hand and slapped me hard again.

"Was that you?"

I frowned, then immediately dismissed the possibility of Audrey deliberately leaking the videos to get revenge for me.

Although Audrey was extremely well-connected and getting the videos wouldn't be difficult for her, I knew Audrey. She would never do something that would tarnish someone's reputation in such a way.

I shook my head. "It wasn't me. I wouldn't do something like that…"

The door was kicked open. Leo and Victoria's mutual friends stormed in, tackling me to the ground.

Victoria’s eyes were bloodshot. "If not you, then who?! Only you dislike Leo! Only you would go so far as to destroy him! I already chose to marry you, I already cut ties with him, what more do you want?!"

"Daniel, don't forget, you were the one who begged to be with me! You were the one who said you didn't mind that I moved on so fast, you were the one who said you'd wait for me!"

I was dragged up by the group and thrown into a car, covered in scrapes. My leg felt broken.

"Come with me to save him. You did this, you go talk him down. If anything happens to him, I'll jump with you. We owe him this."

On the rooftop, Leo's face was ashen. He gave a bitter laugh.

"Victoria, do you remember this place? This is where I confessed to you ten years ago. We were just students then, weren't we? So beautiful."

More and more people gathered below, insults and jeers echoing ceaselessly.

"Shameless! What did their parents teach them? Only got a lower body, huh?"

"I heard he's a kept man. The videos are all with other people's wives. Deserves to be exposed!"

"Hey, the netizens have already found you a job! You're so good at it, the pay must be decent. Don't jump, benefit the public! Plenty of rich ladies at exclusive clubs!"

Victoria shrieked, her eyes bloodshot, "Shut up! All of you, shut up!"

It was useless.

She could only tremble as she walked towards Leo, trying to cover his ears. "Leo, don't listen to them, don't do anything stupid. I'll make Daniel explain."

My leg throbbed, and I was sweating profusely, my vision blurring.

"Explain what? I told you I didn't leak the videos."

Victoria raised her heel and stomped on my injured leg. "Besides you, who else would know the password? You know exactly when Leo and I broke up. If not you, then who?"

"Daniel, I had finally made up my mind to marry you and build a good life together, but you've disappointed me so much. I never thought you'd be such a malicious person…"

"Enough!"

Leo clenched his fists. "It's come to this point, what good is talking about it now? Victoria, don't come near me! If you take one more step, I'll jump! Make Daniel come over here!"

I was tossed around like a football by the group, thrown towards him. My hand slammed against the iron railing, a steel nail piercing right through it.

I finally tensed up.

For a designer, a ruined hand was no different from a ruined life.

I yelled at the crowd, "Call 911! My hand is badly injured! Get me to a hospital!"

Victoria said coldly, "Daniel, you're quite an actor. But I won't believe you anymore! If you want me to forgive you, then get Leo to forgive you first!"

I grabbed Leo's arm, begging him, "The videos really weren't from me! Victoria and I have broken up. You don't need to do this, you two can be together."

Leo suddenly curled his lips into a smile, then violently grabbed me in a tackle, pulling me onto the rooftop as we wrestled.

"Of course I know the videos weren't from you, because I'm the one who spread them myself!"

"Daniel, after all these years, you still haven't improved. With just a slight effort, I can win Victoria back. You're too weak. How about you die for me instead?"

My body was covered in injuries, and I felt my strength draining. My body was already over the railing.

"Goodbye, Daniel."

Leo said, slowly letting go of my hand.

I was powerless to resist, falling into a chaotic void, my body plummeting rapidly.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed me, holding me tight.

I saw firefighters rushing up, and at the front of the crowd was Audrey, her hair disheveled from running.