As soon as Calvin finished speaking, he flung Heidi away forcefully. Her body fell onto the shattered glass, the sharp edges cutting into her palms and the exposed skin on her body.
Blood dripped freely, and she was in utter disarray.
Yet, she seemed completely indifferent to the pain. She simply lifted her gaze and looked at the man before her.
Just now, they had been so close that she could finally see his face clearly.
After five years, the face that had haunted her dreams remained almost unchanged—except for the loss of its youthful warmth, replaced by steadiness and maturity.
The only thing that had changed was the woman standing by his side. It was no longer Heidi, but someone else.
Stacks of cash were ruthlessly thrown at her face and body.
Adrienne sneered. “Miss Twigg, weren’t you desperate for money? Vin is giving it to you now—why aren’t you taking it?”
Heidi, in her tattered state, crawled forward, picking up each blood-stained bill one by one. She kept her head lowered, concealing the tears welling up in her eyes.
Her mind drifted back to the past, to the time when she first met Calvin in college.
Back then, he was the campus heartthrob—wealthy, influential, admired by all.
She, on the other hand, was just an orphan who relied on scholarships to get by.
They came from completely different worlds, and being together had never been easy. The Rosenbachs were the first to oppose them.
But Calvin had defied all obstacles, and together, they built a home of their own.
They started from scratch, working hard to build their future. Just when everything seemed to be looking up, tragedy struck—Calvin lost his sight and urgently needed a corneal transplant.
The surgery and treatment required an enormous sum of money. They spent every last cent they had. To gather more, Heidi worked multiple jobs, often surviving on just one meal a day.
But no matter how hard she tried, it was never enough.
That was when Rosalie, Calvin’s mother, appeared.
And everything changed.
A sudden crash jolted Heidi back to reality.
A wine glass had been smashed in front of her, shattering her memories along with it.
“Stop looking at us with those eyes—they disgust me!” Calvin’s voice was cold. “Take the money and get the hell out!”
With that, he lowered his head and gently kissed the woman in his arms.
“Sorry you had to see this,” he murmured to Adrienne. “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. How about we go shopping for some new things you like? That pair of heels you wanted last time—the ones that cost 20,000—I’ll buy them for you and put them on you myself, alright?”
Listening to their affectionate exchange, Heidi felt an unbearable pain surge through her chest. She struggled to her feet, but the overwhelming bitterness and pain made her vision blur. She nearly collapsed.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand firm. But the moment she stepped out of the private room, she couldn’t hold it in anymore—a mouthful of blood spilled from her lips.
She stared at the crimson splatters on the floor and curled her lips in self-mockery.
Her body was reaching its limit.
She didn’t have much time left.
But if she died… what would happen to their son?
Suddenly, the door behind her was yanked open.
Calvin’s panicked voice rang out.
“Heidi? What’s wrong?!”
Instinctively, he reached out to help her, but Adrienne quickly grabbed his arm, her face full of concern and helplessness.
“Oh gosh! It’s my fault,” she said anxiously. “I shouldn’t have broken those bottles earlier. But… Miss Twigg, when did you hurt your mouth? Weren’t your injuries on your arms and hands?”
The worry in Calvin’s eyes darkened, replaced by anger.
“Oh, I never thought you’d stoop so low, Heidi. You’re faking an injury just to swindle more money? Wow.”
Heidi stared at him, at those once-blind yet now-clear eyes, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips.
“Since President Rosenbach knows how much I love money, why not lend me a little more?”
Before he could respond, Adrienne tightened her grip on his hand and softly pleaded, “Vin, why don’t you help her again? Maybe she really is desperate for money…
“Besides, if she hadn’t abandoned you back then, you would never have returned home… and you wouldn’t have gotten the chance to receive that kind stranger’s corneas, would you?”
