Chapter 16

Splash! Ripples formed the moment Vicky fell into the swimming pool. It was the start of winter, which meant the water was freezing due to the drop in temperature. Engulfed by the water, Vicky felt as though she had fallen into a different dimension. Even Sasha's voice sounded distorted as she struggled to stay afloat. "Goodness! Why did you jump into the pool in this weather, Miss Shaw? Felt like swimming?" The pool was two meters deep, and Vicky's feet could not reach the bottom. Being a great swimmer, she could have gotten out on her own. However, the freezing water caused Vicky's leg to cramp. Even for skilled swimmers, having muscle cramps in the water was extremely dangerous and could be lethal, not to mention if the water was gelid. Meanwhile, Sasha cackled evilly next to the pool, enjoying the way Vicky was struggling. There were not many people in the backyard due to the cold weather, and no one noticed that Vicky was drowning. Sasha stood by with her arms crossed and watched Vicky, sneering. "What are you doing inside the pool, Vicky? Are you waiting for Tyler to come save you? Dream on! He went to help Sheila, and he won't be coming." Vicky shivered and paled in the cold water. She closed her eyes and struggled to keep her head afloat before hissing, "My leg is cramping... Pull me up!" Before she could continue, the cold water rushed into her mouth and nostrils. Sasha was stunned for a moment, but her face was soon taken over by an excited look. No one else was around them, and this was her chance to humiliate Vicky. The thought that she could dominate the high-and-mighty Missus Hart, who was once known as the most prideful and beautiful woman, was thrilling. She ignored Vicky's struggle and instead took her phone out to record the moment so she could share it with Sheila. When the time was right, she could post the video on social media as well, so that the world could see how wretched Vicky was. Sasha's hands trembled in excitement as she started recording and pointed the camera at Vicky. "Vicky Shaw, obey me if you want me to pull you up. Otherwise…" she said smugly, sneering. "Otherwise, I'm going to let you drown!" Vicky was choking on the water, and as her body froze, her mind began to stray and the survival instinct within her drove her to call for help. Sasha giggled happily as she enjoyed Vicky's suffering. "Want me to pull you up? Beg me. Beg me to help you." "Help me... Help me!" Vicky called out weakly. "Hahahaha!" Sasha cackled hysterically. "What are you saying? Speak up; I can't hear you! Why not say this? 'I humbly ask for the queen, Sasha, to have mercy and save me. I'll be your slave and will do whatever I can to repay your kindness toward me!'" Sasha's words sound like the devil's whisper in Vicky's ears, and her twisted smile looked awfully evil through the water. Despair drowned her like the cold water that surrounded her. Vicky froze and soon lost all strength to struggle. With that, she sank helplessly. ... Tyler arrived at the set where Sheila was and found the entire cast in chaos. He walked over and asked, "What's going on?" Sheila's manager, Maggie, felt as though her savior finally came when she saw Tyler. "Mister Hart, please help Sheila!" She pointed at a young woman in the crowd and said, "That's an actress called Maria Sparks. She keeps causing trouble with Sheila whenever they're filming, and when it got to the scene where she was supposed to slap Sheila on the face...she purposely messed up and had to redo the scene over and over again until Sheila's face was all swollen. Sheila was provoked into arguing with her, and Maria pushed her down the stairs! "That's not even the end of it. She insisted that Sheila has to apologize to her, or she's not allowed to leave!" In the crowd, Maria stood before the ambulance as she stared down at Sheila arrogantly. "Apologize, Sheila, or you won't leave this place today!" Sheila sat on the ground, her cheek swollen and her leg bleeding from a large wound. She looked up stubbornly and retorted, "I didn't do anything wrong, so why should I apologize?" Maria glared at her in contempt. "Keep sitting there if you refuse to apologize! I have time. Let's see who can last longer!" Sheila remained quiet, and the director next to them started sweating nervously at the situation. He wanted to say something, but as Maria was introduced into the cast by investors, he was in no position to challenge her. Just then, the crowd parted and Tyler walked in elegantly. When he spotted Sheila on the ground, he questioned sharply, "What are you doing?" The director paled at Tyler's appearance. "M—Mis… Mister Hart!" Maria's lips curled into a smug smile when she spotted Tyler. "Tyler..." She batted her eyelids in shock. "Why are you here?" He ignored Maria and turned to the medical staff next to him. "What are you all doing? Help her up!" The staff immediately helped Sheila up and rushed her to the ambulance. This time, Maria did not stop them. Once Sheila was in the ambulance, Maria beamed at Tyler. "It's been so long, Tyler. I didn't expect to see you here—" Before she could continue, Tyler's phone started ringing, and he glanced at it, noticing Vicky's name on the display. He hung up without a moment of hesitation, but another call immediately came in from the same number. Vicky had been calling him more frequently compared to the year before. He merely sneered before he turned his phone off.