Chapter 17

Only when she saw the name “Violet Garcia” in the statement did Cersei finally remember who she was. She hadn’t expected Violet’s transformation to be this dramatic in just three short years. In the visitation room, Cersei sat across the table from her, her gaze falling on the woman’s face. Years of hardship had taken their toll. Violet’s once-beautiful features were now consumed by exhaustion and hatred, her features rough and dull. But the most surprising thing was the deep scar that ran across most of her face.

Cersei’s direct gaze wounded Violet’s most sensitive core. Her expression twisted, making the scar on her face appear even more ferocious and grotesquely ugly. She jumped to her feet, slamming her handcuffed hands on the table with a loud smack.

“You’ve come to laugh at me, haven’t you? Cersei Winters, don’t think putting on this act will make me let go of my hatred. If I ever get out of here, I’ll definitely come after you for revenge!”

Cersei didn’t understand the source of such hatred toward her, nor did she intend to listen to Violet’s venting. After all, this wasn’t the first time Violet had attacked her. Compared to Violet’s frenzy, Cersei remained calm. “Violet Garcia, I’m not here to listen to you vent.”

“I came to tell you that I’ve let you off many times before, but this time I won’t show mercy. This time, no one will protect you. I’ll make sure you pay for everything you’ve done, including your past actions.”

Without waiting for Violet’s reaction, Cersei stood up and prepared to leave. Violet fell silent for a moment. But just as Cersei reached the door, Violet spoke again, “Are you feeling proud of yourself?”

Cersei’s departing steps halted and turned back. Her eyes showed no mockery, no hatred—just a calm as if Violet were completely irrelevant to her. This attitude was precisely what Violet found hardest to accept. She realized that after hating Cersei for so many years and planning her revenge, just when she was about to succeed, Cersei had actually forgotten who she even was.

“If it weren’t for you, how would I have ended up like this?!”

Hearing this, Cersei let out a derisive laugh. “I never forced you to do anything wrong. It’s you brought this upon yourself.”

“If not for you, Louis haven’t treated me that way. Back then, I had already made him gradually tire of you. I was about to get everything I wanted. It was all because of you!”

“You abandoned him, and he took all his anger out on me. He fired me, drove me out of New York. I was pushed to desperation, forced to become a mistress to those old men. Yet he still wouldn’t let me be! He exposed everything, and this face—it was ruined by those men!”

She was on the verge of collapse, but Cersei seemed indifferent.

“But what do these things have to do with me? Violet, you were the one who interfered in our marriage. You two were the ones who did wrong. What right do you have to blame me?”

“As for the rest of it… It’s even more ridiculous. Louis kicked you out of the city, and there were plenty of ways for you to survive after leaving. But you chose the worst one. You never blamed Louis, and you never blamed your own selfishness. Instead, you blame me?”

Cersei’s words left Violet speechless. Seeing her standing there in shock, Cersei lost interest in continuing the conversation. She opened the door and walked out.

All light seemed to vanish before Violet’s eyes. The empty room, where even a whisper would echo, filled her with sudden panic. Only one thought remained—she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in this hellhole.

Before Cersei could walk far, Violet suddenly fell to her knees with tears flooding her eyes. “Don’t go! Cersei Winters!”