Chapter 12

As Regina and Mia were talking, Vivienne walked into the room. "Mrs. Holt Senior, what did you call me in for?" Vivienne asked. Regina sat in her chair, giving Vivienne a disapproving once-over. A profound look of disgust colored her expression. If it hadn't been for this jinx, Sebastian would have married the heiress of the esteemed Lockharts. Vivienne seemed to have changed considerably as well. Her plain, unstyled hair had now been permed and dyed a rich, seductive burgundy. In place of the drab, frumpy old clothes she had always worn before, she now decked herself out in a vibrant, multicolored dress. The riot of colors took nothing away from her own glamor. Instead, they brought out her charm and allure, like a siren temptress. The old-fashioned Regina despised women who dressed themselves up so flirtatiously. She hissed, "How dare you dress so indecently! You embarrass us Holts! And you haven't even borne us any children, despite being married into our family for three whole years. We don't want a barren old hen like you! Now, get on your knees and apologize!" Mia's face lit up with schadenfreude. "If you were in medieval times, Vivienne, you'd have been dunked in a river and tried as a witch," Mia taunted. "Mrs. Holt Senior is showing you mercy by asking you for an apology." Vivienne glanced at Mia, a light smile on her lips. "It takes two to tango when it comes to having children, Mrs. Holt Senior. The physical examination I had ahead of my marriage showed no problems on my end whatsoever. It can't be my fault that I haven't gotten pregnant after so long." Regina's anger flared. "Are you insinuating that there's something wrong with my grandson?" Vivienne spoke haltingly. "There's nothing wrong with Sebastian. He's just… impotent." Both Regina and Mia were stunned. "Nonsense!" Mia snapped back into focus first. "Sebastian just doesn't want to touch you. How could he possibly be impotent?" "Ms. Evans, Sebastian and I have been husband and wife for three years. I should know his prowess—or lack of it—better than anyone else." Vivienne continued, "Besides, Ms. Schafer has been back for the better half of a year. Both of them have been in each other's company all day, spending their nights together in their love nest. But still, Ms. Schafer shows no sign of pregnancy…" She shook her head ruefully. "The question of Sebastian's impotence seems pretty clear, doesn't it?" As she said this, she looked at Regina. "Mrs. Holt Senior, instead of having a bone to pick with me, you should go get a doctor to check Sebastian out soon. If you put it off any longer, the Holt family's going to run out of heirs to continue the family legacy." Regina was aware of Sebastian and Melanie's relationship. Although she felt that Melanie was not worthy of marrying into the Holt family, she was fine with keeping her as Sebastian's lover on the outside. And whether Sebastian was impotent or not was still up for discussion. But Vivienne's mention of the Holt family being deprived of an heir hit a nerve. The prospect of having no one to take over the family legacy was something the elders of the family feared more than anything. Regina's chest heaved with rage. "Vivienne, how dare you curse us Holts in this way! You two, show her how the Holt family disciplines this sort of insolence! And take those indecent clothes off her body!" Two members of the household staff approached Vivienne menacingly. Mia's hands shook with excitement. Immediately, she whipped out her cell phone, getting ready to snap a picture of Vivienne on her knees, begging for mercy, so she could send it to Melanie. Without a word, the two men raised their arms to slap Vivienne across the face. All the household staff in the Holt residence knew that Regina disliked Vivienne. Whenever Vivienne tried explaining that she'd been wronged, she would be seen as talking back. Regina would order the staff to dish out some "domestic discipline" whenever she felt displeased or if something didn't go her way. With Regina being the matriarch of the family, Vivienne couldn't fight back without being accused of being disrespectful. Sebastian didn't care about her. The staff, who buttered up those above and kicked down those below, did not stop bullying her, either. They would even sneak in a pinch or two while subjecting her to the "discipline". Every time she went back, her body would be covered with bruises. Watching the men who were about to land a blow on her, Vivienne didn't seem panicked at all. She grabbed one of them by the wrist and dealt him a hard backhand slap across his face with a resounding smack. She then kicked the other one aside, sending him flying across the room before he crashed onto the floor. The sounds of the crisp slap and the hefty blow startled Regina and Mia. Vivienne scanned the room coldly before her eyes finally fixated on the two staff members. "Still punishing people without trial in this day and age? Who gave you the courage to act so lawlessly?" Who gave them the courage? It was Regina, of course. Seeing how Vivienne dared to assault her staff in front of her, Regina's face paled with anger. She pointed a trembling finger at Vivienne and stuttered, "You… You filthy reprobate…" Before she could finish speaking, Regina choked, her eyes rolling back as she collapsed in a dead faint. Mia panicked. "Mrs. Holt Senior, are you alright? Someone call an ambulance! The old lady's fainted!" The scene descended into chaos. ... At night, Vivienne had just finished taking a shower when she heard someone knock on her door. The knocking was so loud that even the door panel trembled at each blow. Vivienne frowned, then glanced at the video camera. Sebastian had actually found her place. That was to be expected. This was Sanvia, after all. Finding anyone here was a walk in the park for Sebastian. After a moment's hesitation, Vivienne opened the door. The man's face was obscured by shadows in the dim light. "Mr. Holt, are you here to talk to me about the divorce?" Vivienne asked calmly. Stepping through the faltering light, the man's chiseled face came into view, its angles illuminated in chiaroscuro. "You seem to have no guilt whatsoever, Vivienne." Vivienne shot back in astonishment, "Why should I be feeling guilty?" Sebastian's thin lips were tightly pursed. His eyes, as dark as twin abysses, seemed frozen over by a thick wall of ice, exuding a wintry coldness. "Grandma had to be sent to the hospital for a heart attack because of you." Vivienne reacted dispassionately. "Oh." Sebastian's eyes grew colder, and his low, clear voice was laced with a lingering chill. "You're going to apologize to Grandma until she forgives you." "I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize to her?" Vivienne asked unfeelingly. "I didn't lay a finger on her, and I didn't scold her either. She called me to the Holt residence and got herself all worked up over me. What does any of that have to do with me?" Sebastian had watched the video recorded on Mia's phone before coming here. "You just beat up Grandma's staff in front of her, and you still say you didn't do anything wrong?" His expression was frosty. "No matter how badly you want to attract my attention, surely you should have some limits to how you do it. You have pay the price for your wrongdoings, Vivienne."