Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria)

Chapter 31

“Fun?” That idea made Victoria scrunch her nose.

“Of course.” Summer propped her chin up, excitedly explaining, “Do you

know a child is fun to play with? Like, if you give birth to a daughter, you

can dress her up prettily every day like a real–life doll. Have you played the

game, Project Makeover? Raising a child is just like dressing your avatar

inside the game.”

Feeling speechless, Victoria, who had never played any games, looked at

Summer perplexedly.

“By the way, let me be your child’s godmother.” While rubbing her hands

excitedly, Summer had a secretive look in her eyes. “If you’re busy, I can

move in with you. Hehe. Let me make it clear that I’m not moving in with

you because I want to play with your child.”

Not knowing what to say, Victoria suddenly realized why Summer insisted

Chapter 31 Aren’t Fated to be Together

on letting her keep the child.

“That’s right.” Summer suddenly became stern and asked, “I almost forgot

to ask. Did Claudia come to you yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“What the heck? What did she say to you?”

Then, Victoria told her friend everything that happened yesterday.

After listening to her explanation, the emotional Summer began throwing

a fit again. “Gosh! How shameless can she get? Giving you money to leave

Alaric? Who does she think she is? Alaric’s wife? Is she and Alaric even

dating? She dared to come to you and put on airs!”

While she was criticizing Claudia, Victoria did not feel like stopping her

because she knew that was how Summer was. If Summer could not rant,

she would feel uncomfortable all over.

Chapter 31 Aren’t Fated to be Together

Once she was done, Victoria handed her a tissue while advising, “This is

the last time. Don’t criticize her again.”

“What was that?” Summer widened her eyes. “How can you still speak up

for her when she treated you like that?”

“Summer, she helped me once.”

“When?” Summer was confused and asked, “Why is this the first time I’m

hearing about this?”

Victoria’s eyelids hung low, saying, “It was a long time ago.”

It was when the Selwyns had just filed for bankruptcy. All of her bank

accounts were frozen, and she was only left with a few hundred dollars in

her PayPal account.

Back then, she did not know what had happened, and her dad’s phone

was constantly busy, so she could only rush home as quickly as she could.

Chapter 31 Aren’t Fated to be Together

When she returned home, she discovered her house was a mess. A bunch

of people was sealing the entrance with tapes while some were splashing

paint onto the walls. A few were even thinking of heading inside and

clearing everything out.

Victoria’s dad, Tony Selwyn, was roughly pushed around while attempting

to stop them but ended up breaking his leg. When she witnessed that, she

was so pissed that she went over and argued with them. Then, she called

the police but had her phone slapped away.

The scene was a chaotic mess.

In the end, the person in charge there received a call, and his attitude

immediately changed as he humbly and flatteringly spoke on the phone,

“Alright, I understand. Yes, I’ll leave with the others now.”

After he hung up the call, he walked over and glared at Victoria. “Hmph!

Consider yourselves lucky. We’re not going to take this house anymore. It’s

all yours.” With that, he sneered and taunted, “You wouldn’t have gotten

this chance if Miss Johnson hadn’t known our boss. We’re only doing this

for the sake of Miss Johnson, understand?”

Miss Johnson…

A name flashed across Victoria’s mind.

“Is the person you’re referring to Claudia Johnson?”

“That’s right. Consider yourselves lucky. Let’s move.”

Never would she have imagined that Claudia had helped her that day, so

she called her a while after those men left.

“Are you alright? Did they frighten you? I might’ve been a little late with my

call. I heard Mr. Selwyn was injured, so I arranged for a car to your house.

Once it arrives, get inside, and the driver will drive you to the hospital. I’ve

also arranged for a doctor to tend to your dad.”

Chapter 31 Aren’t Fated to be Together

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Meanwhile, Victoria clutched her phone, unable to wrap her head around

what was happening. “Why are you helping me?”

She knew she was not close to Claudia as they only knew each other

through Alaric and did not get along well.

When Victoria found out about his feelings for Claudia, their relationship

became even more estranged, so she stayed away from Claudia as

much as possible. After all, she was never a benevolent person.

Though she would not see Claudia as her enemy or hate her, she could

never become friends with her. However, she did not expect Claudia to

help her.

After hearing Victoria’s question, Claudia chuckled softly. “It’s because

you’re Al’s friend. A friend of Al’s is a friend of mine, so of course, I’d help

you. You don’t have to feel like you owe me anything, and don’t tell anyone

I helped you! Think of it as Al helping you.”

Chapter 31 Aren’t Fated to be Together

When Claudia said that, Victoria had it all figured out. She’s only helping

me for Alaric’s sake.

She pursed her pale lips while hesitating. At that moment, Tony suddenly

began coughing heavily, and the maid beside him yelled hysterically, “Mr.

Selwyn! Mr. Selwyn, are you alright? Miss Selwyn, we need to send him to

the hospital.”

Then, Claudia’s worried voice sounded from the phone.

“Is Mr. Selwyn alright? Victoria, let’s talk some other time. You need to send

him to the hospital as soon as possible. The driver will be arriving shortly.”

Victoria glanced at her dad, who had broken out in a cold sweat looking all RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

pale, and her hands formed tightly into a fist. In the end, she released her

fists listlessly as though she had succumbed to fate.

She told Claudia on the phone, “I owe you one. Thank you.”

Chapter 31 Aren’t Fated to be Together

“What are you saying? Didn’t I tell you to think of it as Al helping you? Go on

and take care of your dad.” The call was quickly hung up.

Victoria put away her phone and ran to Tony before helping him. “Dad, are

you alright? Hang on. A car will be arriving soon.”

Just as she finished speaking, someone brought a driver inside, and

everyone helped Tony get into the car.

On the road to the hospital, Tony looked at his daughter and asked

carefully, “Snowball, who called you earlier?”

Snowball was a nickname Tony gave Victoria. From the beginning of her

memories, she grew up in a single–parent family, and her dad was her

only caretaker.

Being a cute and lovable girl as a kid, she looked like a tiny snowman

whilst wearing a white dress, so he gave her the nickname, Snowball.

Since then, he had been calling her that until now.

@

Chapter 31 Aren’t Fated to be Together

Victoria was silent for a while before replying, “It’s Claudia. She helped us,

so I owe her a favor.”

Hearing that, Tony was shocked and immediately beckoned, “Snowball,

let’s get out of this car.”

The father–daughter duo lived together, so he could see that his obedient

daughter liked Alaric. However, the matter between Alaric and Claudia

had spread throughout their social circle.

As his daughter had already taken her hands off that matter, what was

she to do now that she owed her love rival a favor? Therefore, Tony

immediately insisted on getting off.

However, Victoria held him down and urged with a pale face, “Dad, don’t!

Even if we get off now, it won’t change the fact that we’ve already

accepted her help. If she hadn’t made the call, those people outside our

house wouldn’t have left.”

Chapter 31 Aren’t Fated to be Together

“But you and Alaric…”

With a faint smile, she comforted him. “It’s fine. Perhaps we aren’t fated to

be together.”

8

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