Departed With A Belly {1}

What Do You Want

Victoria hanging up after losing her cool filled Claudia with unspoken joy. Such a reaction from Victoria showed that she was starting to get disappointed. She will probably stop having ideas if I reveal how Alaric wants her to have an abortion. She will even get a sum from me as compensation.

But Claudia couldn't bring it up herself, a lest Alaric blamed her when he found out someday.

Is she really going to threaten Alaric with the child?

Even though she didn't think Alaric would be any different because of the child, she still had to deal with it as soon as possible. Better safe than sorry.

Thinking of this, she suggested,
"Actually... We can go to her if she is not
coming to us."

"We go to her? Why should we after what she has done?"

"I agree, Claudia. Let that shameless skank come here."

Claudia let out an embarrassed smile. "We have to put an end to it no matter what."

Seeing her forcing her smile, her two friends had no choice but to relent.
"Fine. We'll go find her."

Therefore, she innocently brought it up to her friends in hopes that they would stand up for her.

As expected, her friends agreed to do it.
What was unexpected was that Victoria actually stood them up!

What the hell does she want? Claudia fumed.

Victoria stayed in her room after she got home.

She was the only one at home since Alaric was at work.

Her phone began to ring not long after.
She took a glance at her phone, only to see that it was a call from the woman who called her before.

She quietly watched until the ringtone ended and sounded again after a A few seconds later, Victoria declined the call and blacklisted the woman's
number.

Claudia's friend, huh? What's this got to do with her friend?

What came to her mind was actually Sandy's figure back in the hospital.

Sandy was such a thin and weak young girl, but she seemed to have
infinite power when she told her domineering mother how strong her
feelings for the boy she liked were.
She appeared to know herself well.
but.....

Victoria subconsciously rubbed her lower belly.

It was still far too early for Victoria to feel anything. However, she was sure that the first thing she felt when she learned of her pregnancy was happiness.

She wanted to share the news with Alaric.

And when she was in the consulting room, she felt a flash of dull pain in
her chest the moment she realized that she was going to have an child.

This could only mean that she was looking forward to having her child. What's the reason for me to get rid of it? She tried to reason with herself.

She could take care of the child on her own.

She had a tough time keeping herself afloat two years ago, but things were different now.

She had the means to be responsible for a child.

still stuck in the same circle. Her phone began to ring again, but this time, it was from another numbers she didn't recognize.

She didn't even need to think to know that this was Claudia's friend again.
She was about to tap the decline button, but she took the call instead as certain thoughts came to her mind.?

Both she and the other end of the call were quiet after she accepted the call.

Claudia's voice only rang out after a long minute.

"Victoria, it's Claudia..."

Ah, so she's making a move herself after her friend failed. "Yes?" Victoria
smiled.

"Do you have time to meet me?" She seemed to be worried that Victoria
would reject her as she quickly added, "You can just give me your address. I'll drop by and see you."

After mulling over it, Victoria answered through pursed lips, "I'm at home."

The other end of the call was quiet for a long minute before a stammer
came, "W-What do you mean?"

"You can come here." Following another long silence from Claudia's end, Victoria pressed her lips together again. "I'm tired. I don't feel like going out."

Claudia replied after a while, "I'II come to see you."

Suddenly, Victoria decided after the call ended.

She wanted to keep her baby! She knew the reason Claudia wanted to see her now. Claudia, who still wanted to come despite Victoria saying that she was at the Cadogan Residence, could only have one purpose.

Not even 15 minutes had passed when a servant came up to Victoria's room to announce Claudia's arrival.

"I got it."

Victoria took a shawl and went downstairs.

"Have some tea, Miss Johnson."

The servant served Claudia a cup of tea. As she thanked the servant, she lifted her chin and happened to see Victoria walking down the stairs.

Victoria had lost a lot of weight in just a matter of a few days. The pure-white shawl and her sky-blue dress made her look like a literatus.

Without makeup on, she looked so fair she was translucent. The plum blossom pinkness to her pale lips made her look like a sickly yet beautiful woman.

Just one glance at her and Claudia was already twitching in her fingers. To have a woman like her stay. She was still in the middle of her musings when the servant calling Victoria. "Mrs. Cadogan" brought her back to her senses.

Victoria picked up the mug and took a sip before she praised, "As you said, it's pretty good."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mrs. Cadogan. I should go and get busy with work now."

"Alright."

After the servant received a compliment from Victoria, she cheerfully hopped off with the serving tray in her hands.

Other than serving Claudia a cup of tea, the servant didn't Claudia had to take a look at her and Victoria's seats and outfits.

She was hit by realization then. To everyone, Victoria was Mrs. Cadogan. All of this should have been mine, but now..

Claudia's face immediately soured.

I would've been Mrs. Cadogan if I didn't leave the country!

With that in mind, she forced a smile and commented, "The servants respect you a lot, don't they?"

Victoria cast a strange look at her and nodded upon hearing that".

They are nice people." the rest of them were chosen by Victoria.

Claudia's forced smile only grew strained.
"'Il have to thank you beforehand, then."

"Thank me?"

"Yes! For training the servants so well. It will make my life easier in the future."

Victoria's hand holding her mug of hot chocolate briefly jolted when she heard those words.

Her elegant eyebrows then raised ever so slightly.
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Published on: October 16, 2023
Word count: 1127 words