Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria) novel Chapter 159

Chapter 159
Beep! Beep!
The busy tone from the phone that kept ringing in Victoria’s ear felt like
countless thorns piercing her heart.
For a moment, she truly considered leaving everything behind and not
going back at all.
Then again, it was true when she said that she had some personal
belongings there. Left with no choice, she decided to find a time when
Alaric wasn’t at home and get her things.
After breakfast, Victoria shared her thoughts with Summer.
“You mentioned it to me last night, didn’t you? I have the car ready and I
even invited my friend to come along. We’ll help you move your things, so
don’t worry. Just focus on packing.”
“Thank you, Summer.” Victoria hadn’t expected Summer to be so thorough
in her preparations.
“Geez, what’s there to thank between us?”
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Victoria suddenly mentioned, “There’s no need to ask your friend to help.
us, I don’t have much to pack. Actually, I can go by myself.”
When Summer heard this, she instantly set down what she was holding.
“You’re going alone? No! I have to accompany you. What if something
happens?”
“What could go wrong? After all, it’s a place where I’ve lived for so long, and
our families are old acquaintances. What could possibly happen?”
Summer suddenly realized that the Cadogan Family did hold a prominent
position, and she had been overly concerned.
“You really don’t need my company?”
“Really. It’s just a few things. I’ll go to the hospital first and then come back
after I get my stuff.”
“Well then… Be careful on your own. Don’t end up like yesterday.”
A hint of sadness flashed through Victoria’s eyes at the mention of
yesterday’s events. She only reacted by giving Summer a faint smile.
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Victoria went to the hospital after she left Summer’s place.
Since she didn’t come to the hospital yesterday, Griselda asked her about
her whereabouts as soon as she saw the younger woman.
Victoria didn’t want to lie to Griselda, so she smiled and explained,
“Grandma, I couldn’t come because I had an important matter to attend to.”
Being the understanding woman that Griselda was, she could tell that
Victoria didn’t want to go into it after she heard Victoria’s vague answer.
She knew that the younger generation had secrets of their own. Instead of
pressing further, she held Victoria’s hand and changed the topic. “What
story will you be telling me today?”
Victoria chuckled. “What kind of story would you like to hear, Grandma?”
“How about a story about family?” Griselda suggested.
Victoria’s heart s***d a beat when she heard that. She thought that
Griselda might already know about the divorce from Alaric, and this topic
might be a subtle hint.
However, when she looked up at Griselda, she noticed that the elderly
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woman’s expression was normal and there didn’t seem to be anything
amiss.
Then again, the Cadogans would consider Griselda’s health and probably
wouldn’t inform her so soon even if they were divorced.
“Alright, then. Let me tell you a family story today.”
Victoria carefully selected a story from her repertoire, choosing the most
touching one she knew to share with Griselda.
Griselda, who was touched by the story, eventually fell asleep with tears
hanging at the corners of her eyes.
Just the sight of the woman made Victoria bend over and give her a big hug
before she whispered, “Grandma, I don’t think I can come to see you again
from tomorrow onward.”
Her voice was so soft that she was probably the only one who had heard
that.
And it was exactly because Griselda was asleep that she dared to say these
words.
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“You have to watch your health from now on, Grandma. There is nothing
more important than your health. Also, you will definitely have a better
granddaughter-in-law to take care of you in the future.”
After saying that, Victoria reached out to wipe away Griselda’s tears before
planting a kiss on her forehead.
She stood there contemplating for a long minute before turning around and
leaving resolutely.
But when she turned around, she saw Alaric standing at the door of the
ward.
Time seemed to stop the moment their eyes met.
After a while, Victoria forced a smile and approached him.
“I came to see Grand-” She paused and changed the way she addressed
Griselda. “I came to see Old Mrs. Cadogan.”
However, Alaric’s gaze on her was clear and cold. There wasn’t a hint of
warmth in his eyes.
He seemed as if he hadn’t seen her when he ignored and brushed past her,
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leaving behind an icy gust of wind.
Victoria remained rooted to the spot for several seconds. Knowing that she
no longer had a place there, she soon left without making a sound.
Once she was gone, Alaric turned his head and glanced at the spot where
she had been standing before he slowly looked away.
Victoria returned home to retrieve her belongings.
As soon as she entered the Cadogan Residence, the housekeeper and
s***ts immediately rushed up to greet her as if they were seeing a
long-lost relative.
“Madam, you’ve finally returned.”
“Madam, where did you go last night? You didn’t come back all night. We
missed you!”
“Exactly! Welcome home. Madam, are you hungry? Would you like
something to eat?”
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Nobody had treated her with such warmth and enthusiasm before this.
Victoria wasn’t sure what everyone was thinking, but she had to handle the
situation calmly.
After dealing with their questions, Victoria went upstairs to pack her
belongings.
She didn’t have much to pack. In fact, she only came back for a few of her
personal belongings. As for her clothes, Victoria had no intention of
packing them to avoid arousing suspicion from the s***ts when she went
downstairs.
Mary wasn’t at home today and Alaric was also absent. Victoria would be
able to leave quickly once she packed her things.
The servants were currently chatting downstairs.
“The madam has returned today. Does that mean she has reconciled with
sir?”
“Maybe! It’s only common for couples to argue and make up.”
However, as soon as they finished speaking, they saw Victoria coming
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downstairs shortly after. She was holding a small bag, looking as if she was
about to leave.
The crowd was puzzled. She had just returned not long ago and now she
was planning to go out again.
They immediately approached and surrounded her.
“Madam, you have just returned. Where are you going now?”
Seeing them crowding around her, Victoria felt relieved that she hadn’t.
packed many belongings. They would likely bombard her with various
questions otherwise.
And so, she could only smile and tell them, “I have something to take care
of.”
“Madam, where are you going? You’ve only been back for a short while.
Don’t you need to rest for a bit?”
Victoria shook her head. “I’m not tired. There is no need to rest. Alright,
now. Please go back to your tasks. Stop flocking around me please.”
The truth was, they couldn’t shake off a sense of foreboding when they saw
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her with her bag. But since Victoria didn’t have any luggage in her hands
and didn’t seem like she was leaving for good, the crowd could only
disperse in the end.
When they had all left, Victoria started to leave the building.
She did end up bumping into the butler at the entrance.
“Madam.”
Victoria stopped in her tracks. “Mr. Bowen,” she greeted him in return.
During her time at the Cadogan Residence, Hector had taken care of her in
many ways. Her eyes soon shimmered slightly and she looked as if she
wanted to tell him something.
Hector must have sensed something, as he then glanced at the small bag in
her hand and asked softly, “Madam, are you going on a long journey?”