Gandra.

General Hospital.

“Congratulations. You’re pregnant. The baby is in good health.”

Victoria Selwyn’s hands clenched around the report as she dazedly stared

at the doctor.

Pregnant? It was a happy surprise. She could not believe her ears.

“Remember to come in for regular appointments. Where is the father? Call

him in. I have some instructions for him.”

The doctor’s words snapped her out of her thoughts. “My husband’s not

with me today,” she replied with an awkward smile.

“Honestly, even if he’s busy, he should still be with his family,” the doctor

exclaimed.

It was drizzling when she finally stepped out of the hospital. She stroked

her abdomen.

There is now a tiny life growing in there. A child that belongs to Alaric and

me……

Her phone buzzed. She pulled it out; it was a message from her husband,

Alaric Cadogan.

‘It’s raining. Get an umbrella to this address.

She glanced at the address sent; it was L’Indigo Country Club.

What was this place? He had a meeting today, right?

Still, she did not question it too much and asked the Cadogans‘ family

driver to send her to the country club.

“You may head back first,” she said to the driver upon arrival.

“Do I not need to wait for you, Mrs. Cadogan?”

She paused for a moment before shaking her head. “It’s fine. I’ll wait to

head home with Alaric.”

Since she was here for him, she would head home with him.

With that, Carter, the driver, soon drove off.

The rain had started as a drizzle, but it was now a heavy storm.

With the umbrella held over her head, she walked to the entrance of the

country club.

It was a luxuriously decorated golf club. She was stopped at the door.

“I’m sorry, miss, but please show me your member card,” the employee

said.

She took a moment to think about her next action before finally

messaging Alaric.

‘I’m here. When are you done with work? I’ll be waiting for you downstairs.‘

Once she was done, she stood near the entrance with the umbrella. As

she stared at the rain, she thought about the pregnancy report.

Perhaps she should tell him when he came out? Or should she wait to

surprise him on his birthday?

She was lost in her thoughts. Unbeknownst to her, she was a

laughingstock for a group of people upstairs.

They were pressed up against the window as they gazed down at her.

“She’s not your actual wife, but she’s quite good at it, Al. She is actually

here with an umbrella because you asked. She doesn’t really think you

would walk through the rain, right?” one of them asked.

“Is she so in love with you that she has forgotten all about logic?”

“What nonsense.”

A languid voice rang out from a corner of the room.

The speaker was a tall man with long legs and a cold face. His fair skin

and wide, slan ted eyes highlighted his incredible attractiveness. Dressed

in a gray bespoke suit, he sat there with crossed legs.

He raised his hand, revealing the exquisite and luxurious watch on his

wrist. “Hand it over.”

The friend who did the prank had no choice but to return the phone.

“Tsk. Are we giving back the phone that quickly?” someone commented.

“Enough. If Claudia wasn’t here, you wouldn’t even have a chance to lay a

finger on his phone.”

The crowd continued to joke and laugh as they turned to look at the

beautiful woman seated beside the man. She was dressed in a white

dress which made her look kind and gentle.

She pursed her lip in a smile when she heard that. “All right,” she softly

said. “It was wrong of you to use Al’s phone for a prank, and now, you’re

making fun of me.”

The friends did not plan on letting up on their teasing as they called out,

“Everyone knows you’re the most important person to Al, Claudia.”

“That’s right. Alaric would say that as well, right?”

When Claudia Johnson heard that, she could not resist glancing at Alaric.

Alaric smiled and did not deny it.

When the group saw that, the teasing worsened.

“I told you, there is no one more important to Al than Claudia!”

As they continued to tease, he glanced down and swiftly messaged

Victoria.

‘I don’t need the umbrella anymore. Head home first.‘

Victoria was puzzled when she received the message. ‘Did something

happen?‘ she messaged back.

She stared down at her phone for a long time, but there was no reply.

Perhaps he was really busy.

She decided to head back first.

“Wait.”

Someone suddenly called out to her from behind. She turned around to

see two fashionable young women walking over to her.

The taller woman glanced at her and disdainfully asked, “You’re Victoria

Selwyn?”

Since hostility was painted all over that woman’s face, Victoria did not

hold back and briskly shot back, “You are?”

“My name is not important. What is important is the fact that Claudia is

back. If you’re smart, you’ll get away from Alaric.”

Victoria’s pupils shrank in astonishment.

It had been so long since she last heard that name. So much time had

passed that… she nearly forgot Claudia existed.

Her reaction was clearly noticed as the other woman shot her a scornful

look.

“Why are you so shocked? Have you turned into an idiot after pretending

to be Mrs. Cadogan for two years? Did you think the position is really

yours?”

Victoria bit her lip as her face was pale white. The knuckles of the hand

holding onto the umbrella were also turning white.

“Look at her face. Do you think she’s going to steal Claudia’s man out of

spite?” one of the women said.

“Can she, though?”

Victoria walked away, not bothering to listen to what they would say next.

Their shouts were drowned out by the rain.

When she returned to the Cadogan Residence, Hector Bowen, the butler,

was shocked to find someone soaked to the core standing on the

doorstep. “Mrs. Cadogan!” he exclaimed when he made out who it was.

“What happened to you? Come in.”

Victoria was so cold that her limbs felt rather numb. In just a few seconds

after stepping into the house, she was surrounded by a group of ser vants

wrapping her in a huge towel and drying her hair.

“Draw the madam a hot water bath!”

“Get a cup of tea ready.”

The ser vants were panicking so badly over how soaked she was by the

rain that no one noticed a car driving through the gates, nor did they

notice the tall figure standing in the doorway soon after.

That was until a cold voice rang out through the room.

“What happened?”

The sound of the voice made her jump from where she was sitting on the

couch. Why was Alaric back?

Should he not be with his Claudia?

“The madam was caught in the rain, sir,” Hector said.

Caught in the rain? Alaric’s dark eyes turned to the petite figure curled up

on the couch as he strode over.

He frowned when he properly saw the state she was in.

Currently, she was like a drowned rat. Her soft hair was limp and clung to

her pale skin. Her usually pink lips were pale as well.

“What happened to you?” he harshly barked out as he scowled harder.

She waited until she had full control over her emotions before looking up

at him and putting on a wan smile. “My phone died,” she explained. “On my

way back, I bumped into a kid caught in the rain without an umbrella.”

His eyes suddenly went cold.

“Are you crazy?”

Her smile went stiff.

“You gave him the umbrella, and you ended up walking through the rain,”

he continued.

“How old are you? Did you think I would praise you for doing that?”

The ser vants around them glanced at each other, too afraid to say a

word.

Victoria’s lashes hung low. Her vision was blurred by tears by now.

She forced herself to keep quiet and hold her tears back.

It was doable until Alaric walked over and lifted her in a bridal carry. It was

only then that she let her tears roll. A drop of tear fell on the back of her

hand.

Alaric shoved Victoria into the bathroom and left.

She kept her head down, waiting until he stepped out of the room before

slowly looking up and wiping away the tears on her cheeks.

Moments later.

She locked the bathroom door and pulled out the hospital’s report from

her pocket.

After being soaked in the rain, the entire report was illegible with every

word too blurred out to read.

She had planned on surprising him with it, but now it seemed like it was

completely useless.

She had been with him for two years. She knew for sure that he was the

kind of person who never let his phone leave his side.

He was also not the kind of man who would intentionally summon her just

to tell her to go home.

The only possibility was that someone took his phone to message her so

that she would be laughed at.

Perhaps there was a crowd of people laughing at her while she was

foolishly waiting outside the country club with the umbrella.

She stared down at the illegible report for long moments before letting out

a self–deprecating chuckle and slowly tearing it apart.

30 minutes later.

Victoria calmly walked out of the bathroom.

Alaric was sitting on the couch. His long legs were placed firmly against

the floor as he focused on the laptop in front of him. He seemed to be

working.

When he saw her, he pointed at the cup of tea beside him.

“Drink that.”

“Okay.”

She walked over and picked up the cup of tea. She did not drink it

immediately. Instead, she seemed to be preoccupied with some thought

before calling out to him.

“Alaric.”

“What is it?” His voice was cold as he remained focused on the screen

before his eyes.

She stared at his sculptured jaw and profile. Her pale lips twitched.

Couple Tere Pet Proced

However, he seemed to have gotten impatient as he snapped up to look

at her. Their eyes locked.

As she had just taken a shower, her skin was pink, and her lips no longer

looked as pale as before. Still, she looked rather sickly like she might

shatter at a touch. Perhaps it was because she had just been drenched in

the rain.

With one glance, his desire for her was aroused.

As for Victoria, her emotions were warring inside her, causing her to be

oblivious to his emotions. Instead, she was trying to work out what to say.

Eventually, she came to a decision. “You… Mmgh!”

She had just opened her mouth when he grabbed her chin and kissed her

as if he could not control himself.

His calloused fingers immediately turned her fair skin red.

His breath was hot like fire against her skin. She eventually ran out of

breath. Just as she was about to push him away, his phone began to ring

from where it was on the table.

They froze. The passion immediately vanished. He soon moved away,

gently nibbling on her lips as if he was still unsatisfied. When he spoke

next, his voice was hoarse.

“Finish your tea and rest early.”

He grabbed his phone and walked out of the room.

He had to answer the phone.

The balcony door slid shut.

Dazed by the kiss, she rested on the couch for a few moments before

standing.

She did not head into the bedroom but walked toward the balcony.

The glass door was only half–closed. The chill night breeze carried Alaric’s

voice over to her.

“I won’t leave.”

“What are you thinking? Be good and sleep.”

His voice was so gentle and tender.

She stood there and listened for a few minutes before chuckling.

Ah, so he could be gentle and sweet. What a pity the target of his affection

is not me.

She turned around and walked into the bedroom. With a blank face, she

sat down on the bed.

Their marriage was a mistake in the first place. It was just a deal anyway.

Two years ago, her family, the Selwyns, went bankrupt. She had fallen from

grace overnight, becoming the laughingstock of the city.

The Selwyns had been too successful. They had made too many enemies.

After their fall, everyone was rushing to humiliate them.

Someone even bragged that he could help the family out with their debt

as long as she gave herself to him.

Prior to the family’s downfall, countless men tried to woo her. None of them

caught her eye, however. As time went by, people started calling her high

and mighty.

A group of men thought of fooling around with her now that she was in

disgrace. They started a secret auction to see who would get her,

When she was at her lowest and most humiliated, Alaric returned,

He took care of those rowdy men and made them pay a cruel price for

their actions. After helping the Selwyns pay off their debt, he then said to

her, “Let’s get engaged.”

She had stared at him in shock.

At that, he reached out to stroke her cheek.

“Why are you surprised? Afraid that I’ll take advantage of you?” he asked.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a fake marriage. Grandma is sick, and she likes you.

She’ll be happy to see us engaged. I’ll help you bring the Selwyns back to

glory,”

Oh, it is to be a fake engagement. He does not like me. It is all to make his

Chapte Let’s Get Divorced

grandmother happy.

Even so, she agreed to marry him.

She knew he did not care about her, yet she still fell for him.

The engagement left her feeling conflicted.

The sudden change in their relationship from childhood sweethearts to an

engaged couple somehow felt weird to her.

He did not appear ill at ease though, attending every event and dinner

party with her by his side. A year afterward, his grandmother Griselda

Bates‘ condition worsened, which promoted them to move onto the

marriage stage, and she became Mrs. Cadogan, the object of everyone’s

envy.

Everyone was saying that the pair of childhood sweethearts were meant

to be together.

When she snapped out of her thoughts, she could not help but laugh at

her thoughts.

Unfortunately, they did not get together for real. It was just a transaction

between willing parties.

Suddenly, she heard Alaric speak. “You’re still awake.”

The spot beside her on the bed soon dipped down as her nose was filled

with the refreshing notes of his scent.

“I have something to tell you,” he said.

She did not turn around. She could guess what he was going to say.

“Let’s get divorced,” he continued.

Even though she had guessed it, her heart still skipped. Suppressing her

emotions and trying her best to keep calm, she asked, “When?”

Lying there, she sounded so calm and unaffected, as if she was merely

talking about something normal.

Her reaction made him frown as he answered, “Soon. We’ll wait until

Grandma’s done with her surgery.”

She nodded.

“Okay.”

“That’s it?” he asked after a pause.

Hearing that, she turned to glance at him. “What?”

Her eyes were so wide and pure that he was stunned by her question. He

gulped before letting out a silent laugh.

“Nothing, you heartless woman.”

People liked to say marriage tied people together. They had been married

for two years, yet she remained so calm when he suggested a divorce.

Well, their marriage was just a deal anyway. They both got what they

needed out of it.

He was merely someone to frighten her suitors away with.

Two years. She probably would have cut ties with me earlier if not for

Grandma.

He pushed away the uneasiness he felt at her calmness, lay down beside

her, and closed his eyes.

Chaper’s Get Divorced

“Alaric.”

She abruptly called out to him.

His eyes snapped open. His deep eyes glowed in the darkness as he

stared at her.

“What is it?”

Her lips opened and closed as she, too, had her gaze on him. In the end,

she blurted, “Thank you… For the past two years.”

His eyes darkened when he heard that. He pursed his lips. “You talk too much.”

Did she?

She turned away from him, thinking she would not have a chance to do so after their divorce.

When Victoria woke up the following morning, she discovered she had caught a cold. So, she reached into her drawer for some fever medicine and poured a glass of warm water. The instant she popped the pill into her mouth, a realization dawned on her, causing her eyes to widen and her face to pale. So, she swiftly dashed into the bathroom to spit it out. Then, she leaned over the sink, repeatedly spitting and rinsing her mouth to get every last remnant of the dissolved pill out of her mouth. “What happens? Why did you rush in here? Are you sick?” When Alaric’s distinct voice rang out from the doorway, Victoria looked up, startled. Meanwhile, he had a frown on his face as he stared at her. Once she caught his gaze, she quickly averted it, and after a moment of silence, she replied, “It’s nothing. I merely took the wrong pill.” She then wiped away the drops of water on her lips and exited the bathroom. However, Alaric watched Victoria walk out with a contemplative look. She’s been acting strangely since she returned home yesterday. After breakfast, the couple left the house together. Seeing her face ashen, he asked, “Do you want to ride in my car with me?” After a walk in the rain the day before, Victoria woke up that morning feeling a little under the weather. However, before she could nod, his phone rang. Hence, Alaric glanced down at it to see that it was a call from Claudia. He wanted to go back inside to answer the phone, but when he raised his head, he saw that Victoria had already left. Although married, they did not share the same interests; thorofore, she did not routinely listen to his phone calls. That was their way of life for the past two years, Nevertheless, her swift escape made his heart clench in agony that day. Soon, the pain faded quickly when he answered the phone call. Meanwhile, Victoria stood a few feet away and observed Alaric. From the look on his face, she knew who the caller was. His face was so gentle and soft; it was a side of him she had never seen before. So, she took a deep breath and suppressed the envy swelling in her. Then, she walked toward the garage while pulling out her phone. Five minutes later, he hung up the phone and turned to find nobody standing beside him. Then, he quickly glanced in different directions but could not find her. At that moment, his phone buzzed with a new message. ‘I urgently need to get to the office, so I left first.‘ As Alaric stared at the text message, his face darkened. Meanwhile, Victoria forced herself to push past her discomfort and head into the office. The moment she sat down at her desk, she was sprawling out over the table. My head hurts so bad! Nonetheless, she knew she could not take pain medication, even if she wanted to, because she was pregnant. Sometimes, she did not know what she was thinking, especially considering that her marriage to Alaric was fictitious. Even if she were pregnant, Griselda would be the only person genuinely happy for her. In addition, Victoria knew that no one else, including him, would be happy about the birth of her child. She had hoped that by telling him she was pregnant, he would accept the child and strengthen their marriage until yesterday. Nonetheless, when she learned that Claudia had returned, she realized he still felt the same way about Claudia as he had back then. If Alaric knew, his first instinct upon hearing the news would be to advise an abortion, fearing for the future of his marriage to Claudia. Nevertheless, a voice inside her head told her to abort the baby immediately, or she would be left with nothing but shame. “Miss Victoria,” The sweet voice of a woman calling out from nearby snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see that it was Yasmin Labauve, her assistant. Then, Victoria sat up straight and plastered on a perfect smile. “Good morning. You’re here.” On the other hand, Yasmin did not return her smile but looked at her with a concerned expression. “Victoria, you don’t look so good. Are you sick?” Victoria was startled by the question, but she soon shook her head in response. “I’m fine. I didn’t sleep well last night. That’s all.” “Really?” Yasmin did not look like she believed her. “You look really pale, though. Are you really okay? You should probably take the day off and see a doctor.” “I’m fine,” Victoria replied. “Are you done with yesterday’s work?” However, Yasmin was helpless against the constant redirection back to work. Ultimately, she handed over her pre–sorted documents from her desk and poured Victoria warm water. “Since you refuse to go to the doctor’s, drink this to keep yourself warm.” Victoria hired Yasmin, and while she was a dedicated employee, the two of them rarely interacted outside of work. However, she was surprised by Yasmin’s concern for her. Then, as she took a few sips of the water, it warmed her heart. She had been feeling cold earlier, but after some warm water, she felt much better. Still, Yasmin was anxiously staring at her. “Miss Victoria, why don’t I hand in the report today while you rest here?” “It’s fine,” Victoria said, shaking her head. “I can do it.” It’s only a mild fever, and I’m not that pampered. If I take time off and delegate my duties whenever I am sick, I will eventually become complacent. What will I do if I get sick in the future without anyone to help me? Soon, Victoria sorted through her documents and walked toward Alaric’s office. Her office was located relatively far from his. While it was usually fine, the walk felt tiring that day, likely because she was sick. Knock! Knock! “Enter.” She waited to hear his cold, deep voice before pushing the door open. As Victoria stepped through the door, she saw another figure inside. It was Claudia, wearing a white dress that highlighted her slender waist. She looked like an angel, her supple hair falling to her waist with the sunlight streaming through the ceiling–to–floor window shining on her. Meanwhile, Victoria went stiff when she realized who the other person was. “Oh, Victoria, Claudia greeted. Following that, she walked up to Victoria with a broad grin. Before Victoria could even react, Claudia was embracing her. Suddenly, Victoria’s body became even more rigid as she locked eyes with Alaric over Claudia’s shoulder. He was leaning against his desk, staring intently at her with his dark eyes, but it was hard to tell what was happening in his mind. When Victoria regained her composure, Claudia had already stepped away from her. I heard all about your situation from Alaric. You’ve had it hard.” There was a look of distress on Claudia’s face. “You must tell me if you need any help. Victoria was surprised to hear that. Alaric had told Claudia everything? However, she soon realized why that had been done. Everyone knew about her marriage to him, so there was no way they could keep it from Claudia. Since it could not be a secret, he must explain himself clearly. Moreover, she owed Claudia. Then, Victoria shoved aside the bitterness she felt and spread her lips in a smile. “Thank you. When did you get back?” “I flew in yesterday,” Claudia replied. Yesterday? That means Alaric went to see her as soon as she returned. Inevitably, Claudia is the one he cherishes the most in his life. “Why do you look so pale?” Claudia suddenly asked. “Are you sick?” Hearing that, Alaric, languidly leaning against his desk, suddenly turned to stare at Victoria. A frown formed on his brow as he scanned her up and down. “Is it because you got wet walking home in the rain last night?” “Walking in the rain?” Claudia looked confused. Victoria sighed and was about to explain when Alaric coldly snapped, “Why are you forcing yourself if you don’t fool woll? The company doesn’t desperately need you. Go home and rost.” When Claudia heard that, she instinctively turned to glance at him. Why is he suddenly agitated?