Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria) novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22 

Victoria didn’t have much appetite, but under Summer’s urging, she 

managed to drink the milk and eat a few mouthfuls of sandwiches. 

Summer finally stopped forcing her when she saw how hard it was for 

Victoria to take another bite. 

She came to sit down after she cleaned up a little. 

“How do you feel?” she asked. “Feel any better?” 

“Yeah.” 

81% 

Summer let out a light cough and tentatively asked, “Should we go back 

first tomorrow?” 

Victoria didn’t say anything. 

1/11 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

81% 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

Seeing this, Summer held her hand and announced firmly, “Let’s go.” 

2/11 

“Okay…” 

It was as though Victoria was in a fog now. She needed someone to give 

her a push no matter what decision she was making. 

She then got up and left with Summer. 

When they were passing by a corner, Victoria heard a dispute. 

A devastated young lady was crying out loud, “But Momma, I like him!” 

“Shut your mouth!” The furious and mean voice of a woman yelled in 

return. “What nonsense are you going on about? Do you not remember 

what I taught you? Do you understand what I’m saying? You have been 

tricked by him!” 

“Momma…” 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

81% 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

“I don’t want to see you have any contact with him after this. A poor bum 

like him isn’t worthy of you. You won’t be able to find someone good if 

people knew about him, okay?” 

3/11 

Listening to the woman’s threatening voice, the girl lowered her head and 

did not speak anymore. Her eyes were hidden behind her fringe. 

Victoria only took a glance before she looked away. 

Summer obviously saw that scene as well. After they left the hospital, she 

couldn’t help sighing, “That girl looks like she is only a student. Oh, silly girl.” 

Victoria didn’t say anything in reply. 

Just then, her phone began to vibrate. 

Summer immediately huddled over when she heard the ringtone go off. 

“Your phone is ringing. Is it Alaric? Is he regretting it?” 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

Seeing the unsaved number on the screen, she asked again, “Who’s 

calling?” 

81% 

4/11 

For some reason, Victoria had a feeling she knew who it was when she 

saw the phone number. 

She only hesitated for a few seconds before she took the call. 

“Victoria Selwyn, yes?” A slightly aggressive female voice rang out from 

the other end of the call. 

This wasn’t a voice Victoria was familiar with. “Whom am I speaking to?” 

she asked in return. 

“I am Claudia’s friend. I know a little something, and I would like to meet 

you to talk about it. I will send you the address through text in a while.” The 

caller came to a short pause before she chuckled. “You will come, won’t 

you, Victoria Selwyn?” 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

She then hung up without waiting for Victoria to answer. 

Beep… Beep… 

图81%會 

As Victoria didn’t put the call on speaker, Summer didn’t get to hear what 

the other woman said. She could only ask after the call ended. “Who was 

that? What did they say?” 

Victoria had nothing to hide from Summer. She took a moment before 

answering, “Claudia’s friend.” 

Summer froze for a second upon hearing that. 

“What?” she growled. “What is her friend calling you for?” 

“She said she knows something and wants to see me.” 

A short ringing came from her phone as soon as she said that. 

5/11 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

3ས ཏྲཱི 81%E 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

It was a text from the woman. She had just sent Victoria the address to a 

coffee shop in the center of the city. 

Summer’s sleek eyebrows were now pulled together into a frown. “She 

said she knows something? Well, what is it? Do you think…” She turned to 

Victoria in shock. “Maybe she knows about it too?” 

“Judging by how things are so far, that seems to be the case.” 

6/11 

“F*ck!” Summer cursed angrily. “How did Claudia know about this? Alaric 

told her? Victoria, even if he is someone you like, I really want to curse him 

out right now. Why would he spread the word when he has already 

decided he doesn’t want the child? Did he do it just so Claudia can treat 

you like a joke? Why is he acting like some kind of trash?” 

Hearing Summer’s harsh words against Alaric made Victoria 

subconsciously want to defend him. However, her words were stuck at the 

tip of her tongue. 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him. 

She parted her lips only to realize how powerless she was. 

Should she defend him? 

But what was the point of that when the truth was right in their faces? 

Thinking of this, she lowered her gaze and fell silent. 

81% 

Summer, however, made a decision for her. “Don’t go. If they want to see 

you, let them come to you. Why do you have to go there just because they 

called you and sent you an address?” 

Seeing how enraged Summer was, Victoria had to comfort her instead. “T 

don’t plan on going. Don’t be mad, okay?” 

“Mad? My heart breaks for you!” Summer hissed in a hatred–filled voice. 

She seemed to have remembered something when she squinted. “For 

Claudia to get her friend to talk to you… She must be worried that you 

d decide against getting rid of the child and eventually fight over 

7/11 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

81% 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

Alaric with her. Ha! So, she isn’t all that confident in herself.” 

8/11 

Victoria put away her phone and ignored the text message. She wouldn’t 

go even if Summer hadn’t warned her against it. This is between me and 

Alaric. No one else, Claudia’s friend and Claudia included, has anything to 

do with this. 

After bidding farewell to Summer, Victoria went back home. 

She had a lot of free time, considering how long her annual leave was. The 

next few days would be a perfect chance to organize her thoughts. 

She needed to think about what she wanted. 

In a coffee shop in the city center, Claudia picked up her coffee cup to 

take a sip. However, she hadn’t even drunk it when she hurriedly put it 

back and looked up at her friend sitting across from her. 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

“She will come, right?” 

81% 

The friend scoffed with contempt. “She will, unless she doesn’t want to get 

to the bottom of this matter. She will be scared for sure. Let’s just wait 

here. When she is right around the corner, you should go and hide inside. 

Don’t show yourself just yet.” 

Listening to the plan her friend made for her, Claudia bit her lower lip 

lightly. “How are you going to tell her? I’m sure she didn’t want this to 

happen. Try to talk to her nicely later. If she needs compensation, I can 

also-” 

9/11 

“Claudia!” The friend looked at her in disbelief. “Stop being so kind. What do 

you mean she didn’t want this to happen? How can Alaric touch her and 

get her pregnant if she didn’t want it? That sl*t must have seduced Alaric. 

You can’t go easy on her, or you will be in serious trouble in the future.” 

Claudia sighed. “I know that you’re doing this for my own good, but… her 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

24 3 81%° 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

family has gone bankrupt. She’s pitiful. Let’s give her some money if we 

can. She has helped Alaric a lot in the last two years.” 

10/11 

Another friend echoed, “Look at how kind our Claudia is. She is nothing like 

that b*tch. She knew that Alaric is your man, and yet she got herself 

pregnant with his child. She trying to take the opportunity to get to a 

higher position. We warned her last time.” 

“Exactly.” 

“We’ll give a few more warnings when she gets here. We’ll let her see what 

we are capable of.” 

Unfortunately for them, they didn’t see Victoria even after a 30–minute 

wait. 

“That skank actually stood us up! Give her a call and ask her what the hell 

is she thinking.” 

10:41 Mon, 19 Jun 

 ྂས བླ 81%ཇེ 

Chapter 22 Powerless at Defending Him 

Claudia’s fingertips curled slightly when she heard her friends‘ words. 

B 

11/11 

0X81%0 

1/12 

ce she deleted Victoria’s text on Alaric’s 

ctoria told Alaric through a text message was 

Mare to tell Alaric the news in person. 

planned to ask Alaric out that night. 

A overtime work to do so he could not leave his job. 

was still worried. She accompanied him at work, and when he 

rk, she dragged him to a gathering with her friends. 

e end of the night, he had so much to drink he was barely conscious. 

While he was out of it, Claudia gave Victoria a call. 

10:42 Mon, 19 Jun