Departure with a Belly (Alaric and Victoria) novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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.