Departed With A Belly {1}

An Outsider

In that instant, Victoria felt her heart skip a beat, and she looked at Alaric because she had no idea how to respond to Griselda's question. After all, they had a good view of Claudia from the backseats, and he had seen her, too, when he was behind the wheel. In addition, she was the
woman he loved, so it was natural for him to take note of her presence.

After that, he slowed the car down and stopped at the villa's entrance. When the vehicle pulled over, Claudia grabbed her purse, walked to the
passenger seat, and knocked on the window. Then, when the car window rolled down, she smiled softly and said, "You're back, Al. How is Grandma? I'm sorry. I know you told me not to worry about her, but I still want to come and check for myself."

After saying that, she casually glanced at the back
of the car. Since she didn't see Victoria in the passenger seat, she knew Victoria would be in the back seat. At that moment, Claudia thought Alaric had reserved the passenger seat for her, and she was overjoyed. However, she noticed that there were two people in the back; one was Victoria, and the other was... As soon as Claudia saw who it was, her expression changed drastically.

Old Mrs. Cadogan?!

Why is she here? Suddenly, her intention to flaunt Victoria over Alaric's claim vanished. The smile on Claudia's face stiffened, and she wondered if Griselda would misunderstand the words she had just said.

Will it affect my relationship with Al?

While Claudia was perplexed, Griselda was staring at her with confusion in her eyes.

"Don't you remember her, Grandma? She is Claudia, the one who saved Alaric when he was young. She is his lifesaver," Victoria explained calmly.

When Griselda heard that, she said, "It's you, and you've grown so much. Please accept my apologies for not recognizing you sooner." As soon as Claudia was, Griselda treated her with courtesy since she On the other hand, Claudia shook her head and smiled.

"It's fine, Grandma. How will I get angry because of such a trivial matter? Speaking of which, I
should be the one to blame. After all, I have not visited you for a long time due to my busy schedule. I hope you won't treat me as a stranger
because of that."

"I did ask Victoria before about your condition. Never would I think that we'll be in touch so quickly." After hearing that, Claudia glanced at Victoria. Before she could say anything, Alaric raised his chin and said, "Get in the car and talk."

The weather was cold then, and she only wore a dress. Her face was pale as she stood in the cold wind, looking pitiful. "It's late, so I won't be going in. After all, it would be inconvenient for me to
do so." Claudia smiled and shook her head. The tip of her nose was bright red from the coldness.

"Moreover, I came here because I heard about Grandma's surgery. Since she is fine, I can go home with ease now." Ultimately, she didn't get in the car and instead braved the bitter weather
while standing outside.

When Victoria heard that, she looked thoughtfully at Claudia's white dress. Since discovering Claudia's true identity, she knew it was no coincidence that she would be dressed in this manner and be standing there.

She wondered if Claudia had lost her cool when Alaric wouldn't want to divorce then, so Claudia came here in the middle of the night without
giving it a second thought.

However, Claudia had never expected to encounter Griselda. As Victoria observed Claudia leaning against the car window and speaking those intimate words to him, she became too
apathetic to care about them. All she wished was that Griselda wouldn't be affected by this.

At that moment, Victoria knew Alaric would not leave Claudia alone in the cold. Moreover, Victoria was also worried that he would accidentally spill the beans. So, she took the initiative and said, "It's not too late. Hurry up and get in the car. Since Grandma has returned in time, you can stay here and talk to her for a while. I'll let the driver send you home later."

She invited Claudia with a calm voice. When Claudia heard that, she looked at Victoria, seemingly surprised that she would say something like this.

However, Claudia soon knew the reason and nodded. "Thank you, Victoria." After that, she walked over and sat with them. They had no problem sitting in the back since they were all skinny. In addition, Victoria had been sitting so close to Griselda that there was a vast empty seat off the side.

After Claudia entered the car, she greeted Griselda with enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Victoria breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Claudia hadn't gone for the passenger seat.
Thank God she is smart enough, she thought. "Thank you for coming over to check up on me, Claudia. You must be tired." Griselda was polite with her, and the two began to murmur.

After some time, the car drove into the villa and stopped in the garage. Then, the servants grabbed out the wheelchair that they prepared
beforehand. When the car door was opened, Alaric carried Griselda and carefully put her in the wheelchair.

When Claudia exited the car, she noticed Victoria approaching Griselda and pushing the wheelchair for her. Seeing the trio standing together like a happy family, Claudia gripped her dress tightly. However, she soon thought of something and smiled again as she followed them.

On the other hand, Hector was elated to learn Griselda had returned. So, when he heard some noises from the front door, he immediately led the servants to greet them.

However, they were shocked when they saw the three of them, plus Claudia, who hadn't been invited. When they saw that, all the servants exchanged instant glances, and because they worked for a wealthy family, they quickly suppressed their emotions when Griselda
approached them.

"Welcome home, Old Mrs. Cadogan!" Everyone was excited, and they even prepared a show for her. Before her admission to the nursing home, Griselda had seen various national and international performances. After a while, she became bored at the nursing home, so she was interested in the show the servants had prepared for her.

As Victoria stood beside Griselda and saw the excitement on her face, she couldn't help but smile. On the other hand, Alaric watched the scene and slowly blinked. Then, he smiled and whispered to her, "Are you the one who set this up?"

After hearing that, she subconsciously shook her head and replied, "No. It must be Hector who set this up."He clicked his tongue when he heard that. Seeing his grandmother in such a good mood also put him in a cheerful mood. "He is quite a considerate man."Of course. Otherwise, how will he become the Cadogan Family's butler?" When he heard that, he smiled silently to express how he felt.

In the meantime, Claudia deliberately kept her distance from Alaric since she didn't want to reveal their relationship to Griselda. However, she could overhear what he and Victoria were saying even as she stood behind them. They complement each other well and look stunning in their matching dark outfits.

It's as if they're a perfect match, while I'm just an
outsider standing here, unsure of what to do. At that moment, a glint of viciousness flashed across her eyes as she bit her lips.
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Edited on: July 12, 2024
Time: 10:07 pm
Word count: 1275 words