Cold War between Mr. and Mrs Vaughn: He Regretted when Divorce-Chapter 145: Victoria Sinclair Ruins Her Own Reputation

Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Victoria Sinclair Ruins Her Own Reputation

Inside the blood test room.

Victoria Sinclair and Eugene Vaughn sat on the bench waiting for their number to be called.

There were a lot of people in line, coming and going.

Victoria appeared calm and collected, but inside she was quite uneasy.

Eugene had always been a lone wolf, rarely bringing his assistant along.

Today, he was just here for a blood test, yet he had his assistant with him all along; there must be some important task for him to do.

Additionally, she was worried Eugene might have the Mediterranean anemia gene, which would put her unborn child at risk.

When their number was called, Eugene unbuttoned his sleeve, stood up for the blood draw.

After a minute, Eugene pressed a cotton swab to his arm and returned, looking at Victoria, "Do I need to do any other tests?"

Victoria stood up, "No, thank you."

She said that, then turned to leave.

Eugene hurriedly reached out to grab her arm, "Victoria..."

Victoria turned her head, looked at him silently, waiting for him to speak.

However, his gaze was complex, his expression bleak; after hesitating for a moment, he slowly said, "I’ll drive you."

"No, I’ll get there faster by subway."

Eugene repeated, his tone assertive and strong, leaving no room for objection, "I’ll drive you."

Victoria exhaled lightly, frowned in displeasure, "Could you respect others’ opinions? I said I don’t need it."

"Either we walk down together, or I carry you?" Eugene’s tone was firm and overbearing, not hearing her rejection at all.

Victoria was utterly speechless.

She wasn’t stubborn; there was no need to argue over such trivial matters with him in the hospital.

"Fine, back to the research institute." Having said that, Victoria’s gaze fixed on his hand, "Please let go."

Eugene released her hand, handed the cotton swab to Assistant Palmer, and walked towards the escalator with Victoria.

They went downstairs and arrived at the parking lot.

Eugene opened the passenger door, turned to look at Victoria, but she had already sat in the back seat, leaving him stunned for several seconds before closing the door and returning to the driver’s seat.

As he started the car, Victoria looked nervously out the window, "Where’s Assistant Palmer? Isn’t he coming?"

Eugene answered while driving, "He still has some matters to attend to at the hospital..." Saying this, his gaze shifted to the rearview mirror, seeing Victoria’s anxious expression, he changed his phrasing: "He’s having a health check-up."

Victoria didn’t respond, leaned back in her seat, and turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window.

Eugene drove at a steady pace, "Victoria, fasten your seatbelt."

Victoria was taken aback, feeling a bit puzzled; he was being really meticulous.

But traffic laws require seatbelts in the back as well, so he probably was afraid of losing points.

Victoria fastened her seatbelt and closed her eyes to rest.

Along the way, neither of them spoke.

Back at the institute’s gate, Victoria saw her mother and a few unfamiliar relatives through the car window.

She didn’t go to the blind date two days ago, probably angered her mother, and now she’s here to catch her?

Last time her mother caused a scene at the institute, now she’s on the blacklist, only able to wait outside the gate.

The car stopped, Eugene looked at Mrs. Sinclair and several women, then turned to ask Victoria, "Is there a problem you’re facing?"

Victoria didn’t answer his question, simply said, "Turn around and head back to the apartment."

Eugene’s eyes darkened, "If you don’t resolve the issue, how long can you hide?"

Victoria felt a weight in her heart.

Indeed, how long can she hide?

Eugene unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, and Mrs. Sinclair, seeing him, walked over with her relatives, peering into the car through the tinted window using her hand to block the light.

"Eugene? Is Victoria in your car?" Mrs. Sinclair put her hands on her hips, her tone extremely aggressive.

A woman ran to the front of the car, looked through the windshield, and saw Victoria, shouted, "Your daughter is right inside." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Mrs. Sinclair grabbed the door handle, tugging a few times, "Victoria Sinclair, come out."

Eugene held Mrs. Sinclair’s arm, pushed her away, blocking the car door, "Speak to me if you have matters."

Mrs. Sinclair was furious, her hands on her hips, relying on her relatives to back her up, overbearing: "You two are already divorced, Victoria’s matters have nothing to do with you."

Eugene calmly said, "If not, I’ll take her away."

"You dare." Mrs. Sinclair growled.

One of the relatives spoke earnestly towards the car, addressing Victoria, "Victoria, your mother is doing this for your benefit, women with second marriages are difficult to marry off, in two years you’ll be thirty, then your value will decrease. Listen to your mother, meet the prospect first, if you don’t like him you can search again, it’s not like she’s forcing you to marry immediately."

Eugene’s expression darkened, cold light gradually freezing in his eyes.

"Victoria Sinclair, get out of the car." Mrs. Sinclair shouted angrily.

Eugene endured silently, took out his phone from his pocket, spoke deliberately, "She’s not merchandise; don’t treat her marriage as a bargaining chip to make money. How much do you want, I’ll give it to you."

The relative retorted, "Is having money so remarkable? We’re doing this to find Victoria a good man, a settled future, so she has someone to rely on for the rest of her life, not for profit."

Eugene curled his lips coldly, dismissively: "Just name a price, I’ll transfer it to you immediately."

The relative displeased, "You..."

Mrs. Sinclair hurriedly grasped the relative, her attitude softened, and became especially obsequious when it came to money, "If the match is successful, they’re planning to offer a dowry of a million... If you’re willing to give, then I would..."

Before Mrs. Sinclair finished speaking, Victoria pushed the car door open, stepped out, and walked over to Eugene, pressed down on his phone to halt the transfer, "My matters don’t need your involvement."

Eugene exhaled lightly, there was helplessness in his eyes, "Victoria, I’m trying to help you."

"We have no ties anymore, I don’t need your assistance, nor do I want to owe you favors." Victoria spoke with resolute firmness, making her stance clear: "She’s my mother, I know her nature better than you. Even if she takes your money, she will still pressure me to marry after a period of calm."

Eugene remained silent, his eyes filled with tender and protective grief, an overflow of desire to shield her, yet an overwhelming feeling of helplessness following rejection.

Mrs. Sinclair felt disgruntled by Victoria’s words, charged over and yanked her daughter’s arm harshly, "How have I wronged you?"

Victoria was jerked around, stumbled a step, Eugene quickly hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace, holding her tightly, pointed his phone at Mrs. Sinclair, issued a chilling warning, "Stay away from her."

His dangerous, icy aura caused everyone to tense up, nervously swallowing, not daring to step closer.

Victoria fell into his warm embrace, feeling a moment of surreal safety, a peak of security, and her heart calmed inexplicably.

But she knew, this sense of safety wasn’t entirely hers.

She indeed wanted reliance, wanted someone to shield her, allowing her to live freely and fearlessly doing what she wished.

But this man wasn’t Eugene.

Eugene’s hands still needed to provide shelter for another woman, still needed to protect another woman.

Victoria Sinclair stepped out of Eugene Vaughn’s embrace, took a step back, and said in a detached tone, "You don’t need to interfere in my affairs."

A glimmer of disappointment flashed in Eugene Vaughn’s eyes as he gazed at her.

Victoria Sinclair walked up to Mrs. Sinclair, her tone extremely cold and indifferent, "I’ll give you an hour to arrange to meet him here."

Eugene Vaughn’s expression grew increasingly dark, his fists clenched tightly.

Mrs. Sinclair was delighted, "Here?"

Victoria Sinclair pointed to the café not far ahead, "I’ll only wait there for an hour."

Having said that, she walked towards the café.

Mrs. Sinclair was greatly pleased and excitedly took out her phone to contact the other party.

Eugene Vaughn stood with his hands on his hips, taking deep breaths again and again, his face dark and his chest heaving, as if infuriated to the point of having trouble breathing.

Victoria Sinclair hadn’t walked far when Eugene Vaughn strode up, grabbed her arm, and came in front of her, "You don’t have to force yourself. If you don’t want a blind date, let me help you. You don’t have to repay me with favors or money."

"I really don’t want a blind date." Victoria Sinclair shook off his hand, "But such minor matters, I can totally handle it myself. I don’t need your help."

"How will you handle it?" Eugene Vaughn gazed at her exquisite beauty, "In this world, there are few single men who can resist such attractiveness."

Victoria Sinclair was exhausted, "Eugene, I’ll say it again, we are divorced, and we are strangers with no relation. Please stop meddling in my affairs."

Eugene Vaughn froze in place as if her words had once again painfully wounded him, with sadness and helplessness overflowing in his eyes, and a bitter cold smile forming, his fist clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.

Victoria Sinclair brushed past him, continuing toward the café.

She sat by the window and scanned a QR code to order a cup of coconut milk coffee.

A few minutes later, a waiter brought a cup of hot milk and placed it in front of her.

Victoria Sinclair was puzzled, "Hello, I ordered coffee, this isn’t mine."

The waiter pointed to the man at the nearby table, "Your boyfriend swapped it for you."

Victoria Sinclair turned her head and saw that Eugene Vaughn had also come along, sitting at the spot diagonally behind her.

Victoria Sinclair pushed the milk back, "I don’t know him. Please switch it back to coconut milk coffee, iced."

"I’m sorry." The waiter nodded apologetically and left with the milk.

A few minutes later, an iced coffee was delivered.

She drank the iced coffee, took out her phone, looked at her work research data, and quietly waited.

Half an hour later.

Mrs. Sinclair brought a man, filled with joy.

The man looked to be around forty years old, overweight, with sparse hair that also made him look older.

"This is my daughter, Victoria Sinclair." Mrs. Sinclair was particularly enthusiastic as she presented the man before Victoria Sinclair.

The man’s face was full of smiles, his eyes brimming with amazement, his gaze burning.

Victoria Sinclair calmly faced the man and gestured for him to sit.

Nervous and clumsy in the presence of beauty, the man hurriedly sat down and extended his hand, "Hello, Miss Sinclair, my name is Connor Calder."

Mrs. Sinclair also sat down, her smile growing brighter, "Mr. Connor, are you satisfied with your first impression of my daughter?"

Connor Calder nodded, "Very satisfied, Miss Sinclair is a rare beauty, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Meeting Miss Sinclair is an honor for someone like me."

"Then..." Mrs. Sinclair attempted to continue the conversation but was interrupted by Victoria Sinclair.

"Mom, can I chat with Mr. Connor alone?"

Mrs. Sinclair squeezed a smile towards Connor Calder, leaned close to Victoria Sinclair’s ear, and whispered through gritted teeth, "Don’t play tricks on me, I know you well."

Sitting diagonally behind, Eugene Vaughn almost crushed his coffee cup, filled with anger and simmering jealousy.

Victoria Sinclair took a deep breath and unabashedly asked, "Mr. Connor, do you mind that I have a disease?"

At these words, Connor Calder was dumbfounded, Mrs. Sinclair panicked, her voice rising, "Victoria Sinclair, you’ve always been healthy, don’t try these petty tricks. Properly have this blind date with Mr. Connor. If you keep causing trouble, I’ll give you a hard time."

Victoria Sinclair ignored her mother, took out a medical record she had already prepared from her backpack, and handed it to Connor Calder.

Mrs. Sinclair looked at the medical record nervously, Connor Calder took the document to look at it, his hand trembling, his face turned black with anger.

He abruptly stood up and threw the document in front of Victoria Sinclair, shouting angrily, "I said, how could someone so young and beautiful end up divorced yet still have a blind date with me? Turns out you’re an AIDS patient. Damn, you’re wasting my time!"

The man left in fury.

Mrs. Sinclair picked up the report and looked at it, her face turned livid with anger. She chased after the man, trying to salvage the situation, "Mr. Connor, don’t believe it. My daughter has always been a conservative woman, pure and self-respecting. She definitely wouldn’t contract AIDS, she must have just come up with this lousy trick because she doesn’t want to get married. Please believe me..."

Connor Calder sneered, "I only have one life, and I don’t want to die. Besides, if she prefers ruining her reputation to reject me, why would I marry her? Marry her only to be betrayed?"

Mrs. Sinclair watched the man leave helplessly, full of anger, and marched towards Victoria Sinclair.

Victoria Sinclair left the table, ready to leave, only to see her mother approaching in a fiery rage, angrily charging toward her.

As she neared, gritting her teeth, she raised her hand, and at the moment she swung it down, Eugene Vaughn rushed over, blocked in front of Victoria Sinclair, and grabbed Mrs. Sinclair’s wrist.

Mrs. Sinclair paused due to the pain, her fierce gaze softened slightly.

Eugene Vaughn let go of her wrist.

Mrs. Sinclair was so angry that she put her hands on her hips, quickly squeezed out tears, and assumed the look of a victim, "Victoria Sinclair! Victoria Sinclair, where have I done you wrong? I’ve worked hard to raise you, paid for your education, sent you to college, even ruined the future of my son to nurture you. Is this how you repay me? You... you dared to forge such a terrifying medical record. Do you intend to never marry?"

Victoria Sinclair remained silent.

Eugene Vaughn spoke icily and angrily, "She... doesn’t... want... to... marry, stop forcing her."

Mrs. Sinclair stomped angrily, pointed at Eugene Vaughn, shouted angrily, "What right do you have to interfere in my family’s affairs? If it weren’t for your divorce with my daughter, would she have turned out like this? She was destroyed by you."

Eugene Vaughn calmly watched her tantrum.

Mrs. Sinclair tugged at Eugene Vaughn’s clothes, cried out, "You ruined my daughter’s life. Without you, her marriage would have been perfect, her future bright. It was all ruined by you. You owe my daughter’s losses, owe the losses of my family."

In the end, it was all about money.

Eugene Vaughn pulled her hand off, feeling utterly disgusted.

He wondered how Victoria Sinclair had endured all these years.

Victoria Sinclair remained as calm as water, coldly spoke, "I had an extramarital affair and contracted AIDS. I wronged him, and if there’s compensation, I should compensate him. If you’re not afraid of losing face, continue making a scene; make it known to the world that your daughter cheated and contracted AIDS, yet you demand compensation from her ex-husband. Are you willing to forfeit your dignity?"

Mrs. Sinclair immediately panicked, nervously looking around.

She found that the café staff were looking in their direction.

Mrs. Sinclair’s face fell, fearing the incident would become widely known, making her unable to hold her head high among relatives and friends.

She grit her teeth, gave Victoria Sinclair a fierce glare, "Victoria Sinclair, well played! If you die out there in the future, I won’t care about you anymore."

After issuing her harsh words, Mrs. Sinclair turned and left in anger.

Eugene Vaughn anxiously turned around to check on Victoria Sinclair, finding her eyes filled with tears, feeling deeply pained, "Victoria, do you really have to ruin your own reputation for peace of mind? Why won’t you let me help you?"

Victoria Sinclair didn’t feel sad, only saw it as tragic and sorrowful.

Indeed, if she hadn’t been pushed to the edge, she wouldn’t want to ruin her reputation like this.